Half-way through the Regulator of Social Housing's (RSH) programme of consumer inspections, there are clear lessons for local authority landlords about regulatory expectations.
Assurance is central to co-regulation
The RSH uses a co-regulatory approach which means councillors are responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance. Inspections therefore focus on the evidence that councillors and senior officers rely upon to demonstrate compliance. Effective council landlords are clear about what evidence is needed, its reliability where it needs to be strengthened. Elected members need to be equipped and confident to seek assurance rather than accept reassurance, however well-intentioned.
The most effective council landlord meetings we observe are fluent in challenge, testing confidence in data, triangulating performance with tenant feedback and demonstrating professional curiosity.
The ‘so what?' question
A second lesson is the importance of evidencing outcomes, not just activity. Policies, action plans and tenant engagement are essential, but they are only the starting point. Stronger social landlords can articulate how these activities work in practice and the outcomes for services, homes and tenant experience.
The strongest organisations are willing to challenge themselves, with officers, councillors and tenants alike encouraged to ask the ‘so what?' question, shifting attention to impact and lived experience.
Insight matters as much as data
Tenants consistently tell us that they want to see and feel change in their own homes, services and neighbourhoods, and in the experiences of those around them. Headline measures such as Tenant Satisfaction Measures and other performance data remain important. However, expectations around tenant insight have shifted. The focus is now on understanding of diverse needs and how services deliver equitable outcomes.
Safety matters
Safety remains the single biggest driver of non-C1 outcomes, reflecting ongoing sector vulnerabilities in data quality and integrity, the ability to access homes to complete safety checks and completion of remedial works. However, recent judgements also point to issues around tenant engagement and understanding diverse needs.
Looking ahead
Updated regulatory requirements around competence and conduct, tenancy, rents, are likely to feature in future inspections, alongside a sustained emphasis on safe, decent and high-quality homes.
Council landlords with robust assurance in place, a clear outcomes focus and a culture that welcomes challenge will be well-placed to meet regulatory challenges now and into the future.
Visit our website to learn more about our consumer regulation work.
Catherine Little is Director at Campbell Tickell
