Scottish Government

Volume 5
Chapter 2 Provision of Information, Advice and Practical Assistance

Introduction

2.1. The use of information and the provision of advice services and practical assistance are essential components of an effective Scheme of Assistance. Information and advice services in particular are very much the front line in ways to assist owners. Their impact on the awareness and behaviour of owners should not be underestimated. Conversely, they should not be seen as a cheap, easy alternative to more resource intensive and potentially more proactive forms of assistance where these are needed.

2.2. Appropriate, uncomplicated and well targeted information and advice provision can help encourage responsible behaviour through focusing attention on what matters and why, and demystifying what is involved in owning, maintaining and adapting a property. For example, there is evidence that relatively low cost repairs such as annual cleaning of gutters are not routinely and regularly done but can lead to serious and expensive to treat disrepair if not addressed.

2.3. Provision of information, advice and practical assistance should be consistent with the authority's housing strategy, and be set out in the section 72 statement of assistance. Information and advice for private owners should be an integral part of the authority's overall strategy on information and advice provision.

2.4. Local authorities should consider information, advice and practical assistance together but recognise the very significant differences between them:

• Information can generally be seen as non-personal, i.e. mainly in the form of leaflets and web-based.
• Advice implies a personalised response to specific enquiries from individuals, often in the form of pointing someone in an appropriate direction, such as advice on whether an architect or structural engineer may be needed and how to go about finding one.
• Practical assistance involves doing things that are part of the process that the owner would otherwise carry out.

2.5. Information and advice are intended to give owners the capacity to carry out necessary activities themselves. Practical assistance steps in where this cannot readily be achieved.

2.6. Much of this guidance on information, advice and practical assistance is relevant to both property condition and adaptation issues. Inevitably, some aspects of the guidance relate particularly to one or other of these issues, for example the guidance on raising awareness of the importance of not neglecting property condition. Local authorities should consider what aspects of their information, advice and practical assistance will be generic in nature and seek to cover both issues, and what aspects of their provision might be aimed specifically at one or the other topic.

Information

2.7. Action to raise the general level of awareness about property maintenance and adaptation, and to provide practical information to support this, should be a fundamental component of a local authority's Scheme of Assistance. There is an ongoing and long term need for information which aims both to deliver the right key messages and provide helpful pointers, in a variety of forms and aimed at reaching the widest possible range of owners. The evidence for this need lies in the scale of poor repair and maintenance. The task of getting the message across is complicated by the huge amount of information in the public domain about works to houses that are essentially cosmetic in nature. The fact that there is interest in houses provides an opportunity, but it could be difficult to divert attention to the less appealing and commercially less attractive issues of repair and maintenance.

2.8. There are two elements to providing information:

• Good quality, effective information
• Disseminating information in a way that reaches the targets and gets noticed. Good information is useless without effective dissemination.

Information materials

2.9. Effective information should aim to:

• be clear and easy to understand
• promote certain key messages
• provide basic information on looking after and adapting property
• point owners to sources of advice and practical assistance
• provide specific guidance for common owners.

Key messages

2.10. Authorities should consider the promotion of key messages, for example:

• Adaptations can help older and disabled people live independently
• homeowners are responsible for maintaining their properties and for dealing with the consequences of failing to do so
• common owners have, and should meet, responsibilities to others
• information and advice is available and accessible to all owners
• it is for the owner to invest in the property but further help may be available to those who need it.

Information on property maintenance

2.11. The basics of repairing, improving and adapting property, for example highlighting:

• All parts of the building fabric that have an expected life, such as windows, roofs, gutters
• items requiring ongoing maintenance, for example cleaning gutters, painting woodwork
• awareness of the possibility of getting adaptation work done and how to go about it
• options for carrying out work ( DIY, using contractors)
• how common owners can organise repair and improvement work
• factors to be aware of when buying a property.

2.12. Standardised information could aim to repeat core messages around property ownership, raise awareness of the need for maintenance and repairs, and give owners the confidence and skills to diagnose common problems or undertake simple DIY tasks.

2.13. Good information will motivate owners to act. Alongside promoting a feeling of responsibility, there is the financial motivation that relatively modest expenditure on maintenance can have a significant longer term preventative impact and therefore lead to savings.

2.14. A suggested listing of standard items of property maintenance information is provided at Annex 1.

Information on sources of advice and practical assistance

2.15. This should cover:

• Locally available advice provided by the local authority or its partner agencies
• any national advice sources (such as a national Trusted Trader scheme)
• any practical assistance available locally (such as Care and Repair).

