Housing Consumer Standards

The Council has carried out a Self-Assessment against the new Housing Consumer Standards for social housing which came into effect on 1 April 2024. The Assessment highlighted some improvements that need to be made.

We found that we needed to be more robust in areas that relate to two of the four standards – these include having sufficient detail on the condition of homes at a property level and around engaging tenants in decision-making. Although we have plans in place to deal with these issues, our current position does not meet the required standards. Because of this, the Council has decided to refer itself to the Regulator of Social Housing, the national body which oversees social landlords.

As part of this, the Council is setting up a dedicated Housing Services Working Group, to oversee the work required to achieve full compliance. The Working Group will consist of Elected Members, the Chief Executive, relevant officers, and tenant representatives. Regular reports from the Housing Service Working Group will be delivered to meetings of the Housing and Community Services Committee.

We take tenant safety and engaging tenants seriously and by contacting the Regulator we are taking the lead in delivering improvements and being transparent around the need for immediate action.

We are awaiting further dialogue with the Regulator of Social Housing, to discuss and agree the best way of ensuring the Council achieves full compliance as quickly as it can. It is expected the Regulator will assess the Council’s position and advise on how to improve its Housing Service. If the Regulator considers it necessary, they may instruct the Council to take further specific actions.

The Council is committed to ensuring it meets the required standards and will be reaching out to tenants to involve them and to understand from them the priorities they wish to see addressed. Openness is vital to the improvement of the Service and the Council will keep tenants and residents updated.

Further information is available here and will be available via the Tenant Portal for those tenants who have registered and be included in a letter to tenants. This information will include more detail and cover Frequently Asked Questions in relation to the process and its intended outcome. A dedicated email address has been set up for anyone who wants tocontact us.

The Council understands that this action may cause concern. We are taking this matter seriously and are prioritising work in this area to make sure our homes reach the highest standards and tenants are at the heart of decision-making. 

12 April 2024