Regulator of Social Housing inspectors have highlighted several areas of good practice after a recent inspection of North East Derbyshire District Council’s social housing function.
The authority was granted a C2 grade after the RSH considered all four of the consumer standards:
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Safety and Quality Standard – outcomes about the safety and quality of tenants’ homes
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Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard – outcomes about how landlords provide information, listen to tenants, and act on their views
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Neighbourhood and Community Standard – outcomes about how landlords work with other organisations to help ensure tenants live in safe neighbourhoods
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Tenancy Standard – outcomes about how landlords allocate and let homes and manage tenancies
Inspectors spent time assessing Rykneld Homes – the council owned registered social housing provider managing more than 7,500 homes for the authority – during May and June.
Inspectors observed Rykneld Homes tenant scrutiny meetings to see how residents’ voices are heard, attended a board meeting and a joint involved tenants conference, reviewed documentation and spoke with officers and elected members at both the council and Rykneld Homes.
The judgement document states that NEDDC:
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has appropriate systems in place to manage its health and safety responsibilities
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is managing the risks associated with damp and mould
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offers tenancies which are compatible with the needs of individual households and sustainability of the community
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adopts a respectful approach to tenants and understands their diverse needs
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delivers fair and equitable outcomes for tenants
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offers a range of meaningful opportunities for tenants to hold it to account
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regularly provides a range of relevant and accessible information to tenants
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handles complaints effectively and promptly
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provides effective oversight of anti-social behaviour cases and hate incidents and takes prompt and appropriate action in partnership with relevant organisations
The grade awarded means that Rykneld Homes, on the council’s behalf, is working towards meeting the standards of the highest grade available – C1.
Leader of North East Derbyshire District Council, Nigel Barker, said: “The outcomes of the recent inspection show just how hard we are working to make sure our housing stock is safe and in good condition for our residents of North East Derbyshire.
“The results give us a great platform for Rykneld Homes to continue the great work they are doing aligning with our Council Plan to make North East Derbyshire a great place to live.”
Lorraine Shaw, MD of Rykneld Homes, added: “The RSH grade and inspection report reflect the determination and dedication of our teams to ensure all of our tenants live in safe decent homes and feel heard and supported.
“We’re working with the RSH on making the improvements suggested by inspectors – many of which we had already started prior to the inspection – to further demonstrate our commitment to customers.”
The RSH standards introduced in April state that landlords need to ensure tenants are safe in their homes; listen to tenants’ complaints and respond promptly to put things right; be accountable to tenants and treat them with fairness and respect; know more about the condition of every home and the needs of the people who live in them; and collect and use data effectively across a range of areas, including repairs.
The new inspection regime was introduced on April 1, making Rykneld Homes one of the first authorities to be inspected under the new framework.
Standards require landlords to have an accurate record of the condition of every home that is based on property checks, set clear timelines for repairs and maintenance and give tenants opportunities to influence and scrutinise their landlord.
In addition, landlords must provide tenants with information about their rights and how to make complaints. They must publish new tenant satisfaction measures to make it clear how residents feel their landlord is performing.
Inspectors identified some weaknesses and stated that improvements were required in areas including stock condition surveys and categorising and learning from complaints.
NEDDC and Rykneld Homes were already working on issues raised following the introduction of the new standards and continue to work with inspectors to make improvements.
The grade is the first awarded to North East Derbyshire District Council, with the authority and Rykneld Homes undertaking the required changes to achieve a reassessment upgrade to C1 in the next 18 months.