The Better Social Housing Review report has been published making recommendations to housing associations to drive improvements in the quality of social housing.
Joint NHF and CIH action plan
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and the National Housing Federation (NHF) welcomed the Review's recommendations in full and have designed an action plan to help the sector implement the recommendations.
It is an evolving document, which will develop and grow as the NHF, CIH and our members implement, learn and build on the actions.
We believe the action plan has the potential to support real change within the sector. By working together, sharing best practice and collaborating we will demonstrate two things:
- The sector’s commitment to good quality homes and services
- The active steps social housing providers are taking to overcome the structural inequalities in our society that mean people of all backgrounds may not currently get equal access to these good homes and services.
We hope it will complement all the work housing associations are already doing to improve their existing homes and customer service. If you have any questions, please email the CIH policy team.
Building community presence case study collection
One of the recommendations highlighted by the Better Social Housing Review panel was that housing associations should develop a proactive local community presence through community hubs which foster greater multi-agency working.
In our action plan, we committed to share examples of where community hubs and other local presences are working well, with and for residents.
The examples we have included in our case study collection span a mix of housing providers across the country and highlight much of the good work already happening in the sector which we hope will stimulate reflection and action.
Rethinking repairs and maintenance
The rethinking repairs and maintenance project has been established by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and National Housing Federation (NHF) to support the social housing sector to improve its repairs and maintenance practices.
The Better Social Housing Review found that resident dissatisfaction with repairs and maintenance services is a major issue in the sector, with only two thirds of social renters satisfied with the repairs service they receive. Poor practice has also been increasingly highlighted across news media outlets and in severe maladministration judgements by the Housing Ombudsman. This has underlined the need for the sector to re-examine the basic components of what an excellent repairs and maintenance process should involve.
In response to these issues, the Better Social Housing Review recommended that “Housing associations should partner with residents, contractors and frontline staff to develop and apply new standards defining what an excellent maintenance and repairs process looks like”.
Gavin Smart | Chief executive of CIH
All tenants of social housing should be able to live in good quality, well-managed homes and be treated with dignity and respect. Where this is not the case, we must put that right. I welcome the insight an independent panel will bring, taking time to engage with residents, communities, partners, and staff to understand where improvements are needed and to make recommendations to the sector that will fix what is wrong and develop greater trust between landlords and tenants. As the professional body for housing, we look forward to supporting the sector to progress the recommendations provided to deliver the right mix of knowledge, skills, behaviours, and values to ensure a quality home and service for all.
