George Walker, Scottish Housing Regulator Chair, today recognised social landlords’ commitment to self-assurance and thanked RSL governing body members for their work in delivering an effective Annual Assurance Statements process.
Annual Assurance Statements are a key element of the Regulatory Framework and underpin the engagement plan the Regulator publishes each year for every social landlord.
Speaking at the SFHA’s Governing Body Members’ conference in Glasgow, George said: “Our requirement for Annual Assurance Statements from landlords is now firmly embedded as a key strand of assurance. The Statements support openness and a culture of continuous assurance and improvement.
“This, rightly, places responsibility firmly on you as landlords to firstly assure yourselves, and then to confirm to your tenants, and then to us, that you are meeting regulatory requirements and that the information you provide to us is accurate. I’d like to thank everyone in the room today for the way the RSL sector has embraced the concept of Annual Assurance Statements and helped make it work effectively.”
George also welcomed developments in the availability of peer support to RSLs who are facing serious issues. He said: “We also encourage landlords to talk to us as soon as possible when they identify challenges. In most cases well-run landlords take swift and effective action to tackle any problems they find. They tell us when they find a problem and tell us what they are doing to fix the problem.
“And I’m pleased that the SFHA has established a list of volunteers who can provide peer support to RSLs which may need it and the GWSF has announced that it has established a volunteer support panel as a source of help for RSLs facing difficulties and unforeseen challenges. We very much welcome these initiatives and would be keen to see ideas like these developed further as an alternative to statutory intervention.”
George’s wide-ranging speech explored the challenges facing the social housing sector and the Regulator’s expectations of RSL governing body members.
Notes to editors
- The Scottish Housing Regulator was established on 1 April 2011 under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010. Its objective is to safeguard and promote the interests of tenants and others who use local authority and RSL housing services. The Regulator operates independently of Scottish Ministers and is accountable directly to the Scottish Parliament. It assumed its full regulatory responsibilities on 1 April 2012. The Regulator consists of the Chair and seven Board members. More information about the Regulator can be found on its website at www.housingregulator.gov.scot
- SHR’s current approach to how it regulates social landlords is set out in its current Regulatory framework – Regulation of Social Housing in Scotland.