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CWAG Newsletter – March 2023

This Update includes the following

Social Housing Complaints ‘Make things Right’ Campaign
Social Housing Regulation Bill Progress Update
Savills RTB Research highlights scale of replacement shortfall
CWAG Client Officer Group

Social Housing Complaints – ‘Make Things Right’ Campaign

The Government has launched a new publicity campaign to raise awareness amongst social housing tenants about how to complain about poor housing conditions and disrepair.

The campaign features an advertising campaign on local radio and digital channels as well as social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with content available in six languages. The campaign will also fund training for Citizens Advice staff in two pilot areas (London and the North West) so they can more effectively support residents who have issues with disrepair and poor quality housing.

The campaign website Social Housing Complaints – Make Things Right signposts tenants through the complaints process, explaining the different stages, and what to expect from their landlord in response. If having made a complaint using the landlord’s complaints process, the issue has not been satisfactorily resolved, there is advice on escalating the complaint to the Social Housing Ombudsman.

For landlords there is a comms toolkit and other resources that can be accessed via the GOV.UK website.

Social Housing Regulation Bill – Progress Update

The Bill will provide the legal basis for implementing measures in the 2020 Social Housing White Paper. The intention is to empower residents, provide greater redress, better regulation and improve the quality of social housing. By strengthening the regulatory regime for social housing, the Bill aims to ensure landlords are held to account for their performance and focus more effectively on addressing the needs and concerns of tenants.

The Bill started out in the House of Lords in June last year, completing first and second readings in the House of Commons by November 2022. The Bill has now reached its third reading in the House of Commons (having already completed its third reading in the Lords). At this stage no further amendments can be made to the Bill. The final stage of the legislative process will see the Bill returned to the Lords for a final debate and consideration of amendments. Royal Assent should follow shortly after this and is likely before the Easter recess.

Important amendments added to the Bill:

Awaab’s Law

On 9 February 2023, the Secretary Of State introduced an amendment known as ‘Awaab’s Law’, which will require landlords to investigate and fix damp and mould in their properties within specified timeframes. A consultation will be held later this year to set the timeframes within which landlords will have to investigate hazards and make repairs.

Professionalisation

The Bill will introduce new rules intended to protect residents and raise standards in the sector. Managers in the social housing sector will in future be required to have a minimum set of professional qualifications.

Amendment 47 requires the regulator to set out professional standards ensuring that those with management responsibilities within the social housing sector have, or are working towards getting, professional qualifications.

The change is intended to bring social housing into closer alignment with other sectors such as social work, teaching and health.

Complaints and the Housing Ombudsman

The Bill identifies a new responsibility on the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) to set standards for providers on the handling of complaints. In addition, the Housing Ombudsman will be granted powers to issue and publish guidance on good practice in the sector.

Savills RTB Research highlights scale of replacement shortfall

A recent report by Savills, commissioned by the Local Government Association, ARCH and the NFA has highlighted the urgent need to look again at the current Right to Buy scheme and in particular the introduction of more proportionate regionally sensitive discounts.

The volume of RTB sales increased significantly after discounts were increased in 2012 and replacement agreements have consistently failed to match losses. The notion of ‘one for one’ replacement has not been delivered anywhere in the country.

The data highlights that in many cases discounts have been at a level in excess of what was needed to enable the tenant to afford to buy and in some cases the discount was significantly more than the rent paid whilst they were council tenants.

The report also flags up major regional differences with disproportionate negative impacts on authorities in lower value areas in the North and Midlands where net stock losses are higher and the replacement rate lower. A key factor is the relationship between the level of receipts and replacement costs – only 4 authorities in the whole of the north and midlands regions collect receipts that are in excess of 30% of replacement costs.

Modelling suggests that under current arrangements projected sales are likely to be in the region of 100,000 properties between 2021 and 2030, whilst total replacements are unlikely to exceed 43,000, representing a net stock loss of 3.61% across the country for this period. As a consequence, the RTB scheme is effectively subsidising one household’s home ownership over another’s access to social housing.

The report makes a number of policy suggestions including:

Introducing a regional approach to setting discount rates – evidence suggests discounts in the north, and in many parts of the midlands, are higher than required to achieve the kind of take up the government seeks through the RTB scheme.
Starting minimum discounts at a lower rate which reflects the amount of time the tenant has rented the property (or for newer properties since the property has been built) would offer improved value for money and a better match with the original objectives of the RTB scheme.

The automatic annual CPI uplift of discount rates should be reconsidered as it is inconsistent with the current falling housing market and likely to cause further distortions.
RTB properties should be reserved for home ownership. Purchasers should covenant to live in the property as a home owner and on resale the property should be offered first to the local authority.
There is a strong case for allowing the cost floor to be increased by inflation, specifically linked to an index based on construction cost inflation, in order to ensure that the cost floor mechanism serves its purpose.

The full report is available on request from the LGA – see LGA website

CWAG Client Officer Group

The group met on 6^th March 2023 to discuss issues relating to the client role and how councils are preparing for changes to regulation. The meeting included a presentation and case study from Shropshire Council regarding the work currently underway to update monitoring and performance management arrangements in preparation for enhanced consumer regulation.

Further meetings are planned as the new regulatory arrangements are rolled out. If you would like further information about the group and future meetings, please contact the Policy Officer.

CWAG Newsletter – March 2023CWAG2023-04-28T14:26:32+00:00

CWAG Newsletter – February 2023

This Update includes the following

RSH updated consumer regulation implementation plan
Damp and Mould Update
LGA Webinars
Excellence in Management and Partnership publication– updates available

RSH Updated Consumer Regulation Implementation Plan

Last month the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) published an updated implementation plan ‘Reshaping Consumer Regulation’ setting out a draft timetable and other guidance to help landlords prepare for the full introduction of new regulatory arrangements in April 2024.

Timetable

The Social Housing Regulation Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent before Easter. The Government will then launch a consultation on changes to its Directions to the Regulator, laying the groundwork for further consultations by the Regulator on the new regulatory standards.

Consultations

Over the summer the Regulator will be consulting on the detail of the new regulatory arrangements including:

The standards that will underpin proactive consumer regulation.
A Code of Practice on consumer issues setting out what is expected under the new standards.
Updated guidance setting out how the regulator will use enhanced enforcement powers included in the legislation.

Pilot Programme

The regulator has already announced a pilot programme of In-Depth Assessments (IDAs) to trial new tools and methods specific to consumer regulation. The pilot programme will take place during 2023 and includes two local authority landlords, one of which has an ALMO (Eastbourne Borough Council).

Tenant Satisfaction Measures

Landlords will start collecting TSM data from 1 April 2023 with initial data returns due from April 2024.

New Consumer Standards

The broad themes of the new standards are as previously outlined in Reshaping consumer regulation: our principles and approach (RSH Nov 2021) namely safety, quality, neighbourhood, transparency, engagement and accountability, and tenancy. In addition, the current Social Housing Regulation Bill includes an additional power for the regulator to set standards for professional competency and conduct in the sector.

