The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH)has published an interesting report which looks at how well landlords understand the condition of the homes that they own. We hear of many examples of how the record keeping and knowledge of sock condition is poor and this report looks at the first year of findings under the new regulatory regime. It appears that a number of landlords still have knowledge gaps and are relying on out of date or incomplete condition surveys.

Many have heard tales of landlords telling tenants that they had a new kitchen or bathroom x number of years ago yet the tenant knows this isn’t the case. Partly this is because landlords used cloned data from surveys that only look at a 10% sample of the homes they own and extrapolated the data across the rest of the stock. We’ve never believed that this is the best way to know your homes and were pleased that government and the RSH agree with us.

So why does this matter and what can we do about it? Well, it particularly matters because, unless you know what works have taken place and when how can you tell if your housing meets the current Decent Homes Standard (DHS)? Thankfully, the current consultation from government indicates that the age of building components will no longer be a consideration as to whether of not such components need replacing. But, the issue still remains that unless you know the condition of homes/blocks/estates how can you put together an investment programme to meet the revised DHS which is coming?

Given that the new DHS will require homes to be brought up to the new standard by 2035 or 2037 (and a lot of landlords didn’t achieve or maintain the standard in the previous programme in 2001-10) landlords need to know where they’re starting from in order to target resources appropriately.

Expect activity in this area if your landlord doesn’t currently have a full stock condition survey in place!

This year’s recipient of the NFTMO Award for Impressive Support to TMOs is Andrew Bryant from the City of Wolverhampton Council.

Nominated by Dovecotes TMO the nomination form stated:

“Andy has been an invaluable advisor to Dovecotes Tenant Management Organisation board for almost four years in several positions within Landlord Services. We have seen Andy progress his career within his department which is a true reflection of his experience, knowledge and skills set within the local authority.

Andy who is extensively experienced in TMO’s has provided the board with guidance with changes in legislation, governance and good practices to consider and embed within the organisation, enabled a working relationship with the council as a proactive and productive partnership that ensures the tenant led approach is at the forefront of everything proposed or advised from the council.

Andy’s ability to put all the board members at ease within his presence is truly inspiring. His attitude and professionalism instantly build confidence and trust in our working relationship. Andy is always there to help and support no matter his workload or prior commitments in place, he will always try and support if he can, or signpost to the right colleague to assure the correct department / person is engaged with to seek a resolution.

His opinion and involvement have helped Dovecotes through some quite uncertain times that has resulted in the TMO becoming more resilient, proactive, professional, transparent and always relevant and on topic for the needs of the community.

We will always recognise Andy for his dedication to our TMO which is regarded as the best performing TMO for the past 2 year for the City of Wolverhampton in the Customer Satisfaction Annual Surveys.”

At this year’s Conference Andy delivered a workshop looking at what are the requirements of landlords when they monitor TMO performance, what do they need to know and why?

This years NFTMO Project of the Year Award was presented to Bushbury Hill EMB for their Fifth Avenue Community Centre. We’ve reproduced their winning entry submission below.

In the City of Wolverhampton, Bushbury Hill Estate Management Board (BHEMB) lead the way in demonstrating the importance and success of a community led approach. BHEMB not only delivers its TMO role but also is consistently proactive in its endeavours to support community led initiatives that benefit local tenants. Our nomination is for the amazing work we are doing at our Fifth Avenue Community Centre

In October 2021 BHEMB acquired a local empty community centre through Community Asset Transfer from City of Wolverhampton Council, with their support. The centre had been unused for years and was beginning to fall into disrepair. As tenants we have seen many expensive externally funded initiatives come and go in our area, leaving limited and only short-lived impact. However, from experience what we know makes a sustainable difference is local people and grass roots investment. We know that there is no sustainability without community participation, and if we are going to help and support our tenants, some of which are the most deprived in Wolverhampton, we needed to create long term support services.

Once we had the keys, work began on renovating the centre and the grounds. BHEMB made a significant investment into the space, mending plumbing, installing appropriate fire and security systems, taking down over 20 unsafe trees to ensure the grounds were safe and accessible and re-decorating the whole centre from top to bottom. Fifth Avenue Community Centre opened as the part of the BHEMB family.

We engaged with local people to see what services, activities and projects were needed. Local people of all ages in our community were struggling to stay in control of their finances, with many living on or below the poverty line. Many reported often having very small amounts of disposable income remaining at the end of the month which is why our free or inexpensive voluntary led services are needed to tackle both the physical and mental health of our community. Our goal was to ‘transform an unused space into a thriving, self-sustaining community innovation hub, bringing much needed services into the area and creating opportunities for local people, raising skills and confidence, improving mental health and improving employability across the area, resulting in an overall improvement in their quality of life’
We began to recruit more volunteers and offered the space free to local people to create volunteer led groups and activities, acting as the catalyst to new initiatives and services. We engaged with both local and citywide partners to lever in funds and support for our volunteers to create the projects and activities required.

