Housing Ombudsman: Press release

Ombudsman issues evaluation of responses to damp and mould report as complaints continue to rise

2 February 2023

“The Housing Ombudsman has provided an analysis of responses from landlords to the Spotlight report one year on and proposed ten ‘key tests’ for landlords who are producing action plans, as the sector reflects on the inquest into the death of Awaab Ishak and the continued influx of damp and mould cases.

We have issued an updated damp and mould report, alongside an evaluation of how landlords responded to the recommendations made almost sixteen months ago and reflecting the renewed focus on damp and mould after the inquest into the death of Awaab Ishak.

It comes as we recorded a 77% increase (3,530) in the number of enquiries and complaints and damp, mould and leaks from 2020-21 to 2021-22. So far this year there have been 3,969 enquiries and complaints.

Building on the Spotlight report, which has been downloaded over 5,000 times since publication, we have identified ten key tests for governing bodies to evaluate its organisation’s response to damp and mould, and highlighted areas that need continued focus: legal proceedings, fairness, good governance and continued learning.

The tests in this report should be used to help respond to the 26 in the original Spotlight report and the sector should use this as a framework for conducting a self-assessment and creating an action plan.

Analysing the response from various landlords from across the country we found that, following the Spotlight report, 35% of them now have a specific damp and mould policy with streamlined processes for identifying and responding to damp and mould reports. A further 12% said they were in the process of implementing one.

There was also plenty of good practice detailed, including installing sensors, carrying out property MOTs, and undertaking root cause analysis modelling and staff training.

However, there were still areas of concern. Some landlords had removed words such as ‘lifestyle’ from their policies but replaced them with euphemisms such as ‘internal environmental factors’.

And while landlords should use the complaints procedure until legal proceedings have been issued, there continues to be misinterpretation and a lack of clarity around what is meant by legal proceedings.

Some complaints policies exclude matters subject to legal proceedings but are not clear that this does not cover the pre-action protocol. Other policies incorrectly state that legal proceedings means instructing a solicitor and/or issuing a letter before claim.”

Read the report

Open letter to member landlords on damp and mould – November 2022

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “The inquest into the death of Awaab Ishak has focused the minds of the sector. But we are continually finding in our casework that landlords have not responded to this issue with sufficient urgency.

“I welcome the work that many landlords are doing to strengthen their approach following the coroner’s report. Our Spotlight report and this evaluation are invaluable tools to support that.

“Landlords need to have a sustained focus on culture and behaviours to ensure issues are not dismissed. The human impact and consequence of the creeping normalisation of poor culture was highlighted by the death of Awaab Ishak.

“It is disappointing when we conducted our review how few landlords had acted to implement a dedicated damp and mould policy, despite there being a clear and driving need to have a bespoke response for these reports given the shortcomings identified in our casework.

“The ‘golden thread’ running throughout the Spotlight report recommendations was good governance and continued learning, as it affects both policy and process, as well as front-line delivery.

“I would encourage governing bodies to consider our ten ‘key tests’ when reviewing plans, and for landlords where this is not happening, for them to create an action plan to support a proactive response.

“I know this is now a priority for many landlords, but I would urge senior leaders to go faster and further in their efforts to do what is right by their residents.”

The 10 tests are as follows:

Find your silence – who’s not using your complaints system and why? Some landlords see high complaints as a bad thing, but high complaints about damp and mould can be a sign that you are open and transparent, and people feel they can complaint
Proactive communications strategy – Damp and mould cases are out there, and you need to engage with that. But our call for evidence also highlighted that landlords are often doing quite a lot in this space and their residents have no idea. Don’t patronise, don’t be obscure and make sure you use every day terms – the advice needs to be helpful and understandable
Treat residents fairly – It isn’t their fault they are in a home unsuitable for living or currently in a property that is marked for regeneration/demolition
Improve record keeping – How can you adopt an intelligence-based front foot if you have no data on what you’re dealing with? How can you ensure that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing if nothing is recorded? We’ll soon be releasing a Spotlight report on this issue for you to engage with
Know your residents – Occupancy factors may include overcrowding and the availability and use of heating and ventilation systems. They also include individual circumstances such as disability, financial hardship, and health conditions
Check net zero plans – Electric heating costs more than gas. If you’re net zero strategy is pushing people into hardship, need to make sure you’re making mitigations
Know your homes – Structural factors include property age, design, and modifications. For example, certain types of properties such as converted street properties, buildings of concrete construction or traditional solid type construction are more susceptible to damp and mould than others
Dedicated damp and mould strategy – Create one by looking wider than the individual cases. Use your void periods and mutual exchanges too
Empower staff – if they’re in a property for something else, help them clock the signs. We encourage landlords to consider the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Professional Standards if they have not already done so
Use the complaints system to learn – Be robust in using the complaints process until such time as proceedings are filed.

