Why we are engaging with Fife Council (Fife)
We are engaging with Fife about its services for people who are homeless and tenant and resident safety.
The context in which local authorities are delivering services to people who are experiencing homelessness has become increasingly challenging in the last few years. In our December 2023 update to our thematic report on homelessness services in Scotland we set out that there is a heightened risk of systemic failure in the delivery of some local authorities’ services to people experiencing homelessness. By this we mean that there is a risk that the demands on some local authorities could shortly exceed their capacity to respond. This is the case at Fife. We will continue to monitor, assess and report on Fife’s performance in discharging its duties to people who are homeless.
During 2023/24, we reviewed and compared the data for all local authorities from the Scottish Government’s national homelessness statistics. 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 2024/25 with a focus on the provision of appropriate temporary accommodation.
We will engage with Fife in particular about the following areas:
- the provision of temporary accommodation by Fife to people who are homeless; and
- outcomes for people who are homeless.
In September 2023, Fife told us that following a fire safety assessment of its tower blocks it required to replace the existing external wall insulation in two of its buildings. In the same buildings additional internal fire safety works were also required. Fife has agreed a programme of improvements to address these issues.
Fife has told us that a significant number of its tenants’ homes do not fully comply with electrical safety and fire detection requirements which came into force in early 2022 and form part of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Fife is currently progressing inspections to provide Electrical Installation Condition Reports and to install integrated smoke and heat alarms in all of its tenants’ homes.
What Fife must do
Fife must:
- send us the information we require in relation to its homelessness service;
- continue best efforts to meet its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when it should and to comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- keep us updated on its capacity to meet its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when it should and to comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- send us regular updates on progress with completing the replacement of the external wall insulation and the fire safety works; and
- send us monthly updates on progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety and fire detection requirements.
What we will do
We will:
- review the information Fife provides about its homelessness service;
- meet with Fife on a quarterly basis to discuss its homelessness service and engage as necessary;
- meet with Fife to seek assurance about its best efforts to provide suitable temporary accommodation;
- review the updates provided by Fife on progress with completing the replacement of the external wall insulation and the fire safety works, and engage as necessary;
- review Fife’s progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety and fire detection requirements and engage as necessary; and
- update our published engagement plan in the light of any material change to our planned engagement with Fife.
Regulatory returns
Fife 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.