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 therefore 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 closed on 10^th August 2022.

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 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.

This joint CWAG / NFA report which discusses good practice in the management of the landlord / tenant relationship has been updated to take account of developments in housing policy and regulation. A policy briefing has also been added along with a briefing and toolkit for residents.

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.

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.

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.