Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council has become the first local authority to receive a C1 grading from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

The grading, part of the new consumer standards, means that the council is meeting the regulator’s governance requirements.

However, two social housing providers have failed to meet the consumer standards in the latest round of RSH regulatory judgements.

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Willow Tree Housing Partnership were both given a C3 grading by the RSH, meaning they will need to make significant improvements.

The seven judgements include:

Provider Reason for publication Grades
Broadacres Housing Association Limited Inspection C2 G2 V2
Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust Inspection C2 G1 V2 Rent
Lincolnshire Housing Partnership Limited Inspection C2 G1 V2
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Responsive engagement C3
The Industrial Dwellings Society (1885) Limited Inspection C2 G2 V2
Willow Tree Housing Partnership Limited Inspection and responsive engagement C3 G2 V2
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Inspection C1

 

Following responsive engagement with Sandwell MBC about the Safety and Quality Standard due to its Tenant Satisfaction Measure return, the RSH found:

  • The council was only able to evidence that required asbestos management surveys or re-inspections had been carried out on around 2% of relevant buildings
  • Although electrical safety inspections had been completed for 96% of its 27,900 homes, the council was unable to monitor or report on the completion of remedial actions
  • A backlog of more than 14,000 overdue repairs, with over 90% of these yet to be assigned for completion
  • Accurate, up-to-date information was available for only 5% of the council’s homes.

Following an inspection completed in October 2024 and earlier responsive engagement carried out following a self-referral from Willow Tree relating to the Rent Standard, RSH found:

  • Around 185 tenancies had been overcharged as a result of errors made in setting rents over a prolonged period
  • Limited information on the quality of its homes to assure us that they were meeting the Decent Homes Standard
  • Improvement is needed to more proactively identify and manage of damp and mould
  • Evidence of weaknesses in the provision of an effective, efficient and timely repairs service.

The RSH says that Willow Tree has now corrected its formula rents and has issued refunds worth £133k over the last six years.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at the RSH, said: “Improving data management can help address the root cause of many of the issues we see. Without accurate, up-to-date information on homes, it is nearly impossible to deliver the outcomes of our standards and provide safe, decent places to live for tenants.

“Today’s judgements reflect the range of grades we are seeing across the spectrum in the early days of our new consumer remit. We are working intensively with each of the landlords where there are failings, as they put things right for their tenants.

“Even when a landlord has been awarded a C1 grading, there is always room for improvement.

“Our governance and financial viability standards remain as important as ever. Landlords need to keep a tight grip on identifying and mitigating risks to avoid problems now and later down the line.”

The other five judgements were part of RSH’s planned inspections of all large social landlords (those with over 1,000 homes) over a four-year cycle.