Diversity, Fairness and Respect

The RSH implementation plan highlights a new focus on tenants engagement – ‘This includes an increased emphasis on engaging with tenants and listening to and hearing their views about their landlord to inform our regulatory response.’ The new standards regime will look for assurance that landlords are addressing the diverse needs of tenants and ensuring tenants are treated with fairness and respect.

The Regulator has set out four key questions for landlords:

Do landlords know what outcomes are achieved across the diverse spectrum of their tenants?
What data do landlords have access to?
Does everyone get fair access to and receive good services?
How do landlords know?

In order to evaluate landlords’ performance, the regulator will be looking at new sources of evidence and assurance, particularly feedback from tenants. There is an onus on landlords to ensure they have appropriate arrangements to allow tenant feedback and scrutiny of services and a route to directly influence decision making, holding boards and councillors to account.

Damp and Mould Update

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC), and Housing Ombudsman (HO) have all recently published updates on policy approaches and expectations relating to damp and mould issues in social housing.

Regulator of Social Housing – initial findings from damp and mould survey

At the end of last year, the RSH asked all larger providers of social housing to submit evidence of the extent of damp and mould in their tenants homes as well as information on their approach to tackling this.

Differences in the way registered providers collect and record information on this issue mean it is difficult to make an accurate assessment of the extent of damp and mould issues in the sector overall. However, the initial findings indicate that most providers:

Take damp and mould seriously.
Identify and address damp and mould in tenants’ homes.
Have made improvements in how they handle damp and mould cases over the last year.

A minority of registered providers supplied poor quality information which:

Relied on reactive approaches to identifying problems rather than proactively looking for evidence of damp and mould e.g. through property surveys,
Had less detailed or older data,
Had weaker evidence on assurance, oversight and understanding the condition of homes.

Going forward, the RSH expects all registered providers to make improvements to how they protect tenants from the potential harm that damp and mould can cause. The regulator will also be engaging directly with individual providers where the data supplied was poor or which reported a high prevalence of damp and mould problems.

Read the RSH Report ‘Damp and Mould in Social Housing: initial findings

DLUHC update on government’s work to improve the quality of social housing

DLUHC has published the first of a series of updates setting out current work to improve the quality of social housing. This features several policy initiatives relating to tackling damp and mould:

This highlights the following progress to date:

A joint Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and DLUHC review of existing guidance on the health impacts of damp and mould in homes. New consolidated guidance on this will be published by the summer 2023.
DLUHC is considering introducing tougher measures on hazards including damp and mould in homes.
Parallel action in the private rented sector is proposed via the forthcoming Renter Reform Bill which will include a package of reforms including a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
The Social Housing Regulation Bill will bring introduce new consumer protections alongside a renewed focus on resident engagement and complaints handling as well tougher sanctions for landlords.
The Social Housing Regulation Bill will also make energy efficiency a main objective of the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and linked to this is a planned consultation on improving the energy efficiency of social housing.

Read the January 2023 – update on government’s work to improve the quality of social housing

Housing Ombudsman revisits damp and mould report

The Housing Ombudsman has published an update on the October 2021 Spotlight Report ‘Damp and mould – It’s not lifestyle’. The new report – which considers performance one – year on from the report – highlights that whilst there has been some progress, there is worrying evidence of complacency amongst some in the sector. In the meantime, the volume of complaints and findings of maladministration continue to rise.

The new report highlights 10 recommendations for governing bodies that will support progress and successful scrutiny.

Find your silence – identify who is not using the complaints process, and why.
Proactive communication strategy – the tone of advice to residents is key. Communicate evidence of good practice effectively to residents.
Treat residents fairly – each case needs to be treated individually, avoid making assumptions. Behind each report of damp and mould, there is a person or people who may be suffering and that should be the focus.
Improve record keeping – good record-keeping is an integral part of service provision, not an optional extra.
Know your residents – issues include overcrowding and the availability and use of heating and ventilation systems. Also, individual circumstances such as disability, financial hardship, and health conditions.
Check net zero plans – landlords need to consider whether a green drive will push people into fuel poverty, particularly as electrical heating costs more than gas.

Know your stock – Identify which properties are at risk of damp and mould or already have this problem. Ensure essential works are completed before reletting / mutual exchanges.
Have a dedicated damp and mould strategy – This should be wider than individual cases, proactively identifying themes and trends. It should also ensure alignment with other policies such as mutual exchange and the void standard.
Empower Staff – landlords should consider the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Professional Standards if they have not already done so. Encourage practical solutions and proactive approach to identifying and solving problems.
Use the complaints system to learn – analyse the complaints received and use insights to make improvements. Continue to use the complaints process, even where legal action has been suggested, as there still may be an opportunity to resolve the matter.

Read the Report

Excellence in Management and Partnership – Updated report / residents’ briefing available

The CWAG/ NFA report ‘Excellence in management and partnership’ has been updated to reflect recent changes to legislation and the introduction of TSMs. The NFA has also recently produced a residents briefing / toolkit as part of the overall package

For further information and to download the updated versions of the report – link

building of excellence in management and partnership

Diary Dates

LGA Webinar – Handling Complaints and Improving Tenant Experience – Friday 3rd March 2023 10.30 – 12.00

The LGA is holding a webinar focussing on complaints handling in social housing. The webinar is being held over Zoom and is free to LGA members. The programme includes the following:

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman will discuss complaints with a particular focus on damp and mould.
DLUHC will share information on their updated social housing complaints campaign.
The Chartered Institute of Housing will speak about their Better Housing Review.

To find out more information and to book follow the link: Local Government Association

LGA Webinar – Building Safety (Session 3) – Thursday 9th March 2023 (2.00p.m – 4.00p.m)

This free LGA webinar funded by government will provide updates on councils responsibilities as landlords and ALMOs in respect of the new building safety regime, Fire Safety Act and associated regulations. Representatives from the Health and Safety Executive, Home Office and the National Fire Chiefs Council will provide updates and answer questions.

The webinar is being held over Zoom and is open to council officers and ALMOs. To book use link: Local Government Association

CWAG Newsletter – February 2023CWAG2023-04-28T14:26:32+00:00

CWAG Newsletter – January 2023

This Update includes the following

Better Social Housing Review
CWAG Diary
Recent Publications

Better Social Housing Review

The Better Social Housing Review published in December 2022 follows a six-month examination of the key issues and challenges currently facing social housing. The review which was undertaken by a panel of independent experts on behalf of the National Housing Federation (NHF) and Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) addresses itself specifically to housing associations although there is a read across to the wider social housing sector.

The review identifies two central issues as top priorities for those living in social housing, namely the suitability and quality of housing stock and the housing association’s culture and responsiveness to tenants’ concerns and complaints. The Report goes on to make a series of detailed recommendations to address current issues and concerns – see box

The NHF and CIH have accepted the report and its findings and are committed to developing an action plan to implement its recommendations. Secretary of State Michael Gove also welcomed the report’s call for a full audit of social rented stock to identify and tackle disrepair alongside action on wider resident concerns around service delivery and engagement flagged up in the report.

Read the report

There are seven key recommendations:

The sector should refocus on its core purpose – to provide decent, safe homes for those who can’t afford the market.

