A -Z of Services

Partial Stock Transfer - Update January 2010

There has been a lot of activity since June 2011 when Councillors agreed to move the ballot to September 2012. The process has progressed towards the stage where interested RSLs for each of the transfer package areas have submitted business plans which are currently being scrutinised by Council officers.

The business plans include detailed information about how the landlord proposes to manage, maintain and improve the housing stock, and its plans for regeneration of the area. The Council’s assessment process will scrutinize these areas rigorously and there is a series of ‘pass/fail’ criteria which, if not met, will mean that bid will not be put forward for Council consideration. The pass/fail criteria are in relation to:

Working with the Council to address homelessness
Working with the Council to provide temporary accommodation
Working with the Council to provide a Common Housing Register
Accepting a Recruitment & Selection protocol governing the protection of employment rights for transferring staff and recruitment and appointment to the new landlord’s staffing structure
Providing a robust business plan which shows that the transfer can be funded

In addition, there are a series of tenants’ promises which set out how the landlord proposes to give tenants a better service than the one they currently receive from the Council. These promises will be assessed by tenants with help from TIS. The promises cover the following areas:

Rights within the tenancy agreement
Affordable and fair rents
Rent Collection
Repairs and maintenance
Tackling anti-social behaviour
Delivering regeneration
Meeting the housing quality standard
Access to housing and allocations

The local housing associations who have submitted plans are:

Transfer Area	Housing Association
Area 1 Vale of Leven	Cordale Housing Association
Area 2 Dumbarton	Cordale Housing Association
Area 3 Clydebank West	Dalmuir Park Housing Association
Area 4 Clydebank East	Clydebank Housing Association

The next step is to present the findings of the business plan assessment to a special meeting of the Council’s Housing, Environment and Economic Development Committee scheduled for February 2012.

Remember, it’s your vote and you decide.

Stock transfer will only happen if tenants vote for it. The ballot is currently planned for September 2012 and we want everyone to vote and be involved throughout the process. If you are interested in joining a group which will represent your interests, please contact the Council’s Tenant Participation Officer, Joanne Martin on 01389 737 281 or email joanne.martin@west-dunbarton.gov.uk.

Getting advice

Tenants have access to an Independent Tenant Advisor (ITA) who provides impartial objective information on the issues and options and support to tenants to be actively involved in the process. Tenant representatives were fully involved in the evaluation and appointment of Tenants Information Services (TIS) as the ITA.

TIS are currently carrying out an assessment of the Business Plans and will start their consultation with tenant panels at the end of January.

You can contact TIS on:

Telephone: 0800 731 3772 (Free phone during office hours)

Write:

Ilene Campbell or Lynda Johnstone

Tenants Information Service

Suite 124 – 128, Baltic Chambers

50 Wellington Street, Glasgow G2 6HJ

Email: info@tis.org.uk

Or visit the TIS website http://www.tis.org.uk/

Timetable:

§ Potential receiving RSL for each transfer area identified: January 2012