News story

RSH finds Windrush in breach of the economic standards

Windrush Alliance UK CIC is in breach of RSH's governance and financial viability standard

From:
Regulator of Social Housing
Published
13 September 2023

In a regulatory notice published today (Wednesday 13 September 2023), RSH concluded that Windrush Alliance UK CIC (Windrush) has breached the governance and financial viability standard.

RSH began investigating Windrush following a self-referral. Its investigations found that there has been a fundamental breakdown in Windrush’s governance and financial management arrangements, which put the continuity of services to residents at risk. This is a clear breach of the governance and financial viability standard.

Windrush acknowledges the extent of its failure to meet the standards and have made a commitment to undertaking the work necessary to come back to compliance. RSH is now engaging actively with the new board and management team at Windrush to ensure they make the substantial changes required.

Harold Brown, Senior Assistant Director for Investigations and Enforcement at RSH, said:

We have found very substantial failings at Windrush across a range of regulatory standards. The new board and management now need to make significant changes across all areas of the business so that they comply with our standards. We will be actively monitoring them to ensure they put things right.

Notes to editors

  1. Based on the most recent statistical data return, Windrush Alliance UK CIC had fewer than 1,000 units, and is therefore classed as a small provider and does not have governance and financial viability grades. The regulator does not publish regulatory judgements for providers which fall into this category. Instead, in the interests of transparency, the regulator publishes a regulatory notice where it has evidence that a small registered provider is not meeting the regulatory standards. This notice is published under those arrangements.

  2. RSH placed Windrush Alliance UK CIC on the gradings under review list on 30 June 2023 to indicate that it was investigating the provider’s compliance with the Governance and Financial Viability Standard.

  3. More information about how RSH regulates against its standards is available in Regulating the Standards.

  4. RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver and maintain homes of appropriate quality that meet a range of needs. It does this by undertaking robust economic regulation focusing on governance, financial viability and value for money that maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer. It also sets consumer standards and may take action if these standards are breached and there is a significant risk of serious detriment to tenants or potential tenants.

  5. For press office contact details, see our Media enquiries page. For general queries, please email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk or call 0300 124 5225.

Published 13 September 2023