On Scottish Housing Day Alexander Carle, Director of Asset Management, Grampian Housing Association, explains how, with training and relevant qualifications, he and his team are proactively responding to one of the biggest challenges facing the housing sector – condensation and dampness.

The findings of the 2019 Scottish House Condition Survey (all tenures) report revealed that levels of damp and condensation were similar to those seen in 2018: 91% of properties were free from any damp or condensation. When we conducted our own sample stock condition survey in 2021, our surveyors found no discernible levels of dampness and mould.

Dampness and mould – so do we have a major issue?

Arguably the issue of condensation and mould has gone from a routine reactive repair and infrequently reported issue to a major issue for all landlords to address. The tragic death of toddler Awaab Ishak and the subsequent coroner’s report, which found damp and mould in his home contributed to his death demonstrates the importance of landlords dealing effectively with damp and mould and the potential consequences of not doing so.

At the end of 2021, the Housing Ombudsman in England published a report, Spotlight on Damp and Mould Social, calling on landlords to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to damp and mould. The Report argued that: 

“Addressing damp and mould needs to be a higher priority for landlords …. with a change in culture from reactive to proactive in order to improve the experience of residents.”

This was quickly followed by the Scottish Housing Regulator issuing a letter of advice to all social landlords calling on them to:-

“consider the systems they have in place to ensure their tenants’ homes are not affected by mould and dampness and that they have appropriate, proactive systems to identify and deal with any reported cases of mould and damp timeously and effectively.”

Whilst we consider we have not been complacent as a landlord over the issues of dampness and mould, given the adverse media coverage in England we considered it was appropriate to give priority to the issue and review our response to ensure it was more proactive.

We have long understood the problems of condensation and therefore as a precautionary measure all our homes are fitted with extractor systems in kitchens and bathrooms that are on a trickle operation with humidistats to remove moisture to mitigate the need for our tenants to solely take actions.

As part of our commitment to continually improve our offer to tenants, we have developed The Grampian Deal, our new customer experience initiative.  We took the advice of the Scottish Housing Regulator to be an integral part of delivering the initiative and earlier this year we carried out a review of our systems and priorities for dealing with dampness, condensation and mould and have implemented the following changes:

• Developed a new policy and procedure which includes a mandatory post inspection to check the issue has been resolved after any advice/remedial works.
• Our investment strategy for delivering EESSH2 now also considers tackling fuel poverty to mitigate against potential unintended consequences around damp and mould due to lack of heating and ventilation.
• We have reviewed our information, communication and support provided to tenants to ensure that these are effective in helping tenants to try avoid condensation and mould in their homes.
• We have completed an awareness raising course delivered by an independent specialist to ensure that all staff understand the causes and risks, have the ability to recognise and knowledge on how to report early signs of damp and mould.
• We have undertaken a review of skills gaps to ensure our technical staff, TLC (in-house maintenance subsidiary) and contractors have appropriate expertise to properly diagnose and respond to reports of damp and mould.
• We have secured £18,000 from the Social Housing Fuel Support Fund to train and upskill frontline staff. 24 colleagues are enrolled on the City and Guilds Energy Awareness course while 10 colleagues are enrolled on a level 2 Vocational Related Qualification in understanding and preventing damp and mould in housing, equipping them to support tenants during the colder winter period.
• We have changed our current approach to reporting and recording a dampness issue and we are now more confident that it is sufficiently accurate and robust to ensure a more effective and fully auditable response.
• Under the umbrella of The Grampian Deal we have implemented more effective internal communication between our teams and departments, and ensure that one individual or team has overall responsibility for ensuring complaints or reports are resolved, with clear compensation and redress guidance.
• As part of our wider commitment to tenants, all staff have undergone refresher training on customer care to ensure they treat tenants reporting damp and mould with respect and empathy.
• We are in the process of rolling out digital sensors into tenants’ homes which will not only help us provide a more proactive and preventative maintenance service, which can identify amongst other things, higher moisture levels in a home that can lead to mould.
• To establish a baseline of the true extent of the dampness and mould experienced by our tenants we surveyed over 4,000 tenants (in our social and mid-market properties) in August under the banner of “treating damp while the sun shines” in an effort to resolve issues before the colder weather. We have already had a 37% survey response rate, highlighting the priority placed on damp by our tenants.
• To date 544 tenants have indicated presence of mould or they have experienced it in the past and in reply our customer response team have responded to each tenant seeking more detail.

