A2Dominion to cut development team in half

A2Dominion will cut its development team in half as it reduces its new build activity and focuses on improving customer service.

The 38,000-home housing association, currently judged non-compliant with the regulator’s governance and financial viability standard, said it is “moving away from its emphasis on new developments, particularly those for private sale”.

It said it will focus on regeneration projects and the redevelopment of neighbourhoods which need the greatest amount of investment.

As a result, A2Dominion is now consulting with around 70 employees in its development team, with around half of the roles expected to be removed.

The group intends to move to a regional approach to the delivery of its current pipeline and future projects, with dedicated teams for London and the South East. It will also set up a technical team to focus on a regeneration-led approach to future development.

A2Dominion’s development pipeline has fallen from 7,817 homes in 2018 to 1,645 currently. It completed 745 units in 2022/23, a drop of 23% on the 971 recorded the previous year.

A2Dominion has announced several major changes to the way it operates over the past few weeks.

Earlier this week, it announced it has implemented an improvement plan for its repairs system and added new monitoring processes to manage third-party contractors after the Housing Ombudsman ordered an independent review of A2Dominion’s handling of leaks, damp and mould.

>> See also: In search of a magic patch size: How social landlords are rethinking their housing management approaches

>> See also: A2Dominion governance status downgraded due to ‘serious regulatory concerns’

The repairs improvement plan included the introduction of a new live-tracking system to get appointment reminders and track the progress of an operative on a map. It has also appointed its first director of repairs and maintenance, Jo Evans and changed the way it manages third-party contractors after residents experienced long delays, cancellations of works and a lack of clear communication.

A2Dominion has also reduced its patch sizes after the ombudsman identified issues with its management of leaseholds. It is introducing a new system to improve its recording of resident data.

It has been reviewing its complaints handling process, bringing in a new chief customer officer on a permanent basis, and ensuring “greater scrutiny at executive level of the organisation on a weekly basis”.

In January this year, the Regulator of Social Housing downgraded A2Dominion’s governance grading from a G1 to non-compliant G3, due to concerns about the company’s data and risk management, and business planning.

A2Dominion is just one of several large housing associations to cut back on development to focus on existing homes and services in the current environment. Southern Housing Group last month confirmed it was making development roles redundant, while Clarion this week outlined it is moderating its development programme “to respond to market uncertainty and our financial capacity.”