Council undertakes mock consumer standard inspection ahead of regulator’s visit

Once inspected, landlords can be awarded a C1, meaning they meet the standards, through to a C4, when very serious failings are identified.

Haringey Council has yet to be inspected. However, it said it decided to do a mock inspection after a self-referral in 2023 led the regulator finding it put thousands of tenants at risk by failing to meet health and safety requirements for fire and electrical safety.

The details of the mock inspection were published in a report that went before the council’s housing, planning and development scrutiny panel this month. 

Like the RSH’s inspections, Haringey submitted a range of evidence ahead of time, including completed self-assessments against the four consumer standards and documents on strategies, policies and plans.

The mock inspection also involved interviews with the council’s chief executive, cabinet members and managers, as well as focus groups with involved residents and frontline staff. 

The inspection found that the council’s preparation, organisation and document submission were “well managed”.

In relation to the Safety and Quality Standard, it found the council’s current position is “such that it may be able to provide the level of assurance the regulator will be seeking”.

The inspection found that “significant progress” has been made in the council getting a better understanding of its stock and in “addressing each of the health and safety weaknesses that necessitated self-referral”.

Although tenant satisfaction with the repairs service has seen “some improvement”, it found that weaknesses remain and “need to be addressed in a timely manner if the relevant required outcomes… are to be evidenced”. 

The consultant recommended that Haringey Council does stock condition surveys every five years and take steps to map out and report on all health and safety risks, “not just the ‘big six’”.

The council should also make sure its housing improvement board has effective oversight of the organisation’s approach to facilitating, co-ordinating, and delivering aids and adaptations.

It should take “urgent steps” to formalise and implement the council’s response to the ‘no access’ problems “currently hampering” the ability to undertake electrical inspections in a “timely manner”. 

The consultant also recommended ensuring Haringey’s planned improvements to its responsive maintenance and voids management service.

In terms of the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, the inspection found that “more rigour should be brought to the collection of household data, and management of complaints is a work in progress”. 

Recommendations included creating a draft household data collection strategy and implementing an annual engagement impact report. 

On the Tenancy Standard, the inspection found that there is “much work needed” to turn the council’s “end-to-end lettings process into positive practice”.

This work included reviewing the council’s housing allocations, as well as the current position of the backlog of vacant properties. 

According to the report, the council should review its approach to supporting new tenants and whether more support to furnish and equip properties can be offered.

Sarah Williams, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing and planning at Haringey Council, said the council commissioned an external company to carry out a mock inspection following its decision to self-refer to the regulator in January 2023. 

“While this is a mock inspection, the council recognises the significant progress it has made since its self-referral which may give the assurance the RSH will be looking for against the new consumer standards as part of its routine inspection,” she said. 

Ms Williams explained that the council has agreed and adopted the recommendations made from the mock inspection.