The changes (VERY BRIEFLY!)
The Scottish Parliament established the Scottish Social Housing Charter, to show
what tenants and other customers can expect when using a landlord’s services.
The Scottish Housing Regulator’s job is to assess and report, in the interests of
service users, on how well or otherwise landlords meet the Charter’s outcomes.
The Scottish Housing Regulator, will:
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assess using the Annual Report on the Charter, that social landlords are
delivering
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report its finding, so everyone to read
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if they find failings, insist on actions and set timescale to improve services
Tony Kelly, from TPAS said, “It’s an exciting opportunity for local people to be
involved. Our job is to help local people explore landlord’s performance and enhance
services. We help landlord’s inform service users and stimulate interest in the
opportunities. How it is achieved depends on local circumstances. What’s right for
one can’t be imposed on another. ”
Tenants are increasingly getting involved with:
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Setting service standards
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Checking how and if standards are delivered
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Using performance reports to improve services to all
And getting involved in a number of different ways:
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Inspections: users of services get up close and practical with services and
delve deep into what local people think of them to create an improve plan
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Walkabouts: neighbours highlight good and bad local service and agreeing
local actions
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Surveys: using real experiences of individual local people, to shape changes
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Quality Circles: local people coming together to use experiences to focus on
better services
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Panels: local volunteers examine the Association’s performance reports and
help guide future service
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Groups: coming together to represent their community and raise local
people’s priorities
Tony continued, “Some are finding that their existing ways of involving service users
can adapt to meet the new requirements, while others are taking new routes.
Understandably, the Annual Report on the Charter has been a stimulus but it’s
important not to lose the point that the Charter, assessment and regulation is about
improving housing services, not filling an annual return and if tenants and other
customers are to keep involved the impact on local services need.”