Statement:12 December
In September 2024, Castle Point Borough Council was awarded a ‘C3’ grading by the Regulator of Social Housing, meaning that it had significant failings and needed improvement.
Following an inspection, in a judgement published today, 12 December 2024, the Regulator ruled that there are serious failings, and fundamental changes are needed, consequently awarding a revised grade of ‘C4’. The Council has acknowledged and accepted the findings of the Regulator.
Cllr Dave Blackwell, Leader of Castle Point Borough Council said: “ We are sorry that the Council has not met the expectations of our tenants, or of the Regulator. We remain committed to ensuring that our homes provide safe and warm places to live for our tenants.
“We accept and recognise that in the past the Council hasn’t got everything right, and we are fully committed to making the necessary improvements. Nothing is more important to us than our tenants’ wellbeing and safety and this will remain our priority even after all issues have been addressed.
“The Council has already made key decisions to put this right. In November we agreed to invest an additional £438,000 into the improvement journey and we will take further decisions to invest so that we are completely satisfied we have done all we can to provide safe and decent homes that our tenants expect and maintain the highest standards of service to them.
“In January 2025 a report to Cabinet will request the allocation of further funding to support the improvements.
“Money alone will not fix the problems, that have been many years in the making. Therefore, we are looking at our policies, our maintenance and repairs programmes, and crucially, improving our engagement with tenants through a variety of means which enable any tenant to raise issues, concerns and ideas on the service we provide.
Castle Point Borough Council published its Housing Improvement Programme in November, setting out its plans to improve the service provided to all tenants living in its homes. Further information about the improvement programme can be found here .
The Council has additionally updated on some of the Regulator’s Key Findings:
Understanding the condition of homes
We will be commissioning a fresh stock condition survey for all our Housing stock. The majority of properties will be surveyed within the next ten months and we will act promptly to address any remedial actions identified by those surveys.
Undertaking necessary repairs and maintenance
The Council has begun work to procure new contractors who will assist in speeding up our approach to addressing remedial works identified through the stock condition survey or repair and maintenance inspections.
The collection of tenant views
A tenant survey has already been launched to gather tenant feedback. These surveys will continue in line with the new consumer standards and we have registered with Tpas to ensure that we have the best advice and support to improve the way the Council engages with tenants, including the re-establishment of tenant engagement forums and communications. Importantly, tenants will be represented on the Council’s Housing Improvement Board, which will oversee the delivery of the required improvements as part of the Council’s Housing Improvement Programme.
Providing accurate information about health & safety including fire and electrical safety
Funding approved by the Cabinet in November has been used to start work to ensure data is collected and reconciled appropriately. This data will be verified against source data to ensure that we have the evidence that the health and safety requirements of the Regulator are met. All remedial work will be expedited and will then be reconciled with the Stock Condition Survey as it is completed to build a per property view of compliance.
The Council is taking steps to identify outstanding remedial works as a priority and tenants are urged to bring to our attention any immediate concerns which they may have at www.castlepoint.gov.uk/let-us-know-your-concerns . If residents need help to complete the form, they can contact our contact centre on 01268 882200, and one of our colleagues will help complete it on their behalf.
Keeping residents informed
Improvements have been made to the website at www.castlepoint.gov.uk/housing . A housing newsletter will be relaunched in early 2025, and the Tenant Handbook will be updated and relaunched and distributed to all tenants by post.
Updating policies
We are ensuring all our housing policies and procedures are reviewed and updated with urgency, and in particular in respect of anti-social behaviour and domestic violence.
Cllr Dave Blackwell concluded: “We know there is work we have to do to improve the service we provide to our tenants, and we are committed to learning from the Regulator’s findings and improving our service. These changes are designed to be permanent to achieve our target of being a C1 rated housing authority.”
“In November Cllr Rob Lillis, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Housing wrote personally to all our tenants setting out our plans and how we will work closely with them to ensure they are at the heart of everything we do. Later today we will post another letter, ensuring that they personally receive this important latest update.”