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MSPs write to Scottish housing regulator over ‘bullying’ allegations
MSPs have written to the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) asking it to respond to a series of concerns, including allegations of “bullying” and questions surrounding its governance arrangements.
In a letter sent last week, James Dornan, convenor of the Local Government and Communities Committee, gave the regulator one month to respond to allegations made against it in the media by a member of the Scottish housing sector and concerns raised by other sector sources.
The letter referred to comments made by an anonymous housing association director on the website Scottish Housing News, accusing the SHR of “bullying”.
The anonymous author said there are “many housing association directors and chief executives who are fearful of raising their heads above the parapet to highlight their concerns because they know that if they do, they will be targeted”.
Mr Dornan also referred to a Freedom of Information Act response published on the same website, which found that just one of the 12 decisions taken since 2014 to undertake statutory action was sanctioned by the board, with the rest being authorised by an assistant director.
In January, George Walker, chair of the SHR, published a letter in response to the articles, which said the organisation does not tolerate bullying and works “to be an effective, open and transparent regulator”.
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The Local Government and Communities Committee is now asking the SHR to clarify “how it audits the impact of its inspections on social landlords” and “how it ensures that its own governance arrangements meet all statutory and best practice requirements”.
Mr Dornan has also asked whether the SHR carries out any cost-benefit analysis of different methods of inspections and the impact they may have on social landlords’ resources.
He wrote: “We take these concerns seriously, whilst accepting a robust approach to regulation is sometimes necessary.
“We therefore retain an open mind and believe that the SHR should be given the opportunity to formally reply to these concerns.”
A spokesperson from the regulator said: “We have a clear route for anyone who wishes to raise a concern or to complain to us about how we work, and they have the right to take it to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
“We work transparently. We publish an extensive range of information about how we regulate, with guidance and advice for landlords including how we respond to whistleblowing.
“We also publish a report each time we have used our powers of statutory intervention in a social landlord. We welcome the recent letter form the Local Government and Communities Committee and look forward to updating the committee later this month.”
