Council housing service performance 2026

AW01 - Number of potential emergency hazards reported

AW02 - Number of potential significant damp and mould hazards reported

AW03 - Percentage of potential emergency hazards investigated and safety works completed within 24 hours of becoming aware of the hazard

AW04 - Percentage of potential significant damp and mould hazards investigated within 10 working days of becoming aware of the hazard

AW05 - Percentage of written summary of findings sent out within 3 working days of the end of the investigation

AW06 - Percentage of relevant safety work undertaken within 5 working days at the end of the investigation, if the investigation relates to a significant damp and mould hazard

AW07 - Percentage of supplementary preventative works completed within 12 weeks time period

Exception report - March 2026

The percentage of relevant safety work undertaken within five working days at the end of the investigation, if the investigation relates to a significant damp and mould hazard reduced to 88.9% in March 2026. This was driven by high reporting levels, access issues, appointments agreed outside target, resourcing pressures, data quality limitations during the transition to graded damp and mould reporting, and the completion of historic backlog cases outside the five working day timescale. As older overdue cases are cleared, the reported percentage may reduce in the short term, however, this reflects underlying progress in addressing backlog and strengthening the overall recovery position.

As at March 2026, 80 mould treatments/ works started within five working days out of 90 significant cases, equating to 88.9%. The damp and mould recovery plan is on track for the internally managed compliance elements, including triage, survey response, case management, reporting controls and backlog recovery. The plan forecast backlog reduction to near parity with incoming reports within eight weeks from implementation in April 2026, and this has now substantially been achieved. Open cases reduced from 110 at week ending 10 April 2026 to 41 at week ending 8 May 2026; cases over two weeks old reduced from 47 to 22; and cases over three months old reduced from 15 to 10. The Damp and Mould team have confirmed that the surveying team has caught up and is responding within timescale to new reports. The service has therefore moved from backlog recovery towards a more stable live case management position, with the internal elements of the recovery plan remaining on track for recovery by the end of May 2026 and moving towards sustained compliance.

The remaining focus is damp and mould repairs work in progress (WIP), specifically jobs outside the internally agreed 12 week operational target. This is an internal operational benchmark rather than a prescribed Awaab’s Law timescale. In relevant cases, the hazard has already been triaged, assessed and mitigated through treatment/ hazard removal, with follow-on works managed through the repairs programme. At week ending 8 May 2026, damp and mould repairs WIP stood at 662 jobs, of which 224 were over 12 weeks old. Oxford Direct Services (ODS) has an action plan in place to reduce the aged repairs backlog while continuing to complete in-target repairs, with the aged position expected to reduce through May 2026 and be brought back into a manageable position no later than the end of June 2026.

Exception report - April 2026

Damp and mould performance improved during April 2026, reflecting the positive impact of the Damp and Mould Recovery Plan implemented following earlier non-compliance with inspection timescales. Performance against the requirement to investigate potential significant damp and mould hazards within 10 working days increased to 98.3%, compared to 64.7% in March 2026, demonstrating substantial progress towards recovery and full compliance.

Performance against AW03 fell below the 95% target during April 2026 due to one emergency case being attended outside the required timescale. Given the relatively low volume of emergency cases reported during the period, individual cases can have a disproportionate impact on overall performance. All emergency reports continued to be triaged and prioritised, with risks assessed and managed appropriately. Access constraints remain an operational challenge across a small number of cases and continue to be managed through proactive resident engagement and escalation through the Council's no-access procedures.

Performance against AW06 reflects the completion of mould treatment works completed following reports of significant damp and mould hazards. This includes both initial treatments undertaken following inspection and repeat treatments where mould reoccurred prior to completion of permanent remedial works.

Strengthened case management processes, enhanced monitoring and additional survey capacity have enabled the service to manage new demand within target timescales whilst continuing to reduce the historic backlog through a risk-based approach. Compliance controls introduced through the recovery plan are now embedded within service delivery, providing improved performance and supporting ongoing recovery.

Whilst progress continues in reducing the associated repairs backlog, this remains the primary area of recovery focus. Oxford Direct Services (ODS) continues to deliver targeted recovery to reduce aged repairs whilst maintaining performance on new works. Overall, performance in April 2026 demonstrates continued progress against the Damp and Mould Recovery Plan, with improved compliance, strengthened governance and ongoing recovery of historic inspection and repair cases.

Note: RAG (on-track/off-track) status has been applied from April 2026, in line with targets set for the financial year 2026-27.