The Housing and Inclusive Economy Scrutiny Committee were scheduled to meet to discuss the Waltham Forest Housing Compact, social housing regulation, and internal analysis of Housing Ombudsman severe maladministration determinations. The committee was also expected to review the forward plan for the ongoing municipal year, and comment on the action tracker from the previous meeting.

Social Housing Regulation Update

The committee was scheduled to discuss a social housing regulation update, including a regulatory judgement of a C2 grading, areas of strength and areas where improvement is required.

The report pack included a summary of the Regulator of Social Housing's (RSH) approach to inspection and methodology, and an overview of the inspection timeline.

The RSH awarded the council a C2 grade, which is the second highest grade against consumer standards. This compares favourably with grades awarded to other London boroughs so far.

The inspection highlighted several key areas where consumer standards are currently met, including:

• Providing evidence of having an accurate record of the condition of homes.
• Health and safety compliance.
• Working effectively with partner agencies to tackle and deter anti-social behaviour.
• Providing opportunities for tenants to influence and scrutinise services.

The inspection also outlined areas where improvement is required, including:

• Increasing the number of homes that meet the decent homes standards.
• Improving the timeliness and efficiency of repairs.
• Having clearer tenancy management policies, and better engagement with hard-to reach groups
• Completing outstanding remedial actions arising from fire risk assessments and outstanding electrical safety checks

The report pack also included a high level improvement plan and governance structure.

Waltham Forest Housing Compact Annual Report

The Housing and Inclusive Economy Scrutiny Committee were scheduled to discuss the Waltham Forest Housing Compact annual report for 2024-25. The Housing Compact is a framework for the council working in partnership with registered providers (housing associations) to raise standards and deliver shared priorities for social housing in Waltham Forest.

The report pack included an overview of work completed and plans for the coming year, outlined in the annual report. The annual report has been developed as an engaging, tenant and resident facing document, which helps to provide an overview of the Compact's work to date.

The Housing Compact takes its direction from the borough's Housing Strategy 2024-2029. The Housing Strategy sets out how the council, working with partners, will work to tackle the root causes and impacts of the national housing crisis in Waltham Forest, aligning with and building on other key plans for change. The Strategy's four required outcomes are:

• Homelessness and rough sleeping are prevented so that they become rare, brief and non-recurrent.
• Residents can access homes that meet their needs as their circumstances change.
• Every home in the borough is healthy, safe and affordable to heat.
• Development enhances neighbourhoods and supports stronger, fairer and safer communities.

Over the past year, the Compact has delivered several of its intended outcomes, with tangible benefits for residents across the borough. The introduction of protocols to address domestic abuse and improve community safety has not only strengthened partnership working through clearer guidance on roles and responsibilities, but also enabled faster, more coordinated interventions that help protect vulnerable tenants and create safer neighbourhoods.

Work is also progressing on a new nominations protocol, designed to improve how vacant homes are allocated. By reducing delays in the lettings process and ensuring that properties are matched more efficiently to those in greatest need, this work directly supports quicker access to secure housing for residents facing homelessness or living in unsuitable accommodation. These improvements are already helping to reduce void times and improve outcomes for tenants, while also supporting better use of the borough's housing stock.

Officers also collated Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) data from all partners, with a mixture of local and national data. This has been used to develop a series of lunch and learn sessions to share best practice among partners.

In addition, officers have successfully completed a pilot with Furnishing Futures, a charity that provides high-quality, furnished homes to survivors of domestic abuse. This initial trial, carried out in partnership with Peabody, has resulted in a high-quality home for a domestic abuse survivor.

Officers are working closely with L&Q, as well as the wider G15 group¹, as part of Project 123. The current proposal seeks to deliver 38 modular homes (180 bedspaces) at Tyndall Gardens.

Through engagement with partners and housing association tenants, officers have set out a number of priorities for the year ahead. This includes a focus on improving multi-agency working on matters relating to mental health and social services teams, reviewing processes related to homelessness referrals and continuing to support the development of new affordable homes.

Facilitating the delivery of new affordable homes remains a long term aim of the Housing Compact. Officers continue to work with L&Q on their Spruce Hill development, and with Newlon Housing Trust on their two developments at Patchworks and Drayton Road.

Internal Analysis of Housing Ombudsman Severe Maladministration Determinations

The committee was scheduled to discuss an internal analysis of Housing Ombudsman severe maladministration determinations.

The report pack included a summary of key findings and lessons learned arising from three recent severe maladministration findings:

• Case A (Anti Social Behaviour) - A failure to communicate with the resident effectively, act in line with the Housing service's ASB policy, record and respond effectively to new reports of ASB, consider the impact of the ASB on the resident's household, recognise the resident's vulnerabilities, and consider the potential need for additional support.
• Case B (Repairs & Contractor Conduct) - A failure to treat damp and mould at the property within a reasonable timeframe, implement an effective damp and mould policy promptly, and consider the resident's medical vulnerabilities in its response, which increased the distress and inconvenience which they experienced.
• Case C (Leaks and Damp & Mould) - A failure to attend promptly to reports of deteriorating conditions in the resident's home caused by damp and mould, keep the resident updated on the reasons for delays, and consider the resident's vulnerabilities and those of the wider household.

The report pack also included progress on orders and analysis, insights, and improvements.

The Scrutiny Report

The committee was scheduled to review the scrutiny report, including the forward plan, action tracker, recommendations tracker, and responses.

The committee was invited to review the forward plan for the ongoing municipal year and make recommendations as necessary. There are five meetings left for this municipal year. If the Committee has any suggestions for items for the 2025-26 cycle these are welcome.

Actions and recommendations are recorded separately to enable the committee to easily review the actions requested and recommendations made. The action tracker captures all actions required of officers by the committee at the previous scrutiny meeting and provides an update on progress. The recommendation tracker captures all recommendations made by the committee at the previous scrutiny meeting.