Improving Gypsy/Traveller sites: progress summary

Fair Treatment

Site tenants should be treated fairly by site providers. This reflects Outcome 1 of the Scottish Social Housing Charter (the Charter). Under the Charter social landlords should perform all aspects of their housing services so that "every tenant and other customer has their individual needs recognised, is treated fairly with respect, and receives fair access to housing and housing services".

Indicator 1 – Tenants are treated fairly and with dignity by the site provider. Each tenant's individual needs are recognised, they are treated fairly and with respect, and receive fair access to accommodation

• Site tenants must be treated with respect and fairness by the site provider. There should be a clear, objective, and transparent process for the allocation of pitches, and for any procedures to ask a court to terminate a person's tenancy on a pitch. Individual needs in relation to the case for adaptations to an amenity block, or the external area of a pitch, should be considered. Rents paid for pitches should provide value for money for site tenants.

All providers except Dumfries and Galloway Council report currently meeting this standard. Dumfries and Galloway Council told us that policies for the allocation of pitches and rent collection are currently being developed and will be available prior to June 2018.

This is not fully supported by what residents told us. Some residents at Angus, Collin in Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, Inverness in Highland, Tarvitmill in Fife and West Dunbartonshire told us they did not feel that they were treated fairly and with respect by the site provider. Some told us that while they were treated fairly and with respect by the site manager this was not true for the Council overall. Residents on some sites also felt that rent paid for pitches did not provide value for money with some rents higher than what you would pay for social housing in the area.