A Liverpool based social landlord has regained its compliance rating from the regulator two years after being down-graded over widespread health and safety failings.

The Livv Housing Group, formerly known as Knowsley Housing Trust, was found to be non-compliant in August 2018 but in October this year it was regraded on governance from ‘G3’ to ‘G2’.

Two years ago the regulator also found significant weaknesses in the effectiveness of board oversight and scrutiny, as well as ineffective risk management and internal controls.

Following a restructure Livv was found to have strengthened governance arrangements with a fresh board and executive team, which enabled more effective scrutiny and risk reporting. It has also implemented a fresh risk management framework, which included new policies and procedures relating to statutory health and safety compliance.

Meanwhile down the M5, GreenSquare Group which manages 12,000 homes in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, had its governance rating upgraded to ‘G1’.

It was previously downgraded in June 2019 after breaching the regulator’s standard for fire safety.

The regulator found GreenSquare has enhanced the skills mix of its board and improved the quality of reporting, leading to improved oversight of health and safety compliance. The HA also implemented recommendations from an independent review of governance and communicated material issues with the regulator in a proactive and timely way.

By Patrick Mooney, Editor