Information for common owners

2.16. This area will be of particular relevance to authorities with a significant proportion of flatted stock. Information should include:

• The role of property managers - what they do and don't do, and how to appoint and dismiss them
• responsibility for paying for repairs and maintenance
• the importance of title deeds and legislation on tenements
• maintenance plans and sinking funds
• potential financial assistance options.

Information in accessible formats

2.17. Information should be inclusive and accessible. It should be produced in accordance with the RNIB's "clear print guidelines" available under "Good design" at www.rnib.org.uk. One of the recommendations is that a type size of between 12 and 14 point is used.

2.18. Arrangements should be put in place for information to be translated or interpreted and to be made available in alternative formats such as in audio format where appropriate.

Locally produced information

2.19. Local authorities may wish to consider whether information they or their partners produce on private sector housing issues should be branded in a particular way to help make it more easily recognisable and to give added emphasis to what may be a new area of information provision by the authority.

2.20. Consideration should be given to piloting information to ensure as far as possible that it is effective in reaching the right audience and conveying the right messages.

Nationally produced information

2.21. Any nationally available information can complement, but not substitute for, locally produced information, especially as only the latter can (a) point owners to sources of further advice and assistance in the area and (b) set out the local authority's particular priorities for offering assistance.

2.22. It may be an option for the Scottish Government to produce information on some areas not already covered by existing publications, for example, on accessing new forms of financial assistance, and may update or replace existing information such as the guide on "How fit is your house?" produced by Homepoint (Communities Scotland) in 2000.

2.23. it is recognised that some local authorities already have well developed web-based availability of information for private owners. Views are sought on the value of a single public information website on behalf of local authorities to promote common themes and branding. The website would outline key aspects of the Act, focusing on assistance and including links to local authority websites. The website could be developed to act as a portal for other services such as online applications for financial and non-financial assistance. An alternative would be for the intended contents of a national website to be available on each local authority's site.

Q. How useful would a public information website be?

2.24. Homepoint also produces Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers, which should inform local information provision. Further information on Homepoint standards can be found at www.homepoint.communitiesscotland.gov.uk.

Promoting awareness

A proactive approach to providing information and raising awareness

2.25. The Scottish Government proposes to carry out an initial awareness campaign. This will focus on the top-level messages and be general in nature, to prepare public awareness for when local authorities commence their Scheme of Assistance under the transitional arrangements.

2.26. Local awareness campaigns at the appropriate time should be more specific and are likely to be more effective in achieving specific action. Local authorities should plan for such campaigns, including the most effective use of:

• advertising through the authority's own media and through commercial media including, for example, buses
• public relations and press office activity, for example seeking editorial coverage and building on events such as securing improvements to BTS houses, or declaring Housing Renewal Areas
• partnership working with organisations or networks that have direct contact with owners.

2.27. Local authorities should consider what delivery partners they might work with to make information produced by the authority more widely available. This could include high street lenders, DIY stores, estate agents and property centre newspapers and websites, as well as more general amenities used by the public such as community centres, doctors' surgeries, libraries and sports centres.

2.28. An example might be working with local DIY retailers to provide information and advice to homeowners through a series of home maintenance booklets. As part of this partnership the development and promotion of free training sessions on basic home maintenance skills could be made available to homeowners. Some sessions could be targeted at particular groups, such as young people or women. These sessions could be held locally in DIY stores, local authority offices or community centres.

2.29. Local authorities should also consider using local specialist advice bodies to help target particular groups such as people from minority ethnic communities, disabled people and older people, and other groups unlikely to be reached through normal information channels.

2.30. In addition, authorities should consider whether particular publicity campaigns such as advertising or "open days" would be beneficial. Consideration should be given to the effectiveness of using existing local authority mailings such as those used in respect of council tax.

2.31. Authorities should look to target specific opportunities to communicate key messages, for example relating to:

• House purchasers (in particular first time buyers) - estate agents, builders, solicitors, lenders
• Prospective right to buy purchasers, through landlords
• Prospective shared equity owners and sharing owners - through the managing registered social landlord.

Information for house purchasers

2.32. A key objective of the Scottish Government is to raise awareness of house condition issues among prospective purchasers. Once the purchase process is well advanced, little attention is likely to be paid to such issues. Selling agents and property centres may be willing to play an active role in highlighting the importance of house condition issues to prospective purchasers.

