Why we are engaging with Falkirk Council (Falkirk)
We are engaging with Falkirk about its services for people who are homeless and about its stock quality.
COVID-19 has significantly impacted the services provided by social landlords. We will continue to monitor, assess and report upon how each landlord is responding and we will keep our regulatory engagement under review so that we can continue to respond to the challenges of COVID-19
We have reviewed the information on homelessness in the COVID-19 monthly returns. We will discuss with Falkirk the impact of the pandemic on outcomes for people who are threatened with, or are experiencing, homelessness, how it is working with its Registered Social Landlord partners to provide accommodation, and review our engagement.
Tenants and residents in a number of villages in the Falkirk area have raised concerns with Falkirk and us about the affordability and adequacy of their heating systems. Falkirk has taken the decision to replace these heating systems and is currently procuring the necessary work.
What Falkirk must do
Falkirk must:
- provide us with the information we may require in relation to its homelessness service;
- provide us by 28 February 2022 with its strategy and timeline for the installation of replacement heating systems and thereafter from 31 March 2022 with bi-monthly updates on progress with the implementation of this work; and
- starting from 31 March 2022, provide us with bi-monthly progress reports on the work it is doing to support and engage with its tenants and residents facing difficulties with the heating systems.
What we will do
We will:
- meet with Falkirk to discuss its homelessness service and decide whether we require any additional assurance;
- we will meet with Falkirk to discuss its plans to address tenant and resident concerns about a substantial number of heating systems and we will monitor Falkirk’s progress with its proposals to install new heating systems in all of the properties affected; and
- update our published engagement plan in light of any material change to our planned engagement with Falkirk.
Regulatory returns
Falkirk must provide us with the following annual regulatory returns and alert us to notifiable events as appropriate:
- 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.