Electrical safety requirements, overdue water safety actions and missed gas safety inspections among failings identified in latest batch of judgements from the Regulator of Social Housing
Four more councils have breached the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) new consumer standards.
The RSH has today announced Brighton and Hove City Council, Hackney Council, South Derbyshire District Council and Ashford Borough Council have all failed the standards, which were introduced in April.
All four have been given the ‘C3’ grading by RSH, which means there are serious failings, and they need to make significant improvements. The failings identified among the group include failing to meet electrical safety requirements, overdue water safety remedial actions and missed gas safety inspections.
Since the new rules came into effect eight social landlords have been found non-compliant, seven of which are local authorities (see table below).
In today’s judgements, Brighton and Hove City Council was found to have failed to ensure t is meeting electrical safety requirements, with around 3,600 homes not having a current electrical condition report (out of a total of 12,100 homes). The council also reported more than 500 overdue water safety remedial actions, and more than 600 homes without a water risk assessment. The council also identified 1,700 medium and low-risk fire remedial actions, as well as a backlog of around 8,000 low risk repairs.
RSH said: “The information provided to us by Brighton and Hove City Council during our engagement with it demonstrates it is failing to provide an effective, efficient, and timely repairs service”
Gill Williams, cabinet member for housing and new homes at the council said: “The findings of this report are extremely serious, and we do not take them lightly.
| Social landlords found non-compliant with new consumer standards | Type | Date of judgemnt |
|---|---|---|
| Brighton & Hove City Council | Local authority | 09 August 2024 |
| Hackney Council | Local authority | 09 August 2024 |
| South Derbyshire District Council | Local authority | 09 August 2024 |
| Ashford Borough Council | Local authority | 09 August 2024 |
| Bristol City Council | Local authority | 09 July 2024 |
| Guildford Borough Council | Local authority | 09 July 2024 |
| Octavia Housing | Housing association | 09 July 2024 |
| Sheffield City Council | Local authority | 09 July 2024 |
“We have already introduced new measures to improve our work in each of the areas of concern identified by the RSH.
“Clearly, however, there is still much work to be done and this council will not shy away from either the criticism within this report, or the urgent hard work needed to improve our services.”
Fewer than half of the homes managed by South Derbyshire District Council requiring a fire risk assessment have one in place, RSH said. A number of homes were also found not to have a valid electrical safety certificate and more than a 100 required further works. The council last completed a stock conditions survey in 2018, covering 10 per cent of its stock. RSH said the council “failed to demonstrate a sufficient understanding of its tenants’ homes and RSH could not be assured that it is providing homes of decent quality.”
Hackney Council was found to have more than 15,000 homes without a current electrical safety certificate, while there was no evidence of smoke detectors in nearly 9,000 homes and no carbon monoxide detectors in 400 properties.
RSH said the council also has 400 homes that have not had a gas safety inspection in the required timeframe. It also reported more than 1,400 open damp and mould cases in tenants’ homes.
Clayeon McKenzie, cabinet member for housing services and resident participation at Hackney Council, said the authority has since its self-referral to RSH improved in all five areas of concern (fire, gas, asbestos, water and lift safety checks)
He said: “We are now compliant with the fire risk assessment of communal areas. For the remaining areas we have improvement plans in place to ensure compliance by the end of August.
Ashford Borough Council was found to have serious failings in how it is meeting its health and safety requirements. RSH said this includes overdue electrical safety checks, incomplete fire remedial actions and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that haves not been installed in 4,800 homes.
The council also reported that it has not carried out a full stock condition survey for more than 10 years. RSH’s investigation found that complaints are not being recorded consistently and tenants have lacked opportunities to influence decision making about how their services are provided.
The new consumer standards came into effect in April. They were introduced as part of the Social Housing Regulation Act which aims to improve conditions in social housing.
RSH is carrying out planned inspections of all social landlords managing more than 1,000 homes over a four-year cycle
The new Safety and Quality Standard requires landlords to have an “accurate, up to date and evidenced understanding of the condition of their homes that reliably informs their provision of good quality, well maintained and safe homes for tenants.” It also “requires landlords to identify and meet all legal requirements that relate to the health and safety of tenants in their homes and communal areas, and that all required actions arising from legally required health and safety assessments are carried out within appropriate timescales.”
>>See also: Evolution or revolution? What new consumer standards mean for RPs
A spokesperson for Ashford Borough Council said: “A robust action plan continues to be worked through, and we are clear about the steps we need to take to address the outstanding issues and ensure 100% compliance moving forward, so we can demonstrate this to our tenants and leaseholders, members, staff, the wider public and the Regulator of Social Housing.”
Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at RSH, said: “Landlords must provide safe and decent homes for tenants by taking a proactive approach to delivering the outcomes of our standards. Making sure tenants’ homes are safe and keeping up-to-date data is key to meeting these objectives, as is ensuring there are effective approaches to handling complaints and engaging with tenants.
“The issues outlined in the judgements published today need to be addressed promptly and we are working intensively with each of the landlords as they put things right for their tenants.”
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