National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations (NFTMO) statement in response to Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report

The Phase 2 report released by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry team is to be commended for the depth and breadth of its investigation and it will take some time for the NFTMO to fully digest the findings set out in the report. Above all we will remember the 72 people who lost their lives in the tragic events of 14^th June 2017.

What is clear from the report is that there had been a breakdown in trust and communication with the residents of Grenfell Tower and the wider Lancaster West Estate on which it was located. Residents’ voices were not listened to, and their concerns dismissed by an organisation which, in its name, stated it was tenant managed.

Uniquely Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) was formed in 1996 in response to specific government legislation requiring local authorities to competitively tender their housing management services. The introduction of the decent homes standard in 2004 led KCTMO to alter its governance structure to that of an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) allowing it to access funding which was not available to local authorities and TMOs.

Ordinarily, Tenant Management Organisations (TMOs) are formed by local communities in response to dissatisfaction with the services they receive from their social landlord.  TMO is a generic term and covers all of our members across the country who provide housing services from community-based offices, are run by residents who live in the homes they manage and have staff who are directly responsible to residents. The majority of TMOs manage under 500 homes and all tailor their services to meet the unique needs of their residents and who usually use smaller contractors than those appointed by their landlord.

Tenant management, as the name implies, is rooted in the communities it serves and actively provided by those who live in that area. As it evolved the remoteness of KCTMO from those it served, both intellectually and through centralised offices, together with its size (c 9,500 homes) we believe ultimately contributed to the way in which the concerns of residents were (not) addressed.

We do therefore take issue with the description of the management company as the “TMO” rather than the use of its correct name Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO). By contrast the local council is referred to as RBKC reflecting its correct name.

The report makes clear that this was a tragedy rooted in the failures of a wide range of companies, regulatory bodies and organisations which should have ensured the safety of all the residents of Grenfell Tower. That they all failed in this and that the concerns of residents were then ignored or dismissed is shocking. Such attitudes unfortunately reflect the lived experience of too many residents of social housing and is the major reason why residents look to take matters into their own hands through the establishment of TMOs.

We welcome the recommendations of this report and hope that it will herald a sea change in the responsibilities and accountabilities of landlords towards their residents.