Why we are engaging with Cairn Housing Association Ltd (Cairn)
We are engaging with Cairn about its stock quality, tenant and resident safety, development plans and planned organisational changes.
Cairn has one registered subsidiary ANCHO Ltd (ANCHO).
Cairn and ANCHO are developing proposals for a transfer of engagements of ANCHO to Cairn. ANCHO’s tenants will then vote on the proposals in an independent ballot.
Cairn last carried out a stock condition survey in 2015. It had planned to procure a rolling programme of stock condition surveys but this was delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cairn is revisiting its stock condition survey and plans to complete this during 2023/24.
Cairn does not fully comply with the electrical safety requirements of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Cairn is currently progressing inspections to provide Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) in all of its tenants’ homes.
Cairn is one of the larger developers of new affordable housing in Scotland. It has plans to grow through a considerable programme of new homes for social rent and mid-market rent and will receive significant public subsidy to help achieve this.
What Cairn must do
Cairn must:
- keep us informed about progress with its proposals for a transfer of engagements from ANCHO and its proposals to consult tenants;
- provide us with the full business case for the transfer of engagements when this becomes available;
- confirm when it completes the stock condition survey and update us on the outcomes;
- comply with electrical safety requirements as soon as possible;
- provide us with monthly updates on progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety requirements;
- send us by 30 April 2023:
- its approved business plan, the report to Board on the business plan and its risk register; and
- evidence of how it demonstrates affordability for its tenants;
- send us an update on its development programme by 31 October 2023. This will include its latest report to the governing body/appropriate committee about development and details of the scale and tenure mix, timescales for delivery and any material delays or changes to the programme; and
- tell us if there are any material adverse changes to its development plans which might affect its financial position or reputation, in line with our notifiable events guidance.
What we will do
We will:
- engage with Cairn about the proposed transfer of engagements from ANCHO to seek assurance that tenants’ interests are protected;
- review the business case and provide feedback;
- engage with Cairn as necessary about its stock condition survey;
- engage with Cairn to monitor its progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety requirements;
- meet with Cairn’s senior staff to discuss the business plan and risks to the organisation;
- review the development update and engage as necessary; and
- update our published engagement plan in the light of any material change to our planned engagement with Cairn.
Regulatory returns
Cairn must provide us with the following annual regulatory returns and alert us to notifiable events as appropriate:
- Annual Assurance Statement;
- audited financial statements and external auditor’s management letter;
- loan portfolio return;
- five year financial projections; 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.