A national audit of social housing stock to address the absence of a comprehensive, consistently measured picture of the state of social housing across the country. The report recommends that all organisations should use the new HACT UK Housing Data Standards.

Organisations should ask tenants, frontline staff and contractors to work together to review how the organisation deals with maintenance and repairs with a view to developing new standards and definitions for what an excellent maintenance and repairs process looks like.

Renewed focus, resources and training to support the traditional housing officer role.

Tenants should be recognised as key partners with initiatives to expand the roles they can play within organisations to ensure tenants have a voice and influence at every level of decision making.

Organisations should develop a proactive local community presence through community hubs which foster greater multi-agency working.

Organisations should work with their tenants and frontline to undertake an annual review of the progress in implementing the recommendations of the review.

CWAG Diary

Finance and Business Planning Meeting – 24^th January 2023 (10.30a.m – 12.30p.m)

Steve Partridge – Savills Director of Housing Consultancy will lead this event which will focus on current finance and business planning issues including the impact if the rent cap, inflationary pressures and other pressures on the HRA. The meeting will be of particular interest to finance officers, and anyone involved in HRA strategy and business planning.

The event is a free event that is open to CWAG members – to book a place, please contact the Policy Officer.

Recent Publications

Check your fire safety responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

The Home Office published a guide to the new Fire Safety Regulations in England which come into force on 23^rd January 2023. The new regulations cover all buildings containing two or more domestic premises with common parts. The main purpose of the regulations relates to new duties for ‘responsible persons’ in respect of high-rise buildings. These duties include signages, information requirements for residents and the Fire Service along with regular checks to fire doors, lifts and fire safety equipment.

Download Guide

Housing Ombudsman Service Insight Report July -September 2022

This latest Insight Report covers complaints data for the second quarter of 2022. Complaints volumes remain at a high level and cases upheld remains high at 55%. The majority of complaints continue to relate to property condition, but a sizable number also relate to complaints handling. This report includes four good practice case studies drawn from Greater London.

Download Report

English Housing Survey 2021 to 2022: headline report

Latest DLUHC English Housing Survey Report covers the latest information on the breakdown of housing by tenure, household characteristics as well as information on property condition and energy efficiency.

Download Report

CWAG Newsletter – January 2023CWAG2023-04-24T10:15:02+00:00

CWAG Newsletter – December 2022

This Update includes the following

Government demands action to drive up standards in rented housing
Chancellor sets rent cap at 7% in Autumn Statement
Retrofit credits scheme
Housing Ombudsman Call for Evidence on record keeping
Diary Dates
Recent Publications

Government demands action to drive up standards in rented housing

The coroner’s verdict that the tragic death of Awaab Ishak was caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his parents’ Rochdale flat has prompted Secretary of State Michael Gove to seek wider assurances from local authorities and social landlords that risks relating to mould and damp in tenanted homes are being addressed.

On 19^th November 2022 Michael Gove wrote to all social housing providers reminding them of that they must meet the Decent Homes Standard and be aware of, and carry out rapid remedial works to, any properties that do not. Landlords are expected to know the extent of damp and mould issues in their stock and be addressing these.

A follow up letter from the Regulator of Social Housing seeks specific assurances that all providers have a clear understanding of the nature and extent of damp and mould issues in their homes with detailed survey information confirming the position to be submitted to the Regulator by 19^th December 2022. Where properties do not meet the relevant standards there should be immediate self-referral to the Regulator.

A further letter to all local authority Chief Executives and council leaders references local authority duties toward tenants in the private rented sector as set out in the Housing Act 2004. The Secretary of State has issued a direction that local authorities urgently review and report back on categories 1 and 2 damp and mould hazards affecting privately rented properties in their areas. In addition, authorities are required to supply data on enforcement action and prosecutions in the past three years.

On 24^th November 2022 the Secretary of State issued a press notice further reinforcing the government’s determination to hold landlords to account for the condition of their homes. This included the following measures:

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, the landlord in the Awaab Ishak case, will not receive allocated Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) funding until the Regulator of Social Housing has completed its investigation and the landlord can prove it is a ‘responsible’ landlord.
The Secretary of State will also block any housing provider that breaches the Regulator’s consumer standards from receiving new AHP funding and will consider stripping providers of existing AHP funding, unless construction has already started on site.
A government funding package totalling £14million was announced for 7 areas with high levels of poor quality private rented homes to test out new approaches to driving up standards in the PRS.

Chancellor sets rent cap at 7% in Autumn Statement

As part of the Autumn Statement on 17^th November 2022 the government announced the outcome of the Social Housing Rents Consultation with the rent cap for 2023 set at 7% but with an exception for supported housing. Registered Providers of social housing have the flexibility to apply a lower increase, or to freeze or reduce rents, if they wish to do so.

The 7% figure is higher than suggested in the earlier consultation paper where a cap of 5% was the suggested option. The higher figure has been presented as an attempt by government to strike a balance between protecting tenants from high rent increases and ensuring that Registered Providers of social housing remain financially viable.

The government intends to consult separately next year on social housing rent policy from 2025 onwards. To inform this, DLUHC will launch a call for evidence on whether social landlords should be permitted, gradually over time, to bring rents back up to the level they would have been had 7% cap not been applied. Other factors including affordability for tenants and welfare expenditure will also be taken into account.

Retrofit Credits scheme

A new scheme developed by the Housing Association Charitable Trust (HACT) in partnership with Arctica Partners may be of interest to councils putting together funding packages for energy efficiency and decarbonisation works.

Retrofit credits is a UK based carbon credits scheme that enables organisations to offset their carbon emissions by investing in social housing. The scheme involves using a tested methodology to measure both the carbon savings and social value created through retrofit activity. To ensure the environmental integrity of the issued credits, the scheme has been developed under the Verified Carbon Standard, the world’s leading certification programme for emission reduction projects.

It is anticipated that the scheme has the potential to generate significant funding for retrofit schemes in social housing. The scheme is currently being piloted but will be formally launched in 2023.

More information is available in the prospectus document and frequently asked questions.

Housing Ombudsman call for evidence on record keeping

The Housing Ombudsman has announced that its next systemic investigation and Spotlight Report will look at record keeping and data management around complaints handling. This reflects a concern that poor record keeping is a key factor in 67% of maladministration determinations.

A call for evidence has been issues that seeks to understand more about current barriers to effective information management on complaints.

The aim is to share best practice around record keeping and data handling and help landlords develop policies and procedures that are consistent and effective and improve the experience of all residents.

Diary Dates

CWAG Client Officer Group – Monday 12^th December 2022

CWAG members interested in setting up a networking group to discuss issues relating to the managing the ALMO client role including performance, regulation, and assurance issues will be meeting to discuss Terms of Reference for the group and agree an initial programme of issues for review. Contact the Policy Officer for further details.

