The Regulator for Social Housing (RSH) has issued a letter to
local authority Chief Executives to remind councils of their
obligations under the Regulator's consumer standards, particularly
with respect to the Home Standard expectations on health and
safety.
The RSH letter, dated 17 May 2019, has
been issued following Regulatory Notices issued by the RSH to two
local authorities in respect of failures to comply with the Home
Standard (part of the regulator's Consumer Standards) and specifically a
range of health & safety requirements.
In the most recent Regulatory Notice issued to Gateshead Metropolitan
Borough Council in April 2019, the RSH concluded that
the council did not have an effective system in place to allow it
(through its Almo - The Gateshead Housing Company) to meet its
statutory health and safety responsibilities.
In the letter, the RSH reminds housing stock owning local
authorities that they must meet the requirements of the Home
Standard to "meet all applicable statutory requirements that
provide for the health and safety of occupants in their homes" and
that they must have proper oversight of all health and safety
issues including gas safety, fire safety, asbestos and
legionella.
The RSH letter reminds local authorities that their obligations
under the Home Standard remain with the local authority where it is
the stock-owning body, even if the management has been contracted
to another body such as an Almo.
The RSH suggests that local authority Chief Executives should
seek their own assurances that their authority is complying with
the Consumer Standards and bring the RSH's letter to the attention
of elected members.
ARCH Chief Executive John Bibby comments:
"Although the Regulator's latest regulatory judgement on a local
authority was one in which the housing stock was managed by an Almo
(arms-length management company) the Regulator's letter must serve
as a shot across the bows for all stock retained councils and a
sign of a much tougher regulatory regime likely to follow the
Grenfell Tower tragedy and the publication of the Social Housing Green Paper".