Regulator for Social Housing Judgement

We’ve recently been inspected by the government’s Housing Regulator – how did we do? 

Following a recent inspection, West Lancashire Borough Council has been given the a ‘C1’ grade for their performance as a social landlord. This is the highest grade that can be issued by the government’s social housing regulator.  

The C1 judgement demonstrates the Council’s commitment to its tenants by meeting all consumer standards. The judgement also confirms that when issues occur, plans are effectively put in place to fix problems and reduce the likelihood of them happening again. 

What are the ‘Consumer Standards?’ 

The Consumer Standards are in place to make sure all tenants have a safe, secure, and well-maintained home, with clear communication and good service from social landlords. The standards are:  

• Safety and Quality Standard 

• Tenancy Standard 

• Neighbourhood and Community Standard 

• Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard 

To read the full regulatory judgement, please click here 

What happened during the inspection? 

During the inspection, we were measured against specific criteria to assess how we meet the Consumer Standards. This is supported by a code of guidance that landlords must follow. 

The Regulator observed meetings of our Landlord Services Working Group, the Tenant and Leaseholder Advisory Group and the Tenant Voice panel. They also spoke to involved tenants, held meetings with councillors and officers from the Council and looked at a wide range of documents. 

Their grading and judgement is based on all the relevant information they obtained during the inspection, as well as analysis of other information and meetings they have observed. 

What did the judgement say? 

According to the judgement, the Council has shown how it meets statutory health and safety requirements and understands the importance of the quality and safety of tenants’ homes and how this is important in deciding where to invest in the future.  

The regulator found that the Council is moving forward well with delivering a clear plan which is focussing on developing a better understanding of tenants needs and working hard to ensure services are shaped around tenant's requirements. 

The regulator was also satisfied that the Council uses complaints to improve, learning from these complaints as well as other evidence to inform service changes and work prioritisation. 

Help us make your priority, our priority 

Our tenants’ feedback has been central to helping us make improvements to our services by being involved and sharing thoughts and experiences with us. You can find out more about how you can get involved with  Tenant Voice l here.