LGA Building Safety Webinar – Monday 19^th December 2022 (1p.m – 3p.m)

The LGA is hosting a further building safety webinar that will provide updates on councils’ responsibilities as landlords/ALMO overseers in respect of the new Building Safety regime, the Fire Safety Act and new fire safety regulations arriving in January. This is a free event open to council / ALMO officers with an interest in the new building safety regime and the Fire Safety Act. To book use link

CWAG Finance and Business Planning Meeting – 24^th January 2023 (10.30a.m – 12.30p.m)

Steve Partridge - Savills Director of Housing Consultancy will lead this event which will focus on current finance and business planning issues including the implications of the recently announced rent cap, inflation and other pressures on the HRA. The meeting will be of particular interest to finance officers, and anyone involved in HRA strategy and business planning. The event is open to CWAG members - to book a place, please contact the Policy Officer.

Recent Publications

Sector Risk Profile 2022 – Regulator of Social Housing (RSH)

This RSH report sets out the most significant current risks to maintaining compliance with the regulatory standards and is essential reading for social housing providers facing an increasingly complex operating environment, reducing resources and a growing list of priorities. Read Report

Decarbonising Social Housing – Lessons from the ALMO Sector

The National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) has just published a new report which examines the decarbonisation challenge facing the sector alongside seven case studies which illustrate various approaches ALMOs are taking to decarbonise the stock and make tenants homes more energy efficient. It also sets out recommendations for government and policymakers to support housing providers in moving forward on the decarbonisation agenda.

Read Full Report Quick Reference Guide

CWAG Newsletter – December 2022CWAG2023-04-24T10:21:43+00:00

CWAG Newsletter – November 2022

This Update includes the following

Michael Gove re-appointed as Secretary of State (DLUHC)
LGA Webinars
Recent Publications

Michael Gove re-appointed as Secretary of State (DLUHC)

Rishi Sunak’s reappointment of Michael Gove’s as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities signals a return to continuity in housing policy with a focus on the 2018 election manifesto commitments including levelling up and housebuilding. However, the environment is now much more challenging than at the time of his earlier sacking by Boris Johnson back in July, raising questions around what can now realistically be achieved given high inflation and squeezed departmental budgets.

In a recent BBC interview Gove restated the government’s commitment to building 300,000 new homes a year although admitted this would be ‘difficult’ stressing the importance of having the consent of local communities, protecting the environment, and ensuring developments are ‘beautiful’ and matched with appropriate infrastructure. He also confirmed his department would be continuing with previously announced legislation to tackle rogue landlords as set out in ‘A Fairer Private Rented Sector’ White Paper.

The Fiscal Statement due on 17^th November 2022 will set out the wider financial position for DLUHC with implications for a key policy areas. It is likely that the decision on proposals to cap the level of social rent increases in 2023 will be delayed until the wider fiscal position becomes clearer.

Lee Rowley (MP for NE Derbyshire) has also retained his position as Housing Minister.

LGA Webinars

The following LGA webinars may be of interest to CWAG members and can be attended free of charge:

Webinar -Building Safety Update – Monday 7th November 2022 (11.30 am – 1.30 pm)

This free LGA webinar will provide an update on councils’ responsibilities in respect of the new Building Safety regime, the Fire Safety Act and new fire safety regulations arriving in January.

There will be speakers from the HSE, the Home Office and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). The event aims to bring attendees fully up to date on the new arrangements with a focus ensuring that residents are safe and feel safe in their homes. The LGA will also give an update on its PEEPs work.

The webinar is being held over Zoom and is open to council officers and ALMOs. To book use link

Webinar – The Social Housing Regulation Bill – Monday 21st November 2022 (10.30 am – 12.30 pm)

This LGA event is a collaboration with ARCH and the NFA. The programme will discuss the forthcoming Social Housing Regulation Bill and includes speakers from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

The webinar is being held over Zoom and is free to LGA members. To find out more information and to book use link

Recent Publications

Housing Ombudsman Spotlight Report – Noise Complaints: time to be heard

This latest Spotlight Report looked in depth at noise related complaints drawing on casework and a recent ‘call for evidence’. The report highlights a fundamental unfairness in the way many social landlords approach noise complaints, with most being dealt with as anti-social behaviour (ASB) even where they relate to general household noise.

Landlords are often caught up in time consuming and futile interventions which fail to tackle the underlying issues. Whilst recognising that this is a complex area where solutions are often difficult, the sector is urged to adopt several alternative approaches to address current poor outcomes and the significant costs to residents in terms of their mental health and well-being.

The report includes a 32-point self-assessment tool setting out a range of possible measures to reduce noise related complaints including changes to the building fabric, management arrangements and the way noise complaints are categorised.

Download Report and Self-Assessment Tool

A Housing Ombudsman is holding a webinar to discuss the report and answer questions on Wednesday 16 November 2022 at 2pm. This is aimed at landlords, governing body members and engaged residents. For further details on how to book – link

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee Exempt Accommodation Report published 19th October 2022

The Select Committee Report into exempt accommodation, a type of supported housing outside of Housing Benefit Regulations, sets out how the system is failing many residents and local communities at the taxpayers’ expense. The Report calls on the Government to bring forward urgent reforms including:

compulsory national minimum standards for exempt accommodation, including on referrals, care & support, and quality of housing
to give local councils the powers and resources to enforce these standards
requiring all exempt accommodation providers to be registered
creation of a National Oversight Committee to join-up existing regulators addressing the current ‘patchwork regulation’
ensuring that providers of exempt accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse have recognised expertise to provide specialist support and a safe environment
reviewing arrangements for exempt housing benefit claims, clamping down on the exploitation of the lease-based exempt accommodation model for profit

Download Report

LGA, ARCH, NFA Rent and Income Analysis – Savills Affordable Housing Consultancy – October 2022

This research set out to estimate the cumulative loss of resources within Housing Revenue Accounts of the proposal to cap rent increases to 5% per year in 2023/24 and 2024/25. The research found that a 5 per cent rent cap would cost £1.16 billion in the next two years, rising to more than £3 billion within five years. In addition, as the rent cap changes the baseline for future rent increases, the longer-term financial hit is likely to be as high as £45 million over the next four decades. Further information about this report is available on the LGA website – link

CWAG Newsletter – November 2022CWAG2023-04-24T10:21:43+00:00

CWAG Newsletter – October 2022

This Update includes the following

CWAG Annual General Meeting
Consultation response on Social Housing Rents
Excellence in Management and Partnership publication– updated checklist available
New Ministerial Team Team at DLUHC
Bids invited for LGA Housing Advisers Programme
Diary Date – LGA Webinar – The Social Housing Regulation Bill
Recent Publications

CWAG Annual General Meeting

This year the CWAG Annual General Meeting discussed the introduction of Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) from April 2023.

Kate Dodsworth, RSH Director of Consumer Regulation introduced the session with an overview of TSM Consultation and key outcomes. The consultation itself generated significant interest among tenants, with 55% of the 1100 responses received being from tenants, a considerable achievement given that the RSH primary relationships are with landlords not tenants.

The Regulator is keen to stress that the 22 TSMs are only a small part of the new regulatory framework to be introduced over the next 18 months following the passage of the Social Housing Regulation Bill. The wider regulatory objective is to ensure that there are real opportunities for tenants to influence landlords and the way decisions are taken about their homes. This will require a fundamental cultural shift within the sector, but early indications are positive.

