Why we are engaging with Aberdeen City Council (Aberdeen City)
We are engaging with Aberdeen City about its services for people who are homeless and its site for Gypsy/Travellers.
COVID-19 has significantly impacted the services provided by social landlords in 2020 and will continue to influence how services are provided in 2021. We will continue to monitor, assess and report upon how each landlord is responding and we will keep our regulatory engagement under review so that we can continue to respond to the challenges of COVID-19.
We have reviewed the information on homelessness in the COVID-19 monthly returns. We will discuss with Aberdeen City the impact of the pandemic on outcomes for people who are threatened with, or are experiencing, homelessness, how it is working with its Registered Social Landlord partners to provide accommodation, and review our engagement.
Aberdeen City failed to comply with the Scottish Government’s minimum standards for its Gypsy/Traveller site by the deadline date of June 2018. Aberdeen City expected to be compliant by March 2020 and then June 2020. The site remains non-compliant and Aberdeen City has told us it will not comply with the standards until December 2021. Aberdeen City has told us that it does not meet all of its fire safety obligations at its site.
What Aberdeen City must do
Aberdeen City must:
- provide us with the information we may require in relation to its homelessness service;
- for its Gypsy/Traveller site provide us with monthly reports from the end of April 2021 on its progress in meeting:
- the minimum standards for its site by no later than December 2021;
- all fire safety obligations for its site as soon as possible; and
- confirm that its Gypsy/Traveller site complies with the minimum standards by the end of December 2021 and all fire safety obligations as soon as possible.
What we will do
We will:
- meet with Aberdeen City to discuss its homelessness service and decide whether we require any additional assurance;
- monitor Aberdeen City’s delivery of the minimum standards and fire safety obligations for its Gypsy/Traveller site;
- consider our regulatory engagement with Aberdeen City if the minimum standards are not met by the end of December 2021 and fire safety obligations are not met as soon as possible;
- have on-going engagement with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as the enforcing authority for fire safety at Gypsy/Traveller sites and with the Scottish Government about Aberdeen City’s progress; and
- update our published engagement plan in light of any material change to our planned engagement with Aberdeen City.
Regulatory returns
Aberdeen City must provide us with the following annual regulatory returns and alert us to notifiable events as appropriate:
- 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.