Industry News


Sanctuary reviews 4,000 homes at direction of the Ombudsman


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anctuary has undertaken a review of nearly 4,000 homes following a wider order from the Housing Ombudsman. Te order for


an independent review of policy and practice was made aſter the Ombudsman made two severe maladministration findings for similar issues handling leaks, damp and mould. Te landlord commissioned a high-level review,


independent of its repairs or complaints teams and the Ombudsman, which focused on repairs, record keeping and responding to vulnerabilities. Te Ombudsman’s ability to make these wider orders under 54(f) of its Scheme was introduced following the Social Housing (Regulation) Act. Te review into the 4,000 cases found that there


were potentially 236 impacted homes “where there is limited evidence that roofing works were carried out in an efficient and timely manner”. Where there was limited evidence that the


repairs were completed, those residents were contacted by the landlord to see if there are any outstanding issues. If works have not been completed, they are being progressed as a matter of urgency. Te landlord will also apologise to any resident where works have not been completed as they should have been. Te landlord also conducted workshops with


residents to seek improvements and work on the feedback given. In the two cases that led to this wider order, the residents faced significant distress and inconvenience chasing and waiting for their roof repairs to be resolved, with communication issues rife throughout.


REPAIRS Te independent review found that repairs were not always completed within timescales, there were multiple repeated contacts and follow up repairs, and lower levels of satisfaction when contractors were used. Te landlord has changed its approach to


contractor management, providing closer oversight of the quality of repairs and value for money delivered. Tis has resulted in a full review of the cancellation and rebooking process, repairs surveys and inspection process. Residents told the landlord it wanted faster


repairs, better communication, more ‘right first time’ jobs completed, and clarity around which repairs were landlord and which repairs were resident responsibility. To improve repairs delays and escalations the


landlord says it will introduce a root cause analysis process to better underpin service improvement plans, roll out predictive analytics to identify more proactively homes at risk of damp and mould and enhance data management and reporting to deliver improved end-to-end repairs journey.


RECORD KEEPING Te cases showed there is a risk that repairs are closed without being completed and the use of off-line systems increased the risk of data gaps. In some cases there was also over-reliance on spreadsheets, which has now been eradicated with the introduction of new systems to record and manage major repairs. For damp and mould cases specifically, the


landlord has introduced a damp and mould performance dashboard to give visibility of open repairs and complaints. Te landlord’s Executive Committee receives a weekly report of cases and the Group Board receive a report at every meeting. It is also using data to identify ‘hot’ and ‘cold’


properties, resulting in visits to proactively engage with customers who have reported multiple issues, or visits where the landlord has not heard from a customer for two years. To improve its overall complaint handling,


the independent review recommended the landlord improve learning from complaints through live complaints information, equip


leaders more to listen and act on resident voice, broaden guidance in relation to reasonable adjustments and to strengthen its application of the compensation procedure. To improve record keeping, the landlord says


it will roll out a new technology transformation system, delivering enhanced data management, analysis and reporting. It will also move information on damp and mould onto an integrated online system and continue rolling out its ‘customer census’ to increase the coverage, range, and quality of data held.


VULNERABILITIES Te independent review looked at whether repairs and escalations considered the resident’s vulnerabilities. It also examined how resident vulnerabilities are recorded. Te landlord identified various risk factors on several themes such as health and wellbeing and tenancy, looking at short term health conditions, care leavers and those who have fled domestic abuse. Te review found that the inspections team


are not provided with adequate training to sufficiently understand wellbeing, vulnerability, and empathy. Tis has potentially led to wellbeing or vulnerability concerns not being identified when carrying out an inspection. It also found that the new complaints team


structure has meant that training has not matched the skills these specialists need, meaning there is a skills gap. Additionally, there appears to be a lack of consistent training received by frontline staff which enables them to confidently discuss initial complaints and respond appropriately. To improve on capturing individual


circumstances, the landlord says it will develop and implement of revised vulnerability policy, expand its ‘Tink Customer’ and vulnerability training programme across the organisation and implement a new Customer Relationship Management system.


CIH welcomes Welsh Government rent settlement announcement


Cabinet secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning, Julie James MS, has announced the decision to extend the Welsh Government’s rent and service charge standard to the end of March 2026. Housing associations and stock holding local


authorities will be able to determine their own rent increases for tenants in 2025/26, subject to


September’s consumer price index (CPI) falling between 0% and 3%. Tese increases will be subject to the formula and guidance set out in the rent standard. If CPI falls outside the range of 0% to 3%, Welsh ministers will determine the appropriate change to rent levels to be applied for the year. Matt Dicks, national director at CIH Cymru said: “We welcome the decision to extend the rent and service charge standard to 2026 and the ministers ongoing focus on ensuring that the right balance is struck between affordability of rent and ensuring that housing organisations can invest in new homes, retrofit exiting homes, and provide an excellent service to their tenants.” “Te rent settlement is not a target, but a ceiling in which social landlords can work with to strike


14 | HMMJune/July 2024 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


this balance. Te decision will provide the sector with stability and certainty, enabling housing associations and stock holding local authorities to set rents at a level that are fair and affordable for their tenants.” “We must also acknowledge that the impacts of


the cost-of-living crisis are still being felt by many tenants and housing organisations are ready to work with tenants to address any financial hardships they are facing. CIH Cymru will continue to collaborate with the minister and the wider sector to ensure that future rent settlement and rent polices continue to balance affordability with the goal of reaching our shared ambition of providing good, sustainable and warm homes for everyone living in social housing in Wales.”


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