The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and the Audit Commission signalled a fundamental review of the approach to inspections, so as to better target landlords with performance challenges.
The TSA, as the social housing regulator, commissions the Audit Commission to carry out inspections of the services that housing associations provide to their tenants - such as repairs, gas safety, tenant involvement and estate management. From 1 April 2010 this will also cover local authorities. The results are used by the TSA in determining whether action is needed to ensure tenants get a fair deal from their landlord.
The TSA and Audit Commission will develop a new inspection approach that aligns to the new standards that the TSA expects all social housing landlords to meet from April next year.
Both the TSA and the Audit Commission will involve landlords, tenants and other stakeholders in helping them shape the future arrangements. A joint consultation document will be published in March 2010. The TSA and Audit Commission Boards will make final decisions on the future approach to inspections around July 2010, with the new arrangements coming into force from 1 October.
Between 1 April 2010, when the TSA's new powers come into effect, and 1 October, the TSA will commission inspections from the Audit Commission using a slimmed down version of the current Key Lines of Enquiry framework to support the TSA's new standards.
TSA Chief Executive Peter Marsh said:
"A vital part of our new regulatory framework is that we will ask the Audit Commission to inspect, in a targeted way, the performance of social landlords against our new outcome-focused standards.
"This fundamental review of the inspection methodology will ensure that tenants and providers will be able to help us and the Audit Commission shape the new arrangements."
Audit Commission Chief Executive Steve Bundred said:
"It is important that the inspection arrangements complement the TSA's national standards and produces information that will help identify if landlords are failing to give their tenants a good deal.
"We also want to make sure our reports help inform tenants about how well their landlord is performing.
"Working with the TSA to undertake this review with stakeholders supports our joint commitment to improving services to tenants."
Registered social landlord inspection reports issued by the Audit Commission during December included the following.
East Homes Limited
East Homes has a satisfactory approach to ensuring annual gas safety checks and repairing empty properties. But its approach to day-to-day repairs is unsatisfactory and there are some weaknesses in the way it responds to tenants' needs.
Audit Commission inspectors reached this conclusion following a short-notice inspection of how well the East London-based housing association is responding to repair requests, reletting empty homes and undertaking gas safety checks.
The report shows that the Association has many of the basic requirements in place. However, in the way that it responds to requests for repairs it is falling short of the level of service that the best performing organisations demonstrate.
To help the service improve, inspectors made a number of recommendations, including:
East Homes (formerly East Thames Housing Association) was formed and registered with the Housing Corporation in 1979. It owns around 7,500 general needs homes, over 1,500 bedspaces of supported housing and manages over 700 properties leased from private landlords.
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Eden Housing Association
Eden HA 'has more strengths than weaknesses' according to a short-notice inspection report of how the Penrith-based Association delivers day-to-day repairs and managed empty properties.
Inspectors found it is easy for customers to access services in a range of convenient ways and queries are dealt with promptly by knowledgeable staff. However, the Association is yet to assess whether its activities are accessible for all sections of the community and it is taking too long to let empty properties.
Domini Gunn, Audit Commission Lead Housing Inspector, said:
"Eden Housing Association is one of the best performing housing associations nationally for how satisfied tenants are with the repairs service and completing repairs in time.
It now needs to assess whether services are inclusive for all local people, and the viability of delivering more flexible repairs appointments for tenants."
Eden Housing Association was set up in 1997 to provide affordable homes for rent in Cumbria, following a large-scale voluntary stock transfer from the local authority. Since then it has grown to provide accommodation in the Allerdale, Carlisle and Eden districts. It currently manages 1,580 homes for rent and has developed over 350 units for sale or rent.
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Estuary Housing Association
The Southend-based Association is effective at involving its residents but could do better on repairs and gas safety - according to a short-notice inspection report.
The inspection looked at: repairs that tenants report; servicing gas appliances; and involving residents. The report shows that the Association involves residents in decisions about the service they receive and how it is being improved. Customer satisfaction with repairs is high but not all repairs are completed within target times. Annual gas servicing at customers' homes is up-to-date but independent quality checks are not taking place.
Recommendations made by inspectors include:
Estuary Housing Association provides 3,400 homes throughout Essex and east London, with most in Southend-on-Sea. It provides mainly general needs accommodation but has some shared ownership, market rent, and supported housing properties, including several care homes.
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Gateway Housing Association
The Association is not working well in providing responsive repair services, according to a short-notice inspection report of how the London-based housing association deals with routine repairs to tenants' homes, income management and the servicing of gas appliances.
Inspectors found a balance of strengths and weaknesses in gas servicing and income management.