Following the release of this guidance, the Housing Ombudsman will be running a webinar on 14 March at 12pm. They will share both good practice and where they are still seeing landlords go wrong on damp and mould. See registration details.

posted 2 February 2023

News from the Charity of Ann Edwards

We always enjoy hearing from our members and its been great to work with Clerk to the Trustees, Kathryn Warner, who has been sending in stories and photos of the residents and events that have been taking place at the Charity of Ann Edwards, Diocese of Gloucester.

“As well as our Mews of 8 properties for singles and couples in Gloucester, the charity has also purchased two additional properties for beneficiaries – one in Cirencester for a couple, and one in Gloucester for a family.

The original Scheme was for women only, but it has been revised over the years to be more inclusive, which has enabled us to support families where appropriate. The Charity was originally set up for the benefit of widows and unmarried daughters of deceased clergy in the Diocese of Gloucester. It is now for people with an active Christian faith and who are in necessitous circumstances including, but not limited to financial hardship, disability (physical or mental), or age, with a preference for the widowed, and for children of deceased clergy who live in the Diocese of Gloucester. One of our younger residents recently told us about what living in an almshouse meant to her:”

“When I found myself a single mum with 5 young children, one of whom is disabled, I was terrified about how I would manage and where we would live. Would the needs of all my children be met? How would I provide for them?

Living in an almshouse has provided us with the security we need, knowing we have support and a roof over our heads.

The house is adapted for my child with disabilities, and there are enough rooms so each of my children can have a bedroom each. I know without an alms house this would not have been possible and it is important they all have their own space. With the security of our home, we have been able to move forward together, put roots down and settle in a community. I have been able to care for my children whilst having a part time job.

I am so grateful for the provision of an almshouse, it has meant and continues to mean such a tremendous amount to my family. We are now thriving not surviving.”
Resident

Kathryn also sent in some great photos of when they welcomed local MP Richard Graham to the almshouses where he took the time to chat with residents and visit their beautiful gardens.

_{Karen Czapiewski, Chair Diocesan Board of Finance, MP, Kathryn Warner Clerk to the Trustee, Muhammed on work experience with MP}

_{Letter of thanks from Richard Graham MP}

_{MP with gardener resident and church member}

_{Richard Graham MP and Chris Hill Trustee}

Please keep on sending in your photos and stories to us at karenmorris@almshouses.org; we love receiving them. it really makes our day!

January 2023

AGM 2023

The Almshouse Association Annual General Meeting

Our seventy-second AGM will take place on 15th June 2023 between 9.30am and 9.45am at 1 Great George Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3AA, prior to the start of Member Day 2023

The Almshouse Association Annual General Meeting covers the main business and accounts of The Almshouse Association and is open to all member charities and Associate Members. The nominated representative for each member charity is invited to cast their vote. One vote per member charity.

If you would like to attend, please confirm your attendance by emailing admin@almshouses.org
If you are attending The Almshouse Association Members Day 2023, you do not need to confirm your attendance to the AGM
If you are unable to attend, but wish to make a proxy vote, please email admin@almshouses.org

AGENDA – click here to download invitation and agenda

Reflection on 2022
Acceptance of Minutes of the seventy-first Almshouse Association AGM held on Wednesday 15 June 2022 9.45-10.10am at Grand Station, Sun Street, Wolverhampton WV10 0BF.
Election of Board Members (Article 32 states that each Board member can serve for a maximum of three terms of three years then must retire and seek reappointment through voting procedure).
Presentation and Adoption of the 2022 Annual Report and Accounts (these will be posted here when finalised)
Appointment of Auditor
Any Other Business

posted 30 January 23

SHELTER: Press Release – Housing shortage

Press releases relating to trends within the social housing movement not only highlight the need for the affordable housing crisis to be high on the housing agenda, but also the opportunities that exist for almshouse charities to make a difference. One such press release has been issued by SHELTER which concerns the loss of 14,000 social homes as follows:

“14,000 social homes lost last year, as over a million households sit on waiting lists” SHELTER 26 Jan 2023

New government figures released today reveal a net loss of 14,100 social homes in England, as demolitions and sales far outstripped the number of new homes built.

– 21,600 social homes were either sold or demolished in 2021/22, while only 7,500 new homes were built leading to a net loss of 14,100 homes.
– In the last decade, there has been a total net loss of 165,000 social homes (between 2012/13 and 2021/22).
– 1.2 million households in England are currently stuck on waiting lists for a social home, a rise of 5% in the last two years.

