By Alistair McIntosh, HQN CEO

Let’s take a look at this week’s C ratings from the RSH. Together Housing Group (THG) grab the headlines as they climb from C2 last March up to C1 now. Why did the score rise? THG cracked on with its stock surveys and remedial actions. Well done.

Manchester City Council is a bit behind at C2. Low satisfaction with repairs and ASB held them back. To be fair the RSH says that the repairs service is improving, so hopefully a C1 isn’t too far off. There are three PFI contracts plus two TMOs across Manchester and the RSH wants to see evidence of better integration of services.

Broxtowe Borough Council is below the line at C3. And for all the usual reasons: they just don’t know enough about their homes or their tenants. It’s a mystery why this keeps happening when the RSH agenda is so well known. Anyway, the council now has “an understanding of the issues and a willingness to resolve them”. So, services to tenants ought to get better.

Highlights of the Manchester and Broxtowe reports follow:

Broxtowe Borough Council

RSH grade	C3
TSM for overall satisfaction	71% (not mentioned in report)
Safety and Quality Standard	3,000+ overdue fire safety remedial actions Doubts about mitigations while works outstanding Broxtowe BC meeting legal requirements in most safety areas – but data quality weak Broxtowe BC does not know enough about its homes – 63% of stock surveyed, aim to get to 100% by end of 2026 Repairs service improving with TSMs rising (Broxtowe BC website says satisfaction with speed of repair up from 63% to 72%)
Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard	“Serious failings” Don’t know enough about tenants – not “tailoring” services or engaging properly/equitably Limited performance information so tenants cannot hold service to account – but new scrutiny panel Getting better at complaints though changes not embedded and insufficient learning from complaints (Housing Ombudsman finds Broxtowe BC has a maladministration rate of 64% versus peers at 77%)
Neighbourhood and Community Standard	RSH assured that Broxtowe BC is deterring ASB and hate crime But the council needs to give clearer information to tenants that report ASB and hate crime
Tenancy Standard	Broxtowe BC meeting the Standard
RSH engagement	Will be “intensive” Broxtowe BC “engaging constructively” The council has “an understanding of the issues and a willingness to resolve them”

 

Manchester City Council (includes three PFI contracts and two TMOs)

RSH grade	C2
TSM for overall satisfaction	60% (not mentioned in report)
Safety and Quality Standard	Good understanding of homes 78% stock condition survey – used to plan future investment 86% of homes meet DHS Repairs service improving but many complaints and satisfaction below target (63% – TSM not cited in report) “Taking all reasonable steps” on health and safety Starting to “strengthen oversight” on health and safety across PFIs and TMOs
Neighbourhood and Community Standard	Working with others to deter ASB and hate crime Limited monitoring on ASB reporting and tenancy sustainment Low satisfaction with ASB (52.4% – TSM not cited in report) – but action plan to improve
Transparency Influence and Accountability Standard	“Positive and respectful culture towards tenants” Needs to gather more information on tenants so it can “respond to diverse needs in a consistent way” Strong focus on engagement at local level – but lacks overall strategy with scrutiny in its “infancy” “Clear focus on improving complaints handling and learning from complaints” Needs to do more to ensure complaints process is accessible to all tenants including across PFIs and TMOs (Housing Ombudsman reports maladministration rate of 73% versus 80% for peers)
Tenancy Standard	Evidence of compliance but needs to plug gaps in policy and improve monitoring of outcomes
RSH engagement	Manchester “engaged constructively” RSH will engage to ensure improvements are followed through and that there is “effective oversight of all its tenancies including those managed by PFI and TMOs”