North east London housing association downgraded by RSH

A small housing association in north east London has been downgraded by the Regulator of Social Housing.

North London Muslim Housing Association (NLM), which manages 1,000 homes in five local authority areas in the capital, was handed G3 and C3 governance and consumer gradings.

It came after a planned inspection found serious regulatory concerns, with the housing association unable to provide evidence that it had ensured its governance arrangements were aligned with the activities and risks of the organisation.

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) found that weaknesses in performance reporting had meant that the board had been unable to monitor the delivery of the organisation’s strategic objectives.

It said that significant improvements were also needed to its risk, control and assurance approach. 

The RSH also found serious failings in its delivery of its health and safety responsibilities. NLM initially failed to register all its high-rise buildings with the Building Safety Regulator.

It also found that NLM had failed to meet legal obligations to conduct asbestos surveys in the communal areas of buildings.

Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at RSH, said: “We are continuing to engage intensively with NLM to ensure sufficient progress is made, including strengthening both their governance arrangements and the board’s oversight of risk.  

“Governance issues are also often the root cause of problems in delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and any risks to tenants are properly managed and mitigated. 

“Our proactive inspections are continuing to bring important issues to light and this is vital for improving social housing in the long-term.” 

The regulator said NLM was engaging constructively to make necessary changes.

The provider still received a V2 viability grading, meaning it has the financial capacity to deal with a range of negative situations.

Housing Today has contacted NLM for comment.