The results of our survey so far suggest that 16.2% of our homes have had or are having issues with damp and mould which needs investigated. This is higher than the Social Housing Regulator’s estimate of 6.2% and higher than the 9% estimated in the Scottish House condition survey (2019).

By investing in our staff development, training and qualifications, we do feel more confident that our proactive response to date will help to tackle this scourge of housing and provide a more efficient and effective response to our tenants.

We are advising tenants that as far we know, we have no RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) in our properties.  However, as a responsible landlord we prioritise the health and safety of our tenants and we will be undertaking an independent review of the structural integrity of homes built between 1950 and 1990.

If our structural survey experts identify homes that might potentially be at risk and need further more intrusive property surveys then we will notify tenants affected directly.

The dramatic closure of more than 100 schools in England has thrust RAAC to the top of the political agenda both north and south of the border.

RAAC is different from normal dense concrete as it is lightweight “bubbly” in appearance and relatively weak.  RAAC was introduced and widely used in the UK from the 1950s to the mid-1980s,  generally for wall panels or roof planks.

The issues surrounding risks of corrosion and failure of RAAC have been known for decades and good maintenance was the key to ensuring it did not crumble.

Should you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact us on 01224 202900 or email [email protected]

On Scottish Housing Day, Grampian Housing Association’s head of people experience Chris Mathieson celebrates housing as a career and outlines Grampian’s learning and development initiatives.

This Scottish Housing Day, we want to celebrate the commitment, professionalism, and personal values which drive the contribution of people working in our sector, and which they showcase through the delivery of person-centred support every day.

Quality affordable housing remains of systemic importance to Scotland, and for the people who establish their homes in our properties. The full return of the contribution social landlords create for communities and local economies is immeasurable.

But the Scottish social housing sector’s impressive track record and its bold plans for the future would not be possible without our people.

In the almost 20 years I’ve worked in the sector, it’s both heartening, and indeed inspiring to see the reputation and profile of housing shine brighter than ever – a career as a housing professional is something we can, and should all be proud of.

We hear talk of Scotland following the English model, where it is now compulsory for social housing managers to be qualified. Speaking personally, I believe the Scottish sector has nothing to fear from any drive towards increased professionalism precisely because of existing high standards of excellence evident north of the border. Us Scots are modest, but nevertheless, we should continue to do everything we can to showcase and project the excellence of our Scottish sector – where we genuinely aspire to place people at the centre.

In terms of developing our people, the CIH have highlighted the particular skill set and knowledge required for a career in housing, and the need to keep these fresh and relevant. Taken together, the CIH Professional Standards, and the Frontline Futures Report 2014 provide a route map to excellence which remains as relevant to housing professionals today – in every area of the business - as the day they were written.

People professionals in housing know that the current labour market is exceptionally tight; and although partnership working is a vibrant lifeline between RSLs; all organisations are seeking to raise their profile as an employer of choice. In an era where applicants are assessing us, as much as we are assessing them – a commitment to lifelong workplace learning as part of a comprehensive Employee Value Proposition can help organisations stand out, to be that employer of choice and ultimately win the war for talent.

At Grampian, we’re proud that commitment to lifelong learning sits as the keystone of our current People Strategy. Learning and Development is one of the main pillars of our employee performance conversation framework – Great Growth with Grampian – an initiative co-created with colleagues, for colleagues.

Coupled with innovative approaches to colleague wellbeing and resilience; initiatives to foster a culture of recognition and appreciation – we believe that we are nurturing, supporting and developing our staff. Whether through formal sector qualifications such as CIH, ILM or CIPD; accessing recognised SVQ qualifications via Grampian’s partnership with The Skills Network; or a host of workplace opportunities, our colleagues are embracing the opportunities offered – with 89% in 2022 understanding their responsibility to pursue their own development.

