For-profit landlord ’backed by Blackstone did not properly address the concerns of 18 tenants, finds Housing Ombudsman
An independent review ordered by the Housing Ombudsman has provided 20 recommendations for Blackstone-backed landlord Sage Homes to improve its approach to safeguarding and vulnerabilities.
The review followed an Ombudsman investigation that found that the for-profit landlord failed to adequately address the concerns of 18 residents, including a physically disabled resident who has mental health issues.
The resident reported water penetration to their patio from the balcony above and antisocial behaviour (ASB), leading to suicidal feelings and a perceived lack of support, said the Ombudsman.
Sage Homes, which provides properties for affordable rent and shared ownership, did not have “due regard of its responsibilities under the Equality and Human Rights Act” in its handling of the complaint.
The resident said the landlord’s lack of support had a lasting impact on their mental wellbeing.
The complaint was first lodged when Sage Homes appointed a housing association to act as its managing agent.
The Ombudsman’s investigation showed “significant” failings in the complaint handling and communication between the two bodies and the management contract was terminated.
Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “While antisocial behaviour can be difficult to manage, our investigation shows that at no stage did the landlord or its agent recognise the health vulnerabilities of its resident which led it to miss several opportunities to act on safeguarding concerns.
”The communication and engagement between the landlord and its agent at the time was also flawed and this compounded the impact on the resident.”
>>See also: Ombudsman’s first good practice guidance to focus on improving relationships between tenants and landlords
>>See also: Blackstone-backed Sage sells 3,000-home shared ownership provider to universities pension fund
The review identified 17 other residents impacted by similar failings and the landlord has “taken steps to review those cases and provide redress.”
Mark Sater, chief executive of Sage Homes said: “We are extremely sorry for these service failings, which fall well below the high standards we set ourselves and what our customers should receive.
“Following the Ombudsman’s investigation, we completed our own extensive review to ensure this does not happen again, resulting in the introduction of a number of significant changes including new and stronger policies and investing in a major operational restructure. This has brought all housing management services in-house, removing full reliance on third-party providers and allowing for better oversight and faster responses to addressing tenant concerns.
“We have also apologised to the customer in question on several occasions, as well as offering her an alternative home. However, she has declined this offer as she is now happy in her home.”
Several other areas for improvement were highlighted in the review, including inconsistent safeguarding practices across the organisation. To address these issues, the landlord must revise policies to handle both child and adult safeguarding separately, identify training gaps and improve processes for handling safeguarding cases.
Within the 20 recommendations put forward by the review, the landlord was asked to strengthen training for all staff members who interact with residents so they can effectively apply the ASB policy, enhance the visibility and accountability of service standards and provide opportunities for residents to influence and scrutinise operations and decision making.
No comments yet