Published: Wednesday, 27th November 2024
Medway Council has scored the second highest grade following a government inspection of its social housing landlord service.
The government’s Regulator of Social Housing sets the standards that social landlords must meet to ensure that tenants receive a high quality service and homes. The regulator started its first year of a four-year inspection programme of all social landlords in April 2024. Medway Council was the first local authority in the South East to receive a programmed inspection.
Medway Council owns and manages more than 3,000 social housing homes, ranging from studio flats to four-bedroom homes, as well as some sheltered housing.
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.
Receiving 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.
Medway’s Housing Services have been on a self-appointed improvement journey over recent years, striving to provide its tenants with a better tenant-focused landlord service. Following the recent inspection, Medway Council welcomes the recommendations and is continuing its improvement journey, aiming to provide a top C1 service.
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.’
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.
Inspectors observed two Tenant and Leaseholder Panel meetings, where tenant representatives review a range of performance measures, policies and strategies.
Strong governance structure
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 the 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.”
The inspection concluded that the council demonstrated that it understands where improvements need to be made and is already taking action to address these. This includes:
- Up to date record on house conditions
- Just eight per cent fail to meet decent Homes Standard – work underway to tackle those not of a decent standard.
- The council is taking action to ensure it has comprehensive information about the diverse needs of its tenants to better adapt and tailor is services to their individual needs and ensure services deliver fair and equitable outcomes for tenants.
- The need to improve the information it shares with tenants about lessons learned and improvements made as a result of complaints handling.
One of the council’s most important roles
Cllr Louwella Prenter, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and Homelessness, said: “One of the council’s most important roles is to provide quality social housing for our residents. I am pleased the inspectors from the Government’s Regulator of Social Housing witnessed the hard work our staff in Medway’s housing landlord services have put into providing our tenants with quality homes that are safe and suitable for their needs.
“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 commended through the new inspection process. 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.
“I would like to thank all the council officers within our housing team and our partner organisations who work hard to look after and support our tenants, and who have really turned Medway’s social housing landlord service around.
“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.”