Agenda item

The Assistant Director of Environmental and Housing Property Services presented the Regulator of Social Housing Inspection Report for the Executive Committee’s consideration.  Members were asked to note that this report included an Improvement Plan, which had incorporated a proposed governance structure, designed to address areas of concern identified by the regulator.

Following changes nationally, all social landlords managing in excess of 1,000 properties, which included Redditch Borough Council, were required to undergo an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing.  An inspection had been carried out of Redditch Borough Council’s Housing Service, starting in January 2025 with a final report having been issued by the regulator in July 2025.  During this inspection process, the Council’s performance had been assessed in relation to housing consumer standards. 

There were four different grades that could be awarded to a social housing provider in an inspection:

·             C1, which was awarded to the providers that demonstrated best practice.

·             C2

·             C3

·             C4, which was the worst grade that could be awarded.

In the final report issued by the regulator, the Council had been awarded a C3 rating.  This rating had been issued for a number of reasons including:

·             A lack of effective and efficient repair and maintenance services.

·             Concerns relating to fire remediation actions.

·             A limited stock condition survey having been conducted in the preceding five-year period.  Members were asked to note that this would have been assessed at a higher level if stock condition surveys conducted in the years immediately leading up to this period had been taken into account.

·             A lack of tenant engagement mechanisms where residents had opportunities to hold the authority, as landlord, to account. 

There had been some positive areas of practice which had been highlighted by the regulator.  This included:

·             Staff at the Council knew what stage the Council had reached and where it needed to be.

·             The Council was open and transparent.

Tenant engagement was recognised as an area where the Council needed to improve.  Funding was therefore proposed to support the employment of a new Tenant Engagement and Participation Officer.

Following the presentation of the report, Members noted that this item had been pre-scrutinised at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 1^st September 2025.  All Members had been invited to attend that meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to observe the debate in respect of this item as it was recognised that it was important to ensure that all Members were informed on this subject.  There had been a robust debate at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding this item and the Executive Committee welcome the challenge arising.

Consideration was given to the grade that had been awarded to Redditch Borough Council’s Housing Service in the inspection.  Members expressed disappointment that the Council had received a C3 grading, although it was noted that over 50 per cent of local authority social housing providers had received the same grade.  To address the issues identified, Officers were already liaising with a Council that had received a C1 rating with a view to learn lessons from this provider about best practice and how to improve services.  Further visits would take place in due course.

Concerns were raised that some tasks that the Council was required to complete might have been delivered but had not been recorded correctly by staff.  In addition, sometimes staff might allocate tasks requested by residents to the wrong category of action, which had a negative impact on both record keeping and performance data.  In this context, Members commented that it was important to ensure that cases were logged in appropriate ways and should reporting arrangements improve, Members suggested that there might be an improvement in performance data.  In addition, Members highlighted that it was important not just to deliver a task but to do so correctly and to then measure tenant satisfaction with the outcomes.  This would involve consideration of both quantitative and qualitative data.

Whilst some areas of performance were considered to be disappointing and in need of improvement, Members welcomed the fact that the Council had achieved 100 per cent compliance in respect of gas, fire, asbestos and lift safety checks.

Reference was made to the approach to supporting service users adopted by other organisations.  When working with people with disabilities and mental health illnesses in particular, Members commented that it was helpful to involve tenants in co-production and co-design of services.  Concerns were raised that limited reference was made in the report to the involvement of tenants, which would enable this to occur, although it was acknowledged that tenant representation was proposed for the Housing Improvement Board and the Housing Strategic Oversight Board.

The Committee was informed that Officers were in the process of drafting a report that would be considered by the Executive Committee in due course on the subject of tenant involvement and how tenant engagement would work.  As part of this process, Officers were aiming to have a robust structure in place.  In terms of satisfaction surveys, the Totalmobile devices would be able to automatically generate tenant satisfaction surveys which would be issued to all customers who provided the Council with a mobile phone number.  The questions in the survey would be structured around the tenant satisfaction measures.  The results would be reported back to officers and would prompt a response where the feedback was concerning.

During consideration of this item, reference was made to an example of good practice that had been observed by Members in recent months in respect of tenant engagement.  Members commented that a senior manager had recently met in person with a group of tenants in one of the community centres to discuss their concerns.  The tenants had appreciated the in person dialogue and this had helped to provide the Council with credibility and it had been recognised that the staff were working with integrity.  Members suggested that this approach to engagement with tenants should be encouraged amongst staff in order to improve residents’ experiences.

RESOLVED that

1)          the Regulatory Judgement published by the Regulator for Social Housing on 30th July 2025 be noted, following an inspection of Redditch Borough Council’s Housing Service;

2)          the Housing Improvement Plan, which includes actions to address areas for improvement, confirmed as part of the inspection process, be approved;

3)          delegation be given to the Assistant Director Environment and Housing Property and Assistant Director Community and Housing, following consultation with the Housing Portfolio Holder, to revise the Housing Improvement Plan following consultation with the Regulator for Social Housing as part of their Provider Improvement Process or in response to legislative changes; and

4)          the proposed structure for governance of the Housing Improvement Plan be approved.

RECOMMENDED that

5)          a supplementary estimate of £60,000 be added to the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2025/26 funded from the Housing Revenue Account Balance Reserves to:

a)          appoint a Senior Tenant Engagement & Participation Officer (£25,000 – part year effect); and

b)          establish, train and manage the development of participation opportunities for Council Housing tenants and leaseholders to influence changes in the delivery of Housing services (£35,000); and

6)          £75,000 ongoing expenditure budget be added to the Housing Revenue Account base budget in 2026/27, funded from the Housing Revenue Account to:

a)          continue to employ a Senior Tenant Engagement and Participation Officer (£50,000 – full year effect); and

b)          continue to train and manage the development of participation opportunities for Council Housing tenants and leaseholders to influence changes in the delivery of Housing services going forward (£25,000).