Housing Quality Magazine July 2022

ISSUE 10: JULY 2022

G renfell five years on – what do residents think of progress?

H ousing’s Next Generation 2022: Meet the finalists E vidence special: How do we boost housing supply?

Things can only get better That was Tony Blair’s D:Ream 25 years ago…

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What happened next?

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CONTENTS

July 2022

Features 22

25 years in housing With HQN turning 25 this year, we look back at what we can learn from the successes and failures of the past, in order to make a better future.

30

The final five As Housing’s Next Generation competition reaches its climax, we meet the five finalists who are battling it out to take the crown.

Evidence

14

Want to see some analysis of the latest policy in the sector? Our friends at CaCHE and HSA have you covered.

In this edition we look at how best to boost housing supply, whether the construction industry has learned its lessons from Grenfell, and much more.

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Spotlight

5 Welcome 6 From the Chief Executive 8 Housing by numbers 10 What have we learned from Grenfell five years on?

34 Ombudsman corner 36 Northampton Partnership Homes 38 Switchee 42 Resident’s view 43 Outside view: Cost of living 44 Overseas housing: Australia

46 48 50 52 54

Email: mark.lawrence@ hqnetwork.co.uk Tel: 07523 920010

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Published by HQN Rockingham House St Maurice’s Road York YO31 7JA

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alysis In this – in pla issue: 14 We in En lcom glish e 14 How sho supply uld govern ? ments 15 A Issue best sup rose by 37 | July port any oth 2022 16 Gre new hou er nam nfe 18 Ma sing e? kin woken ll Tower – has up to 19 Cut g housing embra the constru with ting the care sch ce cha 20 Stra risk of nge? ction indust em tegic ry fina Networ modern slav es more inc lly lusive k Res ery in earch Round- supply cha ins Up

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NEWS INSIGHTS

Editor’s welcome Welcome to the July edition of Housing Quality Magazine.

With things changing in housing so often, it’s hard to keep up week by week, let alone remember what’s happened and changed over the past 25 years.

But with HQN turning 25 this year, we’re devoting our cover feature to summing up that quarter of a century, what went well and what didn’t go quite so well, and learning we can take from it.

And with Decent Homes, Right to Buy, inspection and much more making a comeback in 2022, there’s plenty of pertinent advice to take away.

And five years on since the tragedy at Grenfell, we ask Danielle Aumord to find out what residents from the tower and surrounding area think has been learnt, and what more the sector, government and others need to do.

We’re also delighted to reveal the five finalists for Housing’s Next Generation, who will be battling it out to win the competition at our annual conference in July. They’ve all delivered presentations that share a new idea or concept to improve the sector, from making housing a digital assets business to investing in the creation of a housing youth charter. Lots of fresh thinking for us all. Make sure you don’t miss out!

Elsewhere, we’ve got our fantastic policy and research roundup by CaCHE and HSA – this month featuring stories on boosting housing supply, building safety and the importance of language.

Our views section contains several fascinating reads too, including a fire risk assessment tool integrated into general housing systems, the Housing Ombudsman on his latest spotlight report and a resident’s view into why getting repairs right is the first step on the path to being a good landlord. It also features some findings from the latest Resident Voice Index, a devastating look at how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting social housing residents.

We also take a look into the role of housing in Australia’s recent election results, the third sector provides its take on how housing can be effective on cost of living and incoming CIH President Lara Oyedele gives us a snapshot of her life in 15 questions.

As always, if you have any feedback for the magazine or would like to be involved in a future edition, please email me: mark.lawrence@hqnetwork.co.uk I hope you enjoy the edition.

Mark Lawrence, Senior Content Editor, HQN

HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE JULY 2022

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NEWS INSIGHTS

From the Chief Executive...

A working-class board member is something to be “Why don’t we put a woman from a scheme in charge of the country?” That’s what my friend said to me on the long trudge back from Ibrox to the city centre. And he’s spot on.

We were talking about all the problems that beset the country and the sheer uselessness of our leaders in the face of them. What was he getting at? In the vast schemes, or estates, of Glasgow, day in and day out, you see women perform miracles on next to no money. If they can do that, they can do anything. Let one of them flit to the void at Number 10.

The opposite doesn’t apply. Can you picture Boris or the Mogg taking on this role without a platoon of flunkeys?

To be clear, I’m not joking. Look at how Mick Lynch of the RMT towers above the upperclass flotsam and jetsam quizzing him on the TV. Last week on BBC Scotland’s The Nine, Darren McGarvey politely dismantled the selfstyled ‘UK’s Strictest Headmistress’, Katherine Birbalsingh.

Katherine is yet another of these here today, gone tomorrow tsars we see so many of these days. In her case she’s supposed to sort out social mobility. Good luck with that. Needless to say, we have a tsar on the cost-of-living crisis! Where did we get this have-a-go hero? Apparently, David Buttress made his loot from delivering calorieladen Just Eat takeaways to your door. Blimey, that must annoy the obesity tsar (there must be one) when they all meet up.

Turning to housing, we see the work of Kwajo and his exposés of poor standards. This is what you call karma. Some leaders in housing worked tirelessly to stop Ofsted-style inspections and

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HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE JULY 2022

purge the working class from boards. In their place came people like us.

And it’s been an unmitigated disaster. The reputation of some of our biggest landlords is in tatters.

Kwajo, a young resident, has turned us over just as effectively as Mick and Darren have done to their targets. Deservedly so, you have to say.

Get working class tenants back on boards.

Start listening to the right people.

And stop listening to the wrong ones. After Carillion and everything else, the so-called Institute of Directors is still pleading for a light touch. “A heavily regulated regime for directors runs the risk of inducing a counterproductive focus on compliance.” Yes, five years after Grenfell we get this. It’s unbelievable.

Yet I’ve done work for the IoD and the landlords that have been criticised. What do I think? In the main they are lovely, committed and skilled people. So, what goes wrong?

Do our landlords have split personalities? As Darren McGarvey puts it: “Police have two faces – one for the people they serve and one for the people they pursue.” Which face do we show?

Or have we just got too remote from the tenants? Pulling up the drawbridge and kicking tenants out the board room was a blunder.

Turn again, Whittington!

Alistair McIntosh, Chief Executive, HQN

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NEWS INSIGHTS

Housing by numbers homes projected to be owned by “forprofit” providers by 2027 (Savills)

of new funding for housing legal aid, welcomed by the legal sector for being nonmeans-tested

complaint handling failure orders given out by the Housing Ombudsman in the past year

spent by registered providers on repairs in the last quarter, a record figure (Regulator of Social Housing)

private rented households in Britain are experiencing a shortfall between their housing benefit payment and their monthly rents (NRLA) new City Hall-backed council homes were started in the 2021/22 financial year (City Hall)

housing-with-care homes needed in Scotland alone to meet demand (ARCO)

families across England that could be in “fuel stress” this winter due to increases to the energy price cap (Resolution Foundation)

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HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE JULY 2022

of people in Scotland don’t believe there’s enough good-quality lowcost housing available for rent (SFHA)

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NEWS INSIGHTS

Lessons from Grenfell Five years on from the fire at Grenfell Tower, Danielle Aumord speaks to residents about their views on what has or, most importantly, what hasn’t been learned in that time.

The night of the Grenfell Tower fire is still crystal clear in the minds of those who escaped and those that witnessed it five years on. The fire burned for 60 hours before it was put out and the smoky smell that permeated the air in the neighbourhood lingered for weeks.

Mouna El-Ogbani, now aged 47, escaped from the fire with her husband, Youseff, a shift engineer, and their three children: Zaid, now aged 18, Hafsa, now aged 15, and Nusabah, now aged 7.

“I still hear the screams of someone as they desperately jumped from a window. And I’ll never erase the memory of opening my front door to a wall of pitch-black smoke. It was like a horror film. But this wasn’t a movie, it was really happening,” says Mouna. “I remember walking past a young girl sitting silently on the pavement, her skin badly burned.”

Overall, the feeling amongst residents in North Kensington – where five years on the remains of Grenfell still stand – is that not much has changed.

Residents of Lancaster West estate, which houses 826 flats, told HQM they feel left behind and that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) have gone back to their old ways since the fatal fire which killed 72 people.

“Attitudes need to change, nothing is going to change unless attitudes to people in social housing changes,” explains Jackie Haynes, estate resident and community advocate. “RBKC’s customer service demonstrates that they’ve gone back to their old ways. The cases that I deal

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with demonstrate that – rent arrears, succession appeals. The council don’t acknowledge that for the last five years this estate hasn’t been operating as normal. We’ve been living under the shadow of Grenfell and with the trauma of what happened on the night of 14 June 2017 since then and RBKC don’t make any allowances for that.”

Virginia Sang, who lives on the walkways of Lancaster West estate, even questions where the government funds of £15m for the estate refurbishment have gone: “It’s five years on now and all that’s been refurbished are the void flats on the estate.”

Eighty yards from the tower is Bramley House, where Samia Badani lives. She’s the chair of the Bramley House residents association and echoes Jackie strongly: “Local residents are still being treated how Grenfell residents were treated before the fire. It’s the rolling of the eyes, the distain from council staff, like we’re not allowed to question things or challenge them even.”

But a spokesperson for DLUHC (the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) responded to say that they committed £15m to the Lancaster West Estate refurbishment in 2017, matched by RBKC,

“Overall, the feeling amongst residents in North Kensington – where five years on the remains of Grenfell still stand – is that not much has changed”

NEWS INSIGHTS

committed a further £9.9m in funding in 2019 and has supported RBKC to access other funding, including almost £20m from BEIS’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

“RBKC is responsible for the refurbishment,” he added.

An RBKC spokesperson responded to resident complaints saying that “38% of tenanted homes on Lancaster West estate have now been refurbished to the 21st-century new homes standard agreed with residents” and that it has introduced a two-stage complaints process with what they describe as “senior oversight”.

Stage one complaints are now responded to by either an assistant director or a head of service, and stage two complaints by the director of housing management.

The Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry is another sticking point with residents, with some describing it as a “whitewash”.

Yvette Williams, local resident and the co-founder of the campaign group, looks perplexed as she talks about the inquiry.

“We had to beg for a diverse panel [at the inquiry], for people who understand our community’s experiences. But nothing’s changed, they staged a ‘pretend’ consultation about the terms of reference for the inquiry and then, despite the consultation, they didn’t put race and class or social housing in.

“We had to beg for a diverse panel [at the inquiry], for people who understand our community’s experiences. But nothing’s changed” “With the Fire Safety Bill being ping-ponged back and forth in Parliament and the public inquiry phase one recommendations being voted down and now the government decision on PEEPs (personal emergency evacuation plans), it leads you to ask: who actually benefits from these inquiries?” She adds: “From what I can see, it’s the government itself.”

“In 2019 and 2020, Thouria Istephan and Ali Akbor OBE were appointed as panel members of the inquiry to support the chairman with the investigation into the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017,” a spokesperson for the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry told HQM. “Panel appointments were made by the prime minister as the inquiry’s sponsoring minister.”

He went on to explain that Thouria Istephan

“The inquiry will investigate all the decisions that were taken in relation to the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower and, if any of them were motivated by considerations of race or social class, the panel will be sure to find out; and if they do, they will certainly make robust findings in the final report” is an architect and a registered health and safety practitioner with expertise in fire safety, buildability, accessibility and inclusive design; also that Ali Akbor served as CEO of Unity Homes, a leading housing association supporting BAME communities, for over 20 years and has extensive experience of the housing sector.

“The inquiry will investigate all the decisions that were taken in relation to the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower and, if any of them were motivated by considerations of race or social class, the panel will be sure to find out; and if they do, they will certainly make robust findings in the final report,” added the inquiry’s spokesperson.

The proposed Fire Safety Bill is intended to make sure that residents of high-rise buildings feel safer in their homes by significantly reducing fire risks.

The bill was specifically crafted as a response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy – to keep such an event from ever happening again. But it’s been in process since 2019 and frustrations are mounting both over the length of time it took to pass the bill and the government’s recent decision not to implement recommended measures – ones that would’ve ensured disabled people could safely evacuate high-rise blocks of flats in emergencies.

