Why we are engaging with Orkney Islands Council (Orkney)
We are engaging with Orkney about its services for people who are homeless, service quality, stock quality and tenant and resident safety.
During 2024/25, 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 2025/26 with a focus on the provision of appropriate temporary accommodation.
We will engage with Orkney in particular about its provision of temporary accommodation to people who are homeless.
In January 2023 Orkney told us that it had identified weaknesses in the quality of the evidence underpinning the data used to report on Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) compliance. In December 2023 it confirmed that the SHQS data remained unvalidated, and that there were inaccuracies in the data. Since then, Orkney has completed some SHQS checks to validate its data and has made positive efforts to improve the evidence underpinning the SHQS data. Orkney is progressing an improvement plan to address weaknesses in its SHQS information.
Orkney last carried out a stock condition survey in 2007. It will complete a stock condition survey in 2026/27 which will fully assess SHQS compliance in all of its homes. Until then, Orkney will continue to perform SHQS checks to validate its data.
In January 2025, Orkney told us that a number of planned legionella risk assessments had not been completed. Orkney investigated this and found that it had only completed legionella risk assessments for a small number of its homes. Orkney is planning to carry out legionella risk assessments in all of its homes.
To assess the risk to social landlords we have reviewed and compared the 2023/24 service quality performance of all social landlords to identify the weakest performing landlords. We will therefore engage with Orkney about tenant satisfaction, repairs and rent arrears.
What Orkney must do
Orkney must:
- send us the information we require in relation to its homelessness service;
- tell us about any emerging issues preventing it from fulfilling its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when it should and comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- send us monthly updates on its progress to validate and improve the quality of its data used to report compliance with the SHQS;
- keep us updated on its progress with completing a full stock condition survey in 2026/27;
- send us monthly updates on its progress with completing legionella risk assessments and any required actions in its homes; and
- send us the information we require about the actions it is taking to improve its performance on tenant satisfaction, repairs and rent arrears.
What we will do
We will:
- review the information Orkney provides about its homelessness service;
- meet with Orkney by 31 July 2025 to discuss its homelessness service and engage as necessary;
- meet with Orkney to seek assurance if it does not provide temporary accommodation when it should, or if it breaches the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- review the information Orkney provides about its progress to validate and improve the quality of its data used to report compliance with the SHQS and engage as necessary;
- engage with Orkney as necessary about its progress with completing a full stock condition survey in 2026/27;
- review the information Orkney provides about its progress on completing legionella risk assessments and engage as necessary;
- review the information that Orkney provides about its work to improve its service quality performance and engage as necessary; and
- update our published engagement plan in the light of any material change to our planned engagement with Orkney.
Regulatory Returns
Orkney 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.