About CWAG
This author has not yet filled in any details.So far CWAG has created 73 blog entries.
Excellence in Partnership and Management – CWAG / NFA Report – October 2021
This joint CWAG / NFA report is based on a year long examination of council-ALMO structures and relationships. It reviews the range of models of management, partnership and assurance that have evolved between parent councils and ALMOs and aims to inform conversations between local authorities and their ALMOs on the key areas of performance, assurance and compliance.
The report also includes a governance and assurance toolkit which aims to help councils track their compliance with key landlord responsibilities and regulatory requirements. It includes a 34-point checklist which address key issues including good governance, tenant engagement and the tenant voice.
The role of Councils in ensuring quality and effective Tenant Engagement by their ALMOs – TPAS Report Commissioned by CWAG – June 2020
This CWAG commissioned report and its associated toolkit provide good practice guidance with case study examples on the council’s role in relation to tenant engagement where the direct engagement with tenants is being undertaken by the ALMO.
Councils need assurance that their ALMOs are complying with management agreements, regulatory and legislative standards and have meaningful tenant engagement embedded into the organisational culture.
The report discusses key roles and responsibilities around the delivery of engagement as part of a wider approach to improve performance and ensure compliance with management agreements, regulatory and legislative standards. The focus is on effective partnership working between the council and its ALMO alongside a robust framework providing strategic oversight and monitoring.
CWAG Tenant Engagement Good Practice Toolkit – June 2020
This extended version of the CWAG Tenant Engagement Good Practice Toolkit is designed provide a toolkit /checklist for councils to ensure that tenant engagement is sufficiently covered in contractual arrangements with their ALMO and ensure ALMOs are complying with management agreements, regulatory and legislative standards and have meaningful tenant engagement embedded into the organisational culture.
Engaging and empowering tenants in council owned housing – TPAS Report Commissioned by the Local Government Association – January 2019
This report sets out good practice principles underpinning effective tenant engagement alongside case studies, demonstrating how councils are working to involve and empower tenants of council owned housing. The report explores what “good” involvement looks like from both a council and tenant perspective, and highlights the importance of local leadership in developing a culture of tenant involvement.
NFA Members Briefing – Disrepair – November 2022
This NFA Members Guide includes the following:
- Advice on prevention including staff training, accurate record keeping and good process.
- Managing claims effectively
- Taking action against unfounded cases
- Complaints against complaints handling companies
https://councilswithalmos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/LibraryDocuments/SharingGoodPractice/NFA-Disrepair-briefing-disrepair-forum.pdf
Presentation – Tackling Disrepair Claims in South Tyneside – May 2022
This presentation was part of the CWAG General Meeting in May 2022.
A combination of the removal of the legal aid cap, the ending of PPI and the measures in the Homes Act 2018 (implemented 2020) have shifted the focus of no win no fee solicitors onto disrepair issues and compensation in the social sector.
Currently the social housing sector is facing a deluge of disrepair claims and councils are spending £millions defending cases. However, there is little public debate around the issue as landlords worry speaking out will only increase the volume of claims.
South Tyneside has a robust approach strongly contesting every claim and therefore potentially making the council a less attractive target to the so called ‘claims farmers.’
Residents often get drawn into making a claim without fully understanding the context and the difficulties extricating themselves once a particular point has been reached and their case has generated costs. It is a major problem if the claim letter is the first knowledge the landlord has of a problem. The priority for the council / ALMO is to respond quickly and rectify the problem removing the basis of the claim.
Information is key in tackling disrepair claims upstream. All South Tyneside ALMO and technical staff have received training to raise awareness and ensure staff respond appropriately to information from a range of sources, and act at speed and respond to and document all issues and actions.
The legal process draws a distinction between ‘no evidence of disrepair’ and ‘no disrepair’ therefore the ALMO uses every opportunity to check and document property condition issues e.g. those visiting a tenant will ask ‘are you happy with your property?’ this will either highlight problem issues or confirm ‘no evidence of disrepair’ which can be documented and used to counter later disrepair claims.
The council uses a private legal firm to fight cases and employs a specialist cost lawyer to negotiate costs – whilst this is expensive it sends the message to claims firms that they may not achieve the settlements they hope and adds to the disincentive to target the area.
The ALMO employs specialist surveyors in-house and would not recommend agreeing to an independent surveyor to assess the claim preferring instead a joint survey using their own in-house experts.
The ALMO is also planning to undertake a full stock condition survey to identify problems in the stock and improve their information base.
Guidance on Pre-action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims and service complaints – Housing Ombudsman Service – October 2021
This guidance note sets out a view from the Housing Ombudsman that landlords should not close their complaints procedure prematurely if a resident commences with the pre-action protocol but should rather continue to try to resolve the issue. The disrepair protocol does not take precedence until papers have been served, therefore landlords should try to resolve complaints in parallel with pre-action claims.
This will maximise the opportunities to resolve disputes potentially sooner through the complaints process and in a less adversarial way.
Presentation – Spotlight on Damp and Mould – It’s not lifestyle – May 2022
The CWAG General Meeting in May 2022 considered the damp and mould report alongside the issue of disrepair claims. The presentation by Rebecca Reed (Head of Insight and Development at the Housing Ombudsman Service ) discussed some of the issues flagged up by the Ombudsman’s thematic damp and mould investigation.
The damp and mould theme was chosen because of the high volume and complexity of complaints received by the Ombudsman and the severe impact on residents. The objective being to identify common issues and shared learning that can be used to drive improvement.
Cases tend to have complex causes e.g. structural issues, age and design of buildings as well as lifestyle factors and external pressures such as fuel poverty and the increasing cost of energy. Even where landlords seek to improve thermal comfort through increased insulation, this can be counterproductive causing condensation.
A change in landlord culture is required involving a proactive rather than a reactive approach, which is fabric focussed rather than resident focussed. For example, if one resident in a block has a problem, it is likely to be more widespread and the landlord should not wait for a formal complaint before acting. There is software available that can predict from the property profile whether there is likely to be a damp and mould problem.
Fatalism is not ok – there should be a zero tolerance of poor conditions although some situations may not be fixable and alternative solutions may be needed. Landlords need to take responsibility recognising that sometimes the building sets residents up to fail.
The response to the report has highlighted that some groups / demographics do not feel confident to report issues. Landlords are encouraged to ‘find your silence’ i.e. those tenants who are not raising issues or using complaints arrangements. Residents remain the best source of feedback.
Landlords should also sell their successes and publicise what they are doing positively to tackle damp and mould. Many still view it as an admission of failure to admit to having damp issues in the stock.
There are governance issues for Boards to ensure they are setting the correct positive proactive complaints culture for the organisation. For example, does the Governance Board consider complaints cases and is the Board curious about cases that have gone awry?
Cold Comfort – Spotlight on complaints about heating, hot water and energy in social housing – Housing Ombudsman Service – February 2021
This Housing Ombudsman Service Spotlight Report is part of the Spotlight Report series. It focusses on complaints relating to heating, hot water and energy related issues which regularly make up a significant element of the Ombudsman’s case load. The report identifies unnecessary delays in resolving issues along with management of contractors as key issues of concern.