Decision

Teign Housing (LH4403) - Regulatory Judgement: 30 April 2025

Updated 30 April 2025

Applies to England

Our Judgement

	Grade/Judgement	Change	Date of assessment
Consumer	C2 Our judgement is that there are some weaknesses in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed.	First grading	April 2025
Governance	G1 Our judgement is that the landlord meets our governance requirements.	Assessed and unchanged	April 2025
Viability	V2 Our judgement is that the landlord meets our viability requirements. It has the financial capacity to deal with a reasonable range of adverse scenarios but needs to manage material risks to ensure continued compliance.	Assessed and unchanged	April 2025

Reason for publication

We are publishing a regulatory judgement for Teign Housing (Teign) following an inspection completed in April 2025.

This regulatory judgement confirms a consumer grading of C2, a governance grading of G1 and a financial viability grading of V2.

Prior to this regulatory judgement, the governance and financial viability grades for Teign were last updated in December 2023 following a stability check which confirmed grades of G1 and V2.

This is the first time we have issued a consumer grade in relation to this landlord.

Summary of the decision

From the evidence and assurance gained during the inspection we have concluded that there are some weaknesses in Teign delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed, primarily in relation to outcomes in our Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a C2 grade for Teign.

Our judgement is that Teign meets our governance requirements. Teign has provided evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of its governance arrangements and that it continues to effectively manage the risks of its activities, allowing it to deliver its strategic aims. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a G1 grade for Teign.

Our judgement is that Teign meets our financial viability requirements and continues to forecast compliance with funders’ covenants. Teign has provided appropriate assurance that it has access to sufficient liquidity and adequate funding in place. Teign is making increased investment in existing homes and needs to manage material risks including higher interest costs. Stress testing demonstrates Teign has the financial capacity to deal with a reasonable range of adverse events. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a V2 grade for Teign.

How we reached our judgement

We carried out an inspection of Teign to assess how well it is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and meeting our governance and financial viability requirements, as part of our planned regulatory inspection programme. During the inspection, we considered all four of the consumer standards: Neighbourhood and Community Standard, Safety and Quality Standard, Tenancy Standard, and the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard.

During the inspection we observed a board meeting, a customer experience committee meeting, and Teign’s Residents’ Forum. We also spoke with tenants, held meetings with Teign including with its non-executive directors, and reviewed a wide range of documents provided by Teign.

Our regulatory judgement is based on all the relevant information we obtained during the inspection, as well as analysis of information received from Teign through its regulatory returns and other regulatory engagement activity.

Summary of findings 

Consumer – C2 – April 2025 

During the inspection Teign provided evidence-based assurance that it has appropriate systems for ensuring the health and safety of its tenants in their homes and associated communal areas. Teign demonstrated that it has a good understanding of its compliance with its landlord health and safety requirements. Teign has sought regular independent and expert assurance across all statutory compliance activity including making sure the information it holds about its homes is correct.

There is evidence that Teign keeps an accurate record of the condition of its homes at an individual property level through physical surveys of all homes and has a process for keeping this information up to date. Teign is part way through a comprehensive stock condition exercise, with surveys completed to date providing assurance that the information Teign holds about its homes is largely accurate. We saw evidence that Teign uses its understanding of the quality and safety of tenants’ homes, including its high-rise buildings, to make decisions on future investment to maintain and improve homes.

We saw evidence that Teign provides an effective, efficient and timely repairs service to tenants through an in-house repairs and maintenance team supported by specialist external contractors where appropriate. Teign takes action to improve the service and outcomes for tenants when issues occur.

In relation to the Neighbourhood and Community Standard, we saw evidence that Teign works with relevant organisations to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour and hate crime in neighbourhoods where it provides social housing. Teign’s board receives regular reports on anti-social behaviour performance and there has been scrutiny of this by tenants. Teign recognises that improvements to its anti-social behaviour (ASB) case management process are needed, including communication with complainants and improvements to how tenants’ satisfaction is measured. Recent service enhancements have been made towards these objectives, but it is too early to see evidence of improved outcomes for tenants.

In relation to the Tenancy Standard, we saw evidence that Teign seeks to offer tenancies that are appropriate for the homes it lets, considering the purpose of the accommodation, the needs of individual households, the sustainability of the community and the efficient use of social housing. We gained assurance that Teign reports on and uses information on tenancy management to support tenants to sustain their tenancy.

In relation to the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, we did not see evidence that Teign consistently and systematically considers the diverse needs of tenants in the design and delivery of services. Teign recognises that it has gaps in the information it holds about its tenants and a dedicated project is underway to address this. Further work is needed to ensure the information is used to inform landlord services and to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for tenants.

We saw evidence that Teign regularly reviews performance information on complaints handling and that it uses this information to make improvements to its landlord services. Teign recognises that improvements to its complaints handling process are required, specifically regarding how complainants are communicated with throughout the process.

