Section: Best Practices & Standards
LA Stars
Audit Commission local authority inspection reports released during February 2006 included the following.
Surrey Heath Borough Council (Affordable Housing)
The Council's approach to supporting the provision of new affordable housing was judged by the Audit Commission to be poor with poor prospects for improvement. The inspection team gave the Council's affordable housing services zero-stars.
The report highlights key problems, including:
- The Council has not engaged with private sector landlords and empty homes are not being tackled to bring them back into use.
- Access to services for those in need of affordable housing is limited and residents have not been involved in developing information, access to the service, or service standards.
- There is poor progress in meeting Equality Standards and there is a weak approach to diversity.
- The Council cannot be sure it is getting value for money in respect of affordable housing.
The report noted the following positive aspects:
- The numbers of people accepted as homeless have been reduced through intervention measures such as effective mediation and advice.
- Older and disabled people are currently well supported through the Home Improvement Agency and Handyman scheme.
To help the service improve, inspectors made a number of recommendations, including:
- Develop a delivery plan for the long-term approach to providing resources for affordable housing.
- Develop a clear understanding of the extent and nature of empty homes in the borough and implement a strategy to bring them back into use.
- Engage with private sector landlords through a regular forum, and investigate the potential of linking housing renewal assistance and houses in multiple occupation (HMO) improvements with nominations for appropriate households.
- Work with sub-regional partners to investigate joint development of partnerships with the private sector to bring forward affordable rented housing.
Berneslai Homes (Housing Management & Maintenance Services)
An Audit Commission report found that the housing management and maintenance service provided by Berneslai Homes is good with promising prospects for improvement. The inspection team gave the Barnsley-based arms-length management organisation (ALMO) two-stars.
The report concludes that the services the ALMO delivers to its 21,000 tenants are accessible, its estates are well managed, and significant improvements are being made to thousands of homes to bring them up to modern standards. Its sheltered residents currently get a poorer quality service than other customers, but clear plans are in place for improvements over the next 18 months.
In particular, inspectors found that:
- Berneslai Homes has robust arrangements in place to ensure value for money. Its lettings, tenancy, estate and asset management services are of high quality, and it is also improving the repairs and rent collection services.
- Systems are in place to improve leasehold management and resident involvement, but these are new and customers are not yet feeling their effects.
- Berneslai Homes has a strong track record in improving the things that matter most to customers, particularly its ambitious programme to bring all its homes up to the Government's Decent Homes Standard.
- Sheltered housing, which accounts for a quarter of the ALMO's homes, is a poor service area that does not conform to modern standards. It is awaiting large scale remodelling, which is planned over the next 18 months, but the lack of progress over the past two years gave inspectors cause for concern.
To help the service improve, the report recommends that the organisation should:
- Develop its existing plans to improve access to services, particularly for vulnerable customers.
- Develop its existing plans to improve the management of repairs, resident involvement, and rent arrears.
- Address weaknesses in the sheltered housing service.
Berneslai Homes ALMO was set up by Barnsley Council in 2002. The ALMO manages 21,070 properties, which include 49 sheltered housing schemes.
Other Reports Issued
- 2010 Rotherham Ltd (ALMO)
Two-star good service with uncertain prospects for improvement.
- Torbay Council (Supporting People)
One-star fair service with uncertain prospects for improvement.
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (Affordable Housing)
One-star fair service with uncertain prospects for improvement.
- West Devon Borough Council (Affordable Housing)
Two-star good service with promising prospects for improvement.
www.audit-commission.gov.uk
RSL Performers
Audit Commission housing association inspection reports issued during February 2006 included the following.
Boston Mayflower
An Audit Commission report concludes that the housing services provided by Boston Mayflower are good with promising prospects for improvement. The inspection team gave the Boston-based organisation two-stars because services demonstrated strengths in a number of areas. Repairs and improvements to homes are being carried out effectively, rent arrears are low, and there is close working with partners to address anti-social behaviour.
The inspectors found strengths including:
- Frontline staff provide a high level of customer care, with high customer satisfaction.
- Improvement programmes to homes are being effectively delivered.
- There is an effective and customer focused appointment system for repairs.
- The organisation has a low level of rent arrears and a customer focused approach to tenants with arrears.
Weaknesses identified in the report include:
- There is some inconsistency in empty property standards and mixed levels of customer satisfaction with this service area.
- The aids and adaptations service is underdeveloped.
To help the service improve, inspectors recommended that Boston Mayflower should:
- Implement its plans to address the high level of bedsits with shared facilities in its housing for older people.
- Develop a comprehensive approach to delivering aids and adaptations.
- Ensure consistency in the quality of anti-social behaviour case management.
Boston Mayflower Ltd was formed in 1999 following a transfer of stock from Boston Borough Council. It owns and manages 4,600 homes in the Boston area.
Bethnal Green and Victoria Park Housing Association
The service provided by the Association is fair with uncertain prospects for improvement, according to a report released by the Audit Commission. The inspection team gave the service one-star because, although service provision is responsive and provides well-maintained homes, there has been limited analysis of tenants' needs, particularly with regard to diversity issues. The report also concludes that published service standards need to be made clearer so that customers know what level of service to expect.
The inspectors found:
- The Association is responsive and easy for tenants to contact.
- The majority of the stock is well maintained and 95 per cent meets decent homes standards.
- There is strong partnership working with contractors and local agencies to deliver services.
- The Association is not fully complying with asbestos legislation and access to some offices for disabled people is limited.
- The approach to performance management is not well developed.
- There is a lack of robust methodology for challenging performance and service delivery.
To help the service improve, inspectors made a number of recommendations, including:
- Ensuring compliance with asbestos legislation.
- Improving the approach to performance management and customer diversity.
- Developing a strategy for efficiency and achieving value for money.
Bethnal Green & Victoria Park Housing Association has developed from a series of mergers since the 1920s and is the parent of a group structure, which includes Victoria Park Home Ownership. It operates mainly in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, where it is a key local player and has been selected to take stock transfer of the council's sheltered housing. It has 1,900 tenants and leaseholders.
Other Reports Issued
- Rother Homes Ltd
One-star fair service with promising prospects for improvement.
www.audit-commission.gov.uk
