PRESS RELEASE - Poor report from Wales Audit Office

Bro Myrddin Housing Association has received a ‘scope for considerable improvement’ rating from the Wales Audit Office (WAO), the organisation commissioned by the regulatory to inspect housing association performance in Wales.

The Wales Audit Office discovered there were concerns in seven key areas of service delivery and failed to demonstrate capability and was unlikely to make significant improvements in the future due to limitations in its capacity and weaknesses in its approach to strategic planning, management of performance and organisational support said the Wales Audit Office report.

Jeremy Colman, Auditor General for Wales, said “The services provided by Bro Myrddin Housing Association are consistently below the standard tenants are entitled to receive. The Association clearly needs to implement major changes in nearly all areas of its operations. The recommendations in this report will support the Association to set a clearer strategic direction, improve its planning and monitoring and become more resident-focused.”

The Welsh Tenants Federation are concerned that yet another small association in West Wales has been found to be not providing the level of services we would expect of modern housing associations. We will want to see the recommendations offered by the WAO implemented immediately with closer monitoring by the regulator to ensure that tenants begin to see improvements in the services they pay for.

“The report underlines the importance of a robust independent regulatory inspection system that highlights these failings”, said Steve Clarke, Policy and Projects Coordinator for the Welsh Tenants Federation. “Under the current review of the regulatory function suggested by the Essex report, we will want to see that such inspection processes are at least as robust as those in place currently, and that regulatory response to poor performance support tenants and the landlord to improve service standards”.

1. Further information can be obtained from the www.welshtenantsfed.org.uk

2. A copy of the report can be found at http://www.wao.gov.uk/news_2343.asp or by contacting the Welsh Tenants Federation at the address below.

--- CONTACT DETAILS ---

For further information please contact:
Steve Clarke, Policy Officer & Projects Coordinator
Welsh Tenants Federation
Milbourne Chambers
Glebeland Street
Merthyr Tydfil
CF 47 8AT

Mobile: 07879815479
Tel: 01685723922
Fax: 01685 722801
Email: steve@welshtenantsfed.org.uk
www.welshtenantsfed.org.uk