Why we are engaging with Aberdeen City Council (Aberdeen City)
We are engaging with Aberdeen City about its services for people who are homeless, service quality, stock quality and tenant and resident safety.
The context in which local authorities are delivering services to people who are experiencing homelessness has become increasingly challenging in the last few years. In our December 2023 update to our thematic report on homelessness services in Scotland we set out that there is a heightened risk of systemic failure in the delivery of some local authorities’ services to people experiencing homelessness. By this we mean that there is a risk that the demands on some local authorities could shortly exceed their capacity to respond. This is the case at Aberdeen City. We will continue to monitor, assess and report on Aberdeen City’s performance in discharging its duties to people who are homeless.
During 2023/24, we reviewed and compared the data for all local authorities from the Scottish Government’s national homelessness statistics. We also spoke to all local authorities to gather further information and assurance about their homelessness services. To assess the risks to people who are threatened with or experiencing homelessness we will engage with all local authorities during 2024/25 with a focus on the provision of appropriate temporary accommodation.
We will engage with Aberdeen City in particular about the following areas:
- how people access the homelessness services provided by Aberdeen City;
- the provision of temporary accommodation by Aberdeen City to people who are homeless; and
- outcomes for people who are homeless.
To assess the risk to social landlords we have reviewed and compared the 2022/23 service quality performance of all social landlords to identify the weakest performing landlords. We will therefore engage with Aberdeen City about tenant satisfaction, void management, rent arrears and tenancy sustainment.
Aberdeen City has identified reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in some of its homes and other buildings. It has told us it has a plan in place to manage any associated risks.
Aberdeen City has told us that a significant number of its tenants’ homes do not fully comply with electrical safety requirements which came into force in early 2022 and form part of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Aberdeen City is currently progressing inspections to provide Electrical Installation Condition Reports in all of its tenants’ homes.
What Aberdeen City must do
Aberdeen City must:
- send us the information we require in relation to its homelessness service;
- continue best efforts to meet its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when it should and to comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- keep us updated on its capacity to meet its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when it should and to comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- send us the information we require about the actions it is taking to improve its performance on tenant satisfaction, void management, rent arrears and tenancy sustainment;
- tell us if there are any material adverse issues which might affect its capacity to manage the risks associated with RAAC; and
- provide us with monthly updates on progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety requirements.
What we will do
We will:
- review the information Aberdeen City provides about its homelessness service;
- meet with Aberdeen City on a quarterly basis to discuss its homelessness service and engage as necessary;
- meet with Aberdeen City to seek assurance about its best efforts to provide suitable temporary accommodation;
- review the information Aberdeen City provides about its work to improve its service quality performance and engage as necessary;
- review any information Aberdeen City provides about RAAC in its homes and engage as necessary;
- review Aberdeen City’s progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety and engage as necessary; and
- update our published engagement plan in the light of any material change to our planned engagement with Aberdeen City.
Regulatory returns
Aberdeen City must provide us with the following annual regulatory returns:
- Annual Assurance Statement; and
- Annual Return on the Charter.
It should also notify us of any material changes to its Annual Assurance Statement, and any tenant and resident safety matter which has been reported to or is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive or reports from regulatory or statutory authorities or insurance providers, relating to safety concerns.