Public performance reports

South Lanarkshire Council aims to meet the housing needs of the people in the area by providing good quality, affordable homes for all to access and enjoy. The Scottish Social Housing Charter applies to all social housing landlords in Scotland, including local authorities, and the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) is responsible for collecting and reporting the performance information provided by the landlords. The Charter sets out the outcomes which  tenants can expect from their landlords in terms of quality, condition, value for money as well as the level of involvement and participation of tenants in the decisions that affect them.

For more information about the Welfare Reform follow the link to Rent Income Support Team
 

** Scottish average is based on the Scottish Housing Regulator Charter Indicator and includes all registered social landlords and local authorities

You will find out more about this in the Local Housing Strategy 2022-27

A wide range of work is carried out on a non-emergency, routine basis, last year we completed just under 33,000 repairs of this type  with  over 48,000 emergency repairs also completed.

South Lanarkshire Council tenants continue to demonstrate extremely  high levels of satisfaction with the service, with 91.91% of   tenants indicating that they are satisfied with the overall service received. This indicator is required by the  Scottish Housing Regulator and results for comparable authorities in our Family Group are as follows:

Our results reflects the results from the last full survey  which the council carried out  in 2022/23 where satisfaction increased  significantly in all areas as illustrated in the table below. We continue to use this information to identify which aspects of the service are doing well and which we need to improve.  It is important to us that customers who use the housing service feel that they receive a satisfactory service and these indicators plays a key role in ensuring we are effectively monitoring progress in this area.

The views of our tenants and other customers is important to Housing services. Consultation and engagement is wide and varied and in addition to well-developed arrangements for engaging with tenants and other customer groups we also have a comprehensive suite of customer satisfaction surveys.  In 2022-23, Housing and Technical Resources commissioned 8 different types of surveys, generating 2,566 responses with a further range of one-offs surveys being undertaken.

Each year we agree a programme for engagement with tenants and other housing customers. Through each of the areas opportunities for involvement are considered and developed.   The key features during 2022-23 were:

Involvement in the budgetary process

The approach to tenant engagement continues to be co-produced by housing customers through the Budget Scrutiny Group (BSG). The group provides the vehicle for discussion between the council and tenants on the budgetary process and the financial challenges and opportunities facing housing services on an ongoing basis.

The rent setting consultation programme for 2024-25 followed a similar programme to previous years, utilising existing engagement structures, including an on-line survey.

The main focus of the consultation was the Joint TPCG and BSG Rent Proposal Meeting in October, the Tenants Scrutiny Panel in November, local focus group meetings held in each locality, a tenant led closing event and an online survey which was widely publicised through:

• the council’s social media platforms
• the council website
• a Housing News article
• an email and/or text message promoting survey to tenants who indicated this was their preferred method of contact
• a global email sent to all council staff promoting survey
• Housing staff promoting survey to their tenants
• Sheltered Housing Officers promoting survey to their tenants
• an email sent to Resident and Tenant Organisations, Citizen’s Panel, Interested Individual Register, TIS register, Community Engagement Team and the Tenant Information Service Register promoting the survey.

There was a significant number of responses to the online survey with 1,273 surveys completed.

The council continues to discuss the financial pressures and risks to the housing budget with tenants, utilising a rent affordability tool, to assess  the financial implications which  the proposed rent increase may have.

Customer-led scrutiny

Using a framework co-produced with customer representatives, the annual customer scrutiny programme was progressed during 2022/23 by the Customer Scrutiny Group (CSG). 

Following a review of performance information, including the Annual Return on the Charter, the CSG undertook a detailed scrutiny activity which reviewed the council’s approach to gas servicing and tenant safety within tenant’s homes. 

The report on findings from the activity was presented by the CSG to the council in April 2023. Although generally very positive, the report also included a number of recommendations on how aspects of the service could be further improved to enhance the customer’s experience.

Following on from the CSG’s report, the Resource Management Team approved a number of short, medium and longer term actions which aim to deliver improvements and which the CSG will continue to monitor progress of.    

Regular updates on progress of the customer scrutiny programme continue to be provided to the wider tenant audience through Housing News.

