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Regulator of Social Housing pauses in-depth assessments

News17 Mar 2020Sarah Williams

The Regulator of Social Housing has “paused” its programme of in-depth assessments (IDAs) for registered providers, as it responds to the latest government guidance aimed at limiting the spread of coronavirus.

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Regulator of Social Housing pauses in-depth assessments amid new #coronavirus guidelines #ukhousing #socialhousingfinance
No new IDAs will be started and existing processes will be completed remotely or deferred, says @RSHEngland as it responds to the latest government guidance concerning #coronavirus #ukhousing #socialhousingfinance

The news comes after the government’s housing delivery agency Homes England announced earlier today that staff would work remotely, following guidance to avoid non-essential travel issued nationally by the prime minister yesterday.

 

In an update to its statement on coronavirus at 5pm today (17 March), the regulator said that it would now not start any new IDAs.

 

It added that it is in contact with providers for which IDAs are already under way, with a view either to completing the process online or deferring.

 

The regulator said that the policy is in place “for the time being”. It added: “We will keep the position under review.”

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The updated advice follows a statement to providers on 6 March that they are expected to prepare for the impact of coronavirus on residents, and to follow government advice in doing so.

 

It also reminded registered providers that they must communicate “in a timely manner with the regulator on material issues that relate to non-compliance or potential non-compliance” with the regulatory standards.

 

But it emphasised that its regulatory approach “remains proportionate”, and that it would take account of circumstances, including those arising from the impact of coronavirus, in considering its response to non-compliance.

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) today announced that its staff would now work from home in line with government advice. A statement on its website said: “Our day-to-day work is currently largely unaffected. Please continue to contact us, preferably by email or telephone rather than mail, and bear with us if we take slightly longer to respond.”

 

On 6 March, the SHR wrote to registered landlords, advising that they “should prepare to maintain a record of any instances where service cannot be delivered because of [coronavirus]”, and to notify it of “any significant service disruption or financial impact” as a consequence of the virus.

 

It added: “[The regulator] will take account of the impact of [coronavirus] reported by a landlord when it assesses the landlord’s performance in the annual risk assessment.”

Govt agency/department/organisationHousing Association/RPRegulation and GovernanceScotland
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