Issue - meetings

BCP Homes Tenant Satisfaction Measures and Housing Regulatory Compliance Update

As a Registered Provider (RP) of Social Housing, BCP Council has increased responsibilities under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.

The Act provides greater powers, including inspections, to the Regulator of Social Housing to ensure that the outcomes for tenants as set out in revised regulatory consumer standards are delivered. It also ensures that tenant satisfaction is measured and reported annually through Tenant Satisfaction Measures, enabling tenants to see how well the council as their landlord is performing against other landlords who are also registered providers.

For many of the measures the council is within or near to the top quartile of performance especially those related to repairs and maintenance. For 2024/25 overall satisfaction has increased to 81.2 per cent.

The Housing Ombudsman has also been given enhanced powers through the Act to ensure that tenants have access to an effective complaints process when things go wrong and that landlords are held to account. Landlords have a legal duty to meet the standards set out in the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code which sets out best practice in effective complaint handling.

The Act also sets out qualification requirements for senior housing managers to bring the profession more in line with others such as social workers and teachers.

Other provisions within the Act ensured a review of the Decent Homes Standard and the introduction of Awaab’s law to compel landlords to address damp and mould in their homes.

Ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Act is challenging. This report sets out the council’s responsibilities and progress in meeting these.

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED that: -

(a) Cabinet noted the content of the report; and

(b) Cabinet approved the Delivery Plan at appendix 2.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Housing and Regulatory Services

Reason

Councillors are responsible for ensuring that council services provided to tenants are managed effectively and that they deliver the outcomes of the regulatory consumer standards.

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regulatory Services presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'E' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that as a Registered Provider (RP) of Social Housing, BCP Council has increased responsibilities under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, and that the Act provides greater powers, including inspections, to the Regulator of Social Housing to ensure that the outcomes for tenants as set out in revised regulatory consumer standards are delivered. It also ensures that tenant satisfaction is measured and reported annually through Tenant Satisfaction Measures, enabling tenants to see how well the council as their landlord is performing against other landlords who are also registered providers.

Cabinet was informed that for many of the measures the council is within or near to the top quartile of performance especially those related to repairs and maintenance, and that for 2024/25 overall satisfaction has increased to 81.2 per cent.

Cabinet was advised that the Housing Ombudsman has also been given enhanced powers through the Act to ensure that tenants have access to an effective complaints process when things go wrong and that landlords are held to account, landlords have a legal duty to meet the standards set out in the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code which sets out best practice in effective complaint handling.

Further to this Cabinet was advised that the Act also sets out qualification requirements for senior housing managers to bring the profession more in line with others such as social workers and teachers.

In addition to this Cabinet was further informed that other provisions within the Act ensured a review of the Decent Homes Standard and the introduction of Awaab’s law to compel landlords to address damp and mould in their homes.

It was highlighted that ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Act is challenging, and that the report sets out the council’s responsibilities and progress in meeting these.