A local authority in Essex has received a C3 grading from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) after a series of issues came to light during a planned inspection.

The regulator said today that Southend-on-Sea City Council had not met the outcomes of the consumer standards and needs to make significant improvements.

RSH found that the council:

• Had not completed electrical safety tests for all communal areas and homes that required them
• Had more than 900 overdue repairs cases
• Identified that it needed to make improvements to data management and systems, to improve the accuracy of data reported in relation to health and safety
• Did not have accurate information about the condition of most homes. However, a full physical stock condition survey is now underway.

According to RSH, the council is engaging constructively, understands the issues it needs to address and is taking action to rectify them.

Commenting on the regulatory judgement, Cllr Anne Jones, Deputy Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, said: “We are disappointed with the outcome of the Regulator of Social Housing’s inspection.

“Whilst a C3 indicates we still have work to do, we are pleased that the Regulator has reported the significant progress already being made by Southend-on-Sea City Council and our management organisation, South Essex Homes.

“This inspection provided us with a valuable opportunity to intensify our focus on our tenants and our commitment to improving and ensuring the safety of our housing stock.  This is evident through the substantial investments being made and the accelerated pace of our programs.”

Cllr Daniel Cowan, Leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council, added: “It is true that over half of the councils inspected have also received a C3 rating, meaning Southend-on-Sea City Council and South Essex Homes are currently mid-table, but that does not reflect the ambition we have.

“We are determined to meet and exceed the high standards we have set for ourselves and that our tenants rightfully expect.  I am confident that the work we have done, and the progress made since the Regulator visited would see us achieve a better outcome if we were reinspected.

“We know what we’re good at and what we need to improve, this inspection has helped us to focus in on next steps.”

Meanwhile, RSH has also published judgements for nine housing associations, following planned inspections.

Hertfordshire-based housing association B3Living received top marks across all regulated areas – C1, G1, V1 – one of very few social landlords in the country to do so.

B3Living’s newly appointed Chair of the Board, Andy Walder said: “I feel privileged to have joined B3Living at such a key stage with my colleagues having just received top-tier regulatory gradings in each area.

“Our new C1 rating is particularly important to us as delivering excellent customer experiences is core to our strategy and wider purpose. Achieving this rating is a testament to the efforts our teams make every day to consistently put our residents at the heart of everything we do.

“We are also absolutely delighted to have maintained our G1 and V1 ratings. It means we can celebrate being in a strong position to continue to deliver build better futures for the people and communities we serve in the years to come.”

Bournemouth Churches Housing Association Limited, Habinteg Housing Association Limited, Paragon Asra Housing Limited, and Railway Housing Association and Benefit Fund each received G1, V2, C2 gradings.

Bournville Village Trust, Coastline Housing Limited, and One Manchester Limited each received G1, V2 and C1 grades.

Karbon Homes Limited received G1, V1 and C2 grades, while B3 Living Limited received G1, V1, C1 grades.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said: “It is crucial that social landlords have accurate, up-to-date data about tenants’ homes. They must use this information to identify issues and put things right promptly when needed.

“Social landlords must ensure they are well run, financially viable and provide good-quality homes and services for tenants. We will continue to use a range of tools, including our inspections, to support a sector that builds more and better homes for people who need them.”

Landlord	Consumer	Governance	Viability	Route
B3 Living Limited	C1	G1	V1	Inspection
Bournemouth Churches Housing Association Limited	C2	G1	V2	Inspection
Bournville Village Trust	C1	G1	V2	Inspection
Coastline Housing Limited	C1	G1	V2	Inspection
Habinteg Housing Association Limited	C2	G1	V2	Inspection
Karbon Homes Limited	C2	G1	V1	Inspection
One Manchester Limited	C1	G1	V2	Inspection
Paragon Asra Housing Limited	C2	G1	V2	Inspection
Railway Housing Association and Benefit Fund	C2	G1 (upgrade)	V2	Inspection
Southend on Sea City Council	C3	–	–	Inspection