SHR Board minutes - 26 May 2026

Present

Welcome, apologies and declarations

GC welcomed all to the meeting.  The Board noted that SHR Board member Colin Stewart (CS) and SHR Director of Digital & Business, Iain Muirhead had both submitted apologies.    

There were no declarations.     

Consent Agenda

The Board noted and approved the consent agenda including:

• the Chair and Member activity report;
• 31 March 2026 Board minutes; and
• the Matters Arising report. 

Chief Executive’s report

MC presented on issues and developments that impact regulated bodies, the wider housing environment and SHR.  He highlighted the newly appointed Scottish Government Cabinet.  MC explained full details on the portfolio are not yet available and that the Cabinet Secretary had previous responsibilities around housing.  He also reported that there is a new Director for Housing in the Scottish Government and explained SHR is seeking early introductory meetings with all. 

The Board considered the CEO report and discussed work SHR did with Tenant Advisors around tenancy sustainment, agreeing the outcome could highlight important practice lessons and noted that work is ongoing to produce this.  It noted that third party organisations were not directly involved in the work, but a recent meeting with advice agencies was hosted by LP and SHR will be mindful of their feedback when considering the broader messaging.  The Board also noted the Tenants Together (Scotland) SHR Liaison Group was briefed. 

The Board thanked MC and noted the report. 

Children’s Rights & Corporate Parenting

LM presented on the work being carried out by SHR to meet duties under the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 and Corporate Parenting duties under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

LM also presented SHR’s Children’s Rights Report and Corporate Parenting Plan for 2026-2029, explaining why these are separate documents and SHR’s monitoring role.  LM explained that SHR’s plans to seek assurance from landlords in the 2028 Annual Assurance Statements.  She also reported that SHR will publish a summary version of the Children’s Rights report. 

The Board considered LM’s presentation and discussed:

• how SHR can understand the impact of this work as well as resource implications;
• policy intent and if Scottish Government consulted the social housing sector;
• legal advice around SHR’s role to monitor RSL compliance;
• RSL awareness and challenges for smaller organisations, noting SHR’s plans to work with representative bodies before seeking an assurance update in  2028, agreeing the importance of allowing RSLs time to prepare;
• consistency of language used and care needed to ensure SHR does not over commit;
• the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, noting that SHR has focused on 3, 12 and 27, which are closest to its remit;
• feedback from young people and the Scottish Government;
• public body classification;
• work SHR is doing with others;
• sector demographics, noting these are not easily accessible and are continually changing, but noting that as organisations begin to publish reports then more information will become available; and
• feedback from Local Authorities via SHR’s structed conversations;

The Board noted the Children’s Rights Report and Corporate Parenting Plan for 2026-2029 and publication plans.  It noted the context for SHR in terms of the operating model review.  It asked LM to take account of Board feedback as she finalises the reports for publication, agreeing it is important not to lose sight of the contribution that landlords make.  The Board thanked LM and asked for a future progress update. 

Action: LM to update SHR Board on progress with work to meet duties under the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 and Corporate Parenting duties under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

Q4 Corporate Performance Report 2025/26

MC presented the final performance report for 2025/26 covering quarter four.   He highlighted some amendments to the format of the appended risk register and DJ confirmed she had discussed these with IM. 

The Board considered the report and discussed cyber security.  It asked MC to provide some trend information in future reports.  MC highlighted Internal Audit work in this area.  The Board asked MC confirm arrangements for website monitoring out of hours. 

The Board thanked MC and noted the performance report.

Action: MC to provide SHR Board with more information on cyber security in future performance reports and confirm out of hours arrangements for monitoring attacks on SHR’s website.  

Outcome of the Regulatory Risk Assessment

JJ presented on the outcome of SHR’s regulatory risk assessment.  He set out changes in compliance levels and engagement with local authorities.  JJ also highlighted the resourcing context, explaining how this impacts the engagement work that SHR can do during 2026/27.  

The Board considered the presentation and discussed:

• engagement with Fife Council and the work it has done around offers of temporary accommodation and homelessness services, asking JJ for further information on this;
• the difference between heightened risk of systemic failure and systemic failure;
• the type of improvement work that is still possible;
• priortisation work that landlords can choose, but the risks associated with how this impacts other aspects of the housing system and the challenges around getting to a sustainable position; and
• use of private sector lets and the associated cost, particularly for those on benefits and in general to the public purse.

The Board noted the update.

Serious Casework

HS presented on serious regulatory casework.  There were no declarations of interest.

HS updated the Board on engagement with Blochairn Housing Association and Scottish Government.

HS also highlighted engagement with:

• Knowes Housing Association around governance and reported it is working constructively with SHR;
• Riverclyde Homes around tenant and resident safety, reporting it has clear plans in place for improvements; and
• Glasgow City Council on its ten year temporary accommodation strategy and associated timescales.

The Board considered the updates and discussed:

• scenarios relating to Blochairn and funding requirements;
• timescales Edinburgh Council has committed to around temporary accommodation, noting Glasgow has not made the same and that Edinburgh is reporting that it expects to be able to meet statutory duties by March 2027;
• local authority tenant and resident safety performance, noting SHR sets out detail in engagement plans and will provide more information to SHR Board; and
• systemic failure and how it could reach to beyond just services for people who are homeless.