Hugh Boatswain, Audit Commission Lead Housing Inspector, said:
"Gateway Housing Association has not made adequate progress in improving services that are important to tenants, such as repairs. Residents are not satisfied with the speed and quality of contact, and performance in responsive repairs has not improved to meet tenants' aspirations.
"Further improvements are also needed to make services responsive to the needs of the all residents, and the organisation needs to improve its value for money culture."
The Association was created through the merger of Bethnal Green and Victoria Park Housing Association and LABO Housing Association in March 2008. It owns and manages 2,782 properties, with most of its stock are in Tower Hamlets. Most of the Association's homes are for general needs, but it also has shared ownership and leasehold properties.
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Incommunities
There are 'more strengths than weaknesses for Incommunities'. Audit Commission inspectors reached this conclusion following a short-notice inspection of how the Bradford-based housing association delivers day-to-day repairs, repairs to empty properties and gas servicing.
Inspectors found that requests for repairs are dealt with promptly and that gas checks are done efficiently. Empty homes are repaired and let to a standard agreed with tenants, although the time taken to re-let them is too long.
Incommunities was formed in 2003 following a stock transfer from Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council. Previously a group structure and known as Bradford Community Housing Trust (BCHT), the Association changed its name to Incommunities in 2007. It operates in the Bradford area and manages over 21,000 homes.
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Irwell Valley Housing Association
A short-notice inspection of the Greater Manchester-based Association found that services inspected had 'more strengths than weaknesses'.
The inspection covered how the Association responds to repairs reported by tenants; repairs of empty properties before new tenants move in; and how it undertakes the required checks of gas appliances.
Most repairs are being completed quickly, by appointment and to a good standard resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction. Empty properties are repaired quickly and to a high standard agreed with tenants. Inspectors also found that gas servicing is up to date.
Riza Yassin, Audit Commission Lead Housing Inspector, said:
"Overall, we found that Irwell Valley is doing most things well, with strengths outweighing weaknesses in all three of the inspected services but management could improve procurement practices to ensure they are getting best value for money."
Founded in 1973, Irwell Valley Housing Association has a housing stock of 7,400 homes located across Greater Manchester, West Lancashire, South Ribble, Pendle and Rossendale.
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Richmond upon Thames Churches Housing Trust (RuTCHT)
RuTCHT is providing tenants with a good day-to-day repairs service and is carrying out annual gas safety checks well. However, access to services and information and the way the Association manages value for money need to improve.
Audit Commission inspectors reached this conclusion following a short-notice inspection of how effectively the Hampton-based housing association is providing repairs, gas safety and income collection services.
The Trust has properties in ten local authority areas mainly in the south and west of London and has 2,735 tenants and 723 shared owners and leaseholders.
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Shepherds Bush Housing Group
A short-notice inspection finds that London-based housing association 'shows a mixed range of performance' in its repairs services.
Hugh Boatswain, Lead Housing Inspector for West London, said:
"The Association is performing well in responsive repairs but not so well in how it manages repairs to empty homes."However it has recently achieved 100% compliance in getting tenants' gas appliances serviced, an important area that we place significant emphasis on in inspections.
"We hope the Association will now work to improve areas where gaps were identified."
Recommendations made be inspectors include:
Shepherds Bush Housing Group was founded in 1968. It provides about 5,000 homes across nine west London boroughs, with the largest concentration of homes in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
The Association provides mostly general needs housing but has a number of temporary accommodation units, sheltered housing flats for older people and some supported housing for a range of client groups. It also has a small number of shared ownership properties.
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Solon South West Housing Association
According to an Audit Commission short-notice inspection, Solon SW HA has a satisfactory approach to ensuring annual gas safety checks and repairing empty properties. However, its approach to day-to-day repairs is unsatisfactory and there are weaknesses in the way it responds to tenants' needs.
To help the service improve, inspectors made a number of recommendations, including:
Solon South West was set up in 1974 to develop and manage affordable rented housing for people in housing need. It now provides around 1,100 homes in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Mendip, Bath and the Forest of Dean.
Audit Commission inspection reports issued during December included the following:
Dale and Valley Homes
The arms-length management organisation (ALMO) provides a good two star service for its tenants with 'excellent prospects for improvement'.
The report concludes that Dale and Valley Homes continues to improve services for tenants, with most homes meeting 'Decent Homes' standards and responsive repairs being completed on time. Costs are reducing and the effective leadership should ensure continued improvement.
Inspectors made a number of recommendations for further improvements, including:
Dale and Valley Homes is an ALMO set up by Wear Valley District Council in April 2006 to manage, repair and improve its housing stock of 4622 properties.