Publications
Our publications focus on the latest policy topics and practical advice that you need to do your job. CIH members can access all our publication documents for free, please ensure you are logged into the website.
How to help tenants manage their money
This guide considers the practical ways you can help your tenants improve their money management, access financial products which are right for them and know where to turn for advice and support.
Charter Toolkit – Measuring the Scottish social housing charter
This toolkit seeks to provide advice to councils and housing associations on how to respond to the challenge of evidencing compliance with Charter outcomes through a process of self-assessment
How to tackle disability related harassment
This how to briefing sets out what providers should be doing to respond to this challenge.
According to a poll commissioned by the Disability Rights Commission, one third of disabled adults and nearly half of adults with a mental health condition do not feel safe in their locality. As the social rented sector provides homes to a high percentage of disabled people, housing providers have a crucial role to play in tackling disability related hate crime.
How to deliver excellent customer service
To build a good and lasting relationship with your customers you need to find out what they want from you and – as far as you can – meet their expectations.
Excellent customer service is not an add-on to the business: it’s a vital component which needs to be valued and owned by all – if one part of the business doesn’t do this, it can affect the reputation and performance of the whole. It’s about getting the core business basics right and understanding how and where you can add extra value.
Devolving housing benefit: A discussion paper
This new report by CIH Scotland considers the scope and implications of devolving UK-reserved Housing Benefit to Scotland.
How to deliver quality housing and health partnerships
This 'how to' guide sets out how housing professionals can establish effective relationships with colleagues working in health, to improve outcomes for residents
The guide is particularly timely as budgets in both many housing and related support services and health services are facing budget constraints. These pressures could make the two sectors retreat in to their silos, or it could drive innovation in how housing and health together deliver more personalised and cost-effective services.
Fire safety in housing
This looks at key issues around fire safety in social housing, the legal framework, risk assessments, working with fire, rescue services and residents, and tackling fire-related anti-social behavior
- why is fire safety an issue for housing?
- fire safety in housing: the legal framework and key guidance for housing providers
- carrying out a risk assessment
- working in partnership with fire and rescue services
- working in partnership with tenants, residents, and communities
- tackling fire-related anti-social behavior
- the use of domestic sprinklers
- questions and answers from the CFOA, WMFS and CIH seminars
- glossary of key terms
Housing and Public Policy in post devolution Scotland
Housing was expressly included among the various areas of responsibility devolved to Edinburgh and this book seeks to explore the changes taking place in Scottish housing in the wake of devolution
Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 Briefing
This briefing describes the provisions of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003
It details the implications of the Act and the challenges it will present for homelessness services, the provision of support and temporary and permanent accommodation for both local authorities and RSLs. The briefing also covers changes to possession proceedings notification and changes to the recovery procedures for Assured Tenancies.
Low demand Housing in Scotland
Low demand for housing is a problem for almost every landlord in Scotland. The Good Practice in Housing Management: Review of Progress found that all local authorities and 57% of surveyed RSLs
they believed they were managing low demand stock. Although low demand stock is not a new
phenomenon, having been on the housing agenda for the last 30 years, it does seem to be a
growing problem with the aforementioned review indicating that 62% of social landlords thought
the problem of low demand had increased in recent years.
Improving Standards in the PRS
This briefing outlines some of the proposals in the Housing Improvement Task Force (HITF) final report ‘Stewardship and Responsibility: A Policy Framework for Private Housing in Scotland’.
HTIF Briefing on Operation of the Housing Market
This briefing outlines some of the proposals in the Housing Improvement Task Force (HITF) final report ‘Stewardship and Responsibility: A Policy Framework for Private Housing in Scotland’.
It focuses on the parts of the report that relate to improving the operation of the housing market.
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002: A Guide
The purpose of this report is to give a very brief summary of the Act and to alert housing providers to developments concerning the implementation of the Act.
This briefing for housing professionals on the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 is
written by Derek O’Carroll, Advocate, and is published by the Chartered Institute of Housing in
Scotland, funded by the Scottish Executive.
Common Property, Common Poverty
During the last couple of years, the CIH in Scotland has prioritised policy work around the private sector... Common Property, Common Poverty is the latest outcome.
Many of the issues set out in the report will be familiar to people who work in housing. However, they are collected together here to encourage those of us with a responsibility for leading a process of improvement to tackle them with leadership, commitment and resources. We need a comprehensive system of property management and maintenance in Scotland.
The experience of Black and Minority Ethnic housing staff
CIH has recently adopted a BME strategy which is aimed at encouraging more BME people into housing and into CIH membership and it is partly against this background that this study has been conducted.
Also of importance are recent legislative changes, such as the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, which now places a duty on bodies positively to promote equality of opportunity.
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