Regulator of Social Housing hands council “serious failings” grading amid concerns over its operation of PFI agreements

An RSH regulatory judgement found:

• Less than half of Oldham’s homes have had a full stock condition survey in the last five years.
• A lack of consistent reporting, tracking and oversight of landlord health and safety.
• The council was unable to demonstrate that tenants’ views are taken into account in its decision-making about how landlord services are delivered. 

The regulator said that the issues found during the inspection had been driven, in part, by how Oldham has operated two Private Finance Initiative (PFI) agreements in place.

The vast majority of Oldham’s homes (98%) are managed via two separate contracts with Inspiral and Oldham Retirement Housing Partnership (ORHP) as the managing partners.

The RSH investigation observed that the landlord does not consistently assure itself that the required outcomes are being delivered for its tenants.

"We observed some areas to be wholly reliant on exception reporting, and others where assurance provided was insufficiently robust," it added.

The regulator acknowledged that Oldham had worked constructively with it, and said it would continue to engage intensively with the council as it addresses these issues. 

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said: “Social landlords need accurate, up-to-date data about tenants and their homes, to ensure homes are safe and services are good quality. We also expect landlords to engage with tenants, listen to what they say, and use their feedback to improve service outcomes. 

“Senior councillors and officers must scrutinise the performance of delivery partners and the service they are providing, as the ultimate responsibility for meeting our standards rests with the landlord. This is a central pillar of our regulation, and we will continue to use our inspection programme and other tools to drive long-term improvements by landlords.”

Cllr Elaine Taylor, Oldham’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “This is a serious judgment, and we fully accept the findings. Residents deserve a housing service where safety and accountability come first.

“Most of the issues relate to governance and oversight. The Regulator recognises that we had already started making improvements, and we will now go further and faster.

“We are increasing staff capacity, strengthening our checks on safety information, and improving how we monitor the work carried out by our housing partners.”

Harry Rodd