Registered social landlord inspection reports issued by the Audit Commission during January included the following.
A2Dominion South
A short-notice inspection report concludes that the South East based housing association has 'more strengths than weaknesses'.
Inspectors examined how well A2Dominion South is delivering its responsive repairs service, managing gas safety checks and working with its tenants to develop and deliver services.
They found that residents have a good level of involvement in deciding and improving services, there is a strong focus on delivering value for money and the Association is effectively completing gas safety checks in tenants' homes.
However, A2Dominion South needs to know more about the needs of all tenants to help inform the way it delivers services and the responsive repairs service is weak.
A2Dominion South is a subsidiary of A2Dominion Housing Group. It provides services to around 14,000 homes across Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, Sussex and Wiltshire. Its services are concentrated on general needs, sheltered and supported housing as well as homes for key workers and shared ownership.
The parent Group was formed in October 2008, following the merger of Dominion Housing Group and A2 Housing Group.
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Midland Heart Housing Association
The Birmingham-based Association's services contain 'a mixture of strengths and weaknesses' according to a short-notice inspection report.
Inspectors examined how well Midland Heart repairs homes, does annual gas safety checks and manages its empty homes - focusing particularly on its services to general needs tenants in Birmingham. They also looked at how the Association involves its residents in providing services and its approach to rent arrears.
The report shows that empty homes are being let more quickly and new tenants are happy with their homes. Residents are influencing the way services are provided in a number of ways.
However, it also notes that the performance on gas safety checks, completing repairs and rent arrears is weaker - but is improving.
Midland Heart HA was formed in April 2006, following the merger of Keynote and Prime Focus HA. It provides housing services mainly in Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Stoke on Trent and Wolverhampton but operates in 58 local authority areas in total. It manages around 27,868 homes, 6,700 care and support units (bed spaces and flats), offers homes for sale and also provides community investment services.
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North Lincolnshire Homes
Housing Management Services: One-star fair service with promising prospects for improvement.
Ann Bennett, Audit Commission Lead Housing Inspector, said:
"North Lincolnshire Homes focuses on its customers and tenant satisfaction is generally good. Homes are improved to a high standard and the organisation is ahead of its five-year programme for all its properties to be at the national Decent Homes standard.
"The quality of most services has significantly improved since homes were transferred from the Council three years ago. However, the diverse needs of vulnerable people are not yet being dealt with effectively, and too many homes have been empty for too long."
North Lincolnshire Homes is a housing association set up in February 2007 with the transfer of 9,950 homes from North Lincolnshire Council.
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Stadium Housing Association
The Association's services are mainly 'a balance of strengths and weaknesses' according to a short-notice inspection report.
The inspection report shows that most repairs are done on time and residents have a say in how the service is provided. Stadium is also working hard to tackle rent arrears and tries to avoid evicting residents from their homes.
However, compared to other landlords, customers are much less satisfied with Stadium's services and too many homes have not had an annual gas safety check.
Stadium Housing Association is part of the Network Housing Group. It owns and manages over 8,500 homes, 4,312 of which are classed as being for general needs.
Stadium also offers low cost home ownership, housing with support and temporary housing. Its homes are spread over 34 local authority areas including 25 London boroughs.
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Wandle Housing Association
The income management, responsive repairs and gas services provided by Wandle Housing Association were assessed as being a mixed picture.
The short notice inspection report concludes that 'strengths and weaknesses are in balance' for value for money and 'strengths outweigh weaknesses' for gas servicing and income management. However, 'weaknesses outweigh strengths' in access, diversity and responsive repairs. The quality of services is inconsistent, with residents not feeling listened to and lacking sufficient information on performance.
To help services improve, inspectors made a number of recommendations, including:
Wandle Housing Association manages 5,700 properties in 11 South London boroughs. It employs 156 staff and has an annual turnover of £35 million.
The following are summaries of selected local authority inspection reports issued by the Audit Commission during January.
East North East Homes Leeds (ALMO)
Housing Management & Maintenance Services: Two-star good service with promising prospects for improvement.
Domini Gunn-Peim, the Audit Commission's Lead Housing Inspector for Yorkshire and Humberside, said:
"East North East Leeds has done a lot in the last year to improve the service from one to two stars. Its governing body, managers and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to service improvement and customers can have confidence that services will continue to get better."
Strengths noted in the report include:
East North East Homes Leeds arms length management organisation (ALMO) was set up by Leeds City Council in 2007 to manage a third of its housing estates of nearly 19,000 homes.
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Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
Strategic Housing Service: One-star fair service with excellent prospects for improvement.
The inspection report covers various services, including homelessness, private sector housing and supporting new house building.
The report found that the Council was performing well in some areas, such as preventing homelessness, but needed to do more in others, particularly around value for money and ensuring the housing needs of everyone are met.
The Council does not manage any housing stock, having transferred it to Aspire Housing (then Newcastle-under-Lyme Housing Association) in 2000.
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Sutton Housing Partnership (ALMO)
Housing Management Services: Two-star good service with promising prospects for improvement.
Hugh Boatswain, the Audit Commission's Lead Housing Inspector for London said:
"In the range of Sutton Housing Partnership services inspected we found that overall strengths are outweighing weaknesses. Improvements are being effectively delivered, including a more responsive repairs service. Risks are being managed and minimised and the organisation is improving its approach to value for money.
"Strong leadership and performance management are also driving improvements, but the ALMO still needs to involve residents more. There are promising prospects for further improvement."
Sutton Housing Partnership is the arms-length management organisation (ALMO) of Sutton Council. It manages approximately 6,670 homes and has delegated responsibility for providing housing management and maintenance services, for which it receives a management fee of £14.4 million.
Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA)
In its inspection report, the Scottish Housing Regulator awarded ACHA) a "Fair" rating overall.
Lesley Kerr, Acting Head of Inspection at the Scottish Housing Regulator, said:
“Our inspectors found that ACHA has some strengths but also some areas where improvement is needed."ACHA is a relatively young organisation that was formed to receive houses transferred from Argyle and Bute Council. It faces a range of challenges and has worked well to improve most of its services over a relatively short period of time.
"The Association has made good progress on most of the commitments it made to its tenants and has strengths - including estate management, access to its housing list, financial reporting, and it is building good quality new houses.
"However, a number of its service improvements are at an early stage and it has been slow to progress the delivery of some promised stock investment works.
"ACHA is improving its business planning, performance management framework and SHQS plans but currently these have several weaknesses and risks. The Association also has gaps in its understanding of how satisfied its tenants are with its services as its first survey is not due to be completed until 2010."
ACHA owns just over 5,000 houses and 3 gypsy/traveller sites located across the Argyle and Bute Council area.