MSB’s Social Housing Highlight – July 2024
Welcome to MSB’s monthly Social Housing Newsletter!
Bringing you all the latest updates from the world of Social Housing.
We now have our own LinkedIn page. Please follow us for regular updates and insights in the world of Social Housing and Regeneration.
The latest at MSB
We said goodbye for now and good luck to Rachael Payne who went off on maternity leave. We can’t wait to meet the new addition to our team who arrived early at the end of July. Congratulations to Rachael and her family!
We welcomed back Jessica Massih who started her training contract in January this year. After a 6-month seat with our commercial property team, she is back, and we are thrilled to have her again.
We are all very proud of our paralegals Abigail Eaves and Alicia Manchester who were awarded training contracts with the firm and start their training in September and January respectively.
Our free webinar this month, hosted by Louise Murphy and Tom Knox, was on the Customer Engagements. It was a great turnout!
We also hosted bespoke online and in-person training sessions for clients. Louise also spoke at the WISH North West Webinar on the Regulators Consumer Standards and Andy provided training with Resolve ASB. If you are interested in arranging training sessions with the team, please contact dominiqueowens@msbsolicitors.co.uk.
Don’t forget, we also host MSB Live on the third Wednesday of every month! This is a free online legal surgery that anyone can join. You’ll also have the opportunity to speak privately with a specialist housing solicitor to answer any queries you may have. Our next surgery is on 21st August 2024.
We also had the pleasure of helping Calico Homes paint one of their community centres this month. We love supporting great causes, so if you have any community projects you would like us to get involved with, please contact thomasstockton@msbsolicitors.co.uk.
This month, MSB held their first newly formatted week-long work experience programme. Our team were joined by two sixth form students who were interested in a career in law. It was great to meet such enthusiastic young people and to give them an experience of what is like to work in a busy law firm, and we wish them all the best in the future!
We have been out and again this month…
- Beth McKeown, Aishath Ahmed and Helen Maher attended the Women in Property Summer Soiree
- Amy Tagoe joined Women in Property for a networking and Paddleboarding session at the docks in Liverpool
- Kim White attended the Pro-Manchester Chairman’s lunch
We also had a record number of hearings this month with the team out almost every day covering hearings across the country.
Our Book Club reads this month are ‘Lover Birds’ by Leanne Egan, ‘Imposter’ by LJ Ross, ‘The Burnout’ by Sophie Kinsella and ‘Yellowface’ by Rebecca F Kuang. If you are going to give any of the books we have recommended a go, please let us know your thoughts and we can add your review to our book club newsletter. Read the latest newsletter here.
Updates and insight
Andy Moore reviews the tools available to tackle anti-social behaviour, considering in particular the specific grounds for possession to deal with serious public disorder.
Tom Knox considers the Regulator’s Consumer Standards from compliance to impact.
Andrew Fairman reviews the updates to the Fire Safety Order.
Tom Knox considers the Regulator of Social Housing’s recent review of its consumer regulation case works for 2023-2024.
Housing Law News
General Election
We have a new Labour government, with the key figures in housing being Angela Raynor who has been appointed Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (formerly known as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) and Matthew Pennycock who has been appointed the Minister of State for Housing.
Housing Ombudsman ‘Repairing Trust’
The Housing Ombudsman has launched its latest call for evidence to inform its next Spotlight report which is entitled ‘Repairing Trust’, focusing on common issues in housing maintenance. For more information and to respond see here.
Housing Ombudsman and Window Complaints
The Housing Ombudsman has written an open letter to Chief Executives regarding the handling of cases involving windows. For a copy of the letter see here.
Memorandum of Understanding
The Housing Ombudsman and the Regulator of Social Housing have published the Memorandum of Understanding which reflects their new powers under the Social Housing Regulation Act. You can read a copy of the Memorandum here.
Housing Targets Increased
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have announced an overhaul of the planning system which will see councils being given mandatory housing targets with an aim of delivering 1.5 million new homes.
Upcoming events
7th August 2024
Our next free webinar ‘Complaints and How to Deal with Them’ is hosted by Andrew Fairman and Amy Tagoe. Please email dominiqueowens@msbsolicitors.co.uk to book your place. If you want to be added to our mailing list to receive updates on free training and events, please get in touch.
21st August 2024
Our next free online legal surgery will take place between 2pm and 4pm. Please email dominiqueowens@msbsolicitors.co.uk to book your place.
10th September 2024
MSB live is going live at the Housing Community Summit. Join us for our in person legal surgery between 10.30am and 12.30pm here.
Case of the month
R(FG) v Kensington and Chelsea
The case considered the duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act. By Julia Michalczyk. Read here.
Contact us, we are here to help
We’re here to help, so please pick up the phone or drop us an email and one of our dedicated team will help with your enquiry.