2.33. The introduction of the Home Report (including the Single Survey) from late 2008 will make an invaluable contribution to the awareness of property condition issues among prospective purchasers. Owners who have purchased under the new system should be a prime target for information provision as their level of awareness of issues affecting their home is likely to be greater than in the past.

2.34. Local authorities should consider establishing a service which would help to raise awareness of house condition issues amongst buyers, whilst supporting and encouraging owners to tackle repair issues in their property. This could be provided by means of home visits where an individual from the local authority or an appointed organisation would conduct a house condition survey and produce a report which would contain information and advice on the house condition and the repair work required on the property. Information regarding prioritisation and timescales for the work to be carried out would also be included in the report. The survey could also include health and safety checks, crime and security checks and energy efficiency checks.

Information for tenants

2.35. Whether produced directly by the local authority or by a partner agency, information should be available for tenants who have queries about repair or adaptation issues, for example the tenant's right to adapt property (under section 52 of the Act).

Example of information provision

2.36. An example of local information provision is the City of Edinburgh Council's HomeWorks information pack. Further details can be found at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/homeworks

Q. Do you support this overall approach to information provision? Are there additional areas on which you would welcome guidance?

Advice

Introduction

2.37. Advice services complement the provision of information by providing tailored assistance which enables people to achieve something not otherwise achievable on their own. The aim is to ensure that owners - some of whom may be in the most difficult and complex circumstances - can be given tailored assistance to meet their needs when information alone would not be sufficient. Authorities should consider how best to offer an effective advice service for homeowners.

2.38. For advice to be useful and influence an owner's actions it should be reliable, trustworthy and effective and it should be seen to be these things wherever possible. Local authorities should therefore consider carefully the delivery mechanisms for offering advice to ensure that the advice itself is not prejudiced by the form of delivery or choice of delivery partner.

2.39. In addition, advice should generally be as impartial as possible. This means the deliverer of advice having no conflicting interest with the advice being given or with the receiver of the advice.

2.40. Ministers wish to see advice provision expanded to all owners who need it through the Scheme of Assistance in each local authority area. Provision of advice should be a central element of an authority's Scheme of Assistance. It is expected such provision, in common with information services, would be provided by local authorities with minimal direction by national government.

The role of a One Stop Shop

2.41. Local authorities should consider the range of advice and delivery mechanisms that are, and could be, available to owners. A number of options are explored below which are considered key to delivering an effective advice service. Furthermore, authorities are recommended to consider the use of an initial point of contact which in this guidance we call a One Stop Shop ( OSS) approach to ensure services are focussed around the needs of owners. Such an approach to the provision of advice and information already exists in some local authority areas, although the extent to which private sector housing issues are covered varies.

Initial point of contact for all enquirers

2.42. The OSS would be the first port of call for owners seeking assistance with a property or related issue. Such a service would normally be accessible through the internet, by phone or in person, taking due account of the need for an inclusive approach in respect of people with particular needs. Queries from private tenants, for example on their right to adapt property, should also be capable of being dealt with, even if this might involve referral on to an agency with particular expertise in private renting issues.

2.43. It is proposed that a national website should be developed covering all local authorities so that an owner anywhere in Scotland can access this single source of information and be ported through to the appropriate local authority website when further, local assistance is required. This approach could be backed up by a national telephone number which performs a similar function.

Temporary 'owner' of issue

2.44. The OSS could take responsibility for an owner's issue until a more appropriate person or organisation can be found, if one is required, reducing the need for owners to be blind-referred onto other parts of the authority or organisations - i.e. referring an owner elsewhere and not knowing whether or not they got the help they were looking for. In the event an owner accesses the local authority through a service department other than the OSS, staff should be able to direct the owner effectively to the OSS. This tackles a criticism from owners and authorities about the plethora of contact routes into each authority for different forms of assistance. This is usually part of a more general issue and should be addressed in a corporate or cross-service context.

2.45. The authority will want to measure performance and be able to identify individual or system failures so that they can be corrected. It should establish a method for recording action taken and for obtaining feedback on at least a sample of cases. This could cover, for example, a record of the assistance offered to a homeowner, such as any passporting to external organisations, and the outcome (if known) of the package of assistance offered, including whether the assistance resulted in work being undertaken on the owner's home. The recording of this information should reflect your section 72 statement to provide a historical account of how the information and advice provision you have delivered as a result of the OSS has contributed towards the priorities described in your section 10 statement and to analyse if the processes you have stated within your section 72 statement have had a positive effect or not.

