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Staffordshire-based landlord receives C1 and upgrade to G1

Aspire Housing has received a C1 for its first consumer grading and an upgrade to G1 for governance in the English regulator’s latest batch of judgements.

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Newcastle-under-Lyme
Aspire Housing is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme (picture: Alamy)
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Staffordshire-based landlord receives C1 and upgrade to G1 #UKhousing

Aspire Housing has received a C1 for its first consumer grading and an upgrade to G1 for governance in the English regulator’s latest batch of judgements #UKhousing

The Newcastle-under-Lyme-based housing association retained its V2 grade for financial viability.

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) also handed a C3 grade to Portsmouth City Council over electrical and fire safety failings, while Sanctuary received a C2.   

The RSH published a further 12 judgements through its stability check programme, with Incommunities and Magenta Living both regraded from V1 to V2. 

Ten landlords retained their financial viability and governance ratings. These were: Look Ahead Care and Support, GreenSquareAccord, Gateway Housing Association, Home Group, Hexagon, Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association, Soha Housing, Newlon Housing Trust, Magna Housing, and Sanctuary.


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Aspire was downgraded to G2 in January 2023 over weaknesses in financial planning and risk control that meant the board was not fully sighted on the financial exposures associated with a loss-making subsidiary. 

However, the regulator said in its latest judgement it now has assurance that Aspire has strengthened its governance arrangements, which has improved its oversight of risks.

“Board membership has been refreshed and effectiveness reviews support a continued focus on governance arrangements. 

“Following a fundamental review of its strategic objectives we saw evidence that Aspire’s board has a clear strategic focus with enhanced oversight of activities and plans,” it said. 

The RSH found the board has strengthened its risk management and control framework, and it considers alternative options to “ensure it is achieving value for money in maximising resources”. 

It also found the board has set a clear strategic direction and is focused on hearing its tenants’ voices. 

“Aspire provided evidence that the board actively seeks and gains an appropriate level of assurance across a range of areas. There is evidence that this assurance has been used to make continuous improvements to its landlord services, maintaining and improving homes, meeting building safety requirements and providing new homes,” the RSH said. 

For the C1 grade, the RSH found that Aspire has appropriate systems in place to keep tenants safe in their homes, demonstrated it understands its stock, and provided evidence it uses that information to inform its decisions on future investment in its homes.

The regulator found an effective repairs service and that the tenant voice was evident through the landlord’s strategies, policies and decision-making, with “meaningful opportunities for tenants to influence and scrutinise services”.

Incommunities, which retained its top governance grade of G1, was downgraded from V1 to V2 for financial viability. 

The Shipley-based landlord is investing in its existing homes, which includes “significant” building safety spend. The regulator said this means the association needs to manage material risks and is in the process of increasing the proportion of homes with up-to-date information, including through physical surveys.

“These factors weaken financial performance which, set in the context of economic pressures, impact on Incommunities’ capacity to respond to adverse events,” the RSH said. 

Rachael Dennis, chief executive of Incommunities, said: “We acknowledge the Regulator of Social Housing’s most recent assessment. 

“Not only does it reflect the wider financial challenges affecting the whole sector, but it also shows the importance we have placed on investing in our properties to improve the quality and safety of our homes. 

“Our recent G1 governance grade reinforces the strength of our leadership, and the viability rating shows that we are financially stable and well-positioned to maintain this stability. We believe our investment decisions mean we’ve got the right balance by ensuring we continue to meet the needs of our customers.”

Magenta Living, which primarily operates in the Wirral, also retained its G1 grade. It was downgraded to V2.

The housing association is investing in improving the quality of its existing homes and is continuing to develop new homes. 

“This means needing to manage the increasing volume and cost of delivering services, specifically its repairs and maintenance programmes. 

“These factors weaken financial performance when set in the context of economic pressures, impact on Magenta’s capacity to respond to adverse events,” the RSH said.

A spokesperson for Magenta said: “We are pleased to retain our G1 grading demonstrating our effective approach to governance, meeting regulatory requirements and delivering quality services for our customers.
“The regrade to a V2 is reflective of the increasing costs in delivering services, investing in new and existing homes and ensuring customer safety.
“Our strategic plan, which was launched last year, will be instrumental in helping us to further strengthen our financial position and deliver more for our customers.”

The regulator found Sanctuary, which received a C2 consumer grade, has a good understanding of its homes, keeps tenants safe, and gives meaningful opportunities for residents to influence and scrutinise services. 

It works well with partnership organisations to tackle anti-social behaviour and hate incidents. 

However, the RSH identified weaknesses in Sanctuary’s repairs and maintenance service and said improvements are needed to deliver the outcomes of the Safety and Quality Standard.

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