The Safety and Quality Standard goes right to the heart of what landlords are there to do: provide homes that are safe, decent, well maintained and supported by services that work for tenants.

But demonstrating that to the Regulator means much more than reporting a set of compliance figures.

Since we last ran this event, the regulatory and legal landscape has moved on significantly. Awaab’s Law is now in force, with its second phase extending the requirements to further hazards from 30 November 2026. New electrical safety requirements are bedding in, alongside a new electrical safety Tenant Satisfaction Measure. There are also new residential PEEP requirements, revised HHSRS guidance and a confirmed direction of travel for the new Decent Homes Standard.

At the same time, there is now a much bigger body of regulatory judgements showing what sits behind a C1 grade and where providers are falling short.

The message is increasingly clear. Landlords need reliable information about every home, a firm grip on health and safety compliance and remedial actions, effective repairs and maintenance services, clear investment plans, strong governance and assurance and evidence that tenants’ experiences are influencing decisions.

This practical half-day brings together the two sides of the Safety and Quality Standard in one focused session: keeping homes safe and understanding and improving their quality.

Led by HQN associate Wayne Hughes, the session will draw on the latest regulatory findings and Wayne’s experience of working with landlords to explore the questions organisations should be asking themselves now, the common weaknesses that continue to appear and the evidence needed to demonstrate that arrangements work in practice.

Ultimately, we’ll be asking one key question: if the Regulator looked at your safety and quality service tomorrow, could you demonstrate C1 performance?

What we will cover

• What C1 looks like now: the latest regulatory judgements, recurring inspection themes and what the Regulator is looking for in practice
• Knowing your homes: stock condition information, data quality, property-level assurance, HHSRS and demonstrating compliance with the Decent Homes Standard
• Keeping tenants safe: landlord health and safety compliance, the major safety risks, remedial actions, Awaab’s Law and electrical safety
• Repairs and investment: effective repairs and maintenance, planned improvements, asset management and aids and adaptations
• From data to assurance: making sure boards, councillors and senior teams receive the information they need to understand risk and challenge performance
• Listening to tenants: using TSMs, complaints, transactional feedback and other tenant insight to identify problems and improve services
• What’s coming next: the new Decent Homes Standard, energy efficiency requirements and the continuing expansion of Awaab’s Law.

Who should attend?

This event will be particularly useful for:

• Asset management, repairs and maintenance teams
• Health and safety and compliance leads
• Building safety and property teams
• Performance, data and assurance teams
• Directors of housing and operations
• Governance and risk teams
• Board members, councillors and senior leaders
• Anyone responsible for demonstrating that homes are safe, decent and well maintained.

If you/your team want to come to more than one of the available consumer regulation events, please get in touch with [email protected] to find out about available deals for purchases of multiple places.

• Consumer regulation: How to drive performance to a C1 – Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard – HQN
• Consumer regulation: How to drive performance to a C1 – Neighbourhood and Community and Tenancy Standards – HQN.

Welcome and context: What C1 looks like now

• A refresher on the Safety and Quality Standard and what C1 performance looks like in practice
• What has changed since 2025 and where landlords need to focus now.

Regulation and inspection: What the Regulator is looking for

• What the latest inspections and regulatory judgements are telling us
• Recurring weaknesses, common ‘bear traps’ and how to stay inspection ready.

Knowing your homes: Stock condition, decency and data

• How good is your property-level knowledge and can you trust the information you hold?
• Stock condition, decency, HHSRS and using data to identify and address risks.

Safety and compliance: The big six, Awaab’s Law, electrical safety and HHSRS

• Looking beyond the ‘big six’ and keeping on top of compliance and remedial actions
• What Awaab’s Law, electrical safety requirements and the updated HHSRS mean for landlords now.

Break

Repairs, maintenance, planned improvements and adaptations

• Testing the repairs journey, from reporting and communication through to completion
• Using stock information and tenant needs to shape maintenance, investment and adaptations.

From performance data to assurance: TSMs, tenant insight and governance

• Going beyond headline figures to understand what your performance data is really telling you
• Giving boards and councillors the assurance they need to challenge performance and risk.

What’s coming next: Decent Homes, Awaab’s Law Phase 2 and emerging expectations

• Preparing for the next phase of Awaab’s Law and the new Decent Homes Standard
• Emerging expectations around data, competence, tenant vulnerability and landlord assurance.

Discussion, Q&A and wrap-up

• Put your own safety and quality challenges to Wayne
• A final C1 sense-check: where are you strong and where could the Regulator find gaps?

Close

If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected] otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable. If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance. Cancellations must be made in writing and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.