Scottish Social Housing Charter Indicators

Scottish Social Housing Charter Indicators Briefing Paper July 2012 Introduction This joint Tenants Information Service (TIS) / Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) briefing paper has been produced for tenants and landlords of Scottish registered social landlords and local authorities on the Scottish Housing Regulator s (SHR) consultation on the Scottish Social Housing Charter Indicators. The consultation opened on 1st June and runs until 24th August 2012 and responses should be returned to the SHR by Friday 24th August 2012. Background The Housing (Scotland) Act 2010 introduced two new features of the social housing sector in Scotland. These are:» The Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC) and» A new independent Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) to succeed the previous Scottish Government Agency Together they have created a new environment in which registered social landlords, local authorities and their tenants are expected to work together to achieve positive outcomes for tenants and other service users in Scotland. The Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC) sets standards and outcomes that explain the results that tenants and others can expect from social landlords. The Charter sets out sixteen different outcomes and standards that landlords should be working to achieve in order to provide good quality services to their tenants and other service users. These outcomes are divided into seven sections that cover:» Equalities» Customer / landlord relationship» Housing quality and maintenance» Neighbourhood and community» Access to housing and support» Getting good value from rents and service charges» Gypsies and Travellers and other customers Full details of the Scottish Social Housing Charter can be found at: http://housingcharter.scotland.gov.uk/ Contents Introduction & Background... 1 Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC)... 1 Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR)... 2 What s included in the SHR Consultation and Key Questions?... 2-5 Issues and Challenges for Consideration... 5 The Charter Indicators... 6-7 How to respond to the SHR Consultation... 8 How to find out more... 8

Scottish Social Housing Charter Indicators The new independent Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) established on 1st April 2011 has a statutory objective to: Safeguard and promote the interests of current and future tenants of social landlords, people who are homeless or may become homeless, and people who use housing services provided by registered social landlords (housing associations) and local authorities. The SHR is responsible for monitoring, assessing and reporting on how landlords are achieving the Charter outcomes and standards. Each year the SHR will publish a report of the performance of each landlord against set indicators for tenants and other service users that demonstrates how the landlord is achieving the Charter outcomes and standards. This will be known as the Annual Return on the Charter (ARC). The SHR s approach to monitoring and assessing landlords highlights the importance of tenants being involved. Landlords and tenants should carry out self assessments on how they are achieving the Charter outcomes and standards. The SHR s new Regulatory Framework requires landlords to:» Agree their approach to self assessment with tenants» Demonstrate clearly their approach to self assessment» Demonstrate their approach is being implemented» Provide a statement of how they will involve service users, customers, homeless people, home owners and hard to reach groups in their self assessment activities Annually at the end of each financial year ending on 31st March, landlords should:» Measure and assess their progress towards or achievement of the Charter outcomes and any local outcomes they have agreed with their tenants» Provide the SHR with some key performance information on their achievement of the outcomes» Report the outcome of their assessment to the tenants and others who use their services The SHR s Consultation on the Proposed Charter Indicators The SHR is now consulting on the proposed indicators that they will use to monitor landlord performance and find out how they are achieving the Charter outcomes and standards. The proposed indicators have been developed in consultation with a range of stakeholders, including tenants, landlords, and representative bodies and the SHR proposes that the indicators should be:» Clear» Relevant» Meaningful» Able to be Easily Verified The SHR is seeking views on the proposed Charter indicators which can be found on pages 6-7 of this briefing paper. For full details of the SHR s consultation document: See www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk Key Questions included in SHR Consultation Document» In general do you find the format for the report the SHR is processing to be clear and easy to understand? p2

Briefing Paper July 2012» Has the SHR included the right indicators?» Do you think the indicators are the right ones?» If not, are there any alternatives you would like to see included?» Are there any other changes or improvements you would like to see?» If yes, what are they?» Are there any indicators that you feel are not appropriate, and, if so why?» If you think the proposed indicators are not appropriate, what alternatives would you suggest? Categories for Reporting Landlord Spending The SHR proposes to provide information to tenants on how the landlord spends money. This is to allow tenants to consider whether the landlord s performance provides value for money when taking into account the information provided on performance alongside housing costs. The SHR proposes to report each landlord s annual expenditure under the following four categories:» Repairing and improving tenants homes» Running the landlord s organisation» Servicing and repaying its loans and» Other expenditure Sample Landlord Expenditure How every 1 was spent Repairing & Improving your Home Costs of Running the Organisation Paying Loans Other 0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 It is proposed that landlords should report their expenditure under each heading and demonstrate per 1 how much is spent under each category. The reports published by the SHR would then allow tenants and other service users to compare the expenditure of their landlord with that of other landlords across Scotland. Sample Landlord Expenditure How every 1 was spent Repairing & Improving your Home Landlord A Landlord B Costs of Running the Organisation Paying Loans Other 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 p3

