Why we are engaging with Aberdeen City Council (Aberdeen City)
We are engaging with Aberdeen City about its services for people who are homeless, its site for Gypsy/Travellers and service quality.
During 2021/22, we reviewed and compared the data for all Councils from the Scottish Government’s national homelessness statistics and the Annual Returns on the Charter. We also spoke to all Councils to gather further information and assurance about their homelessness services. To assess the risks to people who are threatened with or experiencing homelessness we will engage with all Councils during 2022/23.
We will engage with Aberdeen City in particular about its provision of temporary accommodation to people who are homeless.
Aberdeen City does not fully comply with the Scottish Government’s minimum standards for its Gypsy/Traveller site at Clinterty. The deadline date for compliance was June 2018. Aberdeen City has missed dates since then that it set itself for compliance. Aberdeen City now tells us that it will comply with the standards by 31 March 2023.
Aberdeen City has also told us that it does not meet all of its fire safety obligations at its Gypsy/Traveller site at Clinterty. Aberdeen City tells us that it will comply with fire safety obligations by 31 March 2023.
To assess the risk to social landlord services we have reviewed and compared the 2020/21 service quality performance of all social landlords to identify the weakest performing landlords. For our review we excluded the indicators where COVID-19 had the most significant impact on services. We will engage with Aberdeen City about tenant satisfaction, rent collection and rent arrears.
What Aberdeen City must do
Aberdeen City must:
- provide us with the information we require in relation to its homelessness service;
- comply with minimum site standards as soon as possible and no later than 31 March 2023;
- comply with fire safety obligations as soon as possible and no later than 31 March 2023;
- provide us with monthly reports from the end of April 2022 on its progress in meeting:
- the minimum standards for its site at Clinterty; and
- all fire safety obligations for the site; and
- provide us with the information we require about its service quality.
What we will do
We will:
- review the information Aberdeen City provides about its homelessness service;
- meet with Aberdeen City to discuss its homelessness service and decide whether we require any additional assurance;
- monitor Aberdeen City’s compliance of the minimum standards and fire safety obligations for its Gypsy/Traveller site at Clinterty;
- review Aberdeen City’s progress with meeting the minimum standards and fire safety obligations and review our regulatory strategy in light of this;
- have ongoing 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;
- engage with Aberdeen City about the information it provides about its service quality; 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:
- 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.