Scottish Social Housing Charter

The Scottish Social Housing Charter was approved by the Scottish Parliament on 20^th March and came into effect on 1^st April 2012.

The key changes made from the previous draft are:

• Reducing the number of proposed standards and outcomes from 71 to 16;
• Including for each standard and outcome a brief narrative description of the scope of the standard or outcome and the activities, including any legal duties, to which it applies;
• Drawing a clear disctinction between outcomes and standards;
• Including a separate equalities outcome;
• Identifying where particular standards or outcomes are the responsibility of only some social landlords; and
• Removing "customer satisfaction" as a specific element of the outcomes.

The key areas incorporated are:

The Customer/Landlord Relationship

1. Equalities
2. Communication
3. Participation

Housing Quality and Maintenance

1. Quality of housing
2. Repairs, maintenance and improvements

Neighbourhood and Community

1. Estate management, anti-social behaviour, neighbour nuisance and tenancy disputes

Access to Housing and Support

1. Housing Options (for people looking for housing)
2. Housing Options (for people on housing waiting lists)
3. Housing Options (for people at risk of losing their homes)
4. Access to social housing
5. Tenancy sustainment
6. Homeless people

Getting Good Value from Rents and Service Charges

1. Value for money
2. Rents and service charges (balance between services provided, costs and affordability)
3. Rents and service charges (information on how rent money is spent)

Other Customers

1. Gypsies/Travellers