Emma O’Connor, 32, who escaped on crutches in the lift from the fire with her partner from the 20th floor, was particularly teary upon hearing the news: “I feel absolutely disgusted with this decision. It’s like saying ‘we don’t matter’, the government don’t care.”

But a DLUHC spokesperson told HQM: “We’ve made fundamental changes to strengthen building regulations and make homes safer. The Building Safety Act brings forward the biggest improvements in building safety for a generation, giving more rights and protections for residents than ever before.

“The Building Safety Act intends to achieve a major overhaul of building safety law, with new regulators that will oversee a tougher regulatory regime.”

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NEWS INSIGHTS

A new Building Safety Regulator in England – Regulations, with particular regard to the spread overseen by the Health and Safety Executive – will of fire over the external envelope [cladding] of enforce a new, more stringent regulatory regime the building and the circumstances in which on the safety and performance of high-rise attention should be paid to whether proposed buildings in scope. Also a National Regulator for work might reduce existing fire protection.”

Construction Products will implement stronger ‘Approved Document B’ is a document standards on construction manufacturers in the providing statutory guidance on building UK. regulation in England covering fire safety matters But Nicholas Burton, a Grenfell fire survivor, is within and around buildings. still doubtful about the government proposals The Lakanal House coroner’s for these changes. Nick is both a direct survivor recommendations were written plainly for all to of the fire and a bereaved family member. His see. A senior civil servant even warned in May wife, Pily, passed away after having a stroke some 2017 – just a month before the Grenfell Tower months after the tragedy and was accepted as fire – that “we, or ministers, are increasingly the 72nd victim of the fire. vulnerable to some or all of these risks becoming As he recalls the horrors of that night, he shares material and [government] being held to account with HQM that he feels lessons haven’t been for being inactive”. learned from the Grenfell fire. “‘Lessons learned’ But the recommendations were clearly not is just a get out of jail card for the government,” heeded because flammable cladding managed explains Nick. “Six people died at the Lakanal to find its way onto Grenfell Tower as a part of House fire in South London before the 72 died an estate regeneration scheme in 2016. And as at Grenfell. Lessons haven’t been learned here of last month, government figures revealed 111 because if they had of, buildings over 18 metres the loopholes [within on British soil are still building regulations] “‘Lessons learned’ is just a cladded with the highly would’ve been tightened flammable aluminium get out of jail card for the after the Lakanal House composite material that government” fire and Grenfell wouldn’t burned at Grenfell. have happened.”

In essence, this is The fatal blaze at what Nicholas Burton Lakanal House in Camberwell, South London, means when he says that “lessons haven’t been took place in the summer of 2009. The learned” yet – because the lessons from the government suppressed information about the Lakanal House fire weren’t heeded and eight combustibility of cladding used on Lakanal, years later Grenfell happened. noting the need to “avoid giving the impression that we believe all buildings of this construction [are] inherently unsafe”.

The investigation into the Lakanal House fire was then shut down by officials in a “grotesque abdication of responsibility” which “raises the spectre of a deliberate cover-up”.

After Lakanal, despite the government promising to implement the coroner’s recommendation to encourage the use of sprinklers, civil servants wrote that it was simply acting “to be able to say that [the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG)] is taking action” and it had prepared “a defensive line against them” [sprinklers].

It’s worth recalling that in 2013 at the Lakanal House inquest, the coroner, Frances Kirkham, recommended to the then local government minister, Eric Pickles, in her Rule 43 letter: “It’s recommended that your department review Approved Document B… to ensure that it provides clear guidance in relation to Regulation B4 of the Building

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EVIDENCE

EVIDENCE update The latest research and analysis – in plain English In this issue: 14 Welcome 14 How should governments best support new housing supply?

15 A rose by any other name?

16 Grenfell Tower – has the construction industry finally woken up to embrace change?

Issue 37 | July 2022

18 Making housing with care schemes more inclusive 19 Cutting the risk of modern slavery in supply chains 20 Strategic Network research roundup

Welcome Reforming the construction industry in the wake of Grenfell is, of course, an ongoing priority. But what are the best approaches to ensure safety in future buildings, particularly where multiple organisations may be involved?

Darya Bahram leads a project that has developed guidance on procurement aimed at ensuring working practices change. The guidance works in tandem with Dame Judith Hackitt’s recommendations.

People living in housing schemes that include care services generally feel valued. Researchers find, however, that social isolation and discrimination are everyday experiences for some. People with disabilities, those identifying as LGBTQ+ and those from ethnic minorities were most likely to anticipate or experience discrimination. And discrimination was much more likely to be from other residents, rather than staff. Dr Paul Willis explores the issue.

Modern slavery, in the form of coercion, bonded labour and other abuses, is prominent in the

international construction world, say researchers. A team from Australia set out to discover how vulnerable a housing association might be to having modern slavery in its supply chains for items such as bricks, metals and timber. Then the team devised strategies to combat the problem and reduce the risks.

What kinds of subsidy will best build up new social housing supply? Another team of researchers from Australia tackled the perennial question of supply versus demand interventions. Their study produced a clear winner – though it may not be popular with governments.

And finally, does our language in the housing sector matter, or is it the ethics behind our words that count? In her latest opinion piece, HQN Associate Emma Lindley ponders the tenant, resident, client or customer debate.

It’s all in our latest roundup of thought-provoking research from around the world.

Janis Bright Editor, Evidence

How should governments best support new housing supply?

What form of subsidy is best in creating new social housing? Researchers from Australia set out to model the effects of different types of subsidy, against a background of falling numbers of new social housing supply.

The study begins with the familiar history in many Western countries of states switching from supply-side to demand-side subsidies such as housing benefit. In parallel, as access to grants was withdrawn, private

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lending became more prominent with housing organisations borrowing to build.

Although governments perceive private sector investment to be more efficient and innovative, there is evidence that it’s actually more costly.

The authors consider five policy levers: subsidised land cost, taking direct equity as a stake in social housing assets and operations, low cost debt financing, tax incentives and exemptions, and demand-side

EVIDENCE

operating subsidies such as rent allowances to tenants or operating subsidies to the organisation. The authors note on this last subsidy type that the OECD estimates across the EU, the proportion of housing assistance spent on housing allowances between 2009 and 2015 rose from 54% to 75%, with the highest share in the UK, 85%.

Australia’s growing need for social housing and lack of subsidies means, the authors say, that organisations cannot even make inroads into the backlog of current need, far less plan for the future. Modelling each of the five subsidy types, they estimate that over a 20year period an average new social home can support debt covering only about a quarter of its cost. This means almost three quarters of the cost must be found through subsidy of some kind.

The authors conclude from their modelling that: “Upfront and retained direct investment is far more efficient and effective in the medium and long term than subsidising private financing, lease and demand subsidy arrangements.”

Governments argue that operating subsidies such as

benefit payments spread the cost over time, compared with upfront grants. But the authors find that while the initial cost is lower, it’s about equal by year ten.

From year 20 the operating subsidies are still needed, while the capital grant has ended. This suggests, the authors say, that while a demand-side approach might be appropriate for a single project, for a long-term strategy and programme the capital grant system is much more efficient.

As well as the efficiency and simpler approach of capital subsidy, the benefits in terms of social welfare should be considered, the authors add. More social housing reduces homelessness, supports households in need and creates jobs. Oversight of procurement can help ensure effective and equitable use of the subsidies.

Social housing as infrastructure and the role of mission driven financing Julie Lawson, Laurence Troy & Ryan van den Nouwelant Housing Studies https://bit.ly/3MH33Z8

A rose by any other name?

HQN Associate Emma Lindley asks what matters most – the language and terms or the ethos behind them.

Do you call it a roll, breadcake, cob, bap, barm, bun? I never tire of this debate, and it’s as hotly debated as the one about tenants, residents, customers, service users, clients.

Language does matter. No one likes to be labelled – none of us are our housing status. Our identity is more than that.

But sometimes I think there’s something that matters more than language, and that’s your ethics and behaviours.

I’ve often wondered why it’s completely accepted that professions like architects and lawyers use the term client, but it’s almost universally rejected in the social housing world.

Is it because the balance of power isn’t quite as weighted in the architect or lawyer’s favour? Because the client chooses the professional and can choose to end their relationship with them? Because the professional serves the client rather than their organisation?

Another subject of much debate is what professionalism in the housing sector looks and feels like. Unlike the fields of architecture and law, there’s no requirement in housing to be a member of a professional body, to complete a professional qualification or to routinely complete professional development activities. If there were, we might see the same client focus as we do in ‘traditional’ professions.

I’ve often heard that the argument for using the terms tenants and leaseholders is to draw attention

to their legal status and therefore their legal rights in the relationship. And this makes sense, doesn’t it, in a world where there isn’t this client focus and you have to take what you’re given (a home without carpets, an all-day repair appointment, on demand inspections,

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EVIDENCE

etc) or you have to ask for permission to do something a little different: you want to remind the other party there’s a line that must be observed.

But if ‘customers are at the heart of everything you do’ (that’s everyone’s strapline now, right?), then you should be offering more than the law obliges you to. I’m writing this in the week that the largest social landlord in the country is facing an investigation of systemic failure – meaning far too many tenants aren’t even able to enjoy the basic protection of the law and regulation.

If housing is a profession, one which not just puts customers at the heart of everything, but prioritises their best interests over those of the organisation, then I’d like to think there would be a lot less focus on language, because what matters most is how people are treated. If the balance of power is considered fair by all parties, nouns lose their importance. But from a quick glance at the Housing Ombudsman’s online casefile, that’s not where we are just now and so I wonder to what extent language debates are a despairing attempt to hold on to a slither of power by ensuring that at least your landlord recognises your legal status when they speak to you?

But whilst the Ombudsman is inundated with cases, focusing on using the most supported (least hated?) terminology feels like an extremely poor substitute for acceptable service and a distraction from improving the service.

So this is where ethics comes in. If you get these right (as judged by those on the receiving end of them), everything else will follow.

What does professionalism in housing look like then?

This is something the Chartered Institute of Housing has recently put a lot of thought into and has created a set of seven professional standards, providing a framework of behaviours that anyone who considers themselves a professional should adhere to:

Integrity

Do the right thing, for the right reasons, based on the best evidence and without partiality

Inclusive

Act transparently and fairly, build good relationships and work collaboratively

Ethical

Understand the impact that poor decisions can have on people’s lives. Challenge unethical practice in a fair and considered way

Knowledgeable Have relevant and up-to-date practical and specialist knowledge, understand the bigger picture and have a passion for learning Skilled

Equipped with relevant skills to deliver effective services

Advocate

Act as an ambassador for the wider housing sector and advocate for the housing profession

Leadership

Demonstrate leadership, be forward thinking and create opportunities. Adapt to the latest ideas, situations and changes

There’s still a long way to go before these seven standards are adopted throughout the sector and this is where I think our efforts need to focus. Instead of debating which noun to use, we should be asking to what extent staff within an organisation are operating in line with these behaviours.

Grenfell Tower – has the construction industry finally woken up to embrace change?

We’re now five years on since the tragedy that ultimately shone an interrogating light over an industry reluctant to change its working practices, writes Darya Bahram from King’s College London.

Anyone who’s followed the enquiry, set up to determine the cause and establish responsibility for this unjustifiable disaster, would’ve soon realised the disjointed nature of the process of procurement and lack of effective communication between the parties involved in the process of designing, constructing and maintaining a residential building.

Dame Judith Hackitt’s findings in her independent review only reiterated the obvious: “The way in which procurement is often managed can reduce the likelihood that a building will be safe.”

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On 10 January, the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) published new Guidance on Collaborative Procurement for Design and Construction to Support Building Safety, designed to “assist the construction industry in adopting and implementing procurement practices to deliver safe high-quality buildings”. This work was the result of a joint investigation by King’s College London’s Centre of Construction Law and On-Pole Ltd, supported by a cross-industry procurement working group.

