We’re really excited about our shift in approach which aims to provide greater clarity for our residents.
Our NHG Places team have taken over the management of three estates currently overseen by external managing agents. The decision was made following the regulatory judgement which raised concerns about the use of third party agents and is part of our wider compliance focused programme to strengthen oversight of our buildings, simplify services for residents and improve value for money.
The following estates will now be managed by NHG Places.
- Cranston Court (W12)
- Westgate House (TW7)
- Micawber Street (N1)
We’ve already let residents know about this and that we are confident the change will provide good services and give us the oversight and information we need to keep homes as safe as possible.
Why we’re making this change
The IDA downgrade highlighted several issues with the use of external managing agents (EMAs) including a lack of visibility of compliance particularly around building safety and maintenance as well as complex and confusing arrangements for residents in terms of who was responsible for what.
In response, our Executive Board approved a compliance-led plan to bring more externally managed sites back into NHG Places where practical and beneficial.
Why these estates were chosen
A cross departmental working group looked at which sites would be best for the first phase to see whether this was feasible. The three recommended sites met all legal and insurance criteria and were unanimously endorsed by the working group.
Site visits and operational readiness
Our teams visited all three estates. All were found to be in good or reasonable condition, with no major issues preventing insourcing. Each site has suitable facilities for NHG staff to operate effectively.
Compliance, commercial and legal assurance
Legal and service charge teams have confirmed that all three estates can be insourced within the terms of their leases and without the need for Section 20 consultation.
The building safety team already oversees compliance at all three sites, and budgets have been adjusted to reflect more appropriate cost allocations.
Commercial operations will not be affected by the management change.
What happens next
The target go live date for NHG Places management is 1 April, aligning with the 2026/27 service charge cycle.
Insourcing reflects our commitment to addressing the issues raised by the regulatory judgement, strengthening our management arrangements, and ultimately delivering a more reliable and accountable service. We’re really looking forward to seeing the benefits for residents from this new way of working.
