Council breaches Home Standard after 1,500 homes left without working smoke alarm

The notice said: “Adur DC made a self-referral to the regulator in February 2023 as it had identified a failure to meet statutory health and safety requirements in some of its homes. 

“Adur DC told us it had not completed fire, electrical and asbestos safety checks for every property which needed one and a high number of properties did not have smoke alarms installed. 

“Adur DC also told us it did not know whether all its homes met the Decent Homes Standard.”

The council reported that almost 20% of fire risk assessments were overdue and that it “did not hold full and accurate data on the completion of remedial actions arising from fire risk assessments”. 

The council also reported that almost 200 communal areas did not have a valid electrical safety check.

It reported issues with its record-keeping, monitoring and evidencing of electrical testing work across its homes. 

The council reported that more than 50 asbestos inspections of communal areas were overdue. 

As a result of the above issues, the RSH ruled that Adur breached parts 1.1 and 1.2 of the Home Standard.

Kate Dodsworth, director of consumer regulation at the RSH, said the council “put its tenants at potential risk” by failing to carry out all necessary health and safety checks and failing to provide all homes with working smoke alarms. 

“The council referred itself to us when it identified these issues, and we are monitoring it closely as it takes urgent action to put things right,” she said. 

The council has started to put in place a programme of work to address the issues, including completing outstanding health and safety checks and starting new stock condition surveys.

Carson Albury, the council’s cabinet member for Adur Homes and customer services, said: “Everyone living in our properties deserves to have a good, safe and secure home and we are committed to working with the regulator and our residents to make this a reality.

“I’m grateful to the regulator for the speed with which it has reviewed our referral and we welcome its scrutiny as we work to resolve our issues.

“We have been, and will continue to be, open and transparent with the regulator about the challenges that have developed in our social housing.”

In a statement, the council said it will continue to carry out repairs and improvement work on its properties, “focusing on prioritising health and safety issues”.