The Regulator is aware of possible concerns around gaming of the measures and will not hesitate to respond with changes if necessary. There was also an acknowledgement that we don’t yet know in detail how the new regulatory arrangements will work for councils with ALMOs. Whilst the overarching principle is that it will be the council landlord and not the ALMO that is ultimately responsible for delivering improvements and ensuring tenants voices are at the centre of decision making, further work will be required to determine how this will work in practice.

Our second speaker, Jonathan Cox from Housemark discussed the practical issues and challenges involved in achieving compliant data collection arrangements by April 2023. The presentation discussed current negative perception survey trends and the important variables influencing these.

The move to perception based TSMs will provide landlords with important resident feedback to constructively drive improvements that tenants recognise and value. However, the presentation identified five barriers to making the most of TSM survey feedback including being overly focussed on scores, a fragmented approach to surveying, questions overload and survey fatigue, as well as a lack of internal capacity to use the data effectively.

Finally, Jonathan summarised several key steps to prepare for the introduction of TSMs next year.

Download Presentation Slides

CWAG Consultation Response Social Housing Rents

The government social housing rents consultation closed on 12th October 2022. The consultation covered options for capping social housing rent increases in 2023/24 below the agreed CPI+ 1% formula. Read the CWAG response here.

Excellence in management and partnership – updated checklist

Last year CWAG and the NFA produced the report ‘Excellence in management and partnership’ to assist councils and ALMOs in preparing for changes to regulation.

An updated version of the council ALMO relationship checklist is now available here.

DLUHC New Ministerial Team

New government ministerial appointments and responsibilities at DLUHC have been confirmed as follows:

Simon Clark MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland since 2017

Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities

Responsible for the strategic oversight of all DLUHC departmental business.

Previous government posts:

Chief Secretary to the Treasury 2021 – 22
DLUHC Minister for Local Government and Growth 2020 – 21
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury 2019 - 20

Paul Scully MP for Sutton and Cheam since 2015

Minister of State for Local Government Faith and Communities and Minister for London

Responsibilities include:

Local government policy and finance, including Office for Local Government
Building Safety - remediation and regulation regimes
Climate change, net zero and energy efficiency (building regulations)
Grenfell recovery and rehousing
Grenfell public inquiry
Minister for London

Previous government post:

Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets – BEIS 2020 - 22

Lee Rowley MP for NE Derbyshire since 2017

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Housing Portfolio)

Responsibilities include:

Overarching responsibility for housing strategy, including supply and home ownership
Investment Zones
Housing funds, including Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) and other housing / land and infrastructure funds
Homes England stewardship
Planning - reform and casework
Leasehold and freehold
Corporate matters

Previous government posts

Minister for Industry – BEIS 2021-22
Government Whip 2021-22

Andrew Stephenson MP for Pendle since 2010

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Homelessness and Rough sleeping)

Responsibilities include:

Homelessness and rough sleeping
Refugee housing - Ukraine and Afghanistan
Social housing
Supporting Families and Changing Futures
Private Rented Sector
Electoral Integrity Programme

Previous government posts:

Minister without Portfolio 2022- 22
Minister of State – Department of Transport 2020-22
Minister for Africa – Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2019 – 20
Minister of State - Department for International Development 2019 – 20
Minister for Business and Industry - BEIS 2019 – 19
Government Whip 2017 - 19

Dehenna Davison MP for Bishop Auckland since 2019

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Responsibilities include:

Local growth funding design and simplification
Local growth funding delivery - UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), Levelling Up Fund (LUF), Community Ownership Fund (COF), etc.
Devolution deals and county deals
Planning casework

Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Responsibilities include:

Integration, communities and faith, including Hong Kong British National (Overseas)
RED local resilience and emergencies, including winter preparedness
COVID-19 inquiry
Planning casework
Lords work for the department

Bids invited for LGA Housing Advisers Programme

This programme is part of the LGA’s sector-led improvement offer and is designed to support councils seeking to innovate in meeting the housing needs of their communities. Awards up to £20,000 are available to successful applicants for the provision of bespoke expert support to councils – or groups of councils – wanting to transform the delivery of homes and places, improve the quality and security of existing homes and/or to prevent and reduce homelessness. This year the programme has a second strand, aimed at councils who are keen to lead on the delivery of new housing but do not have a recent track record in this area.

The deadline for applications is 24 November 2022.

For more information and how to apply for the 2022/23 programme – link

Diary Date - LGA Webinar - The Social Housing Regulation Bill – Information for councils – 21st November 2022

This webinar originally planned for September 2022, was cancelled due to the Queen’s death, will now take place on Monday 21^st November 2022. This LGA event is a collaboration with ARCH and the NFA.

The programme will discuss the forthcoming Social Housing Regulation Bill and includes speakers from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

The webinar is being held over Zoom and is free to LGA members. To find out more information and to book follow the link: Local Government Association

Recent Publications

Housing Ombudsman

The Housing Ombudsman has published its latest Insight Report covering April to June 2022 which shows that complaint volumes remain high. Case studies in the report are drawn from the South-East and South-West of England and focus on where landlords have implemented good practice around dispute resolution.

In addition, the Housing Ombudsman has used its powers to conduct further investigations, where complaints may be indicative of wider service failure, to look in more detail at 13 complaint cases relating to Clarion Housing Association. The resulting Special Report identifies multiple failings with poor record keeping and communication key issues undermining effective complaint handling. There are also important learning outcomes in relation to damp and mould and pest control cases. Interestingly the Ombudsman is keen to point out that offering sizable compensation should not become routine; the focus should rather be on identifying improvements that deliver earlier complaint resolution.

Regulator of Social Housing (RSH)

The RSH has published its Decision Statement setting out the outcome of the consultation on Tenant Satisfaction Measures. As a result of the feedback some changes have been made, mainly to ensure definitions are or to reflect wording improvements suggested by respondents.

CWAG Newsletter – October 2022CWAG2023-04-24T10:21:44+00:00

CWAG News Update – September 2022

This Update includes the following

Consultation on Social Housing Rents
Diary dates – Meetings and Events
New CWAG website Update
Recent Publications

Consultation on Social Housing Rents

Current rent policy dates back to 2019 and permits social housing rents to increase by up to the CPI rate at the previous September plus 1% point. This policy was intended to run up to 2025 providing longer-term certainty and stability for business planning and investment.

However, faced with an unprecedented rise in inflation and the exceptional cost of living pressures on households, the government is now proposing to restrict the 2023 social housing rent increase and is consulting on alternative arrangements.

Under the consultation proposals social landlords would be permitted to increase rents by up to CPI+1% or by 5%, whichever is the lower, effectively placing a 5% ceiling on increases next year.

The consultation is also inviting views on alternative ceiling options (such as 3% and 7 %) and whether restrictions should be extended beyond next year to cover the 2024 increase as well. The government is also keen to understand what councils would opt to do in terms of rent increases if this ceiling was not to be imposed.

