Decision details

That the Assistant Director (Housing) is authorised to formally self-refer North Yorkshire Council, as a registered provider of social housing, to the Regulator of Social Housing based upon the following areas of non-compliance identified through analysis of the Council’s social housing operations ;

Safety and Quality Standard – Stock Quality, Decency, Health and Safety, Repairs, Maintenance and Planned Improvements.

Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard – Diverse Needs, Engagement with Tenants, Information about Landlord Services, Performance Information, Complaints

Neighbourhood and Community Standard – Safety of Shared Spaces, Local Cooperation, Anti-social behaviour and hate incidents, Domestic Abuse

Tenancy Standard – Allocations and Lettings, Tenure, Mutual Exchange

The introduction of the new Consumer Standards and Inspection programme heralds and new relationship between North Yorkshire Council and the RSH. The RSH has outlined the importance of transparency, its desire for a ‘co-regulatory’ approach and requested that registered providers approach them proactively, outside of the inspection programme as soon as they become aware of a material issue which may affect their compliance with the new standards.

In self-referring to the RSH and sharing the draft improvement framework North Yorkshire Council is demonstrating transparency and inviting the Regulator to be fully briefed on the identified areas of weakness, our planned activities, and timescales for remediation, allowing opportunity for a critical friend appraisal and further assurance on our Improvement Framework.

The alternative option is not to self-refer to the Regulator of Social Housing and to progress delivery of the draft action plan without the benefit of discussions and assurance from the RSH that our actions and priorities are appropriate.