Agenda item

Social Housing Regulation – Q1 2024/25 review

To provide Cabinet with an update on progress made towards delivering the outcomes of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, including revised consumer standards (report of the Assistant Director – Housing enclosed).

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director - Housing, which provided the Cabinet with an update on progress made towards delivering the outcomes of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, including revised consumer standards.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing presented the report, which highlighted the large amount of important work that had been undertaken to date.

 

The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 delivered a number of key changes, including allowing the Regulator of Social Housing additional powers.  These changes:

 

·       Strengthened the regulator’s enforcement powers, making it easier for them to intervene where they believed that landlord services were failing tenants;

·       Placed the relationship between the regulator and the Housing Ombudsman’s Service on a statutory footing;

·       Extended the regulator’s powers, paving the way for the introduction of revised consumer standards, covering all aspects of landlord service;

·       Introduced a pro-active regime of inspections, inspecting all landlords with other 1,000 units a minimum of once every four years.

 

In order to ensure that the outcomes of the consumer standards were delivered, the Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing had ensured that steps were in place to allow her to scrutinse the service regularly by chairing monthly compliance meetings and quarterly governance meetings, as well as chairing the Transformation Board.  She was satisfied that she was fully aware of the progress in delivering the Consumer Standards .  However, it was also important that Cabinet and Scrutiny were kept informed on the current position of the service.

 

The report set out an updated position on the following areas:

 

·       Consumer standards

·       Rent standard

·       Tenant Satisfaction Measures

·       Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code

·       Competence and Conduct Standard

 

Further reports providing updates on the position would be provided on a quarterly basis.

 

The following points were raised:

 

·       There was much work to be done in this area, however good progress was being made.  Tenant involvement was key to progression.

 

·       Was there the capacity and time available within the department for the appropriate staff training to be undertaken?

  • The Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing responded that at this stage, she was confident that there was sufficient capacity.  However, this issue would always be reflected within the Risk Register as it was important that capacity and resource was maintained in order to uphold the standards required.  

 

·       Some tenants had indicated dissatisfaction when responding to the TSM (Tenant Satisfaction Measures) survey - what actions were being undertaken to ascertain the reasons for their dissatisfaction?

  • With regard to the original TSM (Tenant Satisfaction Measures) survey, responses were anonymous so tenants could not be responded to directly - little could therefore be done with that data set.  However, all tenants would receive an annual report detailing the complaints and what had been done so far.  In addition, the handling of complaints was now managed directly by Housing (instead of corporately), and these were now being dealt with more effectively.  Going forward, there would be a requirement in the scope for future surveys undertaken to include further analysis of data received.  A Complaint Working Group had also been established, reviewing themes and trends of complaints - it was important not only to deal with the complaints, but also to learn from them, and this was already being taken forward.  The Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing was confident that a huge amount of work had already been undertaken, to listen to and deal with complaints. 

 

·       Within the position statement for Consumer Standards, there were a number of policies listed for future implementation – would these be coming forward to the Policy Development Panel for scrutiny, prior to final approval?

  • The Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing confirmed that these would be programmed into the Panel’s Work Programme.  She also confirmed that from the outset, there had been a desire to heavily involve the relevant scrutiny panels in considering the work being undertaken.  It was very important to have all members involved in this huge piece of work.

 

DECISION:

 

That the work underway to align services with the new regulatory regime, and the Council’s progress towards delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards, be noted.

 

(Other options considered:

·       Do nothing – to retain progress updates through operational arrangements with the Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing.   This option was not considered to be appropriate as the Regulator of Social Housing was clear that Councillors were responsible for ensuring that the Council, in its role as a registered provider, was meeting the regulatory standards set.

Reasons for decision:

·       To provide assurance to Cabinet on the Council’s preparations for regulatory inspection and provide updated information on ongoing work towards delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards.)

Supporting documents: