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 2022/23 we reviewed and compared the data for all local authorities from the Scottish Government’s national homelessness statistics and the Annual Returns on the Charter. We also spoke to all local authorities 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 local authorities during 2023/24 with a focus on the provision of appropriate temporary accommodation.
We will engage with Aberdeen City in particular about outcomes for people who are homeless.
Aberdeen City has told us it does not comply with the Scottish Government’s minimum site standards for its site for Gypsy/Travellers. Aberdeen City has also told us that it does not meet all of its fire safety obligations at its site. Aberdeen City is redesigning and upgrading the facilities on its site for Gypsy/Travellers. The local authority has told us this site will be complete by March 2024 at which point it will comply with minimum site standards and all fire safety obligations.
To assess the risk to social landlord services we have reviewed and compared the 2021/22 service quality performance of all social landlords to identify the weakest performing landlords. We will therefore 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;
- make us aware of any emerging issues preventing it from fulfilling its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when it should and comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- inform us of any delays in the completion of its upgraded site for Gypsy/Travellers; and
- provide us with information about the actions it is taking to improve its performance on tenant satisfaction, rent collection and rent arrears.
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;
- meet with Aberdeen City to seek assurance if it does not provide temporary accommodation when it should, or if it breaches the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- engage with Aberdeen City about the information it provides about its work to upgrade its site for Gypsy/Travellers;
- consider our regulatory engagement with Aberdeen City if the completion of its upgraded site for Gypsy/Travellers is delayed;
- engage with Aberdeen City about the information it provides about its work to improve its service quality performance; and
- update our published engagement plan in the 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.