Introduction
This is a summary of the main work we aim to do during 2024/25. We will remain agile and respond to events and developments during the year, reshaping our plans accordingly. We recognise that the current pressures mean that social landlords are likely to have to prioritise their attention and resources on the most critical and immediate issues. We will work with all our stakeholders to protect the interests of tenants and people who use services provided by social landlords, including people who experience homelessness, Gypsy/Travellers and factored owners. We will support social housing and delivery of shared goals. Our work plans reflect the priorities set out in our 2024 – 2027 Strategy.
We will deliver our statutory functions to:
We will deliver our statutory functions to:
- monitor, assess and report regularly on the performance of social landlords and the governance and financial health of RSLs;
- make regulatory interventions where appropriate; and
- maintain a register of social landlords.
We will also:
- implement our new Regulatory Framework from 1 April 2024;
- publish a summary of the outcome of our 2023/24 regulatory risk assessment and engagement plans for each local authority and RSL with a regulatory status for RSL, engage with local authorities and RSLs as set out in our published engagement plans and ensure that engagement plans are updated throughout the year to reflect any changes in our regulatory engagement with individual landlords
- convene a new advisory group on the Social Housing Charter indicators and consult on changes to the annual return, including identifying measures on tenant and resident safety;
- publish our National Report on the Charter, Landlord Reports and an updated comparison tool;
- renew Cyber Essentials Plus Accreditation;
- carry out a programme of Annual Assurance Statement visits and publish the findings;
- publish the Annual Assurance Statements and decide on any specific areas for inclusion in the 2025 Annual Assurance Statements;
- publish thematic reports on Tenant Participation and Gypsy/Travellers, British Sign Language and develop a programme of further thematic work;
- introduce an annual report on Notifiable Events on what we do when events are reported and to share learning;
- publish our analysis of RSLs’ Loan Portfolios, Five Year Financial Forecasts and Audited Financial Statements;
- publish individual RSL Audited Financial Statements, Audited Financial Statement data tables and the data in CSV format file;
- publish information on the risks that we will focus on in our annual regulatory risk assessment and, when completed, publish a summary outcome report and new engagement plans for all social landlords for 2024/25;
- oversee any statutory intervention cases;
- consider any applications for registration or deregistration;
- review our appeal panel arrangements;
- respond to notifiable events, whistleblowing and requests for reviews and appeals; and
- continue discussions with representative bodies around peer improvement support.
We will listen to tenants and service users, use their feedback to inform effective regulation, and empower them by publishing useful performance information about their landlord by:
We will listen to tenants and service users, use their feedback to inform effective regulation, and empower them by publishing useful performance information about their landlord by:
- publishing factsheets for tenants and service users and one for landlords on complaints and serious concerns and respond to any raised with us by tenants and service users;
- publishing the outcome of work with our National Panel of tenants and service users in 2023/24 and complete further research in 2024/25;
- working with our tenant advisors and starting work to refresh this group; and engaging with the Regional Network[1] SHR Liaison Group.
[1] Regional Networks will change name to Tenants Together from 1 June 2024.
We will be an effective, efficient and open public body and contribute constructively to the Scottish Government’s public service reform agenda by:
We will be an effective, efficient and open public body and contribute constructively to the Scottish Government’s public service reform agenda by:
- publishing a strategy setting out our priorities for the next three years and an annual operating plan summary;
- publishing our 2023/24 annual report and accounts and laying this before the Scottish Parliament for scrutiny;
- supporting Scottish Ministers as they appoint new members to our Board, reporting on our Board’s gender balance and publishing key information on our governance arrangements;
- providing business support for our activities to help ensure we can deliver on our objective and priorities.
- moving to a new permanent office space alongside another Scottish public body;
- publishing a statement on how we comply with the Scottish Government’s Public Service Reform Act;
- participating in the Civil Service People Survey and publishing the outcome;
- submitting our annual climate change return and supporting our biodiversity commitments;
- developing and implementing an action plan around our corporate parenting duties and participating in the Scottish Government’s Child Rights Regulation and Improvement Working Group;
- procuring new legal advice and website site hosting and support contracts;
- managing and maintaining compliant and secure ICT systems;
- providing a secure portal for landlords to submit information to us and meet with our landlord user group to drive improvements to the portal;
- engaging with the Scottish Government to implement a systems transformation programme;
- meeting our published targets for responding to Freedom of Information requests, Subject Access requests, complaints, review, appeals and enquiries and also by paying invoices within 10 days;
- publishing our E-zine SHR Updates and other information about our work on our website, ensuring that this is accessible; and
- ensuring the wellbeing and health and safety of our staff and Board members; and
- working within our budget settlement of £5.207m revenue and £0.1m capital.