Cabinet approves major investment and notes progress on housing improvement
At a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 22 January 2025, Castle Point Borough Council noted progress in the Council’s Housing Improvement Programme and approved major investment in its social housing.
Cllr Rob Lillis, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Housing provided a detailed update:
“On 12 December 2024, the Regulator published a second Regulatory Judgement which downgraded the Council’s compliance with the Consumer Standards to C4. The Council has acknowledged and accepted the findings of the Regulator.
"As previously reported to Cabinet, the Council had identified and self-referred to the Regulator a number of serious issues. The onus is now on the steps that the Council needs to take to put things right.
“The Council must increase the pace of delivery of the changes needed to tackle these failings through accelerating the Housing Improvement Programme. That translates to the urgent recruitment of additional staff, procurement of data systems, the verification of data and ensuring that our contracts can deliver the compliance levels required.
"This will also include being transparent to our tenants on why we failed, so that we can start the process of re-building trust and being more responsive to their genuine needs.
“The resources that we have already put in place and are proposing to put in place, will ensure that these failings are addressed at pace and:
a) That we effectively engage with our residents and address their concerns;
b) We provide robust management of contractors and ensure performance targets are met; sanctions are actioned (if performance is poor) and the quality of work is checked;
c) We have robust data which has been verified and is readily accessible;
d) We maintain clear oversight of the service with Members and with our residents, based on greater transparency and better performance reporting, particularly around the Big Six health and safety measures, and damp and mould; and
e) That our staff are resourced with what they need to provide the service the tenants expect, and with all the relevant training, support and development.”
Cllr Lillis also provided detail on what progress had been made to date including progress on tenant engagement, contractor management, data quality, member oversight and resources.
Cabinet confirmed the Council’s commitment to a significant investment in the housing service. The report highlighted the need for nearly £2 million of additional staff and IT systems to deliver the improvements required and provide the best possible service to tenants with Cllr Lillis noting that:
“Investment in the Housing Improvement Programme is necessary to address the concerns of the Regulator.”
Cllr Lillis concluded:
“I would like to reassure the Housing Department that they continue to have my fullest support and that of the Board and Cabinet. Together we will put things right and ensure that it does not happen again.”