Provider of basic advice

2.46. Authorities should consider the range of topics on which advice can be given to owners. Generally, advice should extend to cover all the powers and duties under the Act. For example, authorities should be able to explain clearly and transparently the process of enforcement that may be taken against an owner who fails to maintain their property and the options available to an owner in receipt of a work notice.

2.47. Another example of basic advice is checking, where appropriate, if a flat owner has a property manager and, if so, what the owner can expect from the manager in terms of assistance. Advising owners who appear not to have a copy of their title deeds as to where they can get a copy is a further example of first stage advice.

Referral to "Trusted Trader" scheme

2.48. Subject to ongoing development, the Scottish Government believes it is desirable for all owners to have access to a Trusted Trader scheme from which an owner can select a trader who has passed a minimum level of vetting. The most cost effective method of delivery for a Trusted Trader scheme is likely to be via a website. However, it is recognised that many people, including many older owners, may not have access to the internet and it is therefore likely that a telephone-based alternative should be offered. A successful approach is likely to include local support for the scheme to ensure that the information provided is both useful and reliable. Our proposals for a national Trusted Trader framework are outlined in a freestanding chapter of this consultation, which can be found in Volume 6.

Referral to other (non-financial) services

2.49. Where an owner needs access to specialist advice, advocacy or other services outwith the generic skills of staff within the OSS, the service would refer them elsewhere, either within the local authority or to an external organisation. Whenever possible a joined up approach to working should be pursued with external organisations to help deliver a seamless service to the owner, consistent with the principle of the OSS approach.

Referral to community care assessment process

2.50. Where an enquiry relates to a disabled person and/or their carer, the need for a community care assessment and/or a carer's assessment should be considered, according to locally agreed and published guidelines.

Gateway to practical assistance

2.51. The OSS should act as a route to any more direct assistance the local authority can offer, as set out in its section 72 statement of assistance. The availability of casework-type assistance or direct practical assistance (for example with small repairs) will vary across authorities and is likely to be restricted to certain groups of owners such as older and disabled owners and other priority groups.

Gateway to financial advice and assistance

2.52. The OSS should act as the initial provider of broad-based advice on the range of financial assistance options which are generally available. Based on the financial assistance priorities set out in the local authority's section 72 statement of assistance, the OSS can then assess whether the works or other circumstances in question are deemed a priority for financial assistance. Detailed guidance on ways of deciding priorities for financial assistance is contained in chapter 3 on Financial Assistance.

2.53. Owners undertaking works not deemed a priority could be assisted through:

• Provision of information on alternative forms of financial assistance that may be available from other bodies
• referral for advice on finding an affordable commercial loan product.

2.54. Lending advice would be provided by the proposed National Lending Unit or by the proposed Lending Advisory Service, depending on the circumstances of the owner.

2.55. It is important that local authority staff do not offer financial advice or make recommendations of particular lending products or lenders unless they and the authority are licensed for this purpose. The principle reason for this is legislation relating to:

• Competition - there may be other lenders in the market that may be able to offer a similar service
• Financial services - local authority staff are not authorised to give financial advice and recommend particular products or services.

2.56. In the context of the Scheme of Assistance, "financial advice" means that there is an element of opinion on the part of the local authority which steers or is intended to steer an owner in the direction of one or more particular loan products. In effect it is a recommendation of a course of action, and that is why it must be accurate and expert and why it needs to be governed by financial regulation standards. A simple example of advice would be:

"I recommend you take out a loan with the National Lending Unit."

2.57. This is classed as advice as this would be a recommendation intended to steer the owner in the direction of a particular loan product.

2.58. Information, on the other hand, involves objective statements of facts or figures. A simple example might be:

"There are products of type x available from the following sources….. You can contact them at…. You can obtain independent financial advice from …."

Delivery options

2.59. Authorities will have a number of options open to them to fulfil the various roles outlined above. The use of a One Stop Shop is not mandatory but may offer authorities a relatively simple and effective route towards organising their activities and marshalling the new and evolving services which make up their Scheme of Assistance. Three key options, which are not mutually exclusive, for the One Stop Shop and services to which it refers owners are:

• Direct delivery by the local authority
• Use of local agencies and the voluntary sector
• Use of Consumer Direct.

Any delivery option should take cognisance of the kind of information you wish to capture as a result of the activities of the OSS in relation to your section 72 statement and your section 10 statement.

