Council takes action after discovering failings in social housing standards

12 November 2024

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is taking immediate steps to address the performance failings of Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) after identifying that some of its housing is not meeting strict national quality and safety standards.

The Council recently referred itself to the Regulator of Social Housing following a review process identifying that NPH may not be managing and maintaining some homes in line with these national quality and safety standards, which is likely to include a lack of safety inspections being carried out at some properties.

WNC has also this week written to all tenants of the 11,500 homes it owns to update them on the issues but has stressed that the majority of NPH properties are not affected as they meet the standards and have the appropriate safety checks in place.

Immediate action is under way to address the issues, with NPH prioritising safety concerns, including carrying out essential safety checks such as fire risk assessments for properties with a communal space. Tenants whose properties are affected by these issues will be contacted directly by NPH to discuss and resolve the issues. Although specific dates are not yet set to complete the work, tenants have been assured that work is already under way and they will be contacted before the end of December. The Council is working closely with NPH and to a shared plan of action that is reviewed weekly to ensure progress is made.

“We know that tenants will be concerned by this news but please be assured that we are doing everything possible to address the issues.

“Having discovered the performance failings within NPH, which began emerging as stock condition surveys were done, and that they may not be managing and maintaining some of our homes in line with the national quality and safety standards, we took immediate action, providing extra support to NPH and referring the issues to the Regulator of Social Housing. Our top priority is to ensure they have carried out all the necessary safety checks and assured us of compliance to national standards. We are also supporting them in addressing their record-keeping issues, so that accurate and timely information can be provided to tenants about their properties in future and to avoid this happening again.

“Everyone deserves safe, high-quality housing and we recognise that this is not being delivered to some of our tenants. This is simply not good enough and we are sorry that standards have fallen short of what the Council and tenants should expect. We are now waiting to hear the formal outcome of the Regulator’s investigation and once we do will be open and transparent about their judgement and what is being done to resolve this.”Cllr Adam Brown, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council

NPH is an arms-length management organisation (ALMO) that manages WNC’s social housing stock in Northampton consisting of approximately 11,500 homes. NPH was first set up in 2015 by the former Northampton Borough Council for an initial period of 15 years and is responsible for repairs and maintenance, housing development, and housing management, including dealing with anti-social behaviour, tenancy support, tenant involvement, and Ecton Lane Park traveller site.

These recent changes mean the Council has a greater responsibility for the standards of its housing stock and is required to have a higher level of assurance on compliance with the standards, even when those homes are managed by a separate organisation like NPH.

The Regulator oversees social housing landlords nationally to ensure that properties meet acceptable standards of quality and safety. Changes to these “Consumer Standards” were set in law in April 2024, resulting in a higher level of standard now being in place.

The Regulator's investigation focuses on five key areas managed by NPH on behalf of the Council: the condition of homes, record-keeping, health and safety, repairs, and maintenance. The Council and NPH have worked closely with the Regulator, providing full access to records and being transparent about performance failings. The Council is expecting to receive the Regulator’s findings in late November or early December and that significant failings will be found relating to quality and safety standards.

WNC has taken immediate steps to address the issues, with NPH prioritising safety-related inspections and repairs. To gain better control and visibility around how NPH is acting to deal with these issues, the Council has placed two additional senior directors into the organisation to work closely with the NPH management team and ensure completion of the priority action plan, as well as to put in place longer-term improvements agreed with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). The NPH board has also been joined by two housing experts who have experience in the management of Social Housing stock and recovery plans.

WNC has already began to address these issues and a Housing Compliance Working Group has been established to swiftly monitor and resolve safety concerns. Additionally, NPH has outsourced fire risk assessments to external providers to tackle the compliance gap. To address broader performance concerns, the Council has also commissioned an independent review, which highlighted the need for improvements in NPH’s fire risk assessment procedures.

Plans to address housing delivery in West Northamptonshire have also been shared, including new development initiatives aimed at providing quality housing for residents. WNC is taking forward the management of larger housing development projects, a shift that will streamline processes and strengthen alignment with WNC’s strategic housing goals.

A full performance report will be discussed by WNC’s Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday 19 November.

Q&As

West Northamptonshire Council has written to NPH tenants to make them aware that some of its homes may not be meeting stringent national quality and safety standards for social housing and to let them know about the action being taken to address this.

Having identified potentially significant failings in the way some of its homes are being managed and maintained by Northamptonshire Partnership Homes on its behalf, the Council as the accountable social landlord has recently referred itself to the Regulator of Social Housing for further investigation.

Who is Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH)?  

Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) is the arms-length management organisation (ALMO) that manages West Northamptonshire Council's social housing stock of approximately 11,400 homes. NPH was first set up in 2015 by the former Northampton Borough Council for an initial period of 15 years and is responsible for repairs and maintenance, housing development, housing management, including dealing with anti-social behaviour, tenancy support and tenant involvement and Ecton Lane Park traveller site. 