The resultant guidance includes a foreword by Dame Judith Hackitt acknowledging the importance of adopting its recommendations in order to ensure safer buildings. Launching the guidance, Dame Judith further emphasised the importance of collaborative procurement and contracts in driving change in culture, right from the outset, to ensure quality and

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safety outcomes are guaranteed by escaping from the default position of a ‘race to the bottom’.

Collaborative approaches to the procurement process are proven to deliver successful outcomes in the housing sector and the guidance contains case studies that offer a wealth of relevant evidence. Procurement models that underpin collaborative behaviour, and contractual systems that focus on improved building safety, should form part of the regulatory regime introduced under the new Building Safety Act 2022.

The act sets out an enhanced regulatory regime for safety with regards to “in-scope” buildings, driving important changes in direction and behaviour, avoiding what Dame Judith makes reference to as system failure where: “The primary motivation is to do things as quickly and cheaply as possible rather than to deliver quality homes which are safe for people to live in.”

This legislation creates a more stringent regulatory framework that can be directly linked to all stages in a project lifecycle of design, construction and operation.

Accountability and clear lines of responsibility in optimising value and managing risks fits with the three new gateways for ‘in-scope’ projects of: ‘Planning gateway one’ – at the planning application stage ‘Gateway two’ – before building work starts ‘Gateway three’ – when building work is completed.

• • •

The guidance breaks down the collaborative procurement of in-scope projects into four interlinked drivers that are necessary to ensure both quality and safety: Teams are selected on value criteria including the safety of designs, works and products, so as to avoid the ‘race to the bottom’ Contractors and suppliers are appointed early on a conditional basis, so as to improve and agree safety proposals and reduce risks Teams are integrated through collaborative contracts that take account of resident consultation The design, construction and operation of buildings and refurbishments are supported by a ‘golden thread’ of digital information.

• • • •

In order to ensure the widest possible adoption, the guidance provides flexibility for its use by public and private sector clients, and public procurement regulations or specific contract forms are prescribed.

In order to ensure that the guidance isn’t forgotten or overlooked, it includes a list of questions for consideration by building safety ‘duty holders’ under the Building Safety Act in order to obtain approval from the Building Safety Regulator at each gateway.

These questions act as a checklist to assist duty holders in evidencing compliance with the requirements of the new act in advance of each gateway application: ‘Planning gateway one’ – at the planning application stage The client selection process for identifying the

•

• •

party drafting the fire statement (and the other professionals preparing the planning application) should demonstrate a balanced approach to value and evidence of suitable competencies The contract terms for professionals preparing the planning application should state integrated commitments (within their agreed roles and contributions) to the safety and quality compliance of their proposals The client selection process and contract terms for professionals preparing the planning application should make clear their capabilities and commitments to use suitable digital information management tools.

‘Gateway two’ – before building work starts The client procurement process for the principal designer, principal contractor and other professionals preparing the gateway two building control application (including plans, construction control plan, fire and emergency file and other supporting documentation) should: – demonstrate a balanced approach to value and evidence of suitable skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours – use early supply chain involvement (ESI) to optimise contributions to improved safety and quality within agreed periods of time in advance of gateway two The client contract terms for the principal designer, principal contractor and other professionals preparing the gateway two application should: – state their legal obligations as dutyholders (within their agreed roles and contributions) to safety and quality compliance – make clear their capabilities and commitments to use suitable digital information management tools The client, principal designer, principal contractor and other professionals preparing the gateway two application should: – use a collaborative system to regularly consult with each other and with residents (where applicable) in advance of gateway two in relation to the safety and quality compliance of all designs, specifications and related information – use a transparent decision-making process to agree the gateway two application within their agreed roles and contributions as dutyholders to safety and quality compliance.

•

•

•

During construction (between gateways two and three) The client, principal designer, principal contractor and other dutyholders should use a collaborative system to regularly consult with each other when: – implementing the construction control plan and updating, maintaining and implementing the change management strategy approved at gateway two – monitoring and updating the accuracy of a golden

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thread of information – ensuring safety, quality and regulatory compliance of all designs, specifications and activities, including site controls and change controls.

‘Gateway three’ – when building work is completed The client, principal designer, principal contractor and other dutyholders preparing the gateway three application (including as-built plans and other prescribed documents) should use a collaborative system to: – regularly engage with residents (where applicable) – confirm the safety, quality and regulatory compliance of all designs, specifications and activities before work is covered up during construction and before work is handed over on completion The client procurement process should make clear its capability and commitment to hand over the golden thread of information and other prescribed information to the operator of the completed building (if applicable).

•

•

The tools for effective implementation of the act are set out in the DLUHC guidance which offers the collaborative procurement and contracting processes and relationships necessary to deliver safer homes.

These include joint working across the supply chain, collaborative risk management, resident consultation and building relationships to ensure that all parties have a better understanding of their responsibilities right from the outset of a project. As Dame Judith explains: “Procurement sets the tone and direction of the relationships between the client, designer, contractor and their subcontractors, as well as determining the formal specification of the building.”

The Grenfell Tower disaster has become the industry’s wakeup call for long overdue changes as represented

by the new act, upcoming secondary legislation and the tools presented in the new guidance. The act sets out the stringent regulatory regime for in-scope buildings and the guidance offers the means by which new obligations can be satisfactorily fulfilled.

You can contact the author for any further information or guidance: darya.bahram@kcl.ac.uk

Making housing with care schemes more inclusive One in every eight residents in housing providing care have witnessed discrimination from other residents, according to new research.

Dr Paul Willis, Lead Researcher on the Diversity in Care Environments (DICE) project and Associate Professor at the University of Bristol, explains Our recently released report from the University of Bristol and International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC) finds that while most older people in housing with care feel valued and included, social isolation and discrimination remain a part of everyday life for some residents, especially those from social minorities.

The report, based on a survey of residents and interviews with residents, staff members and housing experts across England and Wales, finds that older people living in housing schemes that provide onsite

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care and support, including extra-care housing and supported living, are less lonely than if they were living in the wider community.

This is despite Covid-19 lockdowns restricting interactions between residents, staff and visitors. Most residents taking part in these interviews as part of the DICE study also said they felt valued and included in their living environment.

But this wasn’t the case for all residents, as the majority of the residents from social minority groups interviewed in this study, including people with disabilities, people identifying as LGBT+, and people from ethnic minorities, said they had experienced or anticipated discrimination within their scheme. This included overhearing homophobic or racist comments from other residents or being excluded from certain areas or activities because of a lack of accessibility.

According to the survey, this discrimination is far

EVIDENCE

more common from other residents than staff; one in every eight residents surveyed reported seeing discrimination from other residents, which was more than twice as many as the proportion reporting discrimination from staff.

The report also identifies some of the ways in which this isolation and discrimination can be countered in housing with care schemes, including on-site staff presence, inclusion with the local area, listening to the views of residents and adequate government funding.

With an ageing population and a growing number of people living with chronic health conditions, providing safe, supportive and inclusive housing options in which to grow old is becoming more important than ever.

We need to break the ageist stereotypes of older people in retirement communities as vulnerable and passive recipients of services. Their views matter and have given us vital insight into what inclusive neighbourhoods look like and housing providers should tap into this rich resource by involving residents in the design of their schemes and services.

Our research made clear the vital role played by scheme staff in promoting social inclusion and combatting discrimination through their ability to develop relationships with residents. But providers

need to ensure there’s the consistent presence of onsite staff needed to build this connection.

Older people also need to have the choice to move into a housing option that’s right for their needs and aspirations, and where the identities that are important to them are reflected amongst other residents and staff. This is especially important for older people from social minorities. For this, we need the government to splash the cash to encourage the creation of more agefriendly housing schemes as well as the improvement of existing schemes.

The DICE project team have also released a series of podcasts that capture the diverse voices of current residents in housing with care schemes and a new learning resource targeted at housing staff and managers to help raise awareness of social diversity and inequalities amongst residents. These new resources are hosted on the Housing LIN website, a key collaborator in the DICE study.

The DICE study was a three year-study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and hosted by the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol in collaboration with ILC-UK and The Housing Learning and Improvement Network (Housing LIN).

Cutting the risk of modern slavery in supply chains How confident are you that your organisation has taken all possible steps to reduce the risk of modern slavery? Researchers in Australia set out to discover how a housing association managed modern slavery risks, and to establish ways of reducing those risks.

Researchers Tracey Dodd, James Guthrie and John Dumay point out that modern slavery is prevalent in the international construction industry. The industry is vulnerable in part because supply chains often mean that use of materials such as bricks and wood is several steps removed from their production.

They worked for two years with an unnamed Australian housing association with a significant development programme on mapping existing modern slavery controls and devising new approaches to strengthen the association’s response.

The association already had policies such as its mission statement, code of conduct and whistleblowing policy. During the study, it introduced a new procurement policy and reporting procedure and undertook training at all levels for staff, to raise awareness of modern slavery and how to mitigate the risk of it.

Crucially, the association worked with contractors and suppliers to increase their understanding of modern slavery and compliance with its own new policies. An ‘indicator checklist’ helped to identify risks with suppliers and monitor their performance.

The team identified supplies that carry particular risk of being associated with modern slavery, particularly bricks, gravel, granite, iron (steel), rubber, stone

and timber. They then developed an ethical supplier list with more than 500 suppliers that had gained international certification. The association expected its suppliers would source materials from the list, but this was not exclusive: they recognised that other sourcing could also be ethical. But suppliers were expected to show they had sought further information from such materials sources.

Where contractors hadn’t provided information on their own actions to reduce the risk of modern slavery, interestingly the association did not exclude them from contracts. Instead it worked with them, placing the onus on its own staff to engage and educate the contractors to improve their practices.

Results compliance could then be built into individual contracts.

Similarly it didn’t bring modern slavery into its risk register or publish due diligence on the topic. Instead, a lower cost option was adopted whereby senior staff were expected to identify and mitigate modern slavery risks using the new tools.

The research found the combination of increased awareness and expectation of action by staff, together with formal policies and procedures, significantly reduced the risk of modern slavery occurring either in the organisation or its construction supply chain.

Management controls and modern slavery risks in the building and construction industry: Lessons from an Australian social housing provider https://bit.ly/3tQn611 HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE JULY 2022

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Strategic Network research roundup This roundup provides a selection of recent research and reports across a range of strategic housing topic areas. If you’d like to suggest any research to be included in future editions, please get in contact.

Housing homeless families This research from the National Housing Federation investigates the criticisms facing housing associations that they are not doing enough around homelessness or have practices that exclude people who are homeless.

Housing demand Poverty in the UK: statistics This House of Commons library briefing sets out information on the levels and rates of poverty in the UK, including historical trends and forecasts for future years, as well as poverty by employment status, tenure, ethnic group, disability, region and constituency.

UK Poverty 2022 This JRF report combines a range of statistical data with input from a lived experience group across a range of poverty drivers including employment, earnings, benefits, housing costs and inflation.

Youngest baby boomers risk becoming ‘forgotten generation’ with inequality skyrocketing and financial pressures worsening This report from the Centre for Ageing Better has identified that people in their 50s and 60s today are facing greater challenges than those who were the same age in 2002. The report finds some 2.6 million people will more likely experience an old age marred by multiple, long-term problems such as poor health and poor finances, and will be at risk of loneliness and isolation. Poverty is also already on the rise amongst this group.

Homelessness Statutory Homelessness October to December 2021: England – Official Statistics Release This release from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities provides statistics for statutory homelessness assessments and activities in England between 1 October and 31 December 2021.

Insights into the use of modular housing in addressing homelessness This research from the Centre for Homelessness Impact provides an overview of current modular and container housing provision in the UK providing temporary accommodation for people experiencing homelessness and begins to explore whether such housing projects are effective.

Rough Sleeping (England) – Research Briefing This House of Commons Library Research briefing provides a summary of the latest statistics and policies relating to rough sleeping in England.

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Backsliding support and backfiring messaging: the homelessness conversation needs a reframe This article from the USA shares research findings on what works and what doesn’t work in securing public support for policies and actions to tackle homelessness.

