Tenant Focus Group Meeting 23rd August 2025

The Tenant Focus group convened their quarterly meeting at 6 North Ness on Friday 23^rd August 2025, covering a broad range of agenda items. The group welcomed Neil Manson, a Hjaltland Housing Association committee member and chair of the Audit & Risk sub-committee, along with Anya Cheatle, a new Housing Officer.

1. Audit & scrutiny

Neil attended the meeting to provide tenants with an over-view of not only the committee’s broader role, but more specifically the responsibility in relation to Audit and Risk. A detailed and comprehensive presentation highlighted the level of scrutiny that is completed by the committee to provide ‘assurance’ the Association is functioning as it should. Every year, the committee submit a prepared ‘Assurance Statement’ to the Scottish Housing Regulator, having considered the vast evidence bank of data provided by officers. Neil reminded tenants they are always welcome to reach out to committee for further information or queries in relation to their role.

The Assurance Statement will be submitted before the deadline of the 31^st October 2025 and after this time will be published on both the Regulator’s and the Association’s respective websites. As an example, last year’s statement can be found here; https://www.hjaltland.org.uk/documents/hjaltland-housing-assurance-statement

2. Quarter One performance 25/26

Th Association’s quarter one performance for 25/26 was reviewed, using the recent submission to Scotland’s Housing Network. In all areas, the Association is performing above the national average of members, with particular highlights being the quick turn-over of void accommodation, tenant satisfaction with the repairs service and the length of time taken to complete repairs.

3. Autumn Newsletter

Content for the Autumn newsletter was agreed, which will include the following information;

• Budgeting for Christmas (we know it’s too early for the C word, but it’s never too early for good money management)
• Preventing condensation and how to deal with damp and mould
• Update on the RTS switch-off
• Development updates
• Full tenant satisfaction survey
• New policy updates and where to find them
• 50^th Anniversary celebrations
• New staff members

4. Staneyhill

Tenants were provided with an update on the development work at the Staney hill site in Lerwick. The infrastructure contract is on-going, with the first phase due to complete at the end of September. The second part of the contract will continue in earnest, with the full infrastructure works due to complete in January 2027. The housebuilding tenders have now been received following the submission deadline and the returns are currently being analysed by the design teams. A tenant asked about the provision of heating in the area and it was confirmed all properties built at the Staneyhill will benefit from the local district heating scheme, operated by Shetland Heat Energy & Power Ltd.

5. RTS switch-off

Hjaltland staff have been working hard to support tenants who require meter upgrades as part of the scheduled RTS switch off. Some excellent links have been formed with the electricity providers, which is proving invaluable in making good progress with the transition. It was confirmed that in terms of switching over to smart meters, the priority is very much on tenants who currently have storage heating and rely on the teleswitch.

6. Health and safety update

The tenant handbook is in the process of being refreshed (currently out to consultation with the Tenant Focus Group) and one of the features is an increase in the information being included in relation to tenant health and safety. Additionally, new posters will be displayed in communal areas of flats, with QR codes covering the following themes;

• Fire Safety
• Legionella
• Electrical safety
• Asbestos safety (not in communal)
• Gas safety
• Detector safety
• Damp & Mould
• Communal space zero tolerance

7. Policy updates

The following policies are being reviewed as part of the 3-year cycle. The drafts have been circulated to all interested tenants, with some feedback already received. The final drafts will be presented to the Committee for sign-off at the meeting on Thursday 28^th August.

1. 1. Re-let standard policy
   2. Antisocial behaviour policy
   3. Tenant Handbook

8. Imminent consultations

Tenant consultation is an on-going exercise throughout the year – the next documents where the Focus Group will be asked to review and provide comment on is the following ;

1. 1. Draft Annual Report 2024/25 – due to be distributed to tenants during the month of September.
   2. Full tenant satisfaction survey Autumn 2025 – this occurs every three years and a draft is now ready. This will be circulated to the focus group – not to provide actual feedback on the services received, but to consider the content, lay-out and wording.