Shelter is urging the government to make building more genuinely affordable social homes a central part of its new Levelling Up Bill, and in doing so reverse decades of decline. The charity argues this is essential to combatting the country’s housing emergency.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said:
“We are firmly in the red when it comes to social housing. We lose far more homes than we build every year and the losses are mounting up. The social housing deficit is at the heart of the housing emergency.”
“The fundamental lack of genuinely affordable homes has pushed millions of people into insecure, expensive and often discriminatory private renting. It is why we have over a million households waiting for a decent social home, and thousands of homeless children are growing up in temporary accommodation.”
“The solution is simple: build more social housing. The government can’t afford to allow this decline to stretch into another decade if it has any hopes of meaningfully levelling up. Instead, it must invest in a new generation of the homes we really need – secure, genuinely social housing.”

Notes to editor:

21,638 social homes were either sold or demolished in 2021/22, including 18,881 sales and 2,757 demolitions. We have excluded low-cost homeownership from the total sales figure and have assumed that social housing sales and demolitions were previously let at social rent. Sales and demolitions data is available at: DLUHC, Live tables on social housing sales, Table 678 and 684.

In 2021/22 7,528 social rent homes were delivered in England. Data is available at: DLUHC, Live tables on affordable housing supply, Table 1006C

To calculate the estimated net loss of social housing we have compared the number of social rent homes completed with the number of social homes lost through sales and demolitions. Between 2012/13 and 2021/22, a total of 84,215 social rent homes were delivered, but 193,845 social homes were lost through sales and 55,392 were lost through demolitions. This works out as a total net loss of 165,022 social homes in the last ten years.

In 2022 there were 1,206,376 households on social housing waiting lists in England. This is an increase of 5% since 2020 where there were 1,145,132 households on social housing waiting lists. Data is available at: DLUHC, Live tables on rents, lettings and tenancies, Table 600

SHELTER 26 Jan 2023

Association responds to government consultation

The Almshouse Association’s response to the Government consultation Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: Reforms to the National Planning Policy.

A once in a decade opportunity to address a gross imbalance of opportunity for almshouse charities; The Secretary of State has opened a consultation to review aspects of the Levelling up Bill and has asked us directly if we will respond to an issue that we have been driving for change, Section 106.

Many members will have heard Almshouse Association CEO Nick Phillips challenge government departments on the wording of the eligible affordable housing aspect of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) surrounding section 106. Currently, the definition of “affordable housing” excludes almshouse charities unless registered as Regulated Social Housing (a regulation that brings its own challenges).

In this consultation paper the Secretary of State has identified our concerns and we feel it is absolutely right that we take this opportunity to respond vigorously and clearly to change the definition of affordable housing to include almshouses.

Please see our draft response here and I would welcome any feedback before we officially issue our response on 25 February 2023.

Success – review of Sec 32 Social Housing Bill.

The Association has just received confirmation concerning the terms of clause 32 of The Social Housing Bill where it was stated that the Regulator may take action in the case of charities that are not Registered Providers. It has been confirmed that this will now only affect Regulated Housing Providers and NOT charities that are simply trusts and are non-registered.

This is a great relief for many members; not that they fear the Regulator interests, rather that they fear loss of their independent charity status.

We would like to thank all parties in helping making this “clarification” in the amended Bill.

posted 30 January 2023

P&G update: 25.01.23

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Government has been busy in the New Year. We are currently responding to a number of key consultations and papers from DLUC.

_{CEO Nick Phillips in London today for meeting with government representatives}

Social Housing and Regeneration Bill – Reforms are being introduced to the National Planning Policy Framework. As many of you will have found, the NPPF guidance includes a definition of affordable housing that excludes the almshouse model. Interestingly, The Almshouse Association is referenced in the bill! It is encouraging that Association members and our supporters in the APPG, together with the team here, have been able to make we have made our concerns apparent, although there is still work to be done and we will be responding clearly and robustly on your behalf seeking amendments to the affordable housing definition to include almshouses.
We are continuing our dialogue with The Regulator of Social Housing, DLUC and the Charity Commission with regards to our concerns about the Social Housing and Regeneration Bill, the requirement for almshouses seeking funding from Homes England to become Regulated (RSL) and the increasing processes around regulation. We will, of course, keep you updated on progress on all matters.

Standards of Almshouse Management

The 2023 version of The Almshouse Association Standards of Almshouse Management has now been published and can be accessed here. We consulted with The Charity Commission, the Regulator of Social Housing and The National Housing Federation on the contents of the manual, all of whom have responded positively and their feedback has been invaluable.

