Annual Assurance Statements are a key element of the Regulatory Framework and underpin the engagement plan the Regulator publishes each year for every social landlord. 

Speaking at the SFHA’s Governing Body Members’ conference in Glasgow last week, George said: “Our requirement for Annual Assurance Statements from landlords is now firmly embedded as a key strand of assurance. The Statements support openness and a culture of continuous assurance and improvement. 

“This, rightly, places responsibility firmly on you as landlords to firstly assure yourselves, and then to confirm to your tenants, and then to us, that you are meeting regulatory requirements and that the information you provide to us is accurate. I’d like to thank everyone in the room today for the way the RSL sector has embraced the concept of Annual Assurance Statements and helped make it work effectively.”

George also welcomed developments in the availability of peer support to RSLs who are facing serious issues.

He said: “We also encourage landlords to talk to us as soon as possible when they identify challenges. In most cases, well-run landlords take swift and effective action to tackle any problems they find. They tell us when they find a problem and tell us what they are doing to fix the problem.

“And I’m pleased that the SFHA has established a list of volunteers who can provide peer support to RSLs which may need it and the GWSF has announced that it has established a volunteer support panel as a source of help for RSLs facing difficulties and unforeseen challenges.  We very much welcome these initiatives and would be keen to see ideas like these developed further as an alternative to statutory intervention.” 

George’s wide-ranging speech explored the challenges facing the social housing sector and the Regulator’s expectations of RSL governing body members.