ForHousing is a social housing provider operating across the North West of England, owning and managing 19,000 homes in Fylde, Knowsley, Oldham, and Salford.
ForHousing appointed Pennington Choices to provide critical friend support as they adapted to the changing requirements of Awaab’s Law.
Our role was focused on providing independent advice and assurance at a governance level, helping ForHousing review its approach and ensure that its policies, reporting, and oversight arrangements were in alignment with the requirements of the legislation.
With Awaab’s Law being introduced through a phased implementation, the full requirements will be in place by 2027. The legislation will introduce strict timescales for landlords to address all HHSRS hazards, excluding overcrowding, as well as emergency hazards.
ForHousing wanted an independent perspective to help ensure its governance arrangements were appropriate as the requirements developed and to challenge how its performance and compliance were being monitored.
We worked with ForHousing to provide Awaab’s Law Critical Friend Support across key areas of its approach, including:
Governance Structure: We reviewed ForHousing’s governance structure around Awaab’s Law, providing advice and identifying any gaps in their approach to help ensure appropriate oversight was in place.
Policy Review: We provided an independent review of relevant policies, helping ForHousing identify areas where its approach could be strengthened.
KPI Definitions: We reviewed the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) being used to monitor performance and compliance, providing advice on definitions and what information should be captured and reported.
Reporting: We provided advice on reporting arrangements, helping ensure that relevant information could be clearly communicated and used to provide effective oversight.
Critical Friend Support: Our team provided an independent perspective on ForHousing’s approach, helping to assess existing arrangements and identify areas for further consideration.
Our support was focused on providing strategic oversight and assurance, complementing the work already being undertaken by ForHousing’s operational teams.
Our Critical Friend Support ensured that ForHousing continued to meet the existing requirements of Awaab’s Law, prepared them for the expanded scope coming into force in November 2026, and ensured they understood their requirements for addressing hazards within the required timescales.
“Pennington Choices has provided valuable independent support as we prepare for the changing requirements of Awaab’s Law. Their critical friend approach has given us an independent perspective on our governance, policies, KPIs, and reporting arrangements, helping us identify areas for further consideration and strengthen our approach. Their practical advice and support have given us greater confidence that we have the right oversight and assurance in place as the requirements continue to develop." - Director of Business Transformation at ForHousing