Historic England

Historic England has completed the first draft of the guidance note on almshouses. The guidance is aimed at Historic Building Officers and almshouse managers, and we hope to be able to share the draft and seek further comments from members shortly. We are very grateful to Historic England, Association members and our team of architects and surveyors on our Panel of Consultants for providing their expertise and hands-on experience in the collation of this guidance.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 25 January 2025

The Energy Bills Support Scheme

The Energy Bills Support Scheme – £400 Non-payable Discount to Eligible Households to Help with Energy Bills.

We have been asked to remind members of the important government update with regards to guidance on the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and the requirement to pass on support to residents.

The following links apply:

Posted 23 January 2023

Worcester charity opens new almshouses

Former Worcester warehouses converted to almshouses

The Almshouse Association was delighted to be represented at Worcester Municipal Charities on 13^th January for the official opening of four splendid flats that the charity has created for the single homeless in the City Centre in what were two derelict warehouse annexes in the town.

Richard Inglethorpe, a wealthy benevolent brewer, originally donated six almshouses in his will of 1618 and the charity has developed to a great extent over the decades to the point that the new flats bring the total number of almshouse dwellings to 100. Due to the foresight, commitment and determination of the trustees yet more people in need in the area will be provided with safe, comfortable homes which are beautifully constructed and finished to a high standard. This is a great example of a long-established charity developing in modern times.

Posted 19/01/2023

Ofgem Energy Redress Scheme

£3 million available for charities and community groups through Ofgem Energy Redress Scheme

Deadline for applications: 5pm on 30^th January 2023

The Ofgem Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme (Energy Redress Scheme) is open for the third funding round of phase two of the scheme.

A total of £3 million is available as grants to charities and community energy groups that support households most at risk from cold homes and high energy bills, or that work on innovation and carbon emissions reduction across England, Scotland and Wales.

Ofgem’s enforcement and compliance activity collects voluntary payments from companies that may have breached Ofgem administered rules.

Energy Saving Trust manages the allocation of payments for the scheme, which has been in place for four years.

The priorities of the scheme are to support energy consumers in vulnerable situations, develop innovative products or services and empower consumers to reduce their carbon emissions.

To December 2022, the Energy Redress Scheme has funded 404 projects across England, Scotland and Wales and awarded over £55.8 million in funding. These projects have included:

Impartial energy advice services supporting vulnerable people.
Using digital media to engage (hard-to-reach) audiences with energy issues and give them information about the support that is available to them.
Research projects aimed at ensuring that the needs of elderly people and disabled people are met by new energy technologies.
Boosting the supply chain of retrofit professionals and uptake of whole-house retrofits.
Trialling new business models or interventions to enable households to use more locally generated energy.

Charities can apply for grants to deliver energy related projects through four different funding streams. Funding is also open to community energy groups, including community interest companies, co-operative societies and community benefit societies. These groups can apply to either the Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund or the Innovation Fund.

The Main Fund contains £1.9 million. This is aimed at projects seeking grants between £50,000 and £300,000 that will support households in vulnerable situations.
The Small Project Fund contains £200,000. This is aimed at projects seeking grants between £20,000 and £49,999 that will support households in vulnerable situations.
The Innovation Fund contains £450,000. This is aimed at projects that will develop innovative products or services to benefit households. Applicants can apply for grants between £20,000 and £200,000.
The Carbon Emissions Reduction Fund contains £450,000. This is aimed at projects that will reduce UK carbon emissions and empower households to reduce their carbon footprint. Applicants can apply for grants between £20,000 and £200,000.

There are 1,161 organisations already registered with the Energy Redress Scheme that can apply to the open rounds.

Organisations that have not yet registered with the scheme must do so 10 working days before the closure of the relevant fund to allow time for eligibility checks to take place. The deadline for applications is 5.00pm on 30 January 2023.

Further information on the scheme and the application process can be found at energyredress.org.uk

Posted 17 January 2023

P&G update: 12.01.23

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Further to our previous bulletin The Almshouse Association wanted to assure our members that we are in the process of preparing a detailed and carefully constructed response in terms of both the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and the impact of the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework as well as the Social Housing Bill.

Submitting a robust, fully supported case in both respects is, of course, imperative if we are able to stand some chance of gaining success in these matters and please be assured that the Association is doing all possible in order to ensure that almshouses are neither overlooked nor misinterpreted in these important issues. As always, we will, of course, keep our members closely informed of any developments.

You can help us with our case. If you can let us know if you have been deterred from developing because of either the requirement to be a regulated Housing Prover or because of the definition in the current NPPF we would love to hear from you. The more real examples we can give Government the greater the weight of our argument. Email nickphillips@almshouses.org

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 12 January 23