This report provides an update on the performance of Reading Borough Council’s Housing Landlord Services up to and including July 2025.

The Committee received a report providing an update on the performance of Reading Borough Council’s Housing Landlord Service delivered year to date, up to and including July 2025, following the inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) which had concluded in April 2025.

The Housing Landlord service was working with the RSH under Provider Improvement, and it was anticipated that regular meetings with the RSH would continue for a minimum of 12 months, after which the Regulator might consider reinspection or regrading.  The Service needed to demonstrate sustained change embedded across the service, achieving positive outcomes for tenants and it had received positive feedback from the RSH in relation to progress made on the Service Improvement Plan to date. The Regulator had also complimented the Service on the volume of the work in progress to address the root cause of issues and ensure sustainable change. The Housing Landlord Service remained committed to continuous improvement and regulatory compliance, ensuring that tenants received safe, secure, and high-quality housing services.

The report explained that Landlord performance was monitored against the four Consumer Standards:

·      Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard (including Tenant Satisfaction Measures);

·      Tenancy Standard;

·      Safety and Quality Standard;

·      Neighbourhood and Community Standard.

To meet these new standards, housing providers were required to ensure that performance was reported transparently and subject to robust oversight through their established governance structures. In the last period an additional ‘cross party working group’ had been formed to provide further opportunities to share progress and encourage scrutiny of performance and key issues. Housing Services also submitted a performance update to the Committee on a regular basis to provide clear insight into performance and support informed scrutiny, challenge, and strategic discussion.

The report stated that a comprehensive Service Improvement Plan had been developed to address the root causes identified during the inspection alongside wider service improvements. The Plan was being actively monitored and delivered through cross-service collaboration, with a focus on ensuring that all actions were delivered, achieved the desired outcomes, embedded sustainable change and were aligned with the Consumer Standards.

Resolved -

(1)       That the Housing Landlord Service Performance and key achievements delivered year to date, up to and including July 2025, be noted;

(2)       That the themes and programmes of the Service Improvement Plan against the Consumer Standards (Appendix 1) be endorsed.