Regulator unearths “very serious failings” at Castle Point Borough Council

The judgement is a downgrade from the C3 grading which was published in September after regulatory engagement identified a failure by Castle Point Borough Council to collect and report Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM).

During an inspection, the Regulator of Social Housing found that Castle Point Borough Council: 

*could not demonstrate that it’s effectively managing and mitigating fire safety risks in its homes 

*had not yet taken remedial action to address issues with TSM reporting, with no opportunities for tenants to influence and scrutinise its strategies, policies and services  

*had surveyed less than 1% of its 1,500 homes in the last five years, meaning that there are “significant gaps” in the information it holds on the condition of its homes 

*did not have an up-to-date electrical condition test for over 40% of communal areas in its dwellings

Castle Point Borough Council failed to self-refer over any of these issues and, although it has indicated a willingness to address these serious failings, there isn’t sufficient evidence to suggest that it understands the potential risks to tenants and of its ability to put matters right and ensure tenants are safe.

Extremely concerning

Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at the Regulator of Social Housing, explained: “The breadth and seriousness of the issues that we found are extremely concerning. Castle Point Borough Council must act promptly and make significant changes.”  

Dodsworth continued: “Castle Point Borough Council must urgently ensure that risks posed to tenants’ safety are managed and mitigated. It must develop a detailed improvement plan and share this with tenants to give them the opportunity to scrutinise and influence the proposals. We will continue to engage intensively with officials as the Borough Council works to put matters right.”

In conclusion, Dodsworth noted: “We identified these failings through our new proactive inspection programme, but we expect landlords to self-refer as soon as they become aware of any issues. All social landlords need to ensure that tenants are safe in their homes and meet the outcomes in our standards. We will continue to take action when they don’t do so.”

Accountable and responsible

While Castle Point Borough Council has an arrangement in place with a managing agent, as the landlord it’s both accountable and responsible for meeting the outcomes of the Regulator of Social Housing’s standards.

The Regulator of Social Housing has a range of enforcement powers that it can use if social landlords cannot – or will not – address material failures to meet its standards. At this stage, the regulator is not proposing to use its powers in relation to Castle Point Borough Council, but will keep the position under review.

The Regulator of Social Housing is carrying out planned inspections of all large social landlords (ie those with over 1,000 homes in their portfolio) over a four-year cycle. The regulator has begun to publish the outcomes of these first inspections and will continue to do so over the coming months.