News Item

23-03-2009

Hebridean Housing Partnership Inspection Report 

The Scottish Housing Regulator today published its inspection report on Hebridean Housing Partnership.  The purpose of the inspection was to provide an independent external assessment on the effectiveness of its housing services.

The Regulator has awarded the Partnership a ‘fair’ rating for its overall performance.

Michael Cameron, Head of Inspection at The Scottish Housing Regulator, said:

“Our inspectors found that Hebridean Housing Partnership has some strengths but also some areas where improvement is needed.

“Hebridean Housing Partnership is a young organisation and was formed to receive the houses transferring from the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.  At the time of our inspection it had operated for only two years.  It has a clear focus on delivering the promises it made to tenants at the time of the ballot.  It demonstrated strengths in a number of areas, including its approach to meeting housing need, its high levels of tenant satisfaction and the good standards it achieves in its new build housing.

“The Partnership does need to address the current challenges in its business plan, and it is aware that it needs to make improvements to its management of gas safety, its approach to the management of rent arrears and its response repairs service.”

George Lonie, Chairman of HHP, commented, “The Scottish Government recently demonstrated its trust in HHP by awarding us a major grant of £6.6 million to invest in a record number of new homes in the islands this year. Our tenants’ satisfaction levels are high and we’re carrying out home improvements on an unprecedented scale.

“We are pleased that the Regulator has acknowledged that HHP has a good range of strengths and can confirm that we are working to a comprehensive plan to better our service where improvements are needed.  We have already addressed in full a number of the Regulator’s recommendations including 100 per cent compliance with the improvements on gas servicing.  I am sure our staff are wholly committed to using the Regulator’s report to help us in our journey to become an organisation over time whose performance will be rated as excellent.” 

Notes:

1. Inspectors gave the following grade after the inspection:

Hebridean Housing Partnership has achieved a C grade overall.  This is a fair performance.

2. Full details of the Hebridean Housing Partnership inspection report can be found on The Scottish Housing Regulator website at www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk.