The Housing and Environment Scrutiny Panel was scheduled to discuss the refresh of the council's Asset Management Strategy and the outcome of an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing. The meeting also included an update on housing complaints performance and the housing repairs and maintenance service.

Asset Management Strategy Refresh

The panel was scheduled to consider an update on the refresh of the council's Housing Asset Management Strategy (AMS). The report outlined that the current AMS, adopted in 2021, needed updating due to significant changes in the operating, regulatory, and financial context for social housing providers. These changes include the Building Safety Act 2022, new Tenant Satisfaction Measures, the implementation of Awaab's Law, and increased focus from the Regulator of Social Housing on assurance and data quality.

The refreshed AMS aims to provide a clear framework for managing the council's housing assets, prioritising safety, compliance, investment, sustainability, and place-based outcomes. It is intended to improve transparency and decision-making, aligning asset management with the Council Plan, climate ambitions, and regeneration objectives. The report proposed six strategic pillars for the refreshed strategy: Quality Homes and Strategic Asset Management; Safe, Compliant and Well-Managed Homes; Resident Voice and Community Impact; Sustainability and Climate Resilience; Value for Money and Investment Efficiency; and Place, Regeneration & Design Quality. The panel was asked to note the report and provide feedback on these proposed pillars.

Regulator of Social Housing Inspection Report

The panel was scheduled to receive an update on the outcome of an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). The RSH regulates social landlords to ensure they are well-governed, financially viable, and offer value for money. The inspection process involved pre-on-site activities, on-site interviews with various council representatives and tenants, and post-on-site follow-ups.

The inspection outcome, published in November 2025, resulted in a C2 grading for the London Borough of Ealing, indicating some weaknesses in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed. These weaknesses were specifically identified in relation to the Safety and Quality Standard and the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. The RSH noted positive feedback regarding the council's understanding of its housing stock condition, performance in delivering compliance inspections, the efficiency of its repairs service, and its approach to neighbourhood and community standards. However, areas for focus included monitoring stock condition surveys and asset management plans, remedial activities on EICRs and FRAs, overdue repairs, and the monitoring and oversight of the antisocial behaviour service. The report also highlighted the need to improve the accessibility of information to tenants and the extent to which the tenant voice is considered in service design and delivery. The council has developed an operational plan and projects to address these weaknesses and will engage in ongoing meetings with the RSH to monitor progress.

Housing Complaints Performance

An overview of housing complaints performance and improvement activities for Ealing housing tenants and leaseholders was scheduled for discussion. The report indicated that during 2024-25 and early 2025-26, the service faced challenges in meeting response times for complaints. While improvements had been made, performance was still below the desired level for Stage 1 complaints, though Stage 2 complaints were consistently met within timescales. The Housing Ombudsman had launched a preliminary investigation into the service's complaints handling, which was subsequently closed in October, with the Ombudsman acknowledging the service's understanding of challenges and identified actions. Key measures to improve complaints handling included implementing a new corporate complaints policy, a new compensation policy, staff training, and enhancements to data collection. The panel was to receive quarterly updates on complaints performance, including examples of learning and changes in practice, and data on the number of complaints received. A recommendation was made to create a safeguarding log of reported concerns to capture lessons learned.

Housing Repairs and Maintenance Service

The panel was scheduled to receive an update on the progress and key challenges of the Housing Repairs Service, which utilises two principal contractors, Axis and Wates, alongside a small in-house team. A longstanding issue of poor communication regarding repair visits was noted. A new staffing structure was in place to manage repairs delivery, including dedicated teams for surveyors, aids and adaptations, voids, and complex repairs. Tenant satisfaction with the overall repairs service was reported at 63.8%, with 57.7% satisfaction regarding the time taken to complete a repair. The report also addressed damp and mould cases, noting a significant reduction from 584 in July to 245 cases currently under remediation. Awaab's Law, which came into effect on 27 October 2025, requires social landlords to address serious damp, mould, and emergency hazards within strict deadlines. The panel was to receive quarterly updates on Awaab's Law compliance and consider a joint resident and contractor session for learning and improvement.