Eddie Hughes, Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing said that 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 of 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.
Social housing residents have been asked to come forward and talk about their experience dealing with social housing staff as well as suggesting 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.
This follows thousands of social housing residents who 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 complaints. At the same time, the Housing Ombudsman has seen a 139% increase in complaints in the past year.
Eddie Hughes MP, Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing, 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.”
Gavin Smart, Chartered Institute for Housing CEO, said: “As the professional body for housing, CIH is delighted to be involved with DLUHC’s Professionalisation Review. Home is the foundation on which we all build our lives, our experience during the Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced just how important home is.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to take part in the review to help make sure that housing professionals have the right tools to deliver good quality homes and services with people at the heart.”
