Help us to improve the quality of social housing
Here we will provide you with the latest updates and some of the key areas of changes to social housing and how you can get involved.
Introduction
Following the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the Government committed to changes to the consumer regulation of social housing to strengthen the accountability of landlords for providing safe homes, quality services and treating residents with respect.
New changes to how we are regulated on our social housing
From 1 April 2024 there is a new approach to how we, as a social landlord, are regulated on our social housing. Until now we have been subject to a series of standards including customer involvement, repairs, Decent Homes and Anti-Social Behaviour.
The approach taken has changed and the Regulator of Social Housing will take a proactive interest in how we meet these standards. This will include us reporting on our performance on the Tenant Satisfaction Measures, and the Regulator conducting inspections, probably every four years. In addition, the standards have been updated to cover a stronger emphasis on customer voice, taking account of individual needs and repairs. Following an inspection, we will be awarded a grading, on a 1 – 4 basis, of how well we meet these standards.
As a social housing provider, we will be subject to four yearly inspections by the Regulator, who will grade us based on how well we are meeting the requirements of the new consumer standards.
The new standards ensure we will continue to:
- ensure our customers are safe in their homes
- listen to our customers’ complaints and respond promptly to put things right
- be accountable to our customers and treat them with fairness and respect
- know more about the condition of every home and the needs of the people who live in them
- collect and use data effectively across a range of areas, including repairs
Social Housing (Regulation) Act
From 1 April 2024, there are five new consumer standards that will set the requirements all registered providers must meet:
- The Safety and Quality Standard – requires landlords to provide safe and good quality homes and landlord services to customers.
- The Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard – requires landlords to be open with customers and treat them with fairness and respect so that customers can access services, raise complaints when necessary, influence decision-making and hold their landlord to account.
- The Neighbourhood and Community Standard – requires landlords to engage with other relevant parties so that customers can live in safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods and feel safe in their homes.
- The Tenancy Standard – sets requirements for the fair allocation and letting of homes and for how those tenancies are managed and ended by landlords.
- Tenant Satisfaction Methods (TSMs) – requires landlords to provide certain information to the Regulator of Social Housing based on customer feedback, such as repairs, safety checks and complaints.
The Safety and Quality Standard
This standard is all about providing you with a safe and secure home, that is healthy and well maintained.
What We’re Doing
To achieve this standard, we’ll:
Our Stock
- Hold an accurate, up-to-date record of our stock condition.
- Ensure our homes are good quality and well maintained.
- Publish our Damp & Mould Policy.
Health & Safety
- Ensure compliance with health and safety legal requirements and the Decent Homes standard.
- Publish our full Landlord Building Safety & Compliance Policy.
Adaptations
- Ensure that we clearly communicate with you about our adaptations service.
- Publish our Aids & Adaptations Policy.
Repairs
- Ensure it is easy for customers to report repairs and maintenance issues.
- Keep customers informed about repairs, maintenance and planned improvements in a timely manner.
- Ensure that works are informed by the needs of customers and provide value for money.
- Publish our full Repairs & Maintenance Policy.
- Publish our full Value for Money Policy.
The Tenancy Standard
This standard is all about stable and supportive living, making sure we allocate our homes fairly, manage tenancies well, and provide information and support to customers if they wish to move on.
What We’re Doing
To achieve this standard, we’ll:
Allocations & Lettings
- Assist local authorities to meet local housing need with homes designed to meet specific needs.
- Take action to prevent and tackle tenancy fraud.
- Ensure that there is a fair, transparent, simple and accessible appeals process for allocation decisions.
- Ensure that accurate records are maintained of all lettings and sales.
- Publish our full Lettings Policy.
Tenancy Sustainment & Evictions
- Provide services that support customers to maintain their tenancy and prevent evictions.
- Provide customers with timely advice and assistance about housing options before the tenancy ends.
- Publish our full Tenancy Policy.
Mutual Exchange
- Support customers to swap homes if they wish and explain if there will be any changes.
- Publish our full Mutual Exchange, Assignment, & Subletting Policy.
The Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard
This standard is all about making sure our communication is clear, and that we will continue to develop the ways in which you can scrutinise our services and hold us accountable for meeting these standards.
What We’re Doing
To achieve this standard, we’ll:
Diverse Needs
- Ensure all customers have fair access to our services and publicise this. Customers should be supported to access these services if required.
- All communication should be clear, accessible, and appropriate to the diverse needs of our customers.
- Publish our full Equality & Diversity Policy.
Engagement With Customers
- Give our customers opportunities to influence and scrutinise our strategies, policies, and services.
Information About Our Services
- Provide clear information to customers about our services, policies, safety standards, rents, and service charges, as well as tenant and landlord responsibilities.
Our Performance
- Publish information on our performance against the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM’s).
Complaints
- Ensure our approach to complaints is simple and accessible, clearly publicising the process.
- Publish our full Complaints Policy.
Self-Referral
- Let the Regulator of Social Housing know if standards are not being met.
The Neighbourhood and Community Standard
This standard is all about cultivating strong communities, with a safe and positive environment for everyone in the neighbourhood.
What We’re Doing
To achieve this standard, we’ll:
Maintenance of Shared Spaces
- Ensure communal spaces are well maintained and safe.
Local Co-operation
- Work with other organisations to keep neighbourhoods safe, for example with local councils, the police, and other landlords.
- Publish our full Neighbourhood Management Policy.
Anti-Social Behaviour
- Support customers who have been affected by ASB issues, help customers to report ASB issues, and work with our partners to prevent and stop ASB from happening.
- Publish our full ASB Policy.
Domestic Abuse
- Set out clearly how we will work with other partners to support customers with domestic abuse.
- Publish our full Domestic Abuse Policy.
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