That’s why Grampian is delighted to launch GOALS (Growth, Opportunity, Achievement, Learning) our new learning and development centre of excellence. Drawing all our learning and development offerings together into one initiative, we are demonstrating our commitment to individual learning and development, equipping and supporting colleagues to achieve great growth during their time with Grampian. Every colleague is a fully-fledged ‘student’ simply by virtue of their employment with us.

True to our commitment to our customers and communities, GOALS not only services our colleagues but also our tenants by pulling together the range of employability opportunities Grampian currently offers.

At Grampian, we believe this commitment to learning helps us remain true to our purpose, our business and people plan and validates the generous investment we offer all our people. Perhaps more importantly we’re upholding what CIPD call ‘good work’ – that good employment is fundamental to individual wellbeing, supports a strong, fair society, and creates motivated workers, productive organisations and a strong economy.

This article was originaly posted on the Scottish Housing News website on 11 September 2023.

Scottish Housing Day will take place on Wednesday 13 September 2023. The day is intended to raise awareness of the challenges and successes in the housing sector and this year, for Scottish Housing Day, we are celebrating housing as a career. To support this, the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland has established a cross-sector Housing Education Group, chaired by Amanda Britain, to promote the benefits of housing qualifications.

This cannot come at a more appropriate time as a crisis of confidence is looming in the social rented sector, much due to regular adverse media coverage (mainly in England) about service failures by social landlords, perpetuating the perception that social housing is not a desirable housing option for many home seekers.

Consequently, there is increased attention and scrutiny of what goes on, as a great deal is expected of the social rented sector - with the expectation that the sector delivers the highest standard of services and housing standards in the most equitable way - whilst keeping rents as affordable as possible.

The goal to provide the highest standard of affordable homes is being delivered by many (often hard-pressed) capable and committed housing practitioners - but many without the requirement to attain professional status or appropriate qualifications despite the requirement of Regulatory Standard 6 requiring the governing body and senior officers of a social landlord to have the skills and knowledge they need to be effective. This requirement is left to each individual registered landlord to assess what these requirements may be.

Conversely, it has been recognised by the Scottish Government that in the private sector, to register as a letting agent, you have to make sure that everyone in your business has the correct training and have a relevant qualification covering essential aspects of letting agency work. To register as a social landlord there is not the same requirement.

As a lifelong Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and as a member of the cross-sector CIH Scotland Housing Education Group, I have to ask then why is this not a requirement of a social landlord or at least a regulatory guidance?

Like many, I believe, attaining professional standards in social housing helps to

• Protect the public
• Maintain public confidence in the profession
• Declare and uphold professional standards
• Set out the threshold standards necessary to protect the public
• Set clear expectations of practitioners working in Registered Social Landlords’ knowledge and abilities when they start practicing
• Ensure that practitioners continue to meet the standards of proficiency that apply to the Chartered Institute of Housing scope of work and code of practice
• Assist practitioners and tenants around decisions of appropriate service support for specific circumstances
• Support and inspire professional learning, CPD and career development.
• Raise the profile of the sector and the range of career opportunities across the sector
• Expand on the knowledge and skill set of colleagues by providing opportunities to diversify

Whilst many colleagues throughout the United Kingdom consider that what is happening in England is a knee-jerk reaction to the housing scandals and not necessarily the panacea for all ills (clearly it is not and I agree it is not), it has been recognised in England that professional standards and qualifications are part of the solution (certainly the values, code of practice and leadership skills that are afforded by membership of the CIH play a big part too).

I understand consultation on the application of the law on the required housing qualifications in England is expected by the end of this year and we expect to see the requirements come into place near the end of 2024.

I certainly would welcome colleagues’ views on this, as here in Scotland we enter a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the final stages of the new Housing Bill. Currently, Scottish Government officials are neither convinced nor dismissive of the concept but suggest that capacity constraints limited their ability to consider this in the remainder of this Parliamentary term.

I, therefore, consider that ahead of the English consultation outcome - even if it is just to accept the principle of the requirement for professional standards and the status of housing practitioners - consideration should be given to establishing the membership of a Scottish Government working group with a broad term of reference to address this issue from a Scottish perspective.

This article was first published on the Scottish Housing News website on 25 August 2023.