Consultation on a review of the Scottish Social Housing Charter: an analysis of responses

10. Current Outcomes and Standards: Housing Options (Charter outcomes 7, 8 and 9)

HOUSING OPTIONS (Charter outcomes 7, 8 and 9)

Social landlords work together to ensure that people looking for housing get information that helps them make informed choices and decisions about the range of housing options available to them. Tenants and people on housing lists can review their housing options.

Social landlords ensure that people at risk of losing their homes get advice on preventing homelessness.

Supporting Narrative

These outcomes cover landlords' duties to provide information to people looking for housing and advice for those at risk of becoming homeless. These duties include helping tenants and people on housing lists to review their options to move within the social housing sector or to another sector.

Question 9a): Would you keep these outcomes exactly as they are or change them? Please explain your answer.

10.1 Amongst the 91 respondents who answered this question, 68% would keep these outcomes as they are; 27% considered that the outcomes should be changed; and 4% did not know (see Table 10.1 in Annex 2 for a breakdown of responses by category of respondent).

Views of those in favour of keeping the outcomes as they are

10.2 Recurring comments were that the outcomes were clear and easy to understand and clearly explain a social landlord's responsibility. Two TRGs commented that they had experienced these outcomes working very successfully.

Views of those in favour of changing the outcomes

10.3 The most common reason for recommending changing the outcomes was that respondents considered there was a better way of grouping outcomes 7, 8 and 9. Some respondents called for combining them with outcome 10.

10.4 Three RSLs and one individual respondent recommended combining outcomes 7, 8 and 9 together into one outcome as they all relate to providing advice.

Question 9b): Please provide any suggestions on how we could improve the supporting narrative

10.5 Very few substantive suggestions were made in relation to this supporting narrative, and of those submitted, most were from individual respondents.

10.6 Individual respondents recommended that the supporting narrative:

• Gives examples of ways in which information will be provided.
• Refers to the wider support available such as Citizens Advice Bureaux in relation to budgeting advice.
• Provides some indication of timeline in giving information.