Scottish Social Housing Charter Indicators Key Questions included in SHR Consultation Document» Is the proposed approach to reporting landlord spending sensible?» If not, what alternatives would you suggest? The SHR s Proposed Charter Report for Tenants and Other Users Each year landlords will be required to provide an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) report to the SHR. The SHR will use this information to publish a report for tenants and other service users to demonstrate the landlord s progress in achieving the Charter outcomes. It is proposed that this report will include information that will allow tenants to compare the landlord figures with the figures from the previous year and clearly demonstrate whether the performance has remained the same, improved or declined. It will also allow tenants and other service users to compare the landlord s position compared to all other social landlords in Scotland. Other Information the SHR Proposes to Collect from Landlords In addition to the proposed Charter indicators, the SHR proposes to collect other information from landlords in the Annual Return on the Charter (ARC). It is proposed that this includes information on:» Housing Management, such as details of types of housing lists, types of lets, types of tenancies granted, homeless lets et al» Development Programme Information, details of new house build programmes» Stock Details, such as number of properties by size, type and age, weekly rent charges, numbers of void properties, Right to Buy Sales, low cost home ownership sales, number of bed spaces in non self contained properties» Non housing units, number of non housing properties the landlord owns» Factoring, number of properties factored by landlord (properties the landlord does not own)» Rents, including average weekly rent increases for the next financial year, percentage of tenants receiving full or partial housing benefit, amount of former tenant arrears written off» Monitoring progress towards the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS), including stock condition survey information, details of stock failing SHQS by each component and a breakdown of stock that meets the standard, fails the standard and is exempt from achieving the standard by 2015, investment planned to bring the stock up to standard Key Questions included in SHR Consultation Document» Is the contextual information the SHR proposes to collect appropriate?» Are there any other pieces of information detailed that you consider the SHR does not need to include or have been missed? SHR timetable for monitoring, reporting and submitting information When Who What Throughout year Landlord Assess performance against the Charter May Landlord Completes and submits the ARC (Annual Return on the Charter) to SHR p4

Briefing Paper July 2012 When Who What August SHR Publishes on the SHR web site a report about each landlord with key data from its ARC October Landlord Reports its performance to all its tenants By March SHR Publishes regulation plans for Registered Social Landlords and contributes to Assurance and Improvement Plans for Councils By March SHR Publishes a report on the analysis of the sector s performance in achieving the Charter TIS/TPAS Comment Issues and Challenges for Consideration To ensure that the delivery of the housing service represents value for money and reflects the needs and aspirations of current and future tenants and other service users it is important that landlord monitoring and reporting methods against the Charter outcomes and standards are robust as well as clear and easy to understand.» Tenants, landlords and the SHR are being challenged to ensure that the indicators used to measure the Charter outcomes are the right ones and reflect what tenants and others want to see in the delivery of their housing service.» Landlords will need to ensure tenants and other service users: > are able to meet with the landlord to agree how self assessment will be carried out > agree the tenant priorities with the landlord for self assessment > participate in self assessment activities > have access to information, training and support where required» Tenants will need to think about what information they want to receive from their landlord as well as what should be included in the Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) (See the Charter Indicators and other information the SHR proposes to seek from landlords) NOTE where tenants are not convinced that information included in the ARC is accurate, tenants should in the first instance raise their concerns with the landlord and allow the landlord time to consider the concerns and take the appropriate action. Where tenants are still not satisfied with this, concerns can be raised with the SHR directly» Tenants and landlords should agree how tenants will be involved in monitoring service delivery, setting targets for improvement and consideration of whether or not this has an impact on rent levels or delivery of other aspects of the service» Tenants and landlords should agree how they will work in partnership to monitor service delivery, set targets for improvement and consider possible impacts on rent levels and other services» Tenants and landlords will need to consider carefully the SHR proposals to report on housing expenditure. Including: > What financial information do tenants want? > Should there be more information on financial expenditure? > Will the information provided assist tenants and landlords demonstrate best value for money? > How and what information will be provided to allow tenants compare expenditure under each heading from previous years? p5