The intention is for the proposed rent increase ceiling to only apply to existing tenants, it will not apply on new properties and relets where the formula rent and full CPI plus 1% can be applied. The consultation also states that these arrangements will apply across the board, it is not proposed to make exceptions for certain less financially resilient categories of social housing – although feedback is sought on this. Where individual landlords face viability issues, it may under certain circumstances be possible to agree a waiver with the Regulator of Social Housing.

DLUHC has published an impact assessment alongside the consultation which estimates the loss of rental income for councils at £3.4billion in the 5-year period between 2023 and 2028.

In framing the CWAG response we are keen receive feedback from CWAG members on the consultation proposals and how these will impact locally on HRA business plans, the scale of financial loss and what this will mean on a practical level in terms of services for residents, repair programmes and investment plans including newbuild and meeting climate change targets.

The consultation runs for 6 weeks from 31^st August 2022 to 12^th October 2022

Download the consultation document here

View the 5 consultation questions here

Charles-King-Court-Shiftnal-Baptist-Chapel

Diary Dates – Meetings and Events

LGA Webinar – The Social Housing Regulation Bill – Information for councils – 14^th September 2022

This webinar, in collaboration with ARCH and the NFA, will give councils the opportunity to hear from, and put questions to, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Regulator for Social Housing (RSH) on the Social Housing Regulation Bill, and the implications of the new regulation regime for stock holding local authorities (including councils with Arms-Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) and Tenant Management Organisations (TMOs).

The webinar is being held over Zoom and is free to LGA members. To find out more information and to book follow the link: Local Government Association

Meeting Net-Zero Carbon Targets in Council Housing – Joint ARCH/ CWAG /NFA Webinar – 21^st September 2022

The programme we will include feedback from BEIS, on lessons so far from the pilot and wave 1 programmes, and from Savills on the work they are doing with the social housing sector. There will also be case studies from councils and ALMOs on specific initiatives being developed to achieve net-zero carbon objectives.

Contact the Policy Officer for the booking link.

CWAG Annual General Meeting – 13^th October 2022

The programme which will focus on the implementation of Tenant Satisfaction Measures. Our speakers are:

Kate Dodsworth – Director of Consumer Regulation at the Regulator of Social Housing will be discussing the outcome of the TSM consultation, as well as practical issues around the implementation phase and next steps.

Jonathan Cox – Deputy Director of Data and Business Intelligence at Housemark will follow up with a discussion around the more complex implementation issues facing landlords and how to prepare for the introduction of TSMs next year.

To book contact the Policy Officer.

LGA Fire and Building Safety Webinars

The LGA will be running three update meetings, for councillors and officers, including councils with ALMOs, on the following dates:

· Monday 7^th November 2022 (11.30a.m – 1.30p.m)

· Monday 19^th December 2022 (1p.m – 3p.m)

· Thursday 9^th March 2023 (2p.m – 4p.m)

These will include sessions from the Home Office on the impact of the Fire Safety Act and preparations for the new regulations in January 2023 and from the HSE on the Building Safety Regulator.

Registration details will be circulated nearer to event dates.

New CWAG website – Update

Work on the development of the new CWAG website is progressing well and we are planning to go live with the new site around the end of September.

When we move to the new CWAG website, the forum facility on the current website will no longer be available. As an alternative, we are trialling the option of circulating member questions and feedback requests by email via the Policy Officer.

Please contact the Policy Officer for further details.

Recent Publications

DLUHC Consultation – A Decent Homes Standard in the Private Rented Sector

Following the publication of the White Paper A fairer private rented sector in June this year, DLUHC has published a consultation seeking views on enforcement of A Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector. The proposals have major implications for councils who would be responsible for monitoring and enforcement of the Standard. The consultation runs for 6 weeks from 2^nd September to 14^th October.

Building Safety

There is a DLUHC Summary Page which sets out details of all open and closed Building Safety Consultations the four building safety consultations.

Explanatory notes to the Building Safety Act: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/30/pdfs/ukpgaen_20220030_en.pdf

New Government guidance on the leaseholder protections: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/building-safety-leaseholder-protections-guidance-for-leaseholders

CWAG News Update – September 2022CWAG2023-04-28T14:26:32+00:00

CWAG News Update July 2022

This Update includes the following

Boris Johnson relaunches housing association RTB scheme
Social Housing Regulation Bill
White Paper ‘A fairer private rented sector’
New in the library
Recent Publications

Boris Johnson relaunches housing association RTB scheme

Home ownership initiatives were a key element in what was billed as Boris Johnson’s relaunch speech on 9^th June 2022, following the vote of confidence in his leadership.

In his speech Boris Johnson confirmed the government’s intention to extend the Right to Buy to housing association tenants:

‘I want us to deliver on the long-standing commitment, made by several governments, to extend the right to buy to housing associations.’ Boris Johnson

This policy dates back to the 2015 Conservative Election Manifesto and the subsequent agreement with the National Housing Federation (NHF). It is a voluntary rather than a statutory scheme.

A 2018 pilot programme in the Midlands generated 1,892 sales by April 2020 – relatively small scale compared with the statutory council scheme. The evaluation of the pilot highlighted significant funding and replacement issues the considerable time lag before replacement properties become available. Also, replacement properties are often smaller and in different geographical areas from the original RTB property. The requirement to develop two affordable homes for each property sold in London, in certain circumstances, has also proved difficult to deliver.

Johnson’s announcement didn’t identify how the programme will be funded. In what may be a positive sign, the speech didn’t refer to receipts from the sale of vacant higher value council housing as a source of funding. However the power to raise funds by this route remains on the statute books despite a commitment in the Social Housing Green Paper to repeal the power ‘as soon as Parliamentary time allows’.

In a separate statement Michael Gove indicated that funding for discounts and replacement homes would come from “across Government.” He also referred to replacing homes on a like-for-like basis. This implies that the number of tenants able to exercise the new housing association RTB scheme is likely to be capped and directly linked to the level of funding available.

Johnson also announced an independent review of access to mortgage finance for first-time buyers and changes to welfare rules to allow wider use of benefit payments to cover mortgage costs:

‘We want it to be easier to get a mortgage…. So, today I can announce a comprehensive review of the mortgage market.’ Boris Johnson

The review will report later this year and will focus on better access to low deposit mortgages and offering alternative financing options to extend opportunities for home ownership.

‘We will look to change the rules on welfare so that the 1.5 million working people who are in receipt of housing benefits and want to buy their first home will be given a new choice’ Boris Johnson

This announcement may provide a further boost to RTB as tenants convert rent payments into mortgage payments.

Social Housing Regulation Bill

On 8^th June 2022 the Government published the Social Housing Regulation Bill; this has now completed its first and second reading stages in the House of Lords and will move on to the House of Commons.

The Bill will remove the ‘serious detriment’ test and allow for the introduction of proactive consumer regulation by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). Much of the work required to implement the legislation is being progressed in parallel by the RSH to allow for its early introduction.

Key changes include the introduction of new consumer standards and satisfaction measures to track landlord performance, increasing accountability and transparency. An advisory panel made up of social housing tenants, social landlords and others will also be set up to provide information and advice to the Regulator.

