Why we are engaging with Falkirk Council (Falkirk)
We are engaging with Falkirk about its services for people who are homeless and its site for Gypsy/Travellers.
COVID-19 has significantly impacted the services provided by social landlords in 2020 and will continue to influence how services are provided in 2021. 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.
Falkirk has told us that it does not meet all of its fire safety obligations at its Gypsy/Traveller site.
What Falkirk must do
Falkirk must:
- provide us with the information we may require in relation to its homelessness service;
- provide us with bi-monthly reports from the end of April 2021 showing progress in meeting all fire safety obligations for its Gypsy/Traveller site as soon as possible; and
- confirm that its Gypsy/Traveller site complies with all fire safety obligations as soon as possible.
What we will do
We will:
- meet with Falkirk to discuss its homelessness service and decide whether we require any additional assurance;
- monitor Falkirk’s delivery of its fire safety obligations for its Gypsy/Traveller site;
- consider our regulatory engagement with Falkirk if fire safety obligations are not met as soon as possible;
- have on-going engagement with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as the enforcing authority for fire safety at Gypsy/Traveller sites and with the Scottish Government about Falkirk’s progress; 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.