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MARGARET BLACKWOOD HOUSING ASSOCIATION INSPECTION REPORT

The Scottish Housing Regulator today published its inspection report on Margaret Blackwood Housing Association. The purpose of the inspection was to provide an independent external assessment on the effectiveness of its housing services and make recommendations to help improvement.

Following the inspection, the Regulator has awarded Margaret Blackwood Housing Association a ‘fair’ rating for its overall performance.

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

“The Association has taken steps to improve performance in delivering its landlord services and has already achieved some success in delivering better services to its tenants, particularly in delivering its response repairs service, letting empty houses and managing arrears. The Association still needs to improve in some areas of its work, it needs to be clearer about its purpose, communicate more effectively with its Registered Tenant Organisations and tenant groups and ensure it can demonstrate that it is providing value for money services. We will ask the Association to agree an improvement plan with us.”

The Association’s Chairperson, Grant Carson said:

“As part of its open and consultative culture the Association welcomes feedback on its services and performance and we see the Inspection as part of that process.

“It is good to see that the Scottish Housing Regulator recognises the improvements and particular successes we have achieved to date. Margaret Blackwood Housing Association’s vision is to be renowned as a leader in the provision of the best possible housing and opportunities for the communities it serves and we look forward to working in partnership with the Regulator to further drive forward our already well established programme of continuous improvement”.

NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS

1. Inspectors gave the following grade after the inspection:

2. Margaret Blackwood Housing Association currently owns and manages 1,500 houses located across 29 local authority areas. The Association has a diverse tenant base, providing housing for general needs and disabled tenants.

3. Full details of the Margaret Blackwood Housing Association inspection report can be found on the Scottish Housing Regulator website at www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk

4. The Scottish Housing Regulator came into operation on 1 April 2008. It is the successor to Communities Scotland’s Regulation & Inspection Division. As a government agency the Scottish Housing Regulator will have complete operational independence, but will remain accountable to Scottish Ministers, and through them to the Scottish Parliament for the standard of its work. The agency sits within the Justice and Communities Directorate of the Scottish Government and will work within the government’s overall purpose and contribute to its strategic objectives.