The legislation introduces a regime of routine inspections for social landlords with more than 1000 homes, referred to by the government as ‘Ofsted-style inspections’. In addition, the RSH will gain new enforcement powers to levy fines and order emergency remedial works for which social landlords will be financially liable.

The Bill also includes a mechanism for the Secretary of State to impose new electrical safety duties on landlords. The government has published a related consultation on electrical safety standards for social housing to run alongside the legislative process. The consultation proposes mandatory PAT testing of all electrical appliances provided by the landlord at least every 5 years.

White Paper – ‘A fairer private rented sector’

On 16^th June 2022 DLUHC published a White Paper setting out government policy for the private rented sector (PRS) as part of the wider levelling up agenda. This includes plans for a Renters Reform Bill which will include the following:

· Abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and introduction of a simpler tenancy structure

· Application of the Decent Homes Standard to the PRS for the first time

· Introduction of a new Property Portal to help landlords understand their obligations

· Introduction of a housing ombudsman covering all PRS landlords

The White Paper sets out a 12-point action plan which includes measures to strengthen local councils’ enforcement powers as well as proposals to make it illegal for landlords to have blanket bans on renting to families with children or those in receipt of benefits.

There will be major reform of tenancy law as all tenants are to be moved onto a system of periodic tenancies, meaning that a tenancy will only end if a tenant ends it or a landlord has a valid reason for obtaining possession, defined in law. There will be a doubling of notice periods for rent increases and tenants will have stronger powers to challenge these.

It will also be easier for tenants to have pets, a right which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.

Download White Paper

New in the Library

Presentation Slides – Fire and Building Safety Webinar – 23rd June 2022

CWAG members attended a joint ARCH / NFA briefing on the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Building Safety Act 2022. Presentations included a detailed overview of the legislation and timetable for implementation up to the full safety case ‘switch on’ in April 2024. There were presentations from the Department of Levelling-up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), the new Building Safety Regulator (one of 3 new Regulators to be set up under the legislation) and the Home Office which has responsibility for the new Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. The meeting also included case studies from councils and ALMOs that have made a start in implementing the new arrangements.

Presentation Slides

Recent Publications

House of Commons Library Research Briefing – Introducing a voluntary Right to Buy for housing association tenants in England – June 2022

This research paper sets out the background to the housing association voluntary Right to Buy scheme and discusses the issues raised by the different pilot programmes.

Read Report

Housing Ombudsman Service Insight Report – Issue 10 – Published June 2022

This latest report covers January to March 2022, a period in which 6,128 enquiries and complaints were received by the watchdog. Case studies in this edition are drawn from the East and West Midlands and East of England.

Read Report

CWAG News Update July 2022CWAG2023-04-28T14:33:06+00:00

CWAG News Update May 2022

This update includes the following:

Queen’s Speech 2022 – Housing Issues
Complaints about repairs and tackling disrepair claims
Government changes stance on PEEPs
Showcasing Good Examples of Council Housing
Diary Date – Next CWAG Meeting
Recent Publications

Queen’s Speech 2022 – Housing Issues

On 10^th May 2022 the Queen’s Speech, delivered this year by Prince Charles, set out government priorities for the next Parliamentary session, including the following legislative proposals with implications for the housing sector:

Renters Reform Bill

The government confirmed its intention to publish a White Paper setting out proposals for ‘landmark reform of the private rented sector.’ Measures include:

· The abolition of so called ‘no fault evictions’ is to be set alongside stronger grounds for possession where there are repeated rent arrears. Also, reduced notice periods will apply in cases of anti-social behaviour.

· A new decent homes standard that will be legally binding for the first time in the private rented sector.

· A new Ombudsman for the private rented sector is to be set up to help resolve disputes and develop a new property portal to give tenants information enabling them to hold their landlord to account.

Social Housing Regulation Bill

This long-anticipated legislation will take forward proposals from the Social Housing White Paper, strengthening Consumer Regulation and the powers of the Regulator of Social Housing. The Bill is expected to be based on draft clauses published in March this year.

Levelling up and Regeneration Bill

This Bill, published on 11 May 2022, takes forward proposals in the Levelling Up White Paper and includes measures with implications for planning reform and housing delivery.

· The Bill aims to improve the planning system and give communities a louder voice in development decisions in their area. The premise being that making sure developments are “beautiful, green and accompanied by new infrastructure and affordable housing” will help address concerns over development and reduce opposition.

· Proposals in the Bill include the introduction of a locally determined levy to capture more of the financial value created by new development which can then be used to deliver new infrastructure and facilities for the benefit of local communities.

· The Bill sets out proposals for enhanced powers for local authorities to address the problem of long-term empty shops and underused second homes.

· In addition, there are proposals to create a new model of combined authority allowing authorities to bring forward proposals for countywide authorities that would have the critical mass to support directly elected leadership and governance models with access to devolution deals.

Complaints about Repairs and Tackling Disrepair Claims

The CWAG General Meeting on 19^th May 2022 focussed on complaints handling and tackling the rising number of Housing Disrepair Claims.

Rebecca Reed from the Housing Ombudsman Service discussed the learning for landlords from the damp and mould Spotlight Report ‘It’s not lifestyle.’ Rebecca stressed the importance of Board oversight and Governance in establishing a positive organisational culture on complaints and driving the proactive and responsive approach that will help reduce disrepair claims. Landlords were encouraged to ‘find your silence’ that is those tenants who are not raising issues or using established complaints arrangements.

A case study from South Tyneside Council and ALMO highlighted the importance of joint working to address the problem of disrepair claims. This practical presentation provided an insight into how this problem has evolved and the practical measures needed in response. 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’. Measures include staff awareness training throughout the ALMO, a focus on acting quickly to respond to and document all issues and actions as well as employing technical surveying expertise in house. The council also 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.

Presentation slides and meeting notes are available on the CWAG website – link

Government Changes Stance on PEEPs

On 18^th May 2022 the Government published its formal response to the Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPS) consultation for high rise residential buildings. This consultation involved proposals to implement the recommendations from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Enquiry Report to make it a legal requirement for Responsible Persons to prepare evacuation plans for all residents unable to vacate the building independently in an emergency.

Despite most responses being in favour of the PEEPs proposals, significant concerns were flagged up in three areas – practicality, proportionality and safety.

The Government has now published revised proposals in the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing (EEIS) consultation which revert to reliance on ‘staying put’ where the building is considered safe to do so. Where buildings are known to have fire safety problems, the fire service would have access to relevant information about vulnerable residents requiring evacuation assistance.

The EEIS consultation closes on 10^th August 2022.

Showcasing Good Examples of Council Housing

As part of current its council housing campaigning work, the Local Government Association (LGA) is keen to highlight how building more council housing is vital to achieving the government’s 300,000 homes a year target. The LGA is looking for case study examples to support this campaign. In particular, the LGA is inviting councils to send in case studies demonstrating the challenges and benefits involved in new council house building, for example how council housing is:

improving local residents’ health and wellbeing
connecting communities and cater for their needs
being more climate friendly
improving the surrounding environment
improving local job prospects
improving the local economy
giving people a safe, secure place to call home

In addition to newbuild examples, case studies showing how councils are adapting existing housing stock to meet the needs of their residents would also be helpful. The aim is to show the best examples of council housing from across the country.

