Regulator criticises Wiltshire local authority for failures relating to fire safety, damp and mould
Swindon Borough Council has received a low C3 grading for consumer standards from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
The grading means the local authority, which manages 10,000 homes, has serious failings and needs to improve.
RSH reported that the local authority was unable to report accurately on the presence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and could not track or monitor faults from electrical safety checks.
It said the landlord has more than 800 overdue fire safety actions, the majority of which were overdue by more than a year.
It was also found not to be actively tracking, monitoring, or reporting open damp and mould cases, though there was evidence that reports are followed up effectively.
RSH also said the council was unable to demonstrate how tenants’ views have been considered in its decision making, with no evidence of actively encouraging participation from under-represented groups.
Janine Howarth, cabinet member for housing at Swindon Borough Council, said: “We fully accept this judgement and the regulator’s grading of our housing services. It makes clear that we are falling short on our responsibility to consistently deliver a decent standard of housing and comply with national standards that came into force in April 2024.
“Having met with hundreds of tenants and leaseholders since taking on cabinet member responsibility for housing services in May 2023, it quickly became clear that some areas of our housing services were not at the level our tenants should expect.”
The council referred itself to the RSH last September, after it commissioned a review of its services.
Last September, the council began a four-year £10.5m upgrade programme to fit new alarms that detect heat, smoke and carbon monoxide in council homes.
It also approved a £250m five-year programme of maintenance and major refurbishment work on council homes in March this year, a 78% increase in planned investment from the previous five years.
>>See also: Three councils handed low ‘C3’ ratings for consumer regulation
The regulatory judgement was one of several published today.
Housing 21, Torus62 and Sovereign Network Group (SNG) received compliant C2/G1 gradings following inspections.
All three housing associations also met the viability requirements. Housing 21 and Torus62 retained V1 gradings, while SNG retained its V2 rating.
RSH also published interim G1/V1 gradings for Bromford Flagship, after Flagship Housing Group became a subsidiary of Bromford Housing Group in February this year.
Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at RSH, said: “We take health and safety very seriously and expect all landlords to make sure tenants are not at risk in their homes.
“We also want to see better data management from landlords, to demonstrate they understand their homes and tenants. Self-referrals are a good indicator that a landlord not only understands our requirements, but that they are taking accountability.
“Lastly, our scrutiny of housing associations’ governance and viability remains vital for delivering more and better homes for tenants.”
Latest regulatory judgements
| Provider | Consumer grade | Governance grade | Viability grade | Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromford Flagship | Not assessed yet | G1 (Interim Grading) | V1 (Interim Grading) | Merger Activity |
| Housing 21 | C2 | G1 | V1 | Inspection |
| Torus62 | C2 | G1 | V1 | Inspection |
| Sovereign Network Group | C2 | G1 | V2 | Inspection |
| Swindon Borough Council | C3 | - | - | Inspection |
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