Religion’s role in community integration after homelessness This open access article published by the Housing Studies journal shares research from Miami that found individuals in supportive housing struggle to join conventional religious congregations as they continue to grapple with the long-term impacts of trauma, discrimination and stigma.

The promises and pitfalls of administrative data linkages for tackling homelessness This report commissioned by the Centre for Homelessness Impact and published in the European Journal of Homelessness draws on published research and uses case studies of linkages undertaken by one of the authors to reflect on the promises and pitfalls of administrative data linkage to understand and tackle homelessness.

Homelessness and Street Homelessness in England This article commissioned by the Centre for Homelessness Impact and published in the European Journal of Homelessness sets out the policy context on homelessness and street homelessness in England and provides an overview of how improvements to the available data and evidence have contributed to, and influenced, policy-making.

PRS Every seven minutes a private renter in England is given eviction notice This article shares statistics on the number of private renters served with a Section 21 notice since 2019.

Regulation of private renting This report from the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts details the findings and recommendations of their inquiry into the regulation of private renting.

Adapting the private rented sector This report from the NRLA explores the role of private landlords in delivering adapted and accessible

EVIDENCE

properties for disabled, older and vulnerable tenants.

Development ‘The reduction of fuel poverty may be lost in the rush to decarbonise’: six research risks at the intersection of fuel poverty, climate change and decarbonisation This open access article published by People, Place and Policy journal identifies six risks to fuel poor households in the rush to move to low-carbon energy sources and technologies.

Councils in England are failing to use new powers to block shoddy housing schemes This article summarises research by UCL-based Place Alliance that found the power to refuse ‘development that is not well designed’ has mostly been used by southeast councils, with other areas lacking experience and expertise to take on large, well-resourced developers.

Hy4Heat Final Progress Report This document reports on the progress of Hy4Heat, a BEIS-funded project to establish if it’s technically possible, safe and convenient to replace natural gas with hydrogen in residential and commercial buildings and gas appliances.

Keeping Communities Together: How smaller social landlords and community-led housing can provide affordable, secure, local accommodation for communities in need This report from LSE aims to set out the potential for small community-based organisations to deliver homes for people in need, within their own communities, and uncovers innovative examples and models for how this can be done.

Net zero ready new build housing: benefits and barriers to delivery This report from the Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research investigates how housebuilders in the affordable housing sector can plan effectively for a zero-carbon future by exploring the main challenges and opportunities in delivering net-zero carbon-ready new-build housing in the affordable housing sector.

Do older homebuyers prefer dwellings with accessibility and adaptability features?

This exploratory study found that homebuyers in England aged 50 and over were significantly more likely to select dwellings with step-free access and adaptable bathrooms and were willing to pay significantly more to purchase them.

Supported housing / specialised housing

DICE (Diversity in Care Environments) study into the ways in which housing with care and support schemes support the inclusion of older residents from different social groups and backgrounds. Up to now there has been little evidence as to how effective these kinds of housing schemes are in alleviating loneliness and social isolation.

Meeting the needs of specific groups Smarter homes for independent living This report from Policy Connect, a cross-party think tank, provides recommendations for government, local authorities, the health and social care sector and technology companies on how the country can take advantage of substantial advances in smart homes and related technologies so that disabled and older people can lead more independent and fulfilling lives.

Pushed to the Edge: Poverty, food banks and mental health This research, commissioned by the Independent Food Ain Network and JRF, was completed by a Mental Health Social Worker and freelance researcher. It shares a number of lived experience accounts of the impact of poverty, particularly food poverty, on their mental health.

Partnerships with health and social care sector Commissioning for a better future: a starter for ten This report from the Social Care Institute for Excellence shares an outline framework for adult social care commissioners to move towards operating as an ‘asset-based area’. It’s based on a two-day Social Care Innovation Network session with people with lived experience, families, commissioners and innovative support providers.

A vision for population health: towards a healthier future This vision document from The King’s Fund sets out a framework for population health centred on four pillars: the wider determinants of health; our health behaviours and lifestyles; the places and communities we live in; and an integrated health and care system.

Evidence newsletter editor: Dr Janis Bright www.hqnetwork.co.uk email: evidence@hqnetwork.co.uk  follow us on twitter @hqn_news

Housing schemes for older people helping to alleviate loneliness This blog shares some of the findings of the three-year

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A BIG, PROSPEROUS SECTOR THAT PEOPLE ASPIRE TO LIVE IN It’s HQN’s 25th anniversary! CEO Alistair McIntosh and company subordinate Max Salsbury were forced to speak to each other in the hope of forging an informative and interesting feature…

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A lot’s happened since HQN’s inception in 1997: the rise of Tony Blair’s New Labour, Princess Diana’s death, 9/11, the War on Terror, Brexit, Trump, Covid, the ascension of the avocado *.

Alistair is 61 this year but doesn’t look a day over 60. Why did he start HQN in the first place?

“We were coming to the end of compulsory competitive tendering and there had been a long period of underinvestment in council housing. It seemed possible that Labour were going to win the election. So, David Garland and I brought people together to design a system for regulating housing that promoted quality and investment, rather than cutting things back and privatising.”

I ask if he feels any pride: “No. Because from 2010 onwards it was totally torn apart. There was a system for improving the management for housing, there was investment. You could walk around and if you saw an estate that was unkempt you phoned the director of housing, and it was sorted out very quickly. You didn’t have Kwajo Tweneboa in those days – and Kwajo’s a really clear sign of how far we’ve fallen.

“So, you can take no pride in the last ten years. I walk round estates all the time. They need money spending on them; sometimes the management’s good but often it’s utterly shambolic – and that’s directly attributable to the people who removed inspections.

Inspection has its flaws, but

the baby was thrown out with the proverbial bathwater.”

Government Grant Inspections: a very sore spot for Alistair. Now’s a good time to bring up his least favourite housing minister in HQN’s lifetime: that would be Grant Shapps. “Unquestionably the worst. I understand why he took a dislike to the sector: they’re socialistic, they’re vocal, they set out to provoke the Conservatives. They shouldn’t be surprised when they get a reaction. But he should’ve been the bigger man and repurposed inspection to deliver his agenda.

“I think he showed himself up to be a very small individual. You don’t have to respond to provocation every time it comes along, and you’ve got to look at the bigger picture.”

So much for Shapps. But which housing minister, out of the 20 we’ve had since 1997, has impressed Alistair the most? “I think the best and most honest was [Nick] Raynsford: he got to grips with a whole range of issues, and he admitted later that they wished they’d built more homes and not just protected the ones they had. For me, honesty moves you to the absolute top of the class.”

The scuttling of inspections aside, in what other areas have the country’s boss class

“For me, honesty moves you to the absolute top of the class”

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damaged the sector? “The biggest mistake government makes is to take a decision, often a sensible decision, and then not review it as matters unfold.

“I arrived from Glasgow in the 1980s. The private rented sector was on its knees. It was down to a single digit percentage of homes in Camden.

Terrible conditions. So, obviously something had to be done to revive the PRS. Billions were spent on tax breaks to get it going – but today you can see the damage the prevalence of buy-to-let has done, and the government is now taking action to clamp down on buy-to-let landlords.

“At any point in the last 20 years we could’ve had a good look at that and put the brakes on. I think that’s a classic example of fixing a problem, thinking it’s solved and then waking up 20 years later and realising ‘blimey, we should’ve looked at that as we went along’.”

At this point we take a break – or at least we probably should’ve done. We plough on instead.

been in their properties a long time and they’d spent more on rent than their owner-occupied peers paid on mortgages: they deserved the break from government.

“The current RTB…” [Alistair sighs wearily].

“Cameron’s huge mistake was in not listening to his own housing advisor in 2010 and insisting on house price stability. The RTB today just doesn’t fly. It cuts social housing; it doesn’t replace it with new homes. I was in a London borough the other day where 44% of former RTBs are now privately rented out. The world has moved on. We need to change.”

And now we discuss without doubt the most devastating event to hit the sector in living memory: Grenfell. How much of an impact has it had – and how likely are we to see a similar tragedy?

“I walk past a lot of blocks with timber fascias and a lot of balconies with rubbish on them.

There’s almost no housing management going on at many estates. Evidence? The way people park across the fire brigade gates. So, I think there’s a possibility it could happen again.

“There’s a huge skill shortage in the country.

Have we got the right people working on these jobs? There isn’t enough investment going in.

The Grenfell Inquiry has been going on a very

RTB or not RTB What about the Right to Buy, I ask: have your views on it changed? “The RTB in the 1980s was absolutely the correct policy, there’s no ambiguity about that. Many council tenants had

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“We’re in a pickle and the problem that brings is floods, bad weather, all manner of damage to the housing stock. So, I don’t think we’re going to spend much on net zero and we will reap the inevitable harvest of storms from it. It’s a big, big issue on the horizon.”

Not terrifically optimistic so far, is it? What if Labour win the next election? Are there grounds for believing that result would be good news for the sector?

“Well, they’ve not said a lot, have they? I think their heart would be in the right place, but I remember speaking to a south London Labour MP about inspections and investment, and what he said then was ‘it’s payback for our people.’

Now, that was a very moderate Labour MP and I’m

Looking ahead The sector is already beset by serious issues, but does HQN’s chief anticipate further grave issues in the future? Sadly, it’s a yes.

“I think it’s almost certain that the green agenda is finished. They’re switching on the coalpowered stations all over the world. Thatcher got rid of it [the green agenda], Blair got rid of it, Cameron got rid of it, and now it looks like Johnson is going to bin it too.

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“The Grenfell Inquiry has been going on a very long time. I think it’s doing magnificent forensic work but all the time it’s doing that forensic work the memory of Grenfell is fading”

long time. I think it’s doing magnificent forensic work but all the time it’s doing that forensic work the memory of Grenfell is fading.

“If Grenfell was a watershed moment, why does the government have to introduce regulation on quality and safety for the sector?

Surely, if Grenfell mattered [housing providers] would’ve done it for themselves and left the government trailing in the slow lane.”

And he also feels that the inquiry’s deep analysis has exposed how far the sector still has to go: “There’s not been any significant move forward in professionalisation, which is very poor indeed, and I just don’t see the same sea change in housing that I saw in the oil industry after Piper Alpha.”

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“There are some big issues coming up on the rent increase; no one is going to get away with inflation plus hikes for tenants or shared owners so that’s going to put a lot of business plans into a very dark hole”

not hearing a statement as strong and invigorating as that from anyone at the moment.

“A lot of folks are getting behind the private tenants because they’re more numerous, they’re wellconnected, they’re getting stories in the Spectator and the Telegraph on a very regular basis, but I’m not seeing ‘payback for our people,’ and that’s what we need from Labour.

“Having said that, I see a lot of councillors from many parties when I do sessions for local authorities and they’re all fine people with good intentions – I just wish they got to the top of their respective parties and had more influence.”

Priorities

And what if HQN’s boss was the CEO of a housing association – what would be his top three priorities?

“Reputation, reputation, reputation. You talk to the best associations; they’ve got their top people working on dealing with complaints and tackling the big issues. They’re walking around the estates, they’re talking to the frontline, they know what’s coming up, they’re connected to local politicians. years

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That’s absolutely the way to do it.

“You’ve got to sort the money out, that’s a basic requirement. There are some big issues coming up on the rent increase; no one is going to get away with inflation plus hikes for tenants or shared owners so that’s going to put a lot of business plans into a very dark hole – but the number one priority at the moment is reputation. Because some of the housing associations are rolling out the red carpet for private equity with the way they’re conducting themselves.”

I ask him if he thinks it’s a good idea for caps on sector CEO pay. However, he mishears me.

“Cats?” he asks, puzzled. I correct the error but regret it now as it would’ve have been interesting to find out what impact cats might have on housing. Anyway, caps on CEO pay: “If you’re a tenant, these people are grossly overpaid. But for most tenants they’d be grossly overpaid on even lower amounts. You read all this stuff about train drivers and folk are

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going berserk that they earn £50,000 a year. The RMT could argue that’s not enough to keep a family in London. So, one man’s meat is another man’s poison on salaries. Caps are a seductive idea, but I think there’s no cap that’s going to satisfy residents or politicians and we do need to keep an eye on other industries.