We were assured that Teign provides a wide range of meaningful opportunities for tenants to influence and scrutinise its strategies, policies and services. There are clear arrangements in place through which tenants can share their views with Teign. There is also evidence that feedback from tenants has directly and positively impacted service delivery and strategic direction. We saw evidence that Teign makes effective use of its performance information to shape services and provides a range of information to tenants to support effective scrutiny. Improvements made as a result of scrutiny reviews include changes to damp, mould and condensation processes and its approach to tackling ASB. Teign has a well-established group of engaged tenants and is working to increase its engagement with the wider tenant base including through involvement in scrutiny activity.

Governance – G1 – April 2025

Based on the evidence gained from the inspection, there is assurance that Teign’s governance arrangements enable it to effectively manage its risks and adequately control the organisation, allowing it to deliver its strategic aims.

Teign has provided appropriate assurance that its board proactively reviews its approach to delivering against its strategic aims. Teign understands the need to be able to demonstrate that it regularly and robustly considers alternative options to ensure it is achieving value for money in making best use of its resources.

We saw evidence that Teign has established and maintains clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities within its leadership and governance structure. Board member skills, experience and knowledge are aligned with the activities of the organisation. We saw evidence of this through board observation, meetings with non-executive directors and the executive team as well as reviewing relevant documents including meeting minutes.

An in-depth external governance review took place in 2024, and we saw evidence that Teign is making progress in implementing the recommendations from this.

Teign has a risk management and control framework that aligns to its strategic risks. We gained assurance on risks being managed effectively in practice and there is evidence of a clear golden thread between Teign’s strategic aims, risk appetite and performance reporting.

Teign’s board uses stress testing effectively to understand which risks have the greatest impact on its financial plan and delivery of strategic aims. Teign was able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the constraints on its capacity to deal with significant risks should they happen. There is reporting in place on clearly defined golden rules to support board oversight, and a range of mitigations have been identified. Teign’s board has an increased focus on monitoring financial indicators due to its weakened financial profile and we saw evidence of enhanced board oversight and strengthened financial governance during the inspection.

Viability – V2 – April 2025

Based on evidence gained from the inspection we have concluded that there is appropriate assurance that Teign’s financial plans are consistent with, and support, its financial strategy. Teign’s business plan is adequately funded with sufficient security in place to support its financial plans and it is forecast to continue to meet its financial covenants.

Teign does, however, face material exposures. Teign is increasing its investment in its existing homes whilst continuing to develop new homes. Teign has experienced a rise in interest costs relating to its current and future debt funding. These factors weaken financial performance when set in the context of economic pressures, reduce the capacity within Teign’s business plan, and Teign’s ability to respond to further adverse events. This means that Teign will need to manage these material risks. We have assurance that Teign has reporting and oversight in place to manage these risks.

Background to the judgement

About the landlord

Teign is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is the only RSH registered landlord in its group. Teign has a wholly owned commercial trading subsidiary, Templer HomeBuild, which delivers the organisation’s repairs service.

Teign owns and manages over 3,800 homes across Teignbridge, the South Hams, East Devon, West Devon and Exeter. Group turnover at year end 31 March 2024 was £24.8m. Teign’s development programme over the next five years aims to deliver over 244 new homes, mainly comprising affordable rent and shared ownership.

Our role and regulatory approach

We regulate for a viable, efficient, and well governed social housing sector able to deliver quality homes and services for current and future tenants.

We regulate at the landlord level to drive improvement in how landlords operate. By landlord we mean a registered provider of social housing. These can either be local authorities, or private registered providers (other organisations registered with us such as non-profit housing associations, co-operatives, or profit-making organisations).

We set standards which state outcomes that landlords must deliver. The outcomes of our standards include both the required outcomes and specific expectations we set. Where we find there are significant failures in landlords which we consider to be material to the landlord’s delivery of those outcomes, we hold them to account. Ultimately this provides protection for tenants’ homes and services and achieves better outcomes for current and future tenants. It also contributes to a sustainable sector which can attract strong investment.

We have a different role for regulating local authorities than for other landlords. This is because we have a narrower role for local authorities and the Governance and Financial Viability Standard, and Value for Money Standard do not apply. Further detail on which standards apply to different landlords can be found on our standards page.

We assess the performance of landlords through inspections and by reviewing data that landlords are required to submit to us. In Depth Assessments (IDAs) were one of our previous assessment processes, which are now replaced by our new inspections programme from 1 April 2024. We also respond where there is an issue or a potential issue that may be material to a landlord’s delivery of the outcomes of our standards. We publish regulatory judgements that describe our view of landlords’ performance with our standards. We also publish grades for landlords with more than 1,000 social housing homes.

The Housing Ombudsman deals with individual complaints. When individual complaints are referred to us, we investigate if we consider that the issue may be material to a landlord’s delivery of the outcomes of our standards.

For more information about our approach to regulation, please see Regulating the standards.

Further information

• Regulating the standards

• Regulatory standards for landlords