Shelter launched an innovative new service to its website, aimed at promoting good practice among housing professionals. The service will be available to housing experts, including advice agencies, local authorities, environmental health officers and those who help house young people, prisoners and students. They will be able to take part in discussion forums, get advice, access a range of professional materials such as leaflets and briefings and exchange ideas and good practice.
The launch of the new service, which can be viewed at www.shelter.org.uk/housingact, coincides with the introduction of new reforms to the Housing Act 2004.
The new changes to the Act include:
Adam Sampson, director of Shelter, said: "Shelter lobbied extensively for these crucial changes to the Housing Act to help protect some of the most vulnerable and poorest members of society who live in private rented homes.
"They are an important step towards rooting out unsafe, run-down and poorly managed properties, and will help safeguard tenants' rights.
"Shelter's new website [service] will play a vital role in helping housing professionals ensure the Act is implemented to the greatest benefit to tenants."
Audit Commission local authority inspection reports released during April 2006 included the following:
West Kent became the first housing association in England to be awarded the maximum three stars for its excellent housing services. A report released by the Audit Commission also finds that the Association's services have excellent prospects for improvement.
The Audit Commission inspection team gave West Kent its highest rating because it demonstrates a strong customer focus in its dealings with tenants, with easy access to its services, many of which are performing at the highest levels. Value for money is a clear factor in all aspects of its work, and services are personalised to meet the needs of older and vulnerable tenants.
Performance in areas like improvements and repairs to tenants' homes, gas servicing, rent collection, managing and maintaining housing estates, and value for money are all strong. Some improvement could be made in its management of empty homes and the recording of performance against its service standards.
West Kent is the first housing association to earn excellent three star status since the Audit Commission introduced its new inspection methodology in May 2004.
The inspectors found:
To help the service improve, inspectors made a number of recommendations including:
West Kent Housing Association was formed in the late 1980s and in 1989 it took over the ownership and management of housing from Sevenoaks District Council. The Association has 5,678 properties and continues to operate mainly in the Sevenoaks area of West Kent.
Other Audit Commission housing association inspection reports issued during April 2006 included the following:
