Agenda item

Report of Assistant Director Housing and Revenues

The Assistant Director Housing and Revenues submitted a report (previously circulated) updating Members on the role of the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), particularly relating to requirements for social housing providers to meet health and safety standards for their tenants; explaining how the Council met those standards, how compliance was currently monitored; and proposing how Members would scrutinise performance against those standards.

It was reported that the RSH set a number of consumer standards, which social housing providers must comply with; details were provide of the three economic and four consumer regulatory standards; and particular reference was made to the Home Standard which sets expectations for social housing providers to provide tenants with good quality accommodation and a cost-effective repairs and maintenance service.

Reference was also made to the requirements set out in the Government’s recent Social Housing White Paper (The Charter for Social Housing Residents); the role of the RSH in monitoring the performance of social housing providers; and that the RSH had not yet determined an inspection regime, but that it was likely towant to see evidence of how the Council adopted the standards, how it complied with health and safety requirements and how Council Members scrutinised performance.

Details were provided of the Council’s well established and robust processes that were in place to monitor health and safety compliance in relation to its Council housing stock; and details were provided of the areas covered by the monthly compliance meetings which were chaired by the Performance and Compliance Manager.

RESOLVED – (a) That the contents of the report be considered.

(b) That reports on health and safety compliance in Council housing be included in the Scrutiny Committee work programme on an annual basis.