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Regulator investigates 28 whistleblowing allegations about social landlords
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) investigated 28 allegations from whistleblowers about social housing providers in the past year, a new report has revealed.
According to the report on whistleblowing disclosures made to the RSH between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, the English regulator received 30 allegations of wrong-doing and investigated 28 of these. In total, it took regulatory action against five providers by deeming them in breach of standards off the back of the whistleblowers’ actions.
Generally, whistleblowers raise concerns when they believe a crime has been or is likely to be committed, if someone has failed to comply with a legal obligation, or the health and safety of someone is at risk.
Whistleblowers also come forward if a failing has been or is likely to be deliberately concealed.
Since November 2019, the regulator has been a ‘prescribed person’ under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 in relation to issues relating to social landlords.
The role enables workers to disclose concerns to an independent body when they feel unable to do so to their employer, or where they have already done so but their employer has failed to act. Prior to 2019, the prescribed person was Homes England and its predecessor the Homes and Communities Agency.
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All disclosures to the regulator are subject to an initial review by its referrals and regulatory team, which considers whether they are within the RSH’s remit and whether they represent a potential breach of regulatory standards.
Of the 30 disclosures in 2021-22, 28 cases were looked at in more detail.
All 28 went on to be investigated “as they demonstrated a potential breach of the regulatory standards or an issue which required regulatory intervention”.
“In each of the 28 cases investigated that were disclosed in 2021-22, we contacted the registered provider and sought their response to the issues raised.
“In some of these cases, we also asked the whistleblower for further information or evidence to substantiate the allegations,” according to the regulator.
For 23 of the cases, the regulator said it had received assurance from the social landlord that it was “aware of the issues raised and was responding appropriately”, taking action to manage and mitigate any risks arising as a result.
“In closing the cases at this stage, we were satisfied that there had not been a breach of our regulatory standards and that tenants were not at risk as a result of the matters raised,” it said.
The remaining five cases involved standard breaches.
“In these five cases, we worked with the registered providers as they developed plans to remedy the breach of the standards and continue to hold them to account for delivering those plans,” the RSH said.
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