Evaluation of RSH's In-depth assessment process
RSH commissioned external research to assess the effectiveness of its IDA process and identify areas for improvement
Applies to England
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In 2020, the Regulator of Social Housing commissioned IFF Research to undertake an evaluation of the In Depth Assessments that it undertakes of private registered providers of social housing with 1,000 or more social housing units. Alongside quarterly surveys and annual stability checks, IDAs are an important component of our regulatory approach to gathering assurance about providers compliance with our standards. The report of the evaluation provides helpful feedback about providers experience of the IDA process and evidence of the impact that IDAs can have.
The IDA process was implemented in 2015 and the first full cycle of IDAs for all RPs with over 1,000 social housing units was completed in 2019. In response to some of the findings of the evaluation and our own internal review process we are making some modifications to our approach to IDAs.
Now that all providers with 1,000 or more social housing units have had at least one IDA and in some cases more, we have a strong assurance base that we can build on in further rounds of IDAs. This is allowing us to tailor our assessment focus further to ensure that our regulation remains proportionate and is focussed on the management of material provider specific risks. Through our internal work and further informed by this external evaluation we continue to evolve our focus to respond to changes in the operating environment including focusing on providers’ strategic decision making, strategic delivery and value for money.
Our aim is that our communication and engagement throughout the process is as consistent, clear and comprehensive as possible to help us and registered providers make best use of resources. We will continue to engage with providers to discuss evidence submission and provide useful feedback following the conclusion of IDAs.