Satisfaction Results
We did not carry out a satisfaction survey during the last financial year so all satisfaction information is from our previous survey, which was carried out in early 2023.

SHQS
The Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) is a benchmark established by the Scottish Government to ensure that homes in Scotland meet a minimum level of quality. Introduced in February 2004, SHQS covers several key areas, including energy efficiency, safety, comfort, and general maintenance. The aim is to provide tenants with homes that are warm, secure, and in good repair, contributing to the overall wellbeing of communities.

We have seen significant improvement in meeting the SHQS over the past three years. Our compliance rate has increased from 47.1% in 2022 to 62.1% in 2023, to 73.1% this year. While the current Scottish average is 84.4%, it’s important to highlight that the gap is largely due to the recent inclusion of electrical safety checks as a requirement under SHQS.

Initially, our programme for conducting electrical checks was behind schedule. After accelerating our efforts last year, this has resulted in substantial progress being made. Although we are still slightly below the Scottish average, our consistent improvement indicates that we are on the right path and our focus remains on closing this gap.

Emergency Repairs
Our average response time for emergency repairs has seen a slight increase from 2.4 hours in 2023 to 3.4 hours in 2024. Despite this rise, our performance remains strong, with our response time still better than the Scottish average of 4 hours. This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to addressing urgent issues promptly, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our tenants.

Non-Emergency Repairs
When it comes to non-emergency repairs, our average completion time has remained consistently solid. In 2023, the average was 8.3 days, and this year it has slightly increased to 8.8 days. Even with this small increase, we continue to perform better than the Scottish average of 9 days.

Overall, our repair services are performing well, and we intend to maintain this standard by continuing our current practices. Our focus remains on providing timely and effective repair services, ensuring our tenants’ homes are well-maintained and safe.

During the past year, we responded to 302 cases of antisocial behaviour, resolving 100% of these cases on target. Our resolution rate has improved from 90% last year, thanks to the enhancements we’ve made to our processes for managing antisocial behaviour. Additionally, we received 133 complaints, all of which were dealt with on target. One tenant was evicted as a result of antisocial behaviour.

Financial support
Our income team continues to go from strength to strength. Last year they managed to gain £1.2 million pounds in additional income for our tenants. A phenomenal achievement.

This year, we have been working as hard as ever to help those struggling with their finances or worried about their tenancy. If you’d like to chat to a member of our team or want information of other organisations we can signpost you to, please get in touch. We are also regularly sharing important and informative resources over on our social media pages so please give us a follow on Facebook or Instagram if you haven’t already.

Adaptations
This year, we significantly increased the number of adaptations carried out, completing 133 compared to 78 last year. This increase is partly due to additional funding from the Scottish Government, which has allowed us to better meet the needs of our tenants. These adaptations are crucial as they enable individuals to continue living comfortably and independently in their homes.

The average time taken to re-let a property has increased again this year, moving from 68.1 days in 2022, to 81.3 days last year, to 90.6 days. This rise is primarily due to low demand in some of our retirement courts. When these properties lie empty for extended periods and then are eventually re-let, it significantly pushes up our overall average.

When we exclude these low-demand properties, our re-let times are roughly in line with the Scottish average of 56.7 days. However, we recognise the importance of reducing our re-let times and are continuing to focus on managing voids more effectively.

Our performance in collecting rent remains exceptional, with a collection rate of 103.6% this year. This figure is consistent with our performance in previous years and is well above the Scottish average of 99.4%. The reason our collection rate exceeds 100% is because it includes arrears collected from former tenants as well as current ones.

Maintaining this level of performance is a testament to our income team. We will continue with our proven strategies to ensure that our arrears collection remains strong, helping to secure the financial stability of Cairn and allowing us to reinvest in our services and communities.

This year, tenant satisfaction with how we keep them informed stands at 82%, which is below the Scottish average of 90.5%. On the other hand, satisfaction with the opportunities to participate in decisions about their housing is higher at 89.5%, above the Scottish average of 87.7%. While we are pleased with the positive feedback on participation, we recognise the need to improve how we engage with our tenants and keep them informed.

To address this, we will be reviewing our engagement strategies. By working with them more closely, we aim to enhance our services and improve overall customer satisfaction.

Additionally, we continue to see a steady uptake in tenants contacting us digitally, and we are keen to develop this further. Promoting digital communication not only aligns with our goal of being more environmentally friendly but also makes it easier for tenants to reach us and helps reduce costs associated with paper communication. This shift towards digital interaction will play a key role in our ongoing efforts to improve tenant satisfaction and operational efficiency.

We hope you enjoyed our 2024 Annual Report.

We’d love to hear what you think about the report or our performance. Please fill in this survey to let us know your thoughts.

If you’d like to find out more, you can visit the Scottish Housing Regulator website to see how Cairn compares to other housing associations and local authorities.