“No one is listening”. That’s what a manager said on the phone as she told a worker how to fake safety evidence. Turns out she was wrong and Sky News got hold of the incriminating tape. This happened at Clarion. But it could have been just about anywhere.

We’ve just done an interview with a repairs operative who’s written about his time working for a few associations. It’s not for the fainthearted. He points to many instances just as troubling as the Clarion case. As he says – “too many decisions are made by those who never set foot on an estate”. How do we put this right?

I’d turn inspection on its head. I wouldn’t start with the boardroom instead I’d go there last. Boards are full of people that are good at defending vivas. (BTW that’s a university exam, not the old Vauxhall car.)

As a leading troubleshooter says – strategy is for amateurs, logistics is for professionals. We know that the board reports will look fine. After all the RSH goes to great lengths to tell boards what to say. Plus, they give plenty of notice that they’re coming. So, there can be no excuses. But what’s all this got to do with reality? Did anyone at Clarion look at their safety data and smell a rat?

You only get to the truth by walking round estates, talking to operatives and call handlers and, of course, residents. To be honest, one or two of the C1s befuddle me. No one is surely claiming that this is the crème de la crème of housing management? Then it dawns on you. The inspectors never visit estates. So, we have C1s that are actually strong and others that just leave you shaking your head.

There’s the old mantra – what gets measured gets managed. Let the inspectors loose to roam on estates and talk to people. Then the landlords that really do focus on the frontline would get their just rewards. And the others would quickly follow suit.

I’d start with real life then work back to the boardroom. Inspecting only the boardroom is high risk and will unravel. The only question is when and where. After the Clarion case journalists will be digging. That’s their job.

So, boards need to get out there and find out what’s going on. Then we need to get better. That’s where we hit the Babar in the boardroom.

Inspection changes nothing in and of itself. The surveys that the RSH has ordered landlords to do reveal that we ought to spend heavily on the homes. Where’s the cash coming from? Let’s go back to the future and do what we did under New Labour. Maybe the welcome return of Louise Casey from that era is a good sign.

Back then if a council passed muster at inspection they got cash to fix homes. If they failed then it was time to change the guard. Nothing wrong with that.

The RSH is halfway through its programme of inspections. The teams have certainly put in a shift. So, don’t let it fade away. To misquote Marx – the inspectors have only interpreted the world in various ways, the point, however, is to change it.

Alistair McIntosh, Chief Executive, HQN