Social housing residents will be better protected as part of a review to ensure they are listened to, Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing confirmed recently.
The review on qualifications and professional training will drive up standards by making sure social housing staff are better equipped to support tenants, deal effectively with complaints, and make sure homes are good quality.
The Social Housing White Paper Professionalisation Review will explore the qualifications currently available for staff, with landlords, residents and trade bodies putting forward recommendations to the government. It will also consider if additional training is required to improve the service to residents.
The government is now urging social housing residents to come forward and have their say in the review and talk about their experience dealing with social housing staff. They can also suggest what changes they would like to see.
The Social Housing White Paper set out how the government will ensure residents in social housing are safe, listened to, live in good quality homes, and have access to redress when things go wrong. This review is a crucial step in ensuring staff and trained to support residents and listen to their concerns.
The comes after thousands of social housing residents told the government following the Grenfell tragedy that they felt their landlords were failing to treat them with courtesy and respect.
It also follows the latest English Housing Survey report, which shows that more than 59% of social housing residents who complained were not happy with the response to their complaint. At the same time the Housing Ombudsman has seen a 139% increase in complaints in the past year.
Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing Eddie Hughes MP said:
“Too many social housing residents have told me they feel like they are not listened to or treated with respect – raising complaints time and time again only for the problems not to be fixed.”
“This needs to stop. This review announced today will drive up the standard of services received by residents, making sure their concerns are taken seriously and they have somewhere safe to live.”
“The review is a key element of our Social Housing White Paper, which is bringing forward wide-ranging improvements for tenants.”