Less than one in ten councils meet housing customer standards… and why communication teams hold the key
The landscape of social housing has changed dramatically. With the Regulator of Social Housing now wielding stronger powers to inspect consumer standards, the expectations placed on landlords have shifted from being predominantly operational to being more relationship-led.
And the early results are stark with only 7% of councils currently meet the required C1 for customer standards.
There is one common thread emerging from the Regulator’s first wave of inspections because many landlords excel in their operational responsibilities but fall short in how they communicate, listen, and build trust with their residents. Following the tragedies at Grenfell and in Rochdale, the sector is being rightly held to a higher bar, one where transparency, influence and accountability matter just as much as repair times and safety certifications.
This means that customer care is no longer just about services, it’s about relationships In turn communications teams should no longer been seen as ‘support services’. They are central to that relationship with tenants, central to compliance.
Local authority communications lines have often been blurred between communications and community engagement. Within the context of housing, the two have to go hand-in-glove to ensure that the voice of tenants is not only heard but championed when it comes to designing services.
Through Westco’s work with local authorities, ALMOs, and housing associations, we’re seeing a clear pattern. Many housing communications and engagement teams are working reactively: firefighting issues, handling complaints, responding to concerns, and managing political pressure.
But the Regulator is looking for something very different. The new consumer standards expect consistent, structured, proactive communication and meaningful engagement that demonstrably shapes decision-making. This means:
- Clear organisational narratives that residents can understand
- Tenant-facing communications that are accessible, empathetic and responsive
- Strong complaints learning and visible feedback loops
- Evidence that resident voices influence service design and strategic decisions
- Engagement approaches that reach all communities — not just the usual voices
These aren’t “nice to haves”. They are now regulatory requirements.
Westco has spent more than 20 years helping public service organisations improve communications, engagement, and trust with their communities. Across more than 40 communication reviews, we’ve seen the difference that well-designed, insight-driven, resident-centred communication can make, not only to regulatory performance, but to relationships.
That’s why we've developed a new Communications and Engagement Peer Review for housing providers. It’s designed to help organisations understand where they stand against the consumer standards and what practical steps they can take to improve.
Our three-phase approach includes:
- Communications assessment: analysing strategy, channels, audience insight, accessibility, tone, and regulatory compliance.
- Engagement and listening review: mapping how organisations listen to tenants, demonstrate accountability, and close the loop.
- Improvement road map: a realistic plan that prioritises quick wins and long-term improvements aligned to governance and resources.
The organisations that achieve C1 are not necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the newest systems. They’re the ones that treat communication, engagement and resident involvement as strategic functions, not reactive ones.
The shift the Regulator is driving is cultural as much as operational.
If your organisation is looking to strengthen its approach to customer care, transparency and resident influence, now is the time to act.
Author:
simon@westcocommunications.com