“I understand the resentment and it’s part of reputational management. A CEO I knew used to look at what everyone else was paid per home and put himself in the middle. And that was 20 years ago.”

There’s a proposed new inspection regime in the wings. What are Alistair’s hopes and expectations for it?

“I hope it’s that they never have to leave the office in anger. What I hope is that the sector will

“I don’t think we’re going to spend much on net zero and we will reap the inevitable harvest of storms from it. It’s a big, big issue on the horizon” ar s Housing Ministers through the ye

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get its whatsit into gear, run its own inspections and quality control, talk to Kwajo and others, and reclaim a reputation for quality. What government has to do is make sure organisations have the money to close the investment gap.

There are quite a few local authorities, and quite a few housing associations too, that will be in difficulties if rents don’t go up by inflation plus, and they’re not going to go up by inflation plus because inflation is so high.

“Government needs to help with investment because there are many landlords who don’t have the resources to produce standards of management and maintenance that’d satisfy the expectations of any reasonable regulator.

“I think we’ve got to put our house in order – input from the regulator is welcome, but our ambition should be to keep them in their barracks because we’re doing so well, and their job needs to be to get investment into the sector.”

But how does he expect to see it rolled out on the ground? Is it going to be properly resourced?

“Every inspection regime relies on harvesting good practice. So, it’s our job to develop good practice; their job to rs through the years decide what ousing Ministe

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suits and appeals to them, and then they go out and look at it. But is the genie out of the bottle?

Are people going to go straight to Kwajo? It’s very easy to see how he can grow that into a Jack Monroe, Martin Lewis-style enterprise.

“It’d be a very foolish landlord that looked only at the regulator and who wasn’t cognisant of what was happening on social media or in other industries.”

HQN had a big part in the creation of the ALMO movement, which has subsequently gone through many cycles since then, what…Alistair hurriedly cuts me off: “It finished in 2010. We have to accept the ALMOs and HQN as they were died in 2010, and people need to come up with a plan B to achieve the same overall objective.”

But are there lessons we could all learn from pre-2010? Alistair wearily considers: “Some ALMOs are better than others. Some of the investments stood the test of time, some didn’t – but you could say that about anything, couldn’t you? Time moves on.”

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phenomenon, which sounds a little bit like a new dance craze. “There was so much rubbish talked during Covid, wasn’t there? ‘Spiritual renewal’, people being able to work from the internet… have you tried to use the internet in the country?

It’s useless in a lot of the country! People sitting in London talking about ‘levelling up’ make me laugh, as they have no idea of what the realities are like for people working in the rural areas of England and Scotland as I have done for many years.

“It was no surprise to discover that GDP was booming ahead in London, far ahead of the rest of the country since we came out of Covid. I think if we carry on as we are we’ll get what we’ve always got: the south will pull away and eventually, I think, we’ll become more

“I see a lot of councillors from many parties when I do sessions for local authorities and they’re all fine people with good intentions – I just wish they got to the top of their respective parties and had more influence”

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“There are some big issues coming up on the rent increase; it’s going to put a lot of places into a very dark hole financially – but the number one priority at the moment is reputation”

concerned about London going independent than Scotland.”

In 2047, HQN will be celebrating its 50th. What’s the very least Alistair would hope for by then?

“I’d hope that social housing would become the best tenure in terms of quality. I’d hope it had social mix. I’d hope that it was sufficiently big enough to have accommodation for everyone who wanted it. Maybe you’d look at rents in relation to earnings. A big, prosperous sector that people aspired to live in.”

More gloomily, what serious problems does he anticipate for the sector? “I think people are going to try to cut their way out of problems and trash their reputations, or they’re going to try and trade their way out of problems, and they don’t have the experience or wherewithal to do that.”

Ups and downs It’s getting late. I want to go and get a vegan sausage roll. I ask Alistair his deepest regret. “I think I took 2010 too badly. I should’ve either gone completely or stayed with more enthusiasm, and I sort of did neither.”

Ok, that’s a little maudlin. Personal highlight?

“Seeing the extra investment and the push for customer care across the ALMOs and the better housing associations.”

And that’s the end of that. I had no time to ask about the meaning of life, favourite Anthrax album or if he believes in ghosts. Maybe next time. (*Alistair has returned to mock inspection estate visits. On his travels he saw six avocados for a pound at Ridley Road Market in Dalston, yet they cost more than a pound each at the M&S opposite. Luckily for Alistair, a chip shop was available!)

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Five young housing professionals have made it through to the final of Housing’s Next Generation competition 2022, taking place at HQN’s annual conference in July. Mark Lawrence gives the lowdown on what each finalist is all about, and what they’ve done to get to the final.

2022 Housing’s Next Generation judges: Tanisha Rigby, Housing Next Generation 2021 finalist

Sheron Carter, Chief Executive, Hexagon Housing Association Tony Stacey, CEO, South Yorkshire Housing Association

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Olu Olanrewaju, Senior Consultant Altair

Alistair McIntosh, HQN CEO

FEATURES

After three months of different stages, we’ve finally got our final five. We had an overwhelming number of nominations from housing associations, local authorities, ALMOs and the private sector this year, showing the diverse range of talent that exists in social housing.

Everyone that was nominated was given a place in the Next Generation Hub, our networking group that allows young housing professionals to connect, gain best practice and hear from industry experts.

But only 20 of those nominated could be shortlisted. Those 20 had to put forward a blog looking at either the cost-of-living crisis, disrepair or how to attract the best into housing.

After a tough few hours of decision-making, the judges whittled that list down to ten. The candidates were asked to produce a five-minute presentation looking at one idea that would change the sector for the better. After their presentations, the candidates were quizzed by the panel of judges, who made sure their ideas were watertight.

Every presentation brought something new to the table, and the judges had another difficult time deliberating between the semi-finalists.

But in the end, a final five had to be selected and you’ll find them in no particular order on the next few pages.

They will now present at the HQN annual conference in July on a topic linked to the conference theme of “past, present and future” and look at practical solutions to current sector issues.

Unveiling the five finalists, HQN’s CEO, Alistair McIntosh, said: “These five young leaders have shown us that they’re doing a fine job internally, can construct a strong written argument, and effectively provide solutions through strong presentations.

“We’ve seen a whole wealth of amazing young housing professionals in this year’s competition, and it’ll be great to see how the five step up once again to show what they’re capable of in the final.”

Tom Leon-Grimes, 25

Service Development Manager Orbit Group

“Currently most of our buildings don’t have the intelligence to tell us when things are going wrong” Social housing providers need to start seeing themselves as “digital assets businesses”. That was Tom’s argument in his semi-final presentation.

He said adding in technology such as property sensors, energy monitoring and building information models will allow organisations to gather greater intelligence and operative better and more effectively.

He spoke about the need for investment in digital assets, claiming this will help massively with ageing stock and reduce the need to treat residents like “human alarms”.

Outlining the large amount of benefits he sees to this approach, Tom said it’d deliver better health, energy-cost savings and increased satisfaction for residents. In terms of the assets themselves, Tom believes this approach would mean homes would last for longer, have improved quality, and be better on energy efficiency.

This data and technology-led approach would also lead to fewer routine visits and reduced maintenance costs.

He bemoaned the sector for not using its data well enough – for example, not following up properly on stock condition surveys. He said the work could free up people’s resources to be placed elsewhere and drive further positive benefits.

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Kemba Mitchell, 24

Project Coordinator South Yorkshire Housing Association

“It’d be naïve to say this is the golden bullet, but we need to think more radically to escape our current entrenched view” Calling the housing market “broken” and highlighting the huge gaps between government support for homeownership against the support for genuinely affordable housing, Kemba called for a “radical rethink” in how the housing market works.

She used her presentation to look at the introduction of a land tax, where developers would have to pay a tax on the value of the land in the bid to reduce landbanking.

She said another tax to increase the amount the government has to spend on affordable housing development would “readdress the balance of power away from the few” and ensure that communities aren’t denied the good-quality, sustainable homes they need.

When asked by the judges about how many homes she hoped this would build, she reiterated her view that this wasn’t the only solution needed, but that it’d make a huge dent in the 1.1 million homes that are waiting to be built after being given planning permission.

She also argued that these plans would create a “more positive cycle” – with less money also needing to be spent on housing benefit in the long term.

Hanifa Blakemore-Razaq, 28

Communities Project Manager Clarion Futures

“Investing in young people in our communities will improve the housing sector for the better” Hanifa put young people front and centre of her presentation, arguing that they’re an untapped resource as organisations look to develop new services and prevent issues from occurring.

Using feedback she’d gathered on the ground, she said residents are asking for young people to be involved and believes this will help them have a confident voice in housing in the future, tackle stigma, reduce evictions, help shape services and create sustainable neighbourhoods.

Hanifa used her experience in communities to call for more decision-making opportunities and empowerment for young people. She encouraged the development of a housing youth charter – a document that housing associations sign up to, created and written by young residents.

This document would design a framework for housing associations to embed a youth voice and contain annual pledges that means young people can hold the organisation to account over delivery.

Using these techniques, Hanifa argued, organisations would be able to address issues before they became bigger problems, as well as deliver better services, build trust among the youth community and provide training or employment opportunities.

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Gift Ngubane, 27

Employment Support Advisor Abri

“I believe that home is somewhere you belong, it’s somewhere you can feel part of a community” Focusing on homelessness, Gift used his presentation to give a personal story about seeing a homeless person in freezing temperatures and then being told nothing could be done to help them.

He said if the sector doesn’t play an active role in the increasing numbers of homelessness, “we are going to be fighting the brunt of it”.

He said there needs to be collaborative working between housing associations and local authorities, encouraging more to be done with empty buildings. While he praised some of the emergency shelters, Gift argued they should only be that – and not long-term places to stay.

Asked by the judges about who he believes needs to be involved, Gift answered by saying that everyone needs to play a part to “provide holistic support”.

He urged housing associations to agree to ideas such as using Section 106 to encourage developers to take on one homeless person (or more) per development to provide training and employment, and then doing the same with procurement contracts.

Judges said his presentation was “engaging and brought the emotional argument forward too”.

Gemma Brookes, 28

Project Surveyor NetZero Carbon Team Orbit Group

“We need to remove the culture of competition in order to improve services in the sector” Gemma used her semi-final presentation to call for more collaborative working between housing associations, emphasising the huge potential it could bring.

She said the sector could work towards a creation of libraries of material, working groups, resource sharing, open and honest discussions, and cooperative pilots and innovation.

The benefits she outlined were overwhelming, including savings in time and money in reducing repetition of pilot schemes and creating a bulk-buying power for the sector.

Using net zero as an example, Gemma said collaborative working could deter some organisations from selling off the stock that’s “hard to treat” and would lead to more social homes staying in the sector.

She also said the current offer in the sector is that “on demand answers just aren’t there” and that’s why there’s so much being wasted on consultancy and webinars.

Her belief is that “honesty and openness is vital if the sector is to develop effectively” and the judges agreed, calling her presentation “knowledgeable” and “full of strength and passion”.

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Ombudsman Corner

VIEWS

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By Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman

Social landlords operate in an increasingly and the subsequent codes of practice being complex environment. In some cases the developed by the Regulation of Property levers for resolution aren’t always directly in Agents Codes steering group, led by Baroness their grasp. We reflect that in our assessments Hayter. The evidence in this report should when investigating complaints, and that’s contribute towards this debate around why landlords being clear on their roles and professionalism in the housing market. responsibilities, and recording action taken, Nonetheless, it’s the landlord who’s can be so important. responsible for the relationship with the The complexity of relationships will come tenant. There are several important and up as part of our next Spotlight report on noise practical lessons for landlords to handle nuisance and it’s absolutely at the heart of our things better. In three-quarters of cases we last one, on social landlords’ relationships considered, something had gone wrong which with freeholders and the landlord could’ve their managing agents. done better; and our Central to the report “In three-quarters of maladministration is a culture clash rate following a formal cases we considered, between regulated investigation is 65%, something had gone and arguably largely which is excessively unregulated parts of high. wrong which the the housing market.

