Medway Council scores highly for its social housing landlord service
A unitary authority in Kent is the latest to receive its inspection report from the Regulator of Social Housing under its new inspection programme.
Medway Council has more than 3,000 social housing properties and is the first local authority in the South East to welcome inspectors as part of a planned series of visits.
Medway Council’s social housing landlord service has secured the second highest grade after inspectors met with council staff, elected members and tenants, and thoroughly reviewed the council’s social housing service.
The Regulator of Social Housing started carrying out inspections of social landlords in April 2024. Inspectors provide a judgement on whether a landlord is delivering the outcome of new consumer standards, and can demonstrate that they can identify issues affecting tenants and put plans in place to solve them and minimise recurrence.
The inspections will take place over at least a four-year cycle and are one of the key changes to the Regulator of Social Housing’s approach resulting from the landmark Social Housing Regulation Act.
Inspectors visited Medway in September and reviewed all four of the consumer standards: Neighbourhood and Community Standard, Safety and Quality Standard, Tenancy Standard, and the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard.
Awarding a C2 score, inspectors noted how they observed a positive culture amongst Medway Council’s housing staff, and a commitment to providing good services for tenants.
A C2 score recognises that the council has some improvements it can make to reach the top C1 grade, and in the report inspectors commented how Medway Council demonstrated that it understands where it needs to make improvements, and that the inspectors have assurance that the council is addressing the areas of weakness identified.
Safety and Quality Standard
The inspection report recognised that Medway Council has good systems in place to manage its health and safety responsibilities and to ensure the health and safety of its tenants in their homes and any communal areas. In addition, Medway has a proactive approach to identifying and responding to cases of damp and mould in its homes.
Medway Council is updating the records it holds on the condition of its properties, with a clear improvement programme in place.
Whilst a low portion of Medway Council’s properties – eight per cent – are failing to meet the Decent Homes Standard, the unitary authority is not complacent and inspectors noted that the council provided assurance that it was working to reduce the number of non-decent homes.
Inspectors saw evidence that Medway Council’s repairs and maintenance performance is generally in line with its targets, and it has plans to reduce a current repairs backlog. Medway is also forward-thinking, working with and listening to tenants when tendering for new repairs and maintenance contracts.
Tenancy Standard
Inspectors noted how Medway Council was offering tenancies or terms of occupation that are compatible with the purpose of its accommodation, the needs of individual households, the sustainability of the community, and the efficient use of its housing stock. The report highlights how Medway Council demonstrated its understanding of where improvements were needed and provided assurance that it was addressing the areas of weakness identified.
Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard
The report acknowledged that Medway Council provides its tenants with ‘meaningful opportunities’ to influence and scrutinise its strategies, policies and services, and provides a range of relevant and accessible information to its tenants.
The report referenced: ‘Whilst some areas of tenant engagement are still being developed, Medway Council is committed to building on its existing arrangements to support tenants in influencing and scrutinising its services.’
Maxi Card, a Medway Council tenant and chair of the Tenant and Leaseholders Panel who works closely with housing officers to scrutinise and review the council’s housing management and maintenance said: “The Panel welcomes the outcome of the recent inspection which reflects some of great work carried out by the council in recent years, particularly in its work to engage with tenants. The Big Door Knock has been particularly successful, and we feel that the voice of the tenant is now starting to be heard in important decisions. Together with the Panel’s Deputy Chair, Mick Faulkner, we meet quarterly as part of the HRA Governance Group to ensure a strong governance structure which reflects the tenants’ voice.”
An area of improvement identified by inspectors includes ensuring it has comprehensive information about the diverse needs of its tenants to better adapt and tailor its services to their individual needs. Inspectors acknowledged that Medway Council recognises this and has plans to extend the collection of information it holds about the diverse needs of its tenants.
Inspectors commended Medway Council on its effective and prompt handling of complaints. However, Medway Council acknowledges that it needs to improve the information it shares with tenants about lessons learnt and improvements made as a result of complaints handling.
Cllr Louwella Prenter, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and Homelessness, said: “We were pleased to have been chosen as the first council in the South East to be visited by inspectors from the Government’s Regulator of Social Housing, setting a positive example of how social landlords can meet the consumer standards, and highlighting how it’s a strength to recognise where improvements can be made, working with tenants and multiple agencies.
“One of the council’s most important roles is to provide quality social housing for our residents and I am pleased the inspectors witnessed the hard work to provide our tenants with quality homes that are safe and suitable for their needs.”
Acknowledging the inspection report, Cllr Prenter continued: “Our Housing Services teams have been working hard in recent years to make significant improvements to our council housing stock and building closer relationships with our tenants – I’m glad this has been recognised through the new inspection programme.
“We work hard to maintain the condition of our 3,000 homes, and the income received from the rent tenants pay for council properties is ploughed straight back into our homes.
“We are pleased the inspectors recognised the work currently underway to make improvements to the service and we are committed to delivering these as soon as possible. We are also grateful to the inspection team who have provided invaluable guidance and advice to help us improve in the coming years.”