Swindon's social housing: a potentially lethal calamity years in the making
The Regulator of Social Housing's verdict is a wake-up call for the future and a damning indictment of the past
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A report into the state of social housing in Swindon is enough to chill the blood -and highlights issues which must never be allowed to arise again
By Barrie Hudson
Commendably, Swindon Borough Council, which owns and manages 10,383 homes, made no attempt to lessen the impact of the report by the Regulator of Social Housing, released earlier this week, into the state of social housing provision across the borough. Indeed, it is only fair to acknowledge that it was the council itself which invited the inspection by the national body following an independent internal review.
It is also only fair to acknowledge that the council, months before the report was delivered, announced a £250m package of improvements to infrastructure and procedures, and that it is addressing problems as a matter of great urgency.
None of this, however, alters the sheer outrageousness of the situation the inspectors discovered - a situation which is yet another consequence of the scandalous years-long underfunding of local government by generations of Whitehall inhabitants.
It is worth reflecting on some key points raised by the Regulator, whose full report is available here.
Assessments are grouped into four categories. The Safety and Quality Homes Standard relates to the safety and quality of homes and associated services. The Transparency, Influence, and Accountability Standard broadly covers fairness and transparency with tenants. The Neighbourhood and Community Standard says landlords must ensure tenants live in secure, well-maintained neighbourhoods and feel safe in their homes. The Tenancy Standard covers fairness in the letting of homes.
Following inspection, one of four grades relating to consumer standards are issued. These are:
C1 Our judgement is that overall the landlord is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. The landlord has demonstrated that it identifies when issues occur and puts plans in place to remedy and minimise recurrence.
C2 Our judgement is that there are some weaknesses in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed.
C3 Our judgement is that there are serious failings in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and significant improvement is needed.
C4 Our judgement is that there are very serious failings in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. The landlord must make fundamental changes so that improved outcomes are delivered.
Swindon was rated C3.
The Regulator noted in the summary of their findings: “From the evidence and assurance gained during the inspection, it is our judgement that there are serious failings in Swindon BC 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. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a C3 grade for Swindon BC.”
Later in the long and detailed document, and perhaps most worryingly, the Regulator notes (we italicised the main points):
“The Safety and Quality Standard requires landlords to identify and meet all legal requirements that relate to the health and safety of tenants in their homes and communal areas and ensure that all necessary actions arising from legally required health and safety assessments are carried out within appropriate timescales. We found serious failings as Swindon BC could not provide assurance that it was meeting all legal requirements for its homes.
“Before the inspection, Swindon BC made a self-referral which highlighted gaps in health and safety compliance management, with inadequate data systems and processes in place to accurately record and monitor compliance across all areas. This was identified following an external review of Swindon BC’s housing service. Although Swindon BC reported near 100% compliance levels, it could not provide assurance on the accuracy of this information. We also identified a lack of oversight over the completion, tracking, and reporting of safety remedial actions, leading to a potential risk to tenants.
”At the time of the inspection, Swindon BC 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. In relation to damp and mould, we saw evidence that reports are followed up effectively, however there is no active tracking, monitoring, or reporting of open cases, including the age of cases and associated works.
”The Safety and Quality Standard also requires landlords to have an accurate record, at an individual property level, of the condition of their homes based on a physical assessment of all homes and ensure that homes meet the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard (DHS). We have limited assurance that Swindon BC has an accurate, up to date and evidenced understanding of its stock quality and decency as it only has data on around half of its homes, and it is reporting more than 10% of homes are not decent. A full physical stock condition survey is underway and due to be completed in June 2026. However, we found limited evidence of effective oversight and challenge of the stock condition survey process, compliance with DHS, and a defined plan to resolve the decency issues.
”Through the inspection, we saw some evidence that Swindon BC is delivering an effective, efficient and timely repairs service, however, there are some weaknesses in the council’s approach. During the inspection we identified a lack of robust oversight and effective performance management of contractors, which is impacting the overall quality and consistency of the repairs service delivery. Swindon BC has acknowledged these weaknesses and has plans in place to introduce a new contractor framework, and it has implemented improvements to contract management practices to strengthen scrutiny and performance management until the new framework is in place.”
In response to the report, Cllr Janine Howarth, Cabinet Member for Housing at Swindon Borough Council, issued a lengthy statement which we reproduce in full: “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.”
These are clear and quantifiable pledges setting parameters by which the council can and should be judged in the future.
As to responsibility for how this situation came about in the first place, council leader Cllr Jim Robbins, asked during a briefing at the Civic Offices called to discuss the report, replied: "We were really clear when we took control of the council that we weren't taking control of a council that was in a good place.
"I think you can look at years of austerity and underfunding of our council housing.
"We haven't been doing the level of repairs for many years.
"You don't get this situation in a couple of years. This is chronic underfunding of our council housing, and we are doing our best to put it right. That's why we've put through the 250 million pounds which is a massive sum of money, a huge amount for a local authority.
"You will know our financial situation - we talk about it on a regular basis - but we are prepared to make that commitment because we know that's the scale of investment we need to get it done."
