Preparing for Regulatory Inspection

In October 2024, Bury Council asked Altair, an external provider to conduct an inspection of Housing Services.

Over several weeks, after providing all the information they needed, Altair inspected our services, talking to lots of staff, tenants, and elected members. Their findings gave us valuable insights into how well we’re meeting the new Consumer Standards and how to get ready for the full inspection from the External Social Housing Regulator, which could happen at anytime.

Using the new Consumer Standards, no major issues were found, and several good practices were highlighted. Altair praised our Property Compliance and our fair treatment of tenants. They also appreciated how we listen to tenant voices and make sure our services meet residents' diverse needs.

As expected, areas for improvement were identified across the housing service, focussing on repairs, ASB, engagement, data, governance and the website. This has helped us to prioritise our action plans going forward more effectively.

Implementing the recommendations will be a challenge that we embrace, and we want to involve you in our plans for delivering service improvements. If you are interested in getting involved, please click here.