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 set by the Scottish Government to ensure homes meet a minimum standard of quality, covering 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 made significant progress in meeting the SHQS over the past few years, with our compliance rate increasing from 47.1% in 2022 to 79% this year. Much of this improvement comes from achieving 99.2% compliance in electrical safety.

Reaching even higher levels of compliance can be challenging in some areas, particularly in mixed tenure blocks where we need the agreement of private owners to carry out works. Even when we are willing to fund the improvements, we cannot proceed without their permission. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to improving our homes and working with owners wherever possible to achieve full compliance.

Our average response times for both emergency and non-emergency repairs have improved this year and remain well within our targets. We carried out 9,165 repairs compared to 7,803 last year, largely due to the impact of Storm Eowyn, which caused an increase in repair requests.

We are committed to maintaining this standard by continuing our current practices and focusing on timely, effective repairs. Our aim is to ensure tenants’ homes remain safe, comfortable, and well-maintained, no matter the challenges we face.

This year, we built 104 new homes, providing much-needed affordable housing across our communities. Building new homes remains a key priority for us as demand for affordable housing continues to grow. By increasing the number of homes we provide, we can help more people find a place they can truly call home.

This year, 88% of antisocial behaviour cases were responded to within our target timescales, compared to 100% last year. The drop was the result of initial teething problems following the introduction of our new housing management system, which affected how cases were logged. These issues have now been resolved, and we expect to see performance return to previous levels.

Our performance in responding to complaints on time has remained strong, with 100% achieved again this year. To build on this, we have centralised the management of all complaints into a dedicated role. This change will make us more efficient, help us identify trends, and ensure we learn from every piece of feedback. We are also establishing a complaints group to monitor the quality of responses and use the insight gained to continue improving our services.

Financial support
Our welfare benefits team supported 559 tenants, helping them gain an additional £1.6 million in income. This was achieved by maximising benefits and ensuring people were receiving the support they were entitled to — often uncovering unclaimed benefits that has made a real difference to their household finances.

We are incredibly proud of the work this team does, and the impact it has on tenants’ lives. Their support helps people stay in their homes, manage their budgets, and feel more secure about the future. If you think we could help you, please get in touch with us. You might be surprised at what you’re entitled to.

Adaptations
This year, we carried out 54 medical adaptations, compared to 133 last year. The reduction was due to a significant delay in the grant award from the Scottish Government, which was not confirmed until October 2024 — halfway through the financial year. Without knowing how much funding would be available, we were unable to plan and allocate resources as we normally would.

While we funded some of the most urgent cases ourselves, the grant awarded was only 22% of what we requested, limiting the number of adaptations we could deliver. These adaptations play a vital role in helping tenants remain in their homes, and we will continue to prioritise this work as funding allows.

This year, the average time taken to re-let a property improved to 66 days, down from 90 days last year. This is comparable with the Scottish average and the progress reflects the focus we have placed on improving performance in this area. The introduction of our new housing management system has streamlined our voids procedures, and increased collaboration across the organisation has helped us work more efficiently.

Some delays have been linked to resourcing challenges in the Highlands, which we have addressed by outsourcing maintenance work to contractors. This has allowed us to prepare homes for letting more quickly. Improving re-let times remains a key priority, with the Board taking a particular interest in this performance area, and we are committed to continuing this positive trend.

Our performance in collecting rent remains strong at 99%, in line with the Scottish average. This is particularly positive given the ongoing cost of living crisis and the financial challenges many tenants continue to face. Our dedicated income team works hard to support tenants, offering practical help and flexible arrangements where needed, while also ensuring rent is collected on time. Their balanced approach helps us secure the financial stability of Cairn and allows us to reinvest in our services and communities.

We haven’t carried out a new satisfaction survey this year, but we have been taking steps to strengthen our engagement with tenants.

We know that our tenant participation activity was significantly affected by both Covid and resourcing challenges, and we appreciate that it hasn’t been at the level tenants expect. Over the past year, we have worked with tenants to understand how they want to get involved and used their feedback to shape a new tenant engagement strategy, which we will be launching soon. This will give tenants more choice in how they take part and ensure their voices are at the heart of our decision-making.

We hope you enjoyed our 2025 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.