Regulator of Social Housing finds very serious failings at Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council issued with C4 grading for 'very serious failings'
The Regulator of Social Housing has today (Wednesday 11 February) issued a C4 grading to Northumberland County Council, after a planned inspection found fundamental changes were needed to address very serious failings.
During an inspection, RSH found:
- The council only has up to date information on the condition of around 3% of its homes.
- Limited evidence that health and safety assessments are accurately recorded or routinely monitored, or that actions are being addressed within appropriate timescales.
- The council does not respond to all complaints in a timely way.
- A lack of meaningful opportunities for tenants to scrutinise performance and influence services.
- Serious failings in meeting the outcomes of the tenancy standard.
Northumberland CC has been engaging constructively with RSH. It now needs to develop a comprehensive improvement plan urgently and share it with tenants.
Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said:
“These failings are unacceptable and the council urgently needs to develop a full understanding of the root causes of these issues and the current risks to tenants.
“We will engage intensively with the council while they put things right and our priority will be that they ensure that risks to tenants are properly managed and mitigated.”
RSH is carrying out planned inspections of all large social landlords (those with 1,000 homes or more) over a four-year cycle.
Separately, RSH has placed Aves Housing on its gradings under review list while it investigates matters which may indicate serious failings in the landlord delivering outcomes of the Governance and Financial Viability Standard and the consumer standards.
Notes to editors
- On 1 April 2024 RSH introduced new consumer standards for social housing landlords, designed to drive long-term improvements in the sector. It also began a programme of landlord inspections. The changes are a result of the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 and include stronger powers to hold landlords to account. More information about RSH’s approach is available in its document Reshaping Consumer Regulation.
- Aves Housing has fewer than 1,000 social housing units and does not therefore have published regulatory judgements.
- If RSH is investigating a landlord due to suspected serious failings, we may place them on the gradings under review list. This is likely to be where our engagement is ongoing and we think it is appropriate to alert stakeholders to the fact that we have serious concerns about that landlord’s delivery of the standards outcomes, which we are investigating. More information about the gradings under review list and RSH’s approach is available on its website.
- More information about RSH’s responsive engagement, programmed inspections and consumer gradings is also available on its website.
- RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver more and better social homes. It does this by setting standards and carrying out robust regulation focusing on driving improvement in social landlords, including local authorities, and ensuring that housing associations are well-governed, financially viable and offer value for money. It takes appropriate action if the outcomes of the standards are not being delivered.
- For media enquiries please contact vicky.moore@rsh.gov.uk or christian.cosby@rsh.gov.uk