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Don’t act rashly over Grenfell

The sector needs to adopt a measured and comprehensive response after Grenfell, says Julian Ashby

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Ashby: don't act rashly over Grenfell

In the weeks since the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, the whole country has been asking questions and looking for answers about how it happened and how we stop it from happening again.

For many people this may be the first time they have thought about social housing and the ways that housing is provided for the most vulnerable in our society.

The public response in the form of donations and support for the survivors – as well as the calls for justice for the residents and reassurance for people who live in other tower blocks – recalls the public outcries that followed Ronan Point and Cathy Come Home.

 


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Grenfell may define the future direction of the sector in a similar way.

For those of us for whom social housing has been our careers and our vocations, these questions have been especially keenly felt.

Every time I have spoken with anyone in the sector recently – whether at big set piece events like Housing 2017 in Manchester or just talking to old friends – the events at Grenfell, what they mean, and how we can ensure it never happens again have been central to those conversations.

All of these conversations have been tinged with sadness, but many have been inspiring as people talk about how their organisations are helping survivors and most have been reflective as people think how we can prevent this happening again.

Sadly, some have been disturbing for the wrong reasons. There will inevitably be robust media and public debate. And rightly so.

However, in the immediate aftermath, while we wait for the full facts, we must avoid reaching premature conclusions and ensure that the focus remains on a measured and comprehensive response.

There are so many unanswered questions about how the fire happened, both how the tragic events of that night unfolded and whether anything could have been done in advance to prevent the disaster.

It will be important for the sector to avoid the trap of making knee jerk responses rather than waiting for the results of the police and fire investigations and the considered outcome of the public inquiry.

“In the immediate aftermath [of Grenfell] we must avoid reaching premature conclusions.”

The regulator and many others have been clear from the start that the best way to prevent Grenfell happening again is to look carefully at the long term and learn the lessons in a sober and considered manner.

In the short term that means providers should co-operate with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and other statutory agencies to address any weaknesses in existing stock as the lessons of Grenfell become clear.

 

 

 

The Grenfell Tower blaze
The Grenfell Tower blaze

As regulator, our message to providers and boards is to address those issues as quickly as possible and if you think there are issues where you need to inform the regulator then we will work with you to help you resolve them.

We are also in constant dialogue with DCLG about how providers are responding to the need to address any issues identified and we encourage you to follow the advice being provided by the government. So far, we have been impressed with the way that the sector has responded to these issues.

In the longer term we will all want to learn the lessons from the public inquiry and to put those into practice as quickly as we can. Like everyone else, we will want to reflect on what happened and see if there are improvements that we can make and discuss these with our stakeholders.

The sector will also need to think about how it communicates with its tenants, politicians and the wider public about its role and how providers are addressing the real concerns about safety, inclusion and social justice that are being raised in the wake of the tragedy.

We are also conscious that there were significant challenges for the sector and the regulator before Grenfell and although some of those debates will be transformed after the fire, they have not gone away.

How do we deliver the agenda as set out in the recent White Paper to build enough homes for the country after years of undersupply? How can housing associations fund new homes and still manage their financial risks? How do providers balance their commitments to existing tenants while doing all they can to help those who don’t have a safe and secure home?

As a regulator we have always believed that the best way to do this is to ensure that the boards of independent housing associations are able to answer these questions for themselves and able to manage their risks effectively.

Providers going bust will do nothing to help existing or future tenants, nor will providers who do not strive constantly to achieve the best value for money in all their activities.

We will continue to challenge boards and providers to ensure they are delivering value for money and setting themselves ambitious targets to deliver their objectives for existing and future tenants, while managing the risks associated with achieving their goals.

In that light we will continue with our in-depth assessment programme that has already proved its worth in delivering robust assurance about the effective governance efficiency and viability of many in the sector, while also helping us identify some organisations that are failing to meet our standards.

“I believe that the sector will rise to the challenges that emerge from the tragedy.”

We will also continue to think how best we can improve our standards regime and at an appropriate time we will respond to our consultation on the Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard and publish a consultation on a new Value for Money Standard.

We also remain vigilant to the various risks the sector is facing and in the next few weeks will publish our Sector Risk Profile. In the past this has become required reading for boards and executives and I hope that in the light of recent events people will continue to pay it close attention.

The events at Grenfell have reminded us yet again of the importance of providing safe and secure housing for everyone in the country. That is why so many of us have chosen to work in social housing.

I believe that the sector will rise to the challenges that emerge from the tragedy and I know that everyone at the regulator is ready to play their role in ensuring the sector continues to deliver for existing and future tenants.

Julian Ashby, chair, Homes and Communities Agency Regulation Committee

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