Regulator investigating London council over potential ‘serious failings’

It comes after the local authority announced last month that it had self-referred over a failure to implement a new requirement for electrical testing “in the way it should have been”.

Inside Housing subsequently revealed that the council had not carried out proactive electrical safety tests in its homes since at least 2018.

At the time of the self-referral, the council apologised and said it took residents’ safety “extremely seriously”. 

Prior to the self-referral, Labour-controlled Southwark Council faced pressure from the opposition Liberal Democrats to report itself to the RSH.

The council had already faced questions in the wake of severe maladministration judgements from the Housing Ombudsman.

The RSH’s investigation is part of a planned inspection. Under the agency’s new consumer powers, introduced in April, it is carrying out physical inspections of local authorities. 

Earlier this month, four social landlords – including three councils – were handed C3 grades in the regulator’s first batch of decisions. 

On today’s announcement by the RSH, Sarah King, cabinet member for council homes at Southwark Council, said: “The safety of our tenants and residents will always be a top priority for Southwark, which is why we are determined to keep raising the quality and safety of our council homes.

“We will work with the RSH, the independent organisation responsible for regulating a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector, to help drive improvements on behalf of our tenants.”