He makes a valid point; the story of day-to-day reality for local authorities, irrespective of their political make-up, has been for many years now a story of chronic Central Government underfunding with consequences for ordinary people ranging from inconvenience to potential physical risk.
Whatever one’s thoughts about what has happened in Swindon’s social housing, the council’s responsibility now is to ensure that such a disgraceful state of affairs never arises again.
Lives may depend on it.
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
The Ink News Briefing
Renovated Buckhurst Skatepark opens with new mural and skate workshop - South Swindon Parish Council have announced the official reopening of the renovated Buckhurst Skatepark. The £155,830 transformation has been designed to accommodate skateboarders, BMX riders, scooter enthusiasts, and rollerbladers of all skill levels. To celebrate the reopening, the skatepark will be a part of the upcoming Buckhurst Youth Festival on Saturday 24 May. Local skate shop ATBShop will host a special workshop from 10am to 1pm, offering free skating lessons, demonstrations, and safety tips for young people interested in extreme sports. Full Story here
Longevity Games events helping people get healthier throughout the year - The next Longevity Games will be held this Sunday - 18 May - and preparations are well under way for the following one. The games - their philosophy is 'Your pace not a race' - are the brainchild of Swindon's Tim Howe, who initially organised informal outdoor meet-ups during lockdown where all were welcome. They have blossomed into an ongoing series of regular events, all of them open to people who want to start to get fit, or test their fitness, with no pressure to compete against anyone other than themselves. Full Story here
Team behind Swindon speedway scheme report strong public support - Swindon Motorsports has announced improvements to its proposals for The Studley Grange Motorsports Hub and confirmed that a planning application will be submitted in the next few weeks. Full story here
Bowls' Big Weekend across Swindon and Wiltshire - The Bowls’ Big Weekend is returning for its fifth year and organisers say it is set to be the biggest yet. Full story here
The Musings, Ramblings and Tangents of a Middle Aged Man
The latest column from outspoken local Swindon musician, raconteur and writer Jim Blair
Hello, my name is Jim. I’m a middle aged fella who over thinks all the wrong things and cannot help but go off on tangents in nearly every conversation.
Not sure why The Ink would ask me to write a column but they have.
If nothing else, it might just be a 2 minute escape from the ‘normality’ of everyday life and make you feel better about your own brain.
So, Buckle Up. Here we go...
As I enter my Autumn years I am becoming more and more aware that time is like Tom Cruise wearing a tiara. Short and precious.
I'm also aware that I'm starting to become more and more like my Dad. Well, in regard to two things-
1. Technology (as in a lack of understanding)
and
2. Embarrassing my children.
(Mind you, I can still remember the look of joy on my Dad's face when he finally mastered that technological 'Everest' that is the Light Switch. It was breathtaking. Well worth his 3 years of effort and perseverance. Especially if you consider the fact that said effort was half done in the dark. I can only hope to exert the same kind of effort and get to make that same look one day.)
However, I have an unfair advantage over my Dad though. Due to the times we live in now, I can be lazy and combine these two traits at the same time.
My kids visibly squirm and recoil with a lack of pride and respect when trying to teach me about technology.
I have zero interest, or ability, to understand things like 'Tik Tok' or 'Influencers' for instance.
As far as I can tell, both of those seem to be a glaring indictment of educational systems around the world.
You know what we called 'influencers' in my day kids?
Drugs.
And they were a LOT more fun than this crap.
So, to stop me shoving two HB pencils into my eyes and two more in my ears, I just counteract these moments of 'teaching' by embracing the best 'Dad cliché' of embarrassment there is...
The medium of Dance.
You think you were embarrassed before kids?
Bless you my little loves.
Now, I'm obviously no Mikhail Baryshnikov or Gene Kelly (I know- my references are almost too modern and cool sometimes) but...even if I do say so myself...I can 'Tear Up A Rug' if the occasion calls for it.
My kids might strongly disagree.
But....
What my kids don't understand is that I learnt to dance by watching music videos in the 90s. My 'influencers' were the likes of Bez from the Happy Mondays and Jay Kay from Jamiroquai. They danced like they didn't have any actual bones in their bodies. How they stayed upright is a veritable wonder.
Case in point re. my limited technological prowess btw -
Not knowing how to turn Autocorrect off on your phone when you're typing the words 'Baryshnikov' and 'Jamiroquai' becomes an arduous adventure in patience and swearing loudly at a small screen that can't defend itself.
'Smart' phone my arse.
Anyway, point being – have any of you ever had trouble with technology or embarrassing your kids too much?
Answers on postcards or via email please.
I mean, I honestly don’t have the concentration span or inclination to read any of them but, you’ll feel better for getting it off your chest. I hope.
As you were luvs,
Have a great day.
Jim.
The Swindon Link Magazine Archive
Over on The Ink’s sister publication Swindon Link’s website you will find an impressive archive of the past 45 years of Swindon Link magazines, giving you a huge glimpse into the town’s recent past from the beginnings of West Swindon to now. You can find the archive here.
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