The Board noted the serious casework update and welcomed further local authority performance information on tenant and resident safety.  

Action: HS to provide SHR Board with regular updates on local authority performance around tenant and resident safety.  

Operating Model Review

MC presented to the Board on the outcome of the first phase of the operating model review.  He explained the analysis of all SHR’s work to better understand the resource input, value and statutory or public body contribution.  MC detailed the range of tasks and activities across three workstreams and the approach SHR staff took to this phase of the review.  He reported on analysis.  He explained that SHR had already done a lot of streamlining work and the analysis shows that scope for more is now around how SHR operates. MC also set out the emerging direction of travel for the three workstreams.

The Board considered MC’s presentation and discussed:

• resourcing Freedom of Information requests, noting SHR’s extensive publication scheme and the sometimes complex nature of requests relating to regulatory work, as well as an uptick in AI driven requests;
• complaints from tenants about their landlords and the resources SHR puts into signposting tenants as well as the work it does to promote the serious concerns route;
• the high level nature of the analysis, asking MC to share the background data to help inform future Board discussions;
• utilising AI and how that can take time and investment before any benefits are realised and noting that SHR has access to Co-Pilot Chat and has already automation in its Business Intelligence (BI) system;
• information held on SHR’s BI system that allows oversight of all the information held about a landlord and if there is scope to use AI in analysis;
• notifiable events and scope to narrow the focus to the most valuable, noting plans to build on the information provided in the reports SHR has published;
• if the value attached to a task or activity reflects the risk of not doing it, noting key risks around SHR’s reputation in terms of compliance and potential risks to the sector that could impact on tenants and service users;
• potential to operate differently, noting SHR’s confidence in the current Regulatory Framework and approach, while acknowledging that change will be required to ensure sustainability;
• scope for freeing up resources, which could in turn allow for some deeper dives or different approaches; and
• formal consideration of impact and what any change may mean for different stakeholders, noting that SHR is not yet at the point of making decisions and all options would be risk assessed.

MC set out more detail on workstream three on how SHR engages with stakeholders.  He highlighted the importance of understanding the Board’s appetite for engagement, consideration needed around frequency as well as scope to potentially transfer some organisation and coordination to others.

The Board discussed:

• consequences of any change in approach and if there is willingness to potentially accept more risk, agreeing that it is important to agree this ahead of decisions on the engagement vehicles;
• value to SHR in discharging duties and how this balances with value to stakeholders;
• mitigation work and how that can be determined by risk appetite and kept proportionate;
• limited capacity to mitigate all risks, noting the balance around consequences and impacts;
• consultation, noting the body of information that SHR holds around what is valuable to tenants and that further consultation will be dictated by the Board’s decisions in early autumn.  The Board also noted that any proposed changes to the Regulatory Framework would be subject to a public consultation; and
• landlords’ responsibilities to provide housing services for tenants.

The Board welcomed and noted the work to review SHR’s operating model.  It noted that it will hold a series of discussion workshops during June to allow Members to continue to input and agreed that it would be useful for these to focus on risk tolerance.  GC thanked MC and all who had inputted to the first phase of the review.  

Action: MC/IM/HS to host a series of workshop discussions with SHR Board during June 2026.  

Landlord visits

The Board considered proposals for members to visit landlords.  It noted these are not regulatory visits and welcomed suggestions from SFHA.  The Board agreed associated guidance for members and asked RH to proceed with organising.   The Board noted that there are no local authorities included for initial plans and agreed to consider this.  

Action: RH to start initiate a programme of Board member visits to landlords.  

AOB

GC reported that LP has volunteered to take on the Deputy Chair role when Ewan steps down from the Board.  He explained he was very supportive and the Board agreed and asked GC to propose LP to Scottish Ministers.   It noted plans for a handover towards the end of summer 2026. 

GC explained that three members will step down from SHR’s Board in March 2027 when they will have completed their second terms.  The Board noted the resource context and agreed to ask Scottish Ministers to appoint two members in April 2027.  The Board approved proposals to seek someone who has is a current social housing tenant and also someone with sector experience at a senior level.  THE Board noted that GC would work with RH and Scottish Government colleagues to support Scottish Ministers.   GC reported he is meeting Scottish Government in June to discuss next steps. 

Actions: GC to:

• propose LP to Scottish Minister as the new Deputy Chair for SHR; and
• propose that Scottish Ministers seek to appoint two new members to SHR’s Board and covering current tenant and senior sector skills and experience. 

Agenda planner

The Board noted the agenda planner.  It also noted that RH will circulate 2027 meeting date proposals.  

Effectiveness of meetings and papers

The Board considered the effectiveness of the meeting and papers and agreed it was content.     

DONMs

The Board will hold a workshop with all staff on 23 June 2026.  It will meet on 31 August 2026.   

Private session

The Board held a private meeting with the Chief Executive. 

Briefings

Between 26 May 2026 and the 31 August 2026:

• SHR publications
• Media updates
• Annual Report & Accounts preparation
• Operating model review development
• Board landlord visits
• SHRC UN A Status
• Scottish Parliament Committees