Knowing the landlord could’ve For all the challenges challenges they can facing social landlords, face, it’s vital for done better; and our I believe it’s a sector landlords to have maladministration that wants to be proper agreements rate following a formal professional and in place with the perform better. The managing agent and/ investigation is 65%, evidence in this report or freeholder, with which is excessively high” clarity around roles shows many social landlords facing poor and responsibilities. standards of practice Yet we’ve seen no clear amongst private managing agents. And it’s the arrangements in place and, even if they are, no resident who experiences the unfairness of proactive action. being stuck in the middle.

It’s also important to take ownership Through our investigations we’ve seen of the landlord-resident relationship; in enough evidence that shows the landlordparticular this means an end to the practice agent relationship is often strained, and at of ‘signposting’ the resident when it’s the worst dysfunctional. It isn’t clear if there’s a landlord’s responsibility to sort things out, single common cause, beyond a comparative and consider appropriate interim measures if lack of regulation, or whether it’s the resolution isn’t timely. cumulative effect of several smaller causes.

The report is supported by a selfHowever, we know from speaking to landlords assessment tool for landlords to consider that they feel a tension between their social some of the issues raised and help respond objectives and the business objectives of to our recommendations. I’d encourage some managing agents. landlords to read the report and use this tool, The need to raise standards amongst in order to help them navigate what can be a agents was set out by Lord Best’s review difficult relationship.

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How our new system is proving a game changer on safety Rob Wheeler, Housing officer, Northampton Partnership Homes

issues and ensure they arrive at the job with the equipment needed to make the repair.

Another key feature of the app is that it includes voice technology, allowing users to record findings quickly and easily. This was included after user feedback told us the app was fiddly to type into on small mobile devices.

This new approach to fire safety allows us to produce management information that helps us to spot trends and make strategic decisions around safety, meaning that At NPH we’ve always taken a proactive approach to fire we’re now in a better position to spot and react to issues safety, but since the Grenfell tragedy and the ongoing or potential issues quickly. The app recommends actions inquiry we’ve sought to improve our processes to reassure as a result of information recorded, and is fully auditable, our residents, especially those living in blocks, that their offering colleagues and residents reassurance. safety is our priority.

We believe this new solution has improved the safety of Although our approach was compliant with regulations, our residents. It’s future-proof, complies with PAS 79 and our processes were manual, paper-based and timeis fully auditable, with full assessments and inspections consuming, and we knew it was time to innovate. available in one place. Our inhouse team can make realOur aim was to streamline processes, reduce risk of time updates and change the specification to reflect human error and improve our knowledge on the properties changes in regulations or to our processes. Thanks to the that we manage. Frontline involvement of frontline colleagues staff, compliance officers, at every stage of the project, we’ve the fire service and residents “This new approach to fire created a solution that really works were involved at every for those using it. safety allows us to produce stage. When we reviewed Trust me, I’m one of those people! management information technology already available on the market, it became that helps us to spot trends clear it didn’t meet our and make strategic ambitious requirements, so we decided to create our decisions around own solution. safety” Our teams created an app, allowing users to carry out safety assessments on the go.

It integrates with our business systems, allowing data to be recorded instantly. This data is visible to every team required to take action as a result of assessments. It automatically schedules visits in team members’ work queues, so that they are made on time and can be reallocated to another staff member should they be absent from work.

During visits, property information can be added or updated, including cladding type, building construction and locations of fire exits, so we have the most up-to-date information available. If staff spot a missing fire sign or a broken fire door, they record this in the app and our repairs team are notified instantly; previously we relied on staff remembering to report this when back in the office. Users can upload photos, making it easier for repairs operatives to diagnose

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ADVERTORIAL

You can’t sort it if you can’t see it: the importance of transparency in compliance

By Polly Barnes, Commercial Director, Riskhub

Change can feel scary; that’s just part of being a human.

And when it’s so desperately needed because of the overwhelm caused by data chaos in compliance, it can feel even harder to make a change. At Riskhub this is something we see a lot.

Masses of data are so often buried in spreadsheets, owned by multiple teams, and are at risk of being lost, altered or, most commonly, just not dealt with. This is the state of much of the housing industry, and it’s an understandably unenviable task to have to sort it out.

It’s not unlike ripping off a plaster; the first bit is hard, and then you can heal.

But heal you must, because data from risk assessments is information about people’s homes and potentially their safety. It matters.

Since we launched Riskhub in 2018, we’ve seen a big improvement throughout the whole risk assessment data cycle. Risk assessors use our system to complete their work on site with a purpose-built app, gathering hundreds and sometimes thousands of data points throughout each inspection, creating a rich snapshot in time of each property they visit. Assessments are validated, published and viewable by our clients – housing associations and local authorities – with the resulting data played back to them simply and clearly.

We’re now seeing higher-quality risk assessments than ever, because they’re clear, the evidence is visual and everything funnels into a data cycle in Riskhub – that means actions must be seen, assigned and dealt with by the propertyowning client for it to work. Exposing resulting recommendations and actions in our system using colourful dashboards and considered organisational workflows means those responsible

for completing the actions can see what they need to do with full visual evidence, and things can’t get lost, duplicated or forgotten about if someone leaves.

Budgets must be planned. Remedial works must be completed. People are safer.

Accountability is often a word used in stress, but it can be hugely positive when it’s not something people are afraid of. The true scale of everyone’s tasks when dealing with compliance actions can be clearly seen once you just uncover what’s always been there and support people through the process with realistic time frames and resources. The best way to do that is to make sure that whatever system or process you bring in, you introduce checks and balances, and prevent human error as much as possible by ensuring that data follows only a pre-destined route through the cycle from one risk assessment to the next.

We believe ‘data’ shouldn’t just be a fancy collective noun used to describe the hard stuff. It’s everyone’s problem; but it doesn’t have to be that hard. Once you take the leap and genuinely address it, you’ll never look back.

 020 8819 1398  info@riskhub.co.uk  www.riskhub.co.uk

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VIEWS

IoT: Scaling up adoption in social housing amidst the energy crisis Duncan Forrow, Key Account Director, Switchee

The use of technology in the social housing sector is often associated with risk, asking pertinent questions like are we choosing the right path? and what if something better comes along? – often resulting in the frugal let’s hold fire for now decision.

The impact of inaction is to retain the tried, tested and inefficient (but known) processes. Simply waiting for the resident to complain before acting is the precise opposite of proactivity. These are no longer delivering the value for money needed for the property-based organisations of today.

“The best providers, of any technology, look to understand your organisation, challenges and priorities and work with you to deliver on those by turning the data into information and actionable insight for your teams” If we go back five years, the Internet of Things (IoT) was seen in a similar place to the paperless office – remember that utopia? The concept was attractive, but no-one could build a firm business case around it. The paperless office was a pipe dream, whereas the capturing of data in real time isn’t. The first use of IoT was (ironically) in 1984 at Carnegie Mellon university: students attached a sensor to the vending machine so they knew when the machine was fully stocked with cold drinks.

Since then the use cases have developed considerably and exist in many other sectors more widely. While social housing providers have been relatively slow to adopt, an increasing number have embraced the use of technology and have built defining use cases and return on investment that prove technologies work.

As a result, much of the hard work of iteration and development during early adoption has been done with deployment happening at increasing scale, and there are some clear leaders in the field emerging.

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I’m a firm believer in the ‘horse to water’ argument.

There’s no point in trying IoT if nothing happens to the data once you have it. The key is actually using the data captured.

The best providers, of any technology, look to understand your organisation, challenges and priorities, and work with you to deliver on those by turning the data into information and actionable insight for your teams.

However, we cannot force you to use what’s provided.

Engagement in the process by senior team members and ideally executive-level sponsorship increases the success of any deployment.

Given the recent volatility in the energy markets, the impact of the cost of living is upon us. To delay action is to commit more residents of social housing to both fuel poverty for the foreseeable future and to live in properties that aren’t fit for purpose.

The deployment of technologies at scale within landlords has moved from ‘a nice to have’ to an absolute operational and strategic imperative, delivering savings for residents and enabling social landlords to identify risk of vulnerable residents or underperforming building fabric.

Following a critical review of relevant case studies, the leveraging of your network and a possible site visit to see the technology in action, it may still be prudent and pragmatic to begin with a trial. However, this needs to be meaningful enough to give results for building business cases for wider, corporate use. We recommend starting with 5% of stock, across archetypes, geography and demographics.

Through combining the latest technology and ensuring residents’ engagement and adoption, delivering a proven average return on investment within 18 months, is a great example of how housing providers can reduce tenants’ energy bills and better maintain housing stock while driving towards challenging net-zero targets.

ADVERTORIAL

The future of social housing

By Alan Neilson, Founder & Executive Chairman, VerseOne Group Ltd

Social landlords are under pressure, on a number of fronts: the government continues to press housing organisations to build more properties, while the impacts of benefit changes, the rent cut, and uncertainties around Grenfell-related cladding and safety issues continue to be felt in future financial planning.

In addition, the new housing bill proposes to grant the regulator extensive new powers to inspect landlords at short notice on areas such as health and safety and repairs performance; to take unilateral action on persistent issues; to grade providers with public Ofstedstyle ratings (partly based on direct resident service ratings); and to levy unlimited fines on persistently underperforming landlords.

Digital to the rescue?

Many of the measures are centred around giving all residents a strong voice in their landlord’s decisionmaking, and to provide active feedback on all aspects of service delivery. There are intuitive digital platforms that can deliver on these promises, with minimal friction for providers.

In recent years, housing associations have made significant strides in digital self-service portal provision – but too many portal solutions are limited to a few core functionalities.

A key problem is the inflexibility of some portals: many are restricted to fixed-page layouts, deliver unintuitive user experiences that degrade brand trust, and may be locked to a single vendor.

As such, in choosing their suppliers, social housing providers should select an integrated software delivery platform that’s future-proofed, personalised and extensible – and delivered by a partner with a deep understanding of, and dedication to, the housing sector.

Next steps As a dedicated supplier of online digital solutions to the social housing sector since 2004, VerseOne Group has a huge amount of expertise in continuously delivering market-leading, secure, integrated self-service solutions to 50+ housing associations. These range from advanced real-time portals to out-of-the-box digital tenancy workflows, such as tenancy and PRS on-boarding and off-boarding, ASB reporting, complaints handling and more — 200+ solutions delivering calculated savings to the sector of over £24m per annum.

As part of our dedication to the social housing sector, we’re offering free Digital Discovery reviews to selected organisations. Order yours and find out how to join the conversation: https://www.verseone.com/housing

The right solution With the swift pace of changes within the sector, the most effective solution is one driven by a powerful and extensible content management platform that empowers providers, not only to seamlessly extend their data-driven features but also to communicate new initiatives, personalised to specific personas and even individual users.

 01483 672560  www.verseone.com  @VerseOneComms

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Resident’s view Communication is key to good repairs

By Steve Bladen, member of Stonewater’s customer scrutiny panel

Last year, I shared a tweet about tackling stigma in social housing. Specifically, around how housing associations should support and treat residents.

My thoughts were based on the repeated, negative comments I see from residents from various housing associations online, who turn to Twitter as a last resort to get their voices heard. Whilst it’ll probably come as no surprise, given recent reports in the media, most of the complaints I come across are about repairs.

Whether it’s to do with poor service or a long-standing issue that hasn’t been resolved, it feels like there’s a lot more that some housing associations could be doing to get the basics right. And it all starts with good communication.

A good repairs service, for me, boils down to someone simply doing what they said they were going to do. But, more importantly, when other priorities crop up which means a repair may be delayed, or if there’s an issue with ordering a part, that this information is communicated clearly and directly.

We’re all human and things don’t always go to plan – that’s part and parcel of life, no matter how much we may try. But managing expectations and keeping residents in the loop about what is happening so they don’t need to spend their time chasing, should be key.