Funday Monday – targeting the 50+ age range, began with just 8 people attending. This group now offers armchair exercise, craft activities, music, bingo, food and good company. This group provides a hot meal and activities to over 40 older people weekly and is working its way towards becoming a constituted group/organisation to enable the delivery of a second day to meet demand.

Little Angels Play Group – Local parents were offered the space to begin a new play group, this group is still growing and attracts around 20 local preschoolers each week and importantly gives parents the chance to touch base with us and get support where required. Parents sourced many of the toys themselves, we supported them with training, policies and procedures and put £200 into equipment. This group is now self-sufficient and is a great source to recruit new volunteers.

Cooking Programme – In addition to supporting the establishment of new groups, we also worked with partners to lever in funds to deliver key services. Twice weekly we run a Budget Cooking Session where local people who are struggling can come along, cook a hot meal to take home for themselves and their families, meet new people and learn new skills. These sessions rotate on a 6-week programme, and this allows us the opportunity to get to know the participants and why they are struggling financially so that we can make appropriate referrals and sign posting. We take social service referrals and also make our own referrals to this group.

After School Club – was something that almost all parents had asked for. Parents/Carers also attend the session. Here we cook and eat a family meal, we host fun activities, sometimes outdoors or sometimes crafts. We help our young people with homework and support parents/carers with any issues they may have. Again, this is now a well over subscribed group, and we are looking at creating a second session to accommodate demand.

Creating accessible opportunities locally is key to our mission in enabling local people to improve their own quality of life. Working with local partners we have also been able to lever in funds to create our very own Drama Group and Rock School. Each week the groups meet, and local children get the opportunity to receive tuition from professional actors and musicians.

Holiday Activity Clubs – Working with partners we secure funding to deliver holiday activity clubs during the school holidays. Our sessions are family based and there is something for everyone from the younger children, through to teenagers, young adults and parents/carers. We provide a free meal for all children and very low- cost food for adults. All activities are free, and we also ensure support services are onsite to help. Each school holiday we support over 400 children and their families.

As part of our sustainability plan, we also rent two of our rooms to support two small local businesses, one of which we helped to establish. In addition, we also rent a room out to Wolverhampton City College who use this as a teaching base for some of their students with more complex needs.

Our latest addition to the centre is our Community Shop. We obtained funding to set up a small grocery store that will provide very low-cost food. We work with our not-for-profit partners across the area to buy in bulk and offer fresh meat, veg and fruit at very low cost. We also source free surplus items to give away to people struggling and help them with their cost of living. So far, we have been able to secure support from Warburtons Bakery, Muller UK and through Neighbourly receive surplus food from Aldi, Lidl and M&S. The shop is entirely run by volunteers and therefore with reduced overheads we are able to keep produce at a lower price.

As we speak, we are currently developing our outdoor area to make this safe for activities and have also added a separate log cabin which will be our ‘Wellbeing Hut’.

We have also invested in developing a community-based counselling service at Fifth Avenue, with wellbeing classes, art therapy and sound therapy being delivered, tackling serious mental health issues for tenants who cannot mentally afford to wait for statutory support. In addition this service provides one: one counselling for those most in need, breaking down barriers and tacking multi complex issues.

BHEMB have transformed a derelict space into a thriving, busy community led centre with a footfall of over 500 households per week, providing essential services to some of our most vulnerable tenants. Without this investment and dedication there would be little to no support on the ground for food poverty, mental health, family activities, and support for our elderly tenants.

Our current cohort of volunteer’s spend a collective 162 hours per week delivering services at our centre. When compared to the roles they are delivering, this brings the financial equivalent of over £160,000 per year of financial added value. In addition, we have created an ‘early help and prevention’ hub, supporting people in crisis and preventing many local families from entering the statutory system.

The centre is on track to becoming self-sustaining and independent of grant within the next 12 months, balancing the importance of income generation with the abundance of added social value that this space is now generating. Our investment into this space, our tenants, their abilities and willingness to learn and participate has resulted in a space which will continue to provide essential services on our doorstep for many years to come.

 

We’re delighted to present Josiah Danso, this years recipient of an Outstanding Contribution to a TMO by a Young Person (aged under 25).

