Does everyone in your organisation understand their role in meeting the new regulatory requirements? The RSH has doubts. Fear not, the HQN team is here to help with a series of workshops breaking down the standards and providing practical guidance.

According to Kate Dodsworth, the RSH’s Chief of Regulatory Engagement, all colleagues have a role to play in meeting the new requirements. That means making sure your ‘tenant experience’ on the ground is in tune with ‘corporate rhetoric’ in the boardroom or council chamber.

After a full year of regulatory inspections, we now know what the inspectors are looking for – hard evidence of:

• An up-to-date stock condition survey
• A business plan that shows when the works from the survey will be done
• Accurate data on Decent Homes and safety compliance
• Listening to and acting on the views of tenants
• Outcomes being delivered for tenants
• And – most importantly – robust governance and oversight.

The Consumer Standards cover all your dealings with tenants across all of your homes. You will want to get the best rating you can – HQN’s expert team can help.

Through our series of events, we will:

• Pin down exactly what is needed for that C1 rating, including what good looks like and what evidence, data and assurance you need to provide
• Provide practical advice on how to get there – what works and what to avoid
• Explore what you need to be measuring and reporting
• Use case studies to draw out the lessons learnt
• Look ahead at what’s coming up – from Awaab’s Law to STAIRS and the Competence and Conduct Standard.

In a nutshell, you’ll go away with solutions and ideas to help you put together a Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound (SMART) improvement plan to improve your C rating.

Click the links below to book your place

Consumer regulation – how to drive performance to a C1 (Safety and Quality Standard part one)

Date: 02 September

Due to its complexity, we are running two sessions on the Safety and Quality Standard.

Session one will cover building safety and compliance, including the latest on Awaab’s Law and electrical safety.

Session two will look at the quality of your homes, including decency, repairs and maintenance service and aids and adaptations.

What will be covered in part one:

• Updates on regulation and inspection – what the Regulator has said so far
• The assurances and governance you need to have in place
• The evidence you need to have ready to show to the Regulator
• Health and safety compliance
• The “big six” and other key risks
• Awaab’s Law and electrical safety
• Performance reporting
• What your customers think and say – TSMs, transactional surveys, focus groups
• An overview of the judgments so far and horizon scanning.

Consumer regulation – how to drive performance to a C1 (Safety and Quality Standard part two)

Date: 03 September

Due to its complexity, we are running two sessions on the Safety and Quality Standard.

Session one will cover building safety and compliance, including the latest on Awaab’s Law and electrical safety.

Session two will look at the quality of your homes, including decency, repairs and maintenance service and aids and adaptations.

What will be covered in part two:

• Updates on regulation and inspection – what the Regulator has said so far
• The assurances and governance you need to have in place
• The evidence you need to have ready to show to the Regulator
• Asset management strategy
• Stock quality
• Decency
• Repairs, maintenance and planned improvements
• Aids and adaptations
• What your customers think and say – TSMs, transactional surveys, focus groups.

Consumer regulation – how to drive performance to a C1 (Neighbourhood and Community Standard)

Date: 30 September

This session covers two key areas: your approach to antisocial behaviour, hate crime and domestic abuse and your communal areas.

Questions we will ask you to consider include:

• Do your approaches to ASB, hate crime and domestic abuse stand up to scrutiny?
• Are you confident about your facts and figures?
• How well are you linking in with partner agencies including the police?
• How effective is your case management?
• How well maintained and managed are your communal areas?
• Are they clean and safe?
• Do you operate a zero-tolerance policy to communal areas?
• Have you a regular inspection regime and does it include residents?

Consumer regulation – how to drive performance to a C1 (Tenancy Standard)

Date: 16 October

In this session, we will look at all aspects of the Tenancy Standard, including allocations, lettings, tenancy sustainment and mutual exchange.

Questions we will ask you to consider include:

• Are you making the best use of your homes?
• Is your allocations scheme fit for purpose, fair and transparent?
• Is your lettings and voids process effective and efficient?
• What do your customers think – do they agree?
• Are you doing enough of the things that make a difference – helping your tenants sustain their tenancies?
• Are you preventing unnecessary evictions?
• Are you granting the right type of tenancy?
• How good is your approach to mutual exchanges and right sizing?

Consumer regulation – how to drive performance to a C1 (Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard part one)

Date: 18 November

Due to its complexity, we are running two sessions on the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard.

Session one will cover household data, information management and engagement.

Session two will look at accountability, fairness, respect, diversity and complaints.

Questions we will ask you to consider in the first session include:

• Is your engagement strategy fit for purpose and does it include a range of ways to get involved?
• Are tenants actually driving change and do you have examples of this?
• What can you learn from your TSMs and how have the results changed between year one and year two?
• Have you drilled down into the detail and taken action based on results, and has this made a difference?
• How does tenant satisfaction vary by ethnicity, age or area?
• What do you know about your households and how up to date and comprehensive is the information?
• How are you using data to shape your services?

Consumer regulation – how to drive performance to a C1 (Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard part two)

Date: 19 November

Due to its complexity, we are running two sessions on the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard.

Session one will cover household data, information management and engagement.

Session two will look at accountability, fairness, respect, diversity and complaints.

Questions we will ask you to consider in the second session include:

• How good are you at handling complaints?
• Are you fully compliant with the Housing Ombudsman Code?
• Are you learning from complaints and does this show in your performance?
• Are fairness and respect firmly embedded in your values and day to day work?
• Are colleague behaviours and attitudes the right ones?
• Are you ready for the Competency and Conduct Standard?
• How well do you know your tenants and their households?
• How are you shaping your services to meet residents’ diverse needs and requirements?