Tenants 'let down' says housing report

A Black Country-based housing association is "letting its Midlands tenants down" according to a damning report released today by the independent Audit Commission.

Repair services by West Bromwich-based Sanctuary Midlands, which has homes in Sandwell, Dudley and Birmingham, were rated below standard, with inspectors finding "more weaknesses than strengths" in five of six areas inspected.

It was also revealed phone calls were going unanswered and almost 200 gas safety checks were late, some by months.

Sanctuary Midlands is a regional arm of what is the country's largest housing association, and has its head office in Birmingham Road, West Bromwich.

It manages just over 12,000 properties in 43 local authority areas within the Midlands — the majority in Sandwell and Dudley, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and Telford & Wrekin.

Ann Bennett, Audit Commission Lead Housing Inspector, said: "Sanctuary Midlands is letting its customers down by not providing strong and consistent services that meet their needs.

"It hasn't focused on what results it is getting and whether these are effective.

"Customers could be lucky and receive a really good service, but they could just as easily experience poor service, particularly when reporting repairs."

The organisation has now been issued with five recommendations to improve services. Within two months of the publication of this report, Sanctuary Midlands will provide the Audit Commission with a plan showing how it will implement the recommendations.

Nick Baldwin, chairman of Sanctuary Group, said: "Sanctuary is extremely shocked and disappointed by the judgements of the Audit Commission following their short notice inspection of selected services provided to some of our properties in the Midlands.

"Sanctuary aims to provide homes and services with which all our residents will be pleased. Quality and service are at the heart of everything we do as an organisation.

"The inspection only covered a small proportion of Sanctuary's properties. Nevertheless, this is a matter of the utmost concern. We have also instigated work on a robust action plan to address all the concerns."