Summary
1.1
Social landlords are facing unprecedented challenges as a consequence of COVID-19. And they are prioritising the management of operations in a way that is intended to mitigate and minimise the impact of the pandemic upon tenants, people who are homeless and other service users while protecting the health and safety of staff, contractors and governing body members.
1.2
The Regulatory Framework requires social landlords to prepare and publish an Annual Assurance Statement (AAS) to confirm to their tenants and us that they are meeting regulatory requirements. This provides assurance of compliance with the relevant requirements of chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework. The Annual Assurance Statement is a way for governing bodies and committees to assure firstly themselves and then tenants, people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, Gypsy/Travellers and other service users that they comply with regulatory requirements, or to disclose areas where they need to improve.
1.3
The Statement should be made and submitted by the Register Social Landlord’s (RSL) governing body or the relevant committee of the local authority. In the current circumstances if it is not possible for the governing body or committee to meet to approve the AAS then the landlord body should arrange for it to be approved using appropriate delegated authority as set out in standing orders or scheme of delegation. In these circumstances it is important that governing body or committee has had sight of the statement prior to submission.
1.4
It is essential for landlords to understand the extent to which their ability to deliver services and to comply with regulatory requirements has been affected by COVID-19. In particular landlords will wish to understand the full range of new risks and issues for tenants and other services users. The work required to deliver the AAS will be an integral part of recovery planning for regulated bodies.
1.5
Landlords should submit their AAS to SHR by 30 November 2020, in accordance with the Regulatory Framework and the relevant statutory guidance. We are asking landlords to submit their Statements before the end of November where they can to help us proceed with the annual risk assessment at the earliest time possible. We recognise the unprecedented and demanding circumstances in which social landlords are operating, and we encourage any landlord that may have difficulty in preparing its AAS to speak with its lead regulator as soon as possible.