Why we are engaging with Dundee City Council (Dundee City)
We are engaging with Dundee City about its services for people who are homeless, 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 Dundee City. We will continue to monitor, assess and report on Dundee 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 Dundee City in particular about the following areas:
- the provision of temporary accommodation by Dundee City to people who are homeless; and
- outcomes for people who are homeless.
Dundee City has identified reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in some of its homes. It has told us it has a plan in place to manage any associated risks.
In February 2024 Dundee City told us it had identified weaknesses in the quality of its data used to report compliance with the electrical safety requirements of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS). Dundee City does not fully comply with electrical safety requirements which came into force in early 2022 and form part of the SHQS. Due to weaknesses in the quality of the data held, Dundee City is currently investigating the level of non-compliance in order to progress inspections to provide Electrical Installation Condition Reports in all of its tenants’ homes.
What Dundee City must do
Dundee 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;
- tell us if there are any material adverse issues which might affect its capacity to manage the risks associated with RAAC; and
- send us monthly updates on its progress to improve the quality of its data used to report compliance with the electrical safety requirements of the SHQS and on achieving compliance with electrical safety requirements; and
What we will do
We will:
- review the information Dundee City provides about its homelessness service;
- meet with Dundee City on a quarterly basis to discuss its homelessness service and engage as necessary;
- meet with Dundee City to seek assurance about its best efforts to provide suitable temporary accommodation;
- review any information Dundee City provides about RAAC in its homes and engage as necessary;
- review the information Dundee City provides about its progress to improve the quality of its data used to report compliance with the electrical safety requirements of the SHQS and on achieving compliance with electrical safety requirements, and engage as necessary; and
- update our published engagement plan in the light of any material change to our planned engagement with Dundee City.
Regulatory returns
Dundee 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.