Scottish Social Housing Charter Indicators The SHR s Charter Indicators as Detailed in the Consultation Document Charter Outcome Overall Satisfaction Indicators Percentage of tenants and other customers satisfied with the overall service provided by social landlords. 1. Equalities 1.1 Monitoring ethnic origins and disability indicator for service users, staff. And for RSLs only, governing bodies. 2. Communication 2.1 Percentage of tenants and other service users satisfied their landlord is keeping them informed about things that might affect them. 2.2 Percentage of 1 st and 2 nd stage complaints, including those relating to equalities issues received in the last year, that were resolved by the landlord and also the number of complaints upheld. 2.3 The percentage of 1 st and 2 nd stage complaints dealt with in the last year, within the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO) model Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP) timescales. 3. Participation 3.1 Percentage of tenants and other customers satisfied with the opportunities given to them to participate in their landlord s decision making processes. 4. Quality of Housing 4.1 Percentage of properties meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) 4.2 Percentage of properties at or above the NHER (National Home Energy Rating) or SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) rating specified in element 35 of the SHQS 4.3 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the standard of their home when moving in. 4.4 Percentage of existing tenants satisfied with the quality of their home. 5. Repairs, maintenance and improvements 6. Estate management, antisocial behaviour etc. 5.1 Average number of reactive repairs completed per occupied property. 5.2 Average length of time taken to complete emergency repairs. 5.3 Average length of time taken to complete non-emergency repairs. 5.4 Number of repairs appointments made and kept. 5.5 Number of properties that require gas safety certificates and number with current gas safety certificates. 5.6 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the repairs and maintenance service. 5.7 Percentage of reactive repairs carried out in the last year completed on first visit. 6.1 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the neighbourhood they live in. 6.2 Number of and reason for tenancy offers being refused during the year. 6.3 Number of incidences of antisocial behaviour reported, resolved and dealt with within locally agreed targets in the last year. p6

Briefing Paper July 2012 7, 8, 9, and 10 Housing Options 11. Tenancy Sustainment No single indicator is proposed for these outcomes. The indicators below will be used with those relating to outcomes 11: Tenancy Sustainment and 12: Homelessness to assess performance. In addition the SHR will access context data on the management of waiting lists supplied to support the Annual Return on the Charter. 9.1 For RSLs the total number of section 11 referrals made to local authorities during the last year 9.2 For local authorities, the percentage of section 11 referrals received from landlords or creditors. 11.1 Percentage of new tenancies sustained for more than a year by source of let. 11.2 Turnover of lettable stock in the last year. 11.3 Number of applicants on waiting list for medical adaptations, the number carried out and average waiting time. 11.4 Number of cases during the year in which; Notices of Proceedings issued; court actions initiated; and orders for recovery of possession granted. 11.5 Number and reasons for evictions in the last year. 11.6 Number of properties abandoned in the last year. 12. Homeless people 12.1 Average length of time in temporary or emergency accommodation by type. 12.2 Percentage of temporary or emergency accommodation offers refused in the last year. 12.3 Percentage of homeless households satisfied with the quality of temporary or emergency accommodation. 13, 14, 15 Value for Money Rents and Service Charges 16. Gypsies / Travellers No single indicator is proposed for these outcomes. The indicators below will be used with those relating to outcomes 4: Housing Quality; 5: Repairs and Maintenance; 6: Estate Management etc. and 16 Gypsies/Travellers. In addition the SHR will access context data on rents/housing stock supplied to support the Annual Return on the Charter and financial information from RSL annual accounts and Councils housing revenue accounts. 13-15.1 Percentage of tenants and other service users satisfied with services received for the rent/charges made by their landlord. 13-15.2 Percentage of total rent due actually collected in the last reporting year. 13-15.3 Gross rent arrears (all tenants) as at 31 March each year as percentage of rental income for the reporting year. 13-15.4 Amount of recoverable costs outstanding as at 31 March each year, as percentage of the value of property factoring services billed and un-billed in the past year. 13-15.5 Percentage of rental income lost through empty properties in the last year. 13-15.6 Average length of time taken to re-let properties in the last year. 16.1 Cost per pitch. 16.2 Service users satisfaction with site. p7

Scottish Social Housing Charter Indicators Briefing Paper July 2012 Giving Your Feedback You can respond to the consultation by completing the questionnaire on the SHR web site consultation@scottishhousingregulator.gsi.gov.uk Or write to Consultation Team Scottish Housing Regulator 7th Floor Highlander House 58 Waterloo Street Glasgow G2 7DA The deadline for responses to the consultation is Friday 24th August 2012 How to find out more To find out more about the Charter Indicators you can:» See the SHR web site www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk» Contact the SHR on tel. 0141 271 3810» Contact the Tenants Information Service on tel. 0141 248 1242 or email info@tis.org.uk» Contact the Tenant Participation Advisory Service on tel. 0141 552 3633 or email enquiries@tpas.org.uk Tenants Information Service Suite 128, Baltic Chambers, 50 Wellington Street, Glasgow, G2 6HJ Phone 0141 248 1242 Fax 0141 221 1911 Email info@tis.org.uk Follow us on @ Tenants Information Service www.tis.org.uk @ TISScotland p8 design + print = www.imagesystem.biz