At just 19 years old, Josiah Danso has already shown remarkable commitment, maturity, and leadership in his work with Roupell Park RMO and a local youth-focused charity, CEF Lyncx. As a long-time resident of Roupell Park, Josiah is not only a product of the estate but is now actively shaping its future through inclusive programming, youth mentorship, and sports-based engagement.

Josiah’s journey began when he joined CEF Lyncx’s summer programme at the age of 11, alongside his two younger sisters. The programme, designed to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds, provided a structured, nurturing space for local children during the long summer holidays. As a family of African descent facing significant hardship, Josiah’s family was among those most in need of such support.

Just a few months ago, Navlet, one of the CEF Lyncx leads, commented: “Do you remember when you brought the children over to my session one afternoon and told me we had to take all three Dansos, even though the programme was full? I remember you saying that their situation was exactly why we created the programme — to provide for the most vulnerable families. I understood that we had to make space for them, and that our activities were not just about entertainment; they were a lifeline.”

In many ways, Josiah grew up with CEF Lyncx. He joined all sessions we provided: the youth forum, attended after-school sessions, and built strong relationships with staff who saw his potential even during difficult times. At the age of 13, Josiah experienced a particularly turbulent time. He became disruptive during sessions, prone to anger and unwilling to accept solutions. This behaviour coincided with a significant family breakdown: Josiah’s father left the family permanently, returning to Africa without further contact or financial support. The emotional and financial impact on Josiah and his siblings was profound.

Josiah now credits this period — and the intervention of CEF Lyncx staff, especially Christian and Navlet, along with the support of Roupell Park — as a turning point in his life. Without this guidance he believes he could have taken a very different path. At the time, there were clear signs of gang recruitment and anti-social behaviour involving boys his age on the estate. Josiah was walking a very fine line.
At the age of 16, Josiah began volunteering with CEF Lyncx — a paid opportunity offered to former participants of the summer programme who had shown commitment over the years. CEF Lyncx delivers sessions for both mainstream children and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Initially, Josiah was hesitant to engage with the SEND group, unsure of how to connect with children who had additional needs. However, with encouragement from Christian and Navlet — who believed the experience could help him develop greater empathy and emotional control — he agreed to give it a try. Their instincts proved right.

Working with children with special needs became therapeutic for Josiah. He began to appreciate the value of patience, empathy, and connection. He soon requested to stay with the SEND group rather than move into the mainstream summer sessions. Over time, his role developed, and he became a trusted and dependable member of staff.

“Working with children with disabilities forces you to think outside the box,” Josiah says. “Some children are more challenging than others, but once you find a way to calm them and communicate, it becomes very rewarding.”

Josiah’s lived experiences — his own struggles and his personal growth — now inform how he mentors other young people.

“When I was younger, I had my ups and downs. Now that I’m a staff member, I sometimes feel like a hypocrite telling kids to behave better because I used to act up, too. But coming back to CEF Lyncx made me realise I enjoy working with kids — and it gave me a chance to learn and improve.”

At Roupell Park, Josiah also runs inclusive sports sessions and has become a key figure in the estate’s Boot Camp programme, using football — his lifelong passion — to engage young people in fitness, teamwork, and positive interaction. He’s helped children grow their confidence while developing his own coaching skills.

He is a passionate advocate for youth needs and fairness. Noticing that older teens from outside the estate sometimes monopolised the MUGA (multi-use games area), discouraging younger children from playing, Josiah proposed a timetable system to ensure everyone had access. This kind of practical, inclusive thinking shows how deeply Josiah cares about creating a safe and balanced environment for all young people in the community.

“Go outside, stay active, keep fit, and find activities you enjoy — especially sports,” he says. “Doing something you like can support your personal growth and benefit the community as well. This certainly is my story line. “

Josiah is now studying to complete his coaching certificate with Fulham FCF. He continues to support his younger sisters as a caring and steady presence and is a powerful role model to other young people at Roupell Park.

His transformation — from a struggling teenager to a respected mentor, coach, and youth leader — is both inspiring and humbling. His contributions to the local RMO, especially in terms of engaging hard-to-reach young people and supporting inclusion for children with special needs, have had a deep and lasting impact.

Josiah Danso exemplifies the very essence of this award — a young person who has transformed personal adversity into purposeful action, and who leads with empathy, resilience, and vision. His journey from a vulnerable participant in need of support to a trusted mentor, coach, and role model is a powerful reflection of what is possible when young people are truly invested in.

Josiah doesn’t just represent the future of Roupell Park — he is already shaping it, day by day, through every session he delivers and every young life he touches.