Agenda item

A report of the Director of Communities, providing background information on the inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing, and an update on the current improvement plan process.

Members scrutinised a report of the Director of Communities, that provided background on the inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing, and an update on the current improvement plan process.

It was reported that the Council owned almost 2,100 homes within the Borough. These properties were not directly managed by the Council, with management functions delivered under four separate sets of contractual arrangements:
a. PFI 2 – Oldham Retirement Housing Partnership (Housing 21). A 30-year contract covering 1429 homes for older people, including Extra Care accommodation.

b. PFI 4 – Inspiral Partnership (Great Places and Wates) – 25-year contract for 615 general needs homes.

c. Primrose Bank – a non-PFI arrangement covering 18 homes managed under an agreement with Great Places.

d. Holly Bank – a non-PFI arrangement, covering the management of a 20 flat adults’ scheme, with care provision by MioCare

While the Council does not directly manage these properties, its legal status as landlord for these homes meant that it was responsible for compliance with statutory obligations, including under the Social Housing Regulation Act (2023). During 2025, the Council was subject to an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing, to determine compliance with the new mandatory Consumer Standards introduced in April 2024. These standards comprise of:
1. Safety and Quality.

2. Transparency, Influence and Accountability.

3. Neighbourhood and Community.

4. Tenancy.

The Council received a grade of C3, indicating that the Regulator had identified “serious failings” in delivery of the Consumer Standards outcomes, and a need for significant improvement. Key areas of the judgement included: a lack of evidence that information around the delivery of the consumer standard outcomes that is reported to or considered by senior officers or Councillors; a general theme relating to the lack of sufficient assurance and verification of outcomes reported by providers; Particular failings relating to the Safety and Quality standard; Particular failings in relation to the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard; and some weaknesses in the approach around the Tenancy Standard and Neighbourhood and Community Standard.

The Council subsequently, in consultation with the Housing Regulator, developed an improvement plan process. The first meeting thereon, with the Regulator, was scheduled for 5^th February 2027 and to be held monthly thereafter. Following this engagement, a draft improvement plan was produced. This has subsequently gone through a series of iterations, to ensure that it was sufficiently robust, and had recently received approval from the Regulator. Engagement with the providers on the key elements of this plan was, thus far, positive and a number of improvements were already under way.

Consultation had recently concluded on a service redesign, which will ensure the provision of additional staffing for the Service, in order to ensure that there will be sufficient capacity to both deal with the day-to-day contract management of the properties owned by the Council, while also ensuring compliance with the Consumer Standards, and readiness for future inspections.

A new Consumer Standards Improvement Board is being established, with the first meeting scheduled for late October 2026. The Improvement Board will include tenant representation and have responsibility for signing off each action as complete, at the appropriate time.

Members of the Scrutiny Board discussed the report in some detail, requesting that the Director of Communities forward a copy of the full Regulator of Social Housing’s report to members of the Scrutiny Board for information. Members also requested that the Director of Communities be requested to present a comprehensive report to the Scrutiny Board’s meeting, scheduled to be held on 21^st January 2027, detailing actions being taken to address the items that were identified as requiring attention by the Housing Regulator in the Improvement Plan. Members of the Scrutiny Board also requested that a report on the wider provision of Housing Services, in the Borough be presented to a future meeting of the Scrutiny Board.

Resolved:

1.    That the report of the Director of Community Services be noted.

2.    That the Director of Communities be requested to forward a copy of the full Regulator of Social Housing’s report to members of the Place, Economic Growth and Environment Scrutiny Board.

3.    That the Director of Communities be requested to present a comprehensive report to the Scrutiny Board’s meeting, scheduled to be held on 21^st January 2027, detailing actions being taken to address the items that were identified as requiring attention by the Housing Regulator in the Improvement Plan.

4.    That the Director of Communities be requested to present a report, detailing the provision of Housing Services in the Borough, to a future meeting of this Scrutiny Board.