Who is the Regulator of Social Housing and why has the Council referred itself?

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) oversees social housing landlords nationally to ensure that properties meet acceptable standards of quality and safety, which include essential checks such as regular electrical and gas inspections and carbon monoxide alarms. Changes to these

“Consumer Standards” were set in law in April 2024, resulting in a higher level of standard now being in place.

These recent changes mean the Council has a greater responsibility for the standards of its housing stock and is required to have a higher level of assurance on compliance with the standards, even when those homes are managed by a separate organisation like NPH. The Council referred itself to the Regulator after discovering that NPH may not be managing and maintaining our council-owned homes in a way that currently meets these national quality and safety standards across all its properties.

The Regulator has the authority to investigate and hold us accountable. We are currently awaiting an outcome from the Regulator’s investigation. For more information about RSH, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/regulatory-standards-for-landlords

What are the National Standards for Social Homes? 

On 1 April 2024, RSH introduced new consumer standards for social housing landlords, designed to drive long-term improvements in the sector. It also began a programme of landlord inspections. The changes are a result of the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023.  The standards address specific requirements around the quality of homes, the decency of homes against national standards; Health and safety; repairs, maintenance and adaptions; and the reasonable steps that must be taken against each to ensure we provide well maintained, safe homes. More detailed information can be found at: Regulatory standards for landlords - GOV.UK  

What is the Regulator investigating, and what does it involve? 

The Regulator's investigation focuses on five key areas managed by NPH on behalf of the Council: the condition of homes, record-keeping, health and safety, repairs, and maintenance. The Council and NPH worked closely with the Regulator, providing full access to records and being transparent about performance failings. 

 When will we know the outcome of the investigation? 

Following its self-referral, the Council has been regularly meeting with the Regulator for Social Housing to discuss these issues and they have recognised the swift and proactive action being taken towards resolving them. The Council is expecting to receive the Regulator’s findings in late November or early December. The Council is expecting that significant failings will be found relating to quality and safety standards.

Does my home need an inspection or safety works? 

It's important to understand that these issues do not affect all properties. While the majority of homes have had appropriate checks and work done to address any standards issues, it is clear now that in some properties that is not the case. As the responsible body, the Council is not willing to accept that and we will be taking actions to address the concerns identified and to assure ourselves that all properties meet or have a plan to meet the required standards.

The first and foremost priority is for NPH to address any safety concerns, including completing essential safety checks such as electrical testing and gas safety inspections. We are also working with them to support them in rectifying their record-keeping issues, so that accurate and timely information can be provided about your property in future.

If your home requires inspection or maintenance, you will be contacted by NPH. As they work through the outstanding surveys and repairs, plans will be put in place for individual properties or blocks. If any work requires temporary relocation, NPH will communicate directly with affected residents. If you do not hear from NPH then we currently have no specific concern about your property. We will however be checking all property maintenance and safety information as a matter of course.

If you believe your home is unsafe, please contact NPH on 0300 330 7003. If you have already registered an issue and been told works will be completed, then we will ensure this is done within a reasonable timescale and you don’t need to tell us again.

 What is the Council doing to put things right? 

We have taken immediate steps to address the issues, with NPH prioritising safety-related inspections and repairs. The Council is also working with NPH to support them in rectifying their record-keeping issues, so that accurate and timely information can be provided about your property.  To gain better control and visibility around how NPH is acting to deal with these issues, the Council has placed two additional directors into the organisation to work closely with its management team on completing a priority action plan, as well as to put in place longer-term improvements agreed with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) to resolve the issues. We have also had agreement to put two very experienced housing professionals on the board of NPH. These actions will ensure ownership and focus on the key priorities.

 How long will the improvement works take? 

The next 12 months will prioritise critical safety inspections, repairs, and improvements. While some larger, more complex programmes may take longer to complete, both the Council and NPH are committed to keeping residents informed about plans and progress. Our goal is to reduce any safety risks and improve the overall condition of our homes. 

 When will you share more information about the work being done in my home, and how will I be contacted?

We will provide regular updates on the progress of improvements and scheduled works. Communication will be made via email, text, and letters, and updates will also be available on the NPH website. We are also prioritising housing forums and tenant meetings to give residents opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback. 

 Will there be opportunities for residents to voice concerns and provide feedback? 

Yes, we are committed to ensuring residents can share their concerns and feedback. An engagement plan is being developed to outline how residents can get involved. In the meantime, please continue to raise repairs with NPH through your tenant portal. If, however you have any immediate concerns about the safety of your property, please contact NPH by calling 0300 330 7003.