On the theme of keeping residents informed, partnering contractors showing up without notice is something based on the misconception that social housing residents are at home all day, every day – reinforcing the stigma of living in social housing.

Similarly, losing a day’s holiday to make sure you’re at home for a contractor to get access and resolve an issue but then having them not show up, with no acknowledgement or apology, also shows a lack of respect for social housing residents and their time.

In conjunction with considering social housing residents’ individual circumstances, contractors and repair teams showing respect

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when in someone’s home should be a minimum standard.

As a full-time carer, I understand how hidden disabilities can be overlooked, and, moving forward, I hope all landlords are in a better position to equip visiting contractors with guidance or even specialist training.

The lack of diversity in organisations, not just in housing, is widely reported. But in housing, I sometimes think the lack of diversity, especially around those not having lived experience, contributes to the lack of empathy.

This in turn does lead to some housing associations not taking residents’ repair issues seriously enough, as seen with some of the disrepair images and videos that have been circulated online, often showing conditions that you know, categorically, a landlord wouldn’t live in themselves.

If there were more housing association boards working closely with their residents, as I’ve experienced and seen with my own social landlord in my role on the scrutiny panel, disrepair issues would be dealt with more proactively.

Being listened to, good communication and being honest when things haven’t gone as planned are central to having a good approach to repairs. But as with most things, taking small steps can make a big difference when it comes to easing residents’ frustrations.

For example, making sure the process for residents to log repairs is as simple as possible or having a call-back feature for busier periods so that residents aren’t left to simmer on hold for hours at a time.

One route I do hope to see more housing associations take is finding a way to bridge the gap between the organisation, partnering contractors and their residents, and creating opportunities to work together.

I personally think taking this approach will really bring about the change many social housing residents hope to see.

VIEWS

Outside view: Cost-of-living crisis

By Matt Copeland, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, National Energy Action

“Tenant liaison officers and managers must be trained to identify financial vulnerability and fuel poverty risk factors”

Across the UK, cold homes are already damaging the lives of the poorest households. A year ago, more than four million households were estimated to be living in fuel poverty, on a low income and unable to keep their homes warm at a reasonable cost.

But energy prices are increasing seemingly exponentially, with Ofgem raising the standard variable tariff price cap from 1 April by over 50%. And with the dreadful situation in Ukraine, the wholesale price of gas has again rocketed to unprecedented levels. Some analysts are saying that the average energy bill could reach more than £2,500 a year by October.

Such prices would be devastating for the poorest households. For those already struggling with energy bills, they will find it even harder to keep up with payments, and millions of more will experience fuel poverty for the first time.

National Energy Action (NEA) estimates that the number in fuel poverty could double compared to a year ago if prices reach the £3,000 a year mark.

In response, some households will ration their energy use, leaving their homes below healthy temperatures and risking the health issues that can come with that – increased risk of respiratory illness, for example.

We often see this coping strategy with households that pay for their energy through a prepayment meter. Some will use the same amount of energy, but be unable to afford it, and will therefore rack up significant debts. Most will do both of these things.

There are steps that social landlords can take in order to help the poorest households stay warm this winter.

Firstly, they can let their tenants know where they can access support (nationally or locally) to help manage their energy bills. Information on this can be found on NEA’s advice pages.

Secondly, as close contacts of potentially vulnerable households, tenant liaison officers and managers must be

trained to identify financial vulnerability and fuel poverty risk factors. They also need to know how to support households, either directly or by signposting them to others who can help.

Last, but by no means least, landlords should continue to improve the energy efficiency of properties to reduce bills for the long term. This will shield residents from future shocks in the energy market.

In addition to these practical actions, NEA is asking organisations to join us in asking the government to do more for fuel poor households, including: 1. Expanding existing schemes to provide deeper support for more households 2. Introducing a social tariff for energy alongside the price cap 3. Helping to clear utility debts through starting a payment matching scheme – matching every pound that a household makes towards their utility debt repayments 4. Providing funding to insulate low-income households from future price spikes, dramatically increase spending on fuel poverty-focussed energy efficiency schemes, permanently reducing energy demand.

If the government takes this into consideration, then the energy crisis will be significantly easier for fuel-poor households across the UK.

If you need guidance or advice, or would like peer to peer support on the cost of living crisis, join HQN’s Rent Income Excellence Network.

HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE JULY 2022

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VIEWS

Overseas housing Housing in the Australian election

By Hal Pawson, City Futures Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney Housing loomed large in the campaign debate running up to the recent Australian federal election.

The overarching context for this is the concern provoked by declining owner-occupancy rates in a country that still thinks of itself as a homeownership nation. By UK standards, the overall downward trend has been quite modest – the past 20 years has seen owner-occupation drifting down by around 3-4 percentage points to 67%. But that conceals much faster rates of decline among young adults.

As in Britain, falling homeownership worries have been aggravated by the unexpected Covid house price boom, which has seen prices jump by 30% since 2019.

Add to that the recent spike in rent inflation greater than at any time since 2008, and it’s obvious that the pandemic significantly aggravated Australia’s longstanding housing affordability challenge.

So, in this battle that ended with the centre-left Labor Party (yes, that’s the correct spelling) regaining power after nearly a decade in opposition, what exactly were the rival housing plans pitched by the two main parties?

The main area of contest was of course homeownership. Both parties committed to expanding the existing national low-deposit mortgage scheme for first-time buyers predicated on a government guarantee enabling downpayments of 5% rather than the standard 20%.

Beyond this, Labor pledged to initiate a national shared equity programme.

Complementing existing state government schemes, and subject to applicant income and property price caps, this would see the federal government taking an equity stake of up to 30% in an existing dwelling and up to 40% in a newly built home. The model is very similar to the UK government’s Help to Buy scheme.

The prime minister further ramped up the debate by pitching a new and novel proposal. Aspirant first-time buyers would be enabled to draw on otherwise inaccessible pension (or ‘superannuation’) savings for home purchase.

Although widely criticised as inflationary, as well as inequitable, the ‘super for housing’ proposal was considered by some a political masterstroke. It also served the partisan aim of attacking the pension industry

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disliked by conservative Australians not only because of its compulsory contributions but also because some are union-linked.

While featuring comparatively minimally in election media coverage and debate, a number of other potentially significant housing commitments were aired in the contest.

These included Labor’s pledge for a national social and affordable investment program to generate 30,000 dwellings over six years.

Considering that Australia has been latterly constructing only around 3,000 social housing units annually, with the federal government making a near zero contribution, this is notable – yet also modest. Factoring in expected population growth, it’d be enough to slow, but not to reverse, the longstanding decline in social housing representation in the housing system (now only just over 4% of total occupied dwellings).

Finally, Labor’s election pitch included some significant institutional reforms which, with the party now installed in government, we can expect to take shape in coming months. These include, firstly, the creation of a National Housing Supply and Affordability Council (NHSAC), a body charged with analysing housing needs and provision.

NHSAC will sit within a new national housing agency, Housing Australia. This will absorb the former administrative roles of the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) for first-time buyer assistance schemes, as well as the housing future fund. Perhaps opening up more far-reaching possibilities for the future, Housing Australia will also take responsibility for a “National Housing and Homeless Plan”. This, it would be hoped, will cement the federal government back into an active and ambitious role in the national housing system – something unseen for more than a decade.

Until Labor can find the stomach to revisit fundamental tax reform, many of us would argue that the scope for fixing Australia’s dysfunctional housing system will remain extremely limited. At the same time, the incoming government’s program contains some housing green shoots that are still worth celebrating.

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SPOTLIGHT

In the frame

  Generations gathering Orbit Group Generations old and young have been united in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at the appropriately named Queensway Court – an extra care scheme in Leamington Spa.

 Rhythm ‘n’ bricks Guinness Partnership Glastonbury Festival owner and music legend Michael Eavis has worked with the housing association to develop affordable homes on part of his land.

 Dancing delight Redbridge Council A talent competition held in Ilford saw the Sathki Fine Arts Youth Dance Group take home the winners trophy – part of celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee.  Liverpool legend Your Housing Group After leading on the regeneration of Anfield Village, the housing provider worked with local groups to create the Ian Rush mural, to celebrate the Liverpool legend.

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SPOTLIGHT

 Good grub Abri Group Staff put on the Good Grub Club during the holidays to help improve health and wellbeing in communities.  Dancing queen Leicester City Council Seven dance groups each performed a dance routine to a medley of iconic music tracks from the seven decades of the Queen’s reign.  Tea party Weaver Vale Housing Trust Residents at independent living apartments have celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in style with tea parties and tree planting to mark the occasion.

 Community champion LiveWest Resident Barbara Seacombe has been recognised with a LiveWest Community Stars award for all her efforts, after volunteering on the estate where she’s lived for over 20 years.

If you’d like to be featured In the Frame, please email your pictures to mark.lawrence@hqnetwork.co.uk

HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE JULY 2022

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SPOTLIGHT

A life in 15 questions Lara Oyedele President Elect, Chartered Institute of Housing

1. Tell us about your career and how you ended up in your current role?

I started my housing career, after a period of rough sleeping, as a housing assistant and, later, housing officer in local authorities. I studied housing at the LSE and went on to work for a housing association, a homelessness charity and then a private housing management company, before becoming CEO of a BME housing association. I was key to establishing BMENational and setting up the website ‘Housing Rights Information for Migrants and Housing Advisors’ in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Housing.

I currently sit on the board of Housing21 and chair homelessness charity, Hope Housing.

Application is how I ended up in my current role(s). I came across the advert for CIH Vice President and thought “I’m gonna give that a go” so I applied. And to my surprise, members voted for me!

2. Describe yourself in three words?

Adventurous, compassionate and energetic. Apparently, I’m ACE!

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to-let sector. My unique selling point is that my rents will always be below the local housing allowance. Nine is not enough. I want to help more families live their lives knowing their rent is low and the tenancy is secure.

5. Describe your home?

My home is a two-bed spacious, stylish, uber-trendy apartment in a converted Victorian copper mill in the centre of Bradford. I live in a neighbourhood called Little Germany which is said to have the highest concentration of listed buildings anywhere in the UK. Bradford is also the first UNESCO City of Film and will be the City of Culture in 2025.

6. What makes you angry?

Homelessness, poverty and cruelty.

Humankind’s inhuman treatment of others.

7. Most treasured possession?

My home.

3. Favourite place on earth?

Wherever my CD collection lies. I’ve travelled a lot, and lived and studied in a number of countries.

8. Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Don’t put all that money into one expensive property. Spread it around.

Be kind and everything else will fall into place.

4. What would you change about yourself?

I’d have perfect eyesight and no need for glasses nor contact lenses.

I’d be able to sing. I’m tone deaf and am called to sing only when the room needs to be cleared and the staff need to start putting away the furniture.

Ironically, I love music. I make up for my lack of musical ability by being an enthusiastically noisy DJ. I’m available for birthday parties, staff dos and all kinds of house parties.

9. If you won £1m on the Lottery, what would you spend it on?

I’d spend the entire sum on purchasing more affordable homes to rent. I already have a small property portfolio. I’m landlady to nine families who are paying below market rent.

I’m keen to be part of the solution to the current housing crisis and not just talk about affordable housing.

I’m combining the social and ethical practices from the social housing sector with the flexibility of the buy-

HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE JULY 2022

10. Biggest achievement?

Becoming Vice President (and soon to be President) of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Recovering from depression after being sacked.

I consider my entire life a big achievement. I had a rather traumatic childhood and never imagined I would’ve been to the places I’ve been or have done the things I’ve done. I’m grateful to just be healthy and alive.

11. Biggest regret?

I’ve no regrets. I’ve experienced a number of unfortunate events that were beyond my control. What’s important is that I didn’t become paralysed by indecision or fear. I don’t live in the past. I get on with today and plan for tomorrow.

12. Most overused phrase?

Excellent! I want people to be excellent. I aspire to excellence. I admire excellence. And it has a lot more personality than ‘ok’.