Information to customers on housing and related services

Two editions of the Housing News were produced and delivered to all tenants in Spring and Autumn 2023. These editions were published as both a traditional paper copy, which was delivered to over 13,000 tenants, and a digital version which was emailed or texted to over 12,000 tenants whose preferred method of contact was email or text. Content included details of the council’s new affordable supply programme, the tenant’s gas servicing scrutiny exercise, rent setting consultation and performance in relation to the Scottish Housing Charter. 

The Resource also produced service specific newsletters, including Sheltered Housing News and Shawlands Crescent and Springbank Park newsletters for Gypsy/Traveller site residents.

Engagement with sheltered housing tenants

During 2022/23, the Resource continued to focus on improving digital engagement with sheltered housing tenants.  A further 14 digital devices with data were secured following a successful bid to the Lintel Trust’s Community Wellbeing Fund.  These were deployed for communal tenant use in sheltered developments with communal spaces to maximise the scope and reach of their usage.  Sheltered tenants continue to be supported to access online services and stay digitally connected by the service’s five volunteer Digital Champions who have all completed training provided by Connecting Scotland.

Sheltered Housing News continues to be produced twice per year, bringing tenants important strategic housing updates, as well as a round-up of news from across sheltered housing developments in South Lanarkshire.  This is provided to tenants via letterbox drop. DeafBlind Scotland is also commissioned to produce the publication in audio format to ensure that visually impaired sheltered tenants do not miss out.  

Annual tenants’ meetings continue to be held at individual sheltered developments in the late summer / early autumn, providing sheltered tenants with the opportunity to provide their feedback on the service to both council officials and Elected Members. 

The East Kilbride Sheltered Tenant’s Forum is fully up and running again, with meetings held at quarterly intervals.  The Resource regularly consults with the Forum on the development and review of key policies and strategies. 

The bi-annual sheltered tenant’s conference is to be reinstated this year, following a pause due to the pandemic.  This will take place in October 2024 at the Radstone Hotel, Larkhall.  A tenant-led planning group is now meeting regularly to develop the programme for the day, which will have a health and wellbeing theme. 

Engagement with Gypsy/Travellers

Engagement with residents of the council’s two Gypsy/Traveller sites has continued, building on the success from the introduction of the site masterplans in 2021/22. In person meetings on the sites , 1-2-1 conversations between residents and officers and the distribution of site specific newsletters have all taken place.  

From these conversations, a range of improvement projects have continued to be delivered, including upgrades to the accommodation and facilities provided across both sites.

The council’s successful approach to working with the local Gypsy/Traveller community was recognised nationally, winning both a COSLA award in February 2022 and a UK wide Municipal Journal Award for ‘Building Diversity and Inclusion’ in June 2022.

This work will continue in 2023/24, with the next phase of the site masterplans commencing. This will include new children’s play areas and upgrades to the remaining accommodation.

It is important that the council provides people who are  homeless or at risk of becoming homeless with a quick and efficient service. In relation to our target for letting people know the outcome of their homelessness assessment, we consistently achieve a high level of performance.  At the same time, it is important that the council is able to provide good quality temporary accommodation to people who are homeless and the second indicator below highlights the council’s success in doing so.

For further information about our assessment of homelessness and our key actions and outcomes to tackle homelessness, please refer to the council's Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan 2019-2024

When a client becomes homeless, it is important that they maintain their tenancy and do not find themselves homeless again. The council collects the following statistics to measure how good we are at this:

Both these indicators allow us to monitor that homeless persons are supported throughout the process to minimise the possibility of becoming homeless again.  Watch our short video with real life stories about Homelessness.

By closely working with Registered Social Landlord (RSLs) partners and the Scottish Government, a total of 397 additional affordable homes for social rent were delivered across South Lanarkshire in 2022/23. This included 107 new homes built by three developing RSLs and 233 additional homes delivered by the council, including those purchased through the council’s Market Purchase Scheme.

In compliance with Scottish Government grant requirements, all homes constructed on behalf of the council or RSLs meet Housing for Varying Needs Standard.