Serious failings in Swindon social housing standards found by regulator

Findings of the Regulator included that at the time of the inspection the council was unable to report accurately on the presence of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, was unable to track or monitor faults from electrical safety checks, and there were more than 800 overdue fire safety actions, the majority of which were overdue by more than a year.
The council, which invited the inspection, has emphasised its commitment to dealing with the issues raised.
The council referred itself to the Regulator in September 2024 after commissioning an independent internal review of its housing services.
In a system of four grades, with C1 representing the best compliance with regulations and C4 the least, Swindon was rated C3, a grade it shares with seven other local authorities which have undergone similar assessments. Two local authorities have so far been rated C1, 14 at C2 and one at C4.
Summarising the decision regarding Swindon Borough Council, the Regulator noted: "From the evidence and assurance gained during the inspection, it is our judgement that there are serious failings in Swindon BC for delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and significant improvement is needed, specifically in relation to outcomes in our Safety and Quality Standard and Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard."
In response, the council has reaffirmed its determination to improve housing services to tenants.

Cllr Janine Howarth, Cabinet Member for Housing at Swindon Borough Council, said: “We fully accept this judgement and the Regulator’s grading of our housing services. It makes clear that we are falling short on our responsibility to consistently deliver a decent standard of housing and comply with national standards that came into force in April 2024.
“Having met with hundreds of tenants and leaseholders since taking on Cabinet Member responsibility for housing services in May 2023, it quickly became clear that some areas of our housing services were not at the level our tenants should expect.
“That is why we commissioned an independent review of our housing services which led to the Council referring itself to the Regulator in September 2024. This resulted in the inspection completed in May 2025.
“Today’s judgement acknowledges our strong commitment to improving, recognising the action we are already taking and the progress made.
“Last November, we set up a Housing Improvement Board that brings together tenants, councillors, and officers every month to oversee our improvement plan and scrutinise housing performance data.
“As a member of the Board, I am assured that the number of overdue fire safety actions cited in the Regulator’s judgement will continue to decrease rapidly, with a 76% reduction already achieved between December 2024 and March 2025.
“More than 1,590 council homes now have new alarms that detect heat, smoke, and carbon monoxide as part of a four-year £10.5m upgrade programme that began last September.
“Around 10 per cent of all council homes benefitting from these new alarms will also receive environmental sensors that measure temperature and humidity levels. These will provide tenants with real-time data and alerts to help them take proactive measures to maintain a safe and healthy living space.
“In March this year, the Council’s Cabinet approved a five-year, £250m programme of maintenance and major refurbishment work on council homes. This is a 78 per cent increase in planned investment compared to the previous five years and will make a significant contribution to improving the condition of some of our older homes, which have suffered from a lack of investment in roofs, windows and kitchens.
“We are also making a £4.2m capital investment in a new online housing system to make it easier for tenants to manage their tenancy and access services.
“As the Regulator has identified, how we engage and involve tenants in our work needs to improve. That is why we have commissioned England’s leading tenant engagement experts, Tpas, to advise on our future approach. 

"Tenants and leaseholders in all of our properties will receive a letter from today inviting them to a series of events next month to hear more about the improvements we’re making, ask questions, and tell us what matters most to them.
“This will build on our ‘Behind Every Door’ programme which over the past seven months has seen housing officers visit 350 individual tenants at their homes, listening to their needs and offering practical support where it’s needed.
“We will publish our full housing improvement plan later this year, informed by tenants’ feedback and the Regulator’s report.”
Tenants are being invited to a series of ‘Let’s talk Housing Swindon’ events, which will take place throughout June:
- Park Library in Cavendish Square: Tuesday, 10 June, 6pm–8pm
- West Swindon Library in Whitehill Way: Wednesday, 11 June, 6.30pm–8.30pm
- Central Community Centre in Emlyn Square: Saturday, 14 June, 11am–1pm
- John Moulton Hall Community Centre in Penhill Drive: Tuesday, 17 June, 6pm–8pm

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