Case studies will be hosted on the LGA website and social media channels and in national media stories.

Case studies can be submitted online here.

For more information or to submit your case studies direct, please email ben.murray@local.gov.uk.

Diary Date – Fire and Building Safety Briefing

The next CWAG General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 6th July 2022 (10a.m. – 12 o’clock). This will be a briefing on Fire and Building Safety issues. We are currently arranging the programme to include speakers from the LGA, Home Office and National Fire Chiefs Council. The meeting will be held over Teams. To book a place, please contact the Policy Officer.

Recent Publications

Tenant Voice – How ALMOs listen to tenants and deliver good customer services

The latest briefing published by the National Federation of ALMOs brings together case studies highlighting the work ALMOs have been doing to ensure tenants are listened to and respected. The report sets out examples demonstrating how involving residents and sharing decision making are key to driving cultural and organisational improvement, ensuring organisations are focussed on the priorities and quality services that residents really need and want. Download a copy of the publication here.

NFA Annual Survey

The National Federation of ALMOs has published its Annual Members Survey ‘Building Homes, Supporting Communities’ which this year highlights the impact of increasing pressure on the HRA from a combination of building safety works, net zero targets and affordable housebuilding. Many ALMOs are having to review newbuild plans with problems exacerbated by the lack of a long-term rent settlement and the limitations of current retrofit funding programmes. The report also provides an update on the wide range of community support activities currently undertaken by ALMOs.

Regulator of Social Housing and Housing Ombudsman Service: Factsheet

This Factsheet provides information for tenants about how to complain as well as explaining the different roles of the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman Service. It also outlines how the two organisations are working together in the context of delivering commitments in the Social Housing White Paper.

CWAG News Update May 2022CWAG2023-04-28T14:27:39+00:00

CWAG News Update April 2022

Government scraps Building Safety Manager requirement

The Government has set out further amendments to the Building Safety Bill removing the requirement for building owners to employ a building safety manager on high rise blocks.

This change reflects the new approach set out by DLUHC in January based around protecting leaseholders and making building owners and developers take responsibility for fixing building safety issues.

The Bill originally required landlords of high-rise blocks to employ a building safety manager to ensure fire safety compliance. The plan envisaged that costs associated with this would be covered through a building safety charge payable by leaseholders in addition to the service charge.

By removing the legal requirement to employ a building safety manager the government is focussing responsibility on the Accountable Person, usually the building owner, to ensure fire safety requirements are met. The separate building safety charge is also to be removed with additional safety costs to be included in leaseholder service charges.

In addition, the government has extended leaseholder protections to small landlords (owning up to three properties). As a result of these amendments the government claims many leaseholders will now pay nothing for remediation works, with no leaseholder paying more than £10,000 (£15,000 in London) in total.

These amendments are a response to concerns raised by leaseholders about escalating costs and aim to provide some longer-term financial protection.

Housing Ombudsman strengthens Complaints Handling Code

The Housing Ombudsman has published an initial review of the Complaints Handling Code introduced in 2020. The review covers the period April 2020 – March 2021 and brings together insights from casework, performance reports and recent resident panel and landlord surveys.

Key issues for social landlords are identified including:

Addressing the finding that not all landlords have adopted a positive complaint handling culture
Increasing trust among residents that complaining will make a difference
Procedural failings as evidenced by high uphold rates for complaints about complaint handling
Inadequate records with poor record keeping being a common finding
Missed or unproductive appointments
Poor communication and lack of follow up.

The Housing Ombudsman’s Annual Complaints Review is available here

In response to the review findings, the Housing Ombudsman has strengthened and updated the Complaints Handling Code with a focus on promoting a positive complaints culture. Measures include:

· Enhanced obligations on landlords to raise awareness of the complaints process and the Housing Ombudsman.

· A member of the governing body should be appointed with lead responsibility for complaints to support a positive complaint handling culture.

· Landlords should adopt a standard objective in relation to complaint handling for all employees referencing established professional standards.

· The importance of learning from complaints should be reinforced by an explicit requirement to undertake an annual self-assessment.

Changes take effect from 1 April 2022 and landlords have until 1 October 2022 to become compliant. Further details – The Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handling Code Revised March 2022

Government sets out plans to improve the quality of social housing

On 29^th March 2022, the Government published a summary of current policy initiatives aimed at improving the quality of social housing and delivering on commitments made in the Social Housing White Paper.

These include:

· Commitment set out in the Levelling Up White Paper to reduce the number of non-decent rental homes by 50% by 2050.

· Various initiatives around improving complaints handling and promoting the services of the Housing Ombudsman including a new factsheet explaining the role of the Ombudsman and how residents can seek help.

· Publication of an anti-social behaviour information pack for tenants experiencing anti-social behaviour.

· Professionalism Review looking at training and qualification levels in the social housing sector and whether additional training is required to improve services to residents.

· New regulations around the installation of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms by October 2022 as well as a forthcoming consultation on electrical safety.

· New initiatives to improve Regulation of the social housing sector including the launch of a Social Housing Quality Residents Panel and proposals to name and shame failing landlords who have breached the Regulator’s consumer standards or where the Housing Ombudsman has made a severe maladministration finding.

· Publication of draft clauses to be included in forthcoming legislation to implement changes to regulation as set out in the Social Housing White Paper. Publication now is intended to signal the Government’s intention to progress this legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Next CWAG General Meeting – 19^th May 2022

The next CWAG General Meeting will we held on Thursday 19^th May 2022 (9.30a.m. – 11.30a.m.)

The meeting theme will focus on effective complaints handling includingthe link between a positive complaints handling culture and wider measures to mitigate the risk of successful disrepair claims.

There will be a presentation by Rebecca Reed, Head of Insight and Development at the Housing Ombudsman. Rebecca will discuss complaints handling issues and trends, including learning from recent casework, key drivers behind increasing complaint volumes and practical steps councils should be taking as landlords to improve and strengthen performance.

The meeting will also consider the current rise in disrepair claims and include case study material and the opportunity to discuss different approaches and share best practice.

Please contact the Policy Officer for further details and the meeting link.

Recent Publications

Housing Ombudsman Service Corporate Plan 2022 – 2025

Three-year Corporate Plan sets out how the Housing Ombudsman Service plans to manage the unprecedented increase in demand for its services given the changing role and importance of complaints handling.

Housing Ombudsman Spotlight Report on Managing Agents – March 2022

This report shines a light on problems experienced by social landlords where properties are developed through Section 106 Agreements. Social landlords with a headlease sit between individual leaseholders, freeholders and private sector managing agents with relationships ‘often strained and at worst dysfunctional’.

The report includes a recommendation for local authorities to ensure social landlords are involved at an early stage of schemes involving Section 106 Agreements. Failure to do so can result in long-term problems being ‘baked-in’ prior to the involvement of the social landlord. As a result, some social landlords are seeking to reduce their exposure in this sector with implications for future social housing provision.

CWAG News Update April 2022CWAG2023-04-28T14:27:40+00:00

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