Local authority shows ‘serious failings’ in social housing standards
Swindon Borough Council met two out of four basic criteria
Swindon Borough Council has been told that there are “serious failings” in its delivery of social housing safety and transparency measures.
The assessment was made by the Regulator of Social Housing following the council's self-referral last September.
In April 2024, new national standards were introduced – of which Swindon’s authority only met half.
Council leader Jim Robbins told Greatest Hits Radio: “It’s around the state of some of our buildings and making sure that we can demonstrate that we have the systems in place that we are assessing the housing stock and be able to make the changes and improvements that we need to.
“The other part is around how we engage with our tenants. The big thing really is to increase the engagement with tenants who are in social housing in Swindon about their experiences and any challenges that they are facing.
“And hopefully that combined with the improvements that we’re already working on will help us meet the standards as quickly as possible.”
'Lowest assurance you could get'
Swindon Borough Council is the biggest provider of social housing in the borough with 10,383 homes.
Before the referral, the authority carried out a self-inspection.
“We came out with the lowest assurance you could get”, said Andrew Mc Donald, the council’s interim director of housing.
The inspection by the Regulator for Social Housing resulted in a C3 grade rating for the authority – on a scale where C1 means that a council meets the basic standards but is not “good” as such and C4 is the lowest possible ranking.
While Swindon Borough Council met the basic criteria of Neighbourhood and Community Standards as well as Tenancy Standards, its Safety and Quality standards as well as Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standards were insufficient.
This means that Swindon Borough Council did not have an accurate record of each property’s condition and “could not provide assurance that it was meeting all legal requirements for its homes” regarding health and safety.
At the time of the inspection, more than 800 fire safety actions were overdue.
To ensure progress, the council set up a Housing Improvement Board last November which consists of councillors, tenants and officers.
“As a member of the Board, I am assured that the number of overdue fire safety actions cited in the Regulator’s judgement will continue to decrease rapidly, with a 76% reduction already achieved between December 2024 and March 2025”, said Councillor Janine Howarth who is the cabinet member for housing.
'Become the best landlord we can be'
“More than 1,590 council homes now have new alarms that detect heat, smoke, and carbon monoxide as part of a four-year £10.5m upgrade programme that began last September.
“Around 10 per cent of all council homes benefitting from these new alarms will also receive environmental sensors that measure temperature and humidity levels. These will provide tenants with real-time data and alerts to help them take proactive measures to maintain a safe and healthy living space.”
Earlier this year, the cabinet approved a £250m investment programme which will fund improvement and maintenance works on social housing over the next five years.
However, a full improvement plan will not be made “until tenants have had a voice”.
“We don’t want to decide in a paternalistic way”, explained Mr McDonald.
“They the tenants are here to help us become the best landlord we can be.”
In June, there will be a number of so-called ‘Let’s Talk Housing Swindon’ events where people who live in the borough’s social housing can share their views and ask questions.
Everyone who is eligible will receive an letter over the next weeks as well as more details about when and where the sessions will be taking place.
Swindon Borough Council will also be working with tenant engagement experts Tpas as well as continue their ‘Behind Every Door’ scheme.