13. Recommend a book?

The Anti-Racist Organization Shereen Daniels.

by

14. The best piece of television in the last 12 months?

Eastenders, always and forever! I also really enjoyed the first series of BBC drama The Outlaws. I cannot believe they managed to get Christopher Walken to do a BBC Television drama.

15. Tell us a secret about yourself?

I can’t. It’s a secret!!!!!!

Virtual and live conference

The HQN annual conference 2022: Past, present and future Tuesday 12 July – Virtual Thursday 14 July – Virtual Wednesday 20 July – The View, London WC2A 3PE Free to HQN members* Key speakers: •

Alistair McIntosh, Chief Executive, HQN

•

Lord John Bird, Founder of The Big Issue, crossbench peer and sponsor of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill

•

Kwajo Tweneboa, social housing tenant and housing campaigner

•

Lara Oyedele, President Elect, Chartered Institute of Housing

•

Alison Inman, Board member, The Housing Diversity Network and Tpas England

•

Jo Causon, Chief Executive, Institute of Customer Service

•

Richard Blakeway, The Housing Ombudsman

•

Kate Dodsworth, Director of Consumer Regulation, Regulator of Social Housing

•

Sarah Mallagh, BSR Policy Lead, The Health and Safety Executive

•

Liz Bisset, Member of the Committee on Fuel Poverty

To book your place visit hqnetwork.co.uk/hqnevents

Celebrating 25 years of HQN *Conditions apply

SPOTLIGHT

A day in the life of...

Nathan Butler Retrofit Customer Engagement Coordinator Thirteen

Employee since: June 2021 Location, location, location: Hartlepool and Stockton Previous employment: Thirteen’s Employability Service

8:30 Check in I start the working day from home, so once I’ve quickly checked my emails and taken a look ahead through my schedule, I’ll gather my notes ready for a morning on site.

9:00 On the road again It’s a privilege to be a part of the environmental team and to be doing a completely new job role. Making a positive impact on the environment is something I’m so passionate about. I’ve got a number of appointments lined up with customers, who are a part of our first large-scale retrofit project. I make a short journey to pick up an electric pool car from Thirteen’s recycling centre, to reduce my carbon footprint. The cars are charged by the solar photovoltaic panels on the centre.

9:30

Education, education, education I have four pre-booked appointments. Helping customers prepare for retrofit investment work which will improve the energy efficiency of their home is exciting.

Education is a vital part of my role, so I’ve taken some time to update my skills because I want to support our customers and be able to answer any questions.

12:30

Collaborative working After a refreshment break, I meet one of our surveyors on site. I’ve got to know customers well and I’ve built up a good relationship with them, so I stay on site to support the surveyors and ensure that their appointments run as smoothly as possible.

13:30

Visibility is key I drop by to see a couple of customers who I’ve not managed to speak to recently.

Spending time on site is really important. There are many questions to be asked because retrofit work is unknown, so it’s inevitable that customers have lots of questions.

14:30

Cuppa and a chat I’ve got a meeting to join, so I head back to the recycling centre, where I can use our agile working facilities and make myself a cuppa!

15:00

Getting out into the community It’s time to check in with a colleague to make sure all of the arrangements are in place for a community project I’m helping with later in the week. We’re getting as many people My perfect day as we can involved in creating greener, cleaner neighbourhoods. We use it as an opportunity to educate customers and colleagues on the environmental My perfect day would be benefits of increasing biodiversity – it’s also great for everyone’s wellbeing! spent white-water kayaking in the Pennines, Dales or on one of our Can never escape the admin stunning areas of coastline. My family It’s nice to see a few familiar faces at the recycling centre, so I stop for are super supportive of my pastimes and a chat, before catching up on some admin from the earlier site visits. I often come along for the adventure. After update all customer records, respond to emails and prepare for another I’ve had my fix on the water we all head busy day ahead tomorrow. out to explore the outdoors, stopping for a picnic and a flask of tea before Home time heading home for a film and a I take a short journey home and reflect on a successful day. I’m proud to be well-earned rest. a part of a team creating sustainable homes which are fit for the future and, importantly, that are right for our customers.

16:00

16:30

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Your people are your most important asset – make sure you’re investing in them HQN has an outstanding track record of helping organisations achieve real and lasting performance improvements. Ensuring your staff have access to relevant, timely training is vital in the sector’s ever-changing landscape. With over 200 different topics covered, we have you and your organisation’s interests at heart.

Our outstanding team of training professionals deliver the highest quality training sessions:

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Sign up to our public training, which covers a range of key issues – from technical ones to soft skills

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For more information, please contact training@hqnetwork.co.uk, call 01904 557150 or visit www.hqnetwork.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT

Fact or fiction: Mark the date If you’ve been reading this issue fairly carefully, you’ll have learned that HQN is 25 years old this year. Thusly, this month’s fact or fiction explores the anniversary theme – but, in a special twist, this time you’re presented with four falsehoods and one truth. Can you root out the deception?

According to early planet guide the Bible, the earth is roughly 6,000 years old. Things sound ripe for a global anniversary celebrating six millennia of peace, justice and allround goodness, then, don’t they?

Well, despite the opportunity for parties in virtually every space inhabited by humans (and the prospect of vast sales) it seems little is being done to mark(et) the event.

Maybe because it’s already been and gone!

On 22 October 2004, scientists gathered at the Geological Society of London for a booze-up in honour of James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh, who cleverly calculated the precise moment of creation as Saturday 22 October, 4004 BC, at 6pm.

It seems they didn’t invite anyone else.

2. Take a seat According to the International Chair Committee, the humble chair will be 4,000 years old in January 2024.

But surely the human habit of sitting has been around as long as humans have felt the need to demobilise from a standing position?

Not so, says the ICC. According to the committee’s website, the humble chair as we know it wasn’t officially recognised as such until Plato codified its properties in his philosophical text Meditations on Chairness.

Whatever the truth of the matter, the ICC plans to mark the anniversary with seating events at a string of global ‘chair centres’.

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3. Watch this Loved by some, loathed by others, the BBC will be 400 years old this autumn.

Created by revered royal upstart St Prince Cuthbert III in 1622, the now vast institution began by running playwright-of-the-moment William Shakespeare’s latest works at its various sites across England, such as London’s Wood Lane Staging Centre and Birmingham’s Pebble Mill Playhouse.

In those days, the license fee was a mere bob-florin which entitled the licensee a year’s access to all the plays they could wish for.

Despite the lack of modern broadcasting technology that the Beeb would one day adopt, the nascent organisation had its enemies even then. King’s Maelstrom, Sir Henry Droit, vilified the corporation as a “confederacy of most dissolute foulness and plunder” and tried to have it shut down.

4. How inventive Next year – 25 March, to be exact – marks the 150th anniversary of English polymath Monty Clement, one of the greatest minds you’ve probably never heard of.

In a life of breath-taking

achievement, the son of Devonshire turkey farmers conceived early plans for helicopters, radios, fax machines, fairy lights, central heating and barcodes.

Oxford don, champion kayaker, expert plasterer and flutist, Clement penned over 3,000 books, covering subjects as diverse as rodent hygiene and coping with disappointment.

However, a deep shyness plus the animus of a jealous and suspicious contemporary intelligentsia led to his works and accomplishments disappearing into obscurity – which is why the Royal Academic Union plans to celebrate his 150th and, in the process, hopefully win him back the credit they feel he richly deserves.

5. Name that home HQN’s 25th, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee… 2022 is proving to be a year of significant anniversaries – and none less so than the 1000th birthday of the house!

Humankind’s progress in the dwellings department has been slow but impressive: cave > shack > shed > and so on, all the way up to the likes of mansion, lighthouse and condo. But the first officially recognised ‘house’ as we understand the construct was completed in 1022 in Clacton, Essex.

The two-story residence was the first such development to feature back and front doors, windows, a kitchen/ diner, cat flap, airing cupboard, skirting boards, dado rails and serving hatch – all components which were originally required to qualify a home as a ‘house’ in the Domun Tractus Adventum, published by the Queen’s Counsel every quarter.

Fact: 1. Rock on

1. Rock on

HQN events – where policy meets practice Every year thousands of delegates attend our events to hear from a range of top speakers about the latest policy developments and best practice in the housing sector and beyond.

Upcoming events in July and August 2022 12, 14 and 20 July 2022 The HQN annual conference 2022: Past, present and future Our annual conference is one of the highlights of the housing calendar and this year promises to be extra special as we will be celebrating HQN’s 25th anniversary.

21 July 2022 Communicating with leaseholders – Where are we going wrong?

What must we do to improve?

21 July 2022 The legal remedies for dealing with domestic abuse – a masterclass workshop for social housing providers

26 July 2022 Managing disrepair – claim or no-claim

2 August 2022 GDPR in practice

8 August 2022 Workloads, performance and expectations

9 August 2022 Domestic homicide reviews – what are the lessons for housing?

9 August 2022 Gas safety masterclass – the latest information on compliance and best practice

18 August 2022 Estate services club annual conference 2022

25 August 2022 Right of Access – a practical guide to Subject Access Requests (SARs)

To see the full list of upcoming events and to book your place visit hqnetwork.co.uk/hqnevents

SPOTLIGHT

The last word Lessons to be learned from CIPFA’s work with the HRA ring-fence

By Nicole Balkman, Business Advisory and Consultancy, CIPFA

“Maintaining the integrity of the HRA ring-fence is a legal requirement.

Decisions and practices that undermine its integrity run the risk of being unlawful, as well as being detrimental to HRA tenants”

Recent issues regarding the integrity of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) ringfence have attracted significant attention, even at the highest levels in Whitehall.

CIPFA has been supporting local housing authorities to examine their compliance with the rules – our work shows lessons need to be learnt.

Maintaining the integrity of the HRA ring-fence is a legal requirement. Decisions and practices that undermine its integrity run the risk of being unlawful, as well as being detrimental to HRA tenants. Originally, the ring-fence was introduced to stop councils subsidising tenants, but the intense financial challenges of the last decade have led to concerns that the HRA is seen as a way of easing pressures on the general fund.

HRA rules and regulations haven’t changed since its inception. To further support authorities, the ‘Operation of the Housing Revenue Account ring-fence’ guidance document was published in 2020. It covers core, core plus and non-core services, but it’s open to interpretation. It must also be recognised that services provided to tenants vary from one local housing authority to another, and guidance cannot apply to all circumstances.

One key distinction that should be made is whether a service is being provided to an individual as an HRA tenant, with the council acting as landlord, or as a resident. If it’s the former, a charge to the HRA is appropriate. If it’s a service being provided to residents or council taxpayers irrespective of tenure, then a charge to the HRA isn’t suitable.

In some cases, CIPFA has seen a lack of clarity when it comes to the application of this, and some tenants have ended up being overcharged. There may be examples where an additional level of service is provided to tenants only, and the additional cost can be charged to the HRA – but this needs to be justified and evidenced.

Not only should all charges to the HRA be compliant with the law and guidance, they should also be: • Equitable • Justifiable • Transparent • Evidenced (supported by SLAs and with a clear and current basis of calculation).

Councils need to consider whether the HRA should be reimbursed for any nonHRA activities that are undertaken, if costs have initially been charged to the HRA. This might include HRA-funded staff working on general fund housing activities.

The council’s responsibility to ensure the integrity of the ring-fence doesn’t end when HRA funds are paid to service providers, such as arm’s length management organisations (ALMOs). ALMOs and other service providers should be able to prove that HRA funds entrusted to them have been spent only on HRA activities.

HRA funds shouldn’t be used to subsidise any non-HRA activities they take on.

Councils should also ensure members and officers are aware of the HRA ringfence and that before any decisions are made, the impact on the HRA is fully considered. Additionally, challenges to current or proposed treatment should be taken seriously by councils.

CIPFA recognises that social housing is a key service, so good financial management is essential to maintaining integrity, stability and value for money.

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Create a package by adding one of our specialist networks. These are just a selection of the topics covered: Asset Management Network • Responsive repairs and voids • Asset management strategy • Procurement

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