Midland Heart Housing Association's services contain 'a mixture of strengths and weaknesses' according to a report released today by the independent Audit Commission.
Audit Commission inspectors reached this conclusion following a short-notice inspection of the Birmingham-based housing association which manages homes across the Midlands. Inspectors examined how well Midland Heart repairs homes, does annual gas safety checks, and manages its empty homes, focusing particularly on its services to general needs tenants in Birmingham. They also looked at how the association involves its residents in providing services and its approach to rent arrears.
The report shows that empty homes are being let more quickly and new tenants are happy with their homes. Residents are influencing the way services are provided in a number of ways. However, performance on gas safety checks, completing repairs and rent arrears is weaker but is improving.
Deborah Good, Audit Commission Lead Housing Inspector, said:
'Overall, the services we looked at were mixed. Midland Heart is keen to provide a good service to its customers but repairs are not always completed quickly enough and a number of homes have not had an annual gas safety check. However, the association understands which areas need to improve and is already tackling the weaknesses we found'.
Strengths include:
- Customers' telephone calls are answered quickly.
- Residents are influencing services in a range of ways.
- Homes are being let more quickly and new tenants are satisfied with their homes.
Weaknesses include:
- Not enough customer calls are dealt with at the first point of contact.
- Too few homes have had an annual gas safety check.
- The level of rent arrears is very high.
To help the service improve, inspectors made a number of recommendations. These include:
- Ensuring that performance on gas safety checks continues to improve.
- Encouraging more residents to become involved in shaping services.
- Widely promoting the money advice service to residents with rent arrears.
The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) is the affordable housing regulator in England and works with the Audit Commission on the inspection of housing associations. The TSA commissions the Audit Commission to carry out inspections and the results are used by the TSA in its overall assessment of housing association performance.
Notes to editors
- Midland Heart Housing Association was formed in April 2006 following the merger of Keynote and Prime Focus housing associations. It provides housing services mainly in Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Stoke on Trent and Wolverhampton but operates in 58 local authority areas in total. It manages around 27,868 homes, 6,700 care and support units (bed spaces and flats), offers homes for sale and also provides community investment services. The association employs 1,500 staff.
- The Audit Commission introduced short-notice inspections for housing associations to give inspectors a clearer and more realistic view of the services that tenants receive.
- Associations are given just five days notice of the inspection before their services are rated on a four point scale - from 'strengths significantly outweigh weaknesses' down to 'weaknesses outweigh strengths'.
- Within two months of the publication of this report, Midland Heart will provide the Audit Commission with a plan showing how it will implement the report's recommendations. The Commission will then assess and publish Midland Heart's prospects for improvement.
- The Audit Commission is an independent watchdog, driving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local public services to deliver better outcomes for everyone.
- Our work across local government, health, housing, community safety and fire and rescue services means that we have a unique perspective. We promote value for money for taxpayers, auditing the £200 billion spent by 11,000 local public bodies.
- As a force for improvement, we work in partnership to assess local public services and make practical recommendations for promoting a better quality of life for local people.
For further information, please contact Eric Ludlow, Regional Communications Manager (Central region) on 0844 798 4183.