Barnsley Council and Berneslai Homes – Inspection Support

Berneslai Homes manages around 18,000 homes on behalf of Barnsley Council, South Yorkshire. Berneslai Homes operates as an Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO).

Objective

To provide support and guidance to the Council and the ALMO in relation to readiness for inspection of the housing service by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

What we did

DTP delivered a range of tailored support to both the Council and Berneslai Homes in the run-up to the regulatory inspection, including:

• briefings to the Council and ALMO executive and non-executives on the inspection process.
• document review and evaluation.
• coaching and interview preparation for executive, non-executive and customer representatives.
• general guidance and support as required to underpin inspection readiness.

What we achieved

DTP provided timely, responsive and critical friend support throughout the inspection preparation period. Our involvement gave officers reassurance in their approach and helped build confidence across the partnership. We aimed to add value to the strong baseline service provision already in place.

Barnsley Council and Berneslai Homes went on to become the first local authority housing providers to receive a C1 rating from the RSH.