'Requires improvement': Government inspectors reveal just 40 per cent of Wolverhampton council homes inspected in past five years

The Regulator of Housing ruled that Wolverhampton Council's housing services 'required improvement' following an inspection earlier this month.

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The report, published yesterday (Wednesday) concluded: "Our judgement is that there are some weaknesses in Wolverhampton Council delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed, specifically in relation to the outcomes in the safety and quality standard."

Councillor Steve Evans, cabinet member for housing, said the report did not identify any serious failings with housing services.

The watchdog said it carried out a planned inspection of the council to assess how well it was meeting consumer standards, as part of its regulatory inspection programme. 

It considered four areas: neighbourhood and community standards, safety and quality, tenancy arrangements, and 'transparency, influence and accountability'.

The council owns 21,247 homes, managed by its arm's-length organisation Wolverhampton Homes, and three tenant management associations.

Referring to its 'safety and quality' assessment, inspectors noted: "Wolverhampton Council has only carried out a physical internal stock condition survey for around 40 per cent of its homes within the last five years. 

"Wolverhampton Council has plans in place to increase stock condition survey coverage and then carry out a rolling stock condition survey programme on a five-year cycle. 

"Although Wolverhampton Council’s knowledge of its stock is also informed by a range of other information and data it holds, we have concluded that the lack of up-to-date stock condition survey information on more than half of its stock is a weakness that the council needs to address."

It said it would work with the authority to monitor its progress in completing its planned programme of condition surveys. 

Councillor Simon Bennett, leader of the opposition Conservative group on Wolverhampton Council, criticised the authority for refusing to allow him to ask a question on the matter at last night's meeting of the council.

Normally, questions to cabinet members need to be submitted in advance, but Councillor Bennett said the council could allow last-minute questions if the matter was urgent.

He said: "The judgement, issued by the Regulator of Social Housing, raises serious concerns about governance, assurance, and oversight relating to the council’s role as a social landlord and its housing arm, Wolverhampton Homes.

“This judgement was published today. It concerns tenant safety, landlord standards, and the council’s statutory responsibilities.

“For Labour to block this being discussed publicly at full council is deeply disappointing — and frankly indefensible.

“If the council is confident it has nothing to hide, there is no justification for shutting down scrutiny at the first opportunity.”

Councillor Bennett did raise the report during a debate on the council's housing revenue account though.

Councillor Evans replied that: "No serious failings were identified in the delivery of social housing."

The regulator said improvements could also be made in the reporting of low- and medium-risk fire remedial actions, although it said the council was aware of this and had proposals in place as part of its improvement plan.

It also identified a need to improve information management.

"Wolverhampton Council recognises this and has plans in place to strengthen the accuracy and quality of the information it holds, and to make sure that it is kept up to date," the report said. 

It said that as of March 31 last year the council reported 4.75 per cent of its homes failed to meet the Government's Decent Homes Standard, with plans in place to ensure all homes met this standard. It said more regular inspections would help it achieve this.

It said while the council had an understanding of the diverse needs of some of its tenants, it needed to broaden the information it held,

This was necessary to improve the use of tenants’ information to make strategic decisions, and also in its communications with tenants.

"Wolverhampton Council recognises that this is an area of weakness that requires ongoing progress and oversight and has plans in place to improve how it tailors its services to tenants, the report added.

It said that 98.9 per cent of initial complaints were dealt with within the required 10 days, and all stage two complaints - where the complainant was dissatisfied with the initial response - were met with in the required timescale.