Why we are engaging with Shetland Islands Council (Shetland Islands)
We are engaging Shetland Islands about its services for people who are homeless and tenant and resident safety.
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 Shetland Islands in particular about the following areas:
- how people access the homelessness services provided by Shetland Islands;
- the provision of temporary accommodation by Shetland Islands to people who are homeless; and
- outcomes for people who are homeless.
Shetland Islands does not fully comply with the electrical safety and fire detection requirements of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Shetland Islands is currently progressing inspections to provide Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) and to install integrated smoke and heat alarms in all of its tenants’ homes.
What Shetland Islands must do
Shetland Islands 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;
- comply with electrical safety and fire detection requirements as soon as possible; and
- provide us with monthly updates on progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety and fire detection requirements.
What we will do
We will:
- review the information Shetland Islands provides about its homelessness service;
- meet with Shetland Islands to discuss its homelessness service and decide whether we require any additional assurance;
- meet with Shetland Islands to seek assurance if it does not provide temporary accommodation when it should, or if it breaches the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
- engage with Shetland Islands to monitor its progress on achieving compliance with electrical safety and fire detection requirements; and
- update our published engagement plan in the light of any material change to our planned engagement with Shetland Islands.
Regulatory returns
Shetland Islands 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.