Judgment by Regulator of Social Housing grades council ‘C3’ and calls for ‘significant improvement’ following inspection this month
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council’s provision of social housing has ‘serious failing’ concludes the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) in a damning new judgement, based on an in-person inspection earlier this month.
Photo by Phil Hearing / Unsplash
The inspection found that less than have the council’s social housing homes have had a full stock condition survey in the past five years. There was also a lack of consistent reporting, tracking and oversight of landlord health and safety. Nor was the council able to demonstrate that tenants’ views are taken into account in decision-making about how landlord services are delivered.
The judgment says that these issues are in part due to the way Oldham Council has operated the two private finance initiatives (PFIs) in place to manage the majority of its homes. The result is that the regulator awarded the council a grade of ‘C3’, noting ‘serious failings’ and requiring ‘significant improvement’.
However, the regulator acknowledged that the council worked constructively with it during the inspection process and in ongoing engagement to address the issues identified.
Read the full judgment by the Regulator of Social Housing on Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (November 26, 2025).
In a statement, Oldham Council underlined its commitment to ‘resident safety, transparency and improvement’. It argued that while the judgment highlights shortcomings in governance, oversight and assurance processes in such matters as checking information about repairs carried out by partners, it does not identify widespread safety failures or related concerns.
The statement also says: ‘The regulator acknowledged that many actions were already underway before the inspection and that the council had identified several of the issues in advance. This work is now being accelerated.’
Cllr Elaine Taylor, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods at Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, adds: ‘This is a serious judgment, and we fully accept the findings. Residents deserve a housing service where safety and accountability come first.
‘Most of the issues relate to governance and oversight. The Regulator recognises that we had already started making improvements, and we will now go further and faster. We are increasing staff capacity, strengthening our checks on safety information, and improving how we monitor the work carried out by our housing partners.
‘We will produce an enhanced improvement plan, strengthen our governance arrangements, and work closely with tenants so they can shape the changes being made. Residents living in homes managed on our behalf will receive a direct update explaining what this means for them and how we will work with them in future to ensure better communication as their landlord.’
RSH also identified weaknesses in the provision of social housing in the London Borough of Ealing, awarding it a grade of ‘C2’, and published regulatory judgements on 30 social housing landlords.
Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, says: ‘Social landlords need accurate, up-to-date data about tenants and their homes, to ensure homes are safe and services are good quality. We also expect landlords to engage with tenants, listen to what they say, and use their feedback to improve service outcomes.
‘Senior councillors and officers must scrutinise the performance of delivery partners and the service they are providing, as the ultimate responsibility for meeting our standards rests with the landlord. This is a central pillar of our regulation, and we will continue to use our inspection programme and other tools to drive long-term improvements by landlords.’
In related news:
Feature: Bromley shows how digital change improves social care
‘Health on the High Street’ in Barnsley opens to first patients
Leave a Reply