Barnsley Council has become the first local authority to receive the highest C1 grading, following inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

Inspectors spent time with Berneslai Homes, Barnsley’s arm’s length management organisation (ALMO), which provides housing services on behalf of the council, managing around 18,000 homes.

During the process, which included interviews with tenants, observations of Berneslai Homes’ customer and board meetings, meetings with Barnsley Council and Berneslai Homes senior leadership teams, and a thorough review of performance across a wide range of areas, various areas were assessed with an emphasis on the safety and quality of homes, tenancy management, and transparency and accountability.

The top grading follows the council’s recent recognition and success in being named Council of the Year at the LGC Awards and Local Authority of the Year at the MJ Awards last year.

Inspectors saw evidence that tenants are provided with a wide range of informal and formal opportunities to give feedback, from reviewing documents from home to sitting on Berneslai Homes’ Board, and that their valuable feedback at all levels is used to directly and positively impact service delivery.

In its judgement, the RSH said Barnsley:

• Is meeting its health and safety obligations and uses its understanding of the quality and safety of properties to make decisions on future investment to maintain and improve homes

• Provides an effective, efficient and timely responsive repairs service to tenants

• Makes effective use of partnership opportunities and works proactively with relevant organisations

• Has a lettings policy that considers the needs of tenants and prospective tenants making sure all properties are let in a fair and transparent way

• Learns from complaints and understands the impact on tenants when it gets things wrong, identifying when improvements need to be made

• Tailors services to meet tenants’ diverse needs and deliver fair and equitable outcomes.

Councillor Robin Franklin, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: “We’re incredibly proud that we have received such a positive result and are the first local authority to be graded a C1.

“This outcome gives us a really good sense of what is going well and reflects our dedication to improving housing services, providing safe and warm homes, and putting our tenants at the heart of everything we do.

“However, while we celebrate this milestone, we’re not complacent and we know there are still areas where we can and will improve, working with tenants and partners to get the best for Barnsley.”

Amanda Garrard, Chief Executive of Berneslai Homes, said: “We welcomed the changes brought to housing regulation in recent years and we’re really encouraged by the outcome of the inspection here in Barnsley during a challenging time for the whole sector.

“It provides an opportunity to reflect on and feel proud about what’s working well whilst also understanding our weaknesses and identifying those areas where we can do better to deliver the best service we can to customers.

“We’re determined to address the ongoing challenges of maintaining an older housing stock, including improvements to the repairs and maintenance service, as we understand the impact this has on customers. We’re committed to moving forward together with tenants, making sure that more and different voices are heard, helping to meet their evolving needs and shaping better services for everyone.”