Agenda item

Consider Report by Director Social Work and Practice.  (Copy attached.)

1.1          With reference to paragraph eight of the Minute of the Meeting held on 10 May 2021, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Director Social Work and Practice which proposed that the Audit and Scrutiny Committee consider and approve the Annual Assurance Statement 2021-22 in respect of landlord services provided by the Council.  The report explained that part of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee’s remit (Audit functions) was to assess the effectiveness of internal controls, risk management, and governance arrangements.  In 2019, the Scottish Housing Regulator (“the Regulator”) revised its Regulatory Framework. This placed a new requirement on all social landlords to submit an Annual Assurance Statement to the Regulator by the end of October each year.  The Annual Assurance Statement 2021-22 in respect of landlord services provided by the Council in Appendix 1 of the report, was designed to meet this requirement of the Scottish Housing Regulator, supported by the further self-assessment information in Appendix 2 of the report.

1.2          The Homelessness Services Manager presented the Annual Assurance Statement in 2021-22 in respect of landlord services provided by the Council in Appendix 1 of the report and the Summary Statement of Self-Assessment of Compliance against Regulatory Framework in Appendix 2 of the report.  The statement explained that there was sufficient evidence that the Council complied with the regulatory requirements as laid out in Chapter 3 of the Scottish Housing Regulator’s Regulatory Framework, including all relevant standards and outcomes in the Scottish Social Housing Charter in respect of any tenants, homeless persons, and other person who were in receipt of housing services; and legal obligations associated with housing and homelessness services, equality and human rights, and tenant and resident safety.  The Homelessness Services Manager highlighted an error in Appendix 2 of the report in the third row which should have stated that 110 properties were leased from registered social landlords for use as temporary accommodation for homeless people.  With regard to the Gypsy/Traveller site at Tweedside Caravan Park, Innerleithen, this now met the Scottish Government’s minimum standards for Gypsy/Traveller sites following agreement being reached with Tweedside Caravan Park owners on the form of a new occupancy agreement.  Upon review of the fire safety requirements on the Gypsy/Traveller site, the number of available pitches has been reduced from ten to nine.  The Chairman asked that the SBC website be updated to reflect that there were nine pitches available at the Innerleithen site.

DECISION

(a)       NOTED the details of the Annual Assurance Statement 2021-22 to the Scottish Housing Regulator in respect of landlord services provided by the Council in Appendix 1 of the report, and the further self-assessment information in Appendix 2 of the report, and the actions by Management to improve arrangements; and,

(b)       AGREED to approve the Annual Assurance Statement 2021-22 to the Scottish Housing Regulator in respect of landlord services provided by the Council in Appendix 1 of the report and agrees that it be submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator along with the Summary Statement of Self-Assessment of Compliance against Regulatory Framework in Appendix 2 of the report.