Direct delivery

2.60. Authorities may choose to deliver some or all functions directly. It is beyond the scope of this guidance to specify the possible internal structures authorities may choose, although there are compelling delivery reasons for assembling a dedicated team, such as easier co-ordination of overall advice provision and a greater capacity to keep individual records and monitor the effectiveness of the provision.

2.61. There may be scope within the authority's broader service delivery arrangements to assemble a delivery team to cover a number of service areas, generating economies of scale, more effective joining-up and a more comprehensive and streamlined service for the customer.

Use of local agencies and the voluntary sector

2.62. Local agencies such as Care and Repair or Citizens Advice Bureaux can play an important part in delivering the services of local authorities. Indeed, most authorities have a relationship with at least one Care and Repair project to help deliver services to older and disabled owners.

Use of Consumer Direct

2.63. Consumer Direct is a UK government-funded telephone and online service offering information and advice on consumer issues. It is funded by the Office of Fair Trading and delivered in partnership with local authority trading standards services. It may be possible for local authorities in Scotland to make use of Consumer Direct to fulfil a number of the roles outlined above. This may make sense for some authorities which have relatively limited ability to redeploy staff.

2.64. The options covered above are broad and intended for guidance only. Ministers do not intend to prescribe a delivery model. The decision of an individual authority is subject to standing requirements to ensure best value.

2.65. Authorities considering outsourcing the delivery of any of the functions should satisfy themselves of the legal implications and the possible need for regular tendering, and should consider the implications of equalities legislation as it applies to procurement.

2.66. Where appropriate, authorities may wish to consider working with other authorities to provide basic advice, especially where a level of basic advice can be delivered on the telephone rather than in person. Such an approach can help reduce unnecessary duplication and delivery costs and could help authorities target resources more effectively at those who need them most.

2.67. Many authorities are already exploring the possibilities provided by the Shared Service agenda, which could provide important opportunities in the present context.

2.68. Advice provision, whether through a OSS or other delivery route, should be monitored in such a way as to assess the real benefits to owners and to the local authority - not merely the number of people assisted - in relation to the costs.

Resourcing advice provision

2.69. The provision of advice should be a central element of a local authority's Scheme of Assistance, and is expected to be resourced from the authority's existing funding sources, such as Private Sector Housing Grant, supplemented by any additional resources the authority wishes to make available.

2.70. Authorities should consider the circumstances in which any advice could be chargeable. Offering certain specific advice on a semi-commercial basis could help support any local business case for maintaining or enhancing advice provision over the longer term. However, authorities should generally avoid charging for basic advice as this could seriously limit the intended impact of providing advice, with owners potentially being deterred from seeking any advice at all. Any circumstances in which charges will be made for advice should be set out in the authority's statement of assistance.

Standards of advice provision

2.71. Advice provision should be informed by the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers, produced by Homepoint. Information on the standards can be found at www.homepoint.communitiesscotland.gov.uk.

Record keeping

2.72. Local authorities should consider what records they will keep in relation to users of their advice service. As well as enabling tracking of previous advice given to a particular owner, such information can help justify the ongoing resourcing of the advice service and can be instrumental in assessing whether advice is reaching specific groups of owners. Such record keeping should be in accordance with data protection requirements.

2.73. Record keeping should encompass the activities of delivery partners. It should include feedback from service users and allow corrective action where problems occur, including system improvements through continuous improvement or other best value arrangements.

Q. Do you support this overall approach to advice provision? Are there additional areas on which you would welcome guidance?

Practical Assistance

Introduction

2.74. Practical assistance with works normally involves overseeing or carrying out some or all of the process for the owner. This goes well beyond the provision of information and advice, which normally aims to give the owner the capacity to manage the process for him or her self.

2.75. Broadly, practical assistance can be at various levels:

• deciding what work needs to be done
• arranging for work or related matters (such as permissions)
• project managing works
• carrying out minor works
• carrying out major works.

2.76. Generally, practical assistance is likely to be restricted to particular groups of owners such as older or disabled people, or to particular categories of works, most notably common works which the local authority may be keen to encourage and facilitate. Other groups for whom the provision of practical assistance may be particularly justifiable include inexperienced homeowners and owners whose first language is not English. In other circumstances the provision of practical assistance may achieve a particular policy aim. For example, the availability of a service reinstating privately rented property after the departure of a tenant who adapted it under section 52 of the Act could encourage landlords to consent to applications in the first place.

2.77. Local authorities should consider the contribution that practical assistance can make to improving private sector living conditions and enabling people to live independently. They should consider how to maximise that contribution in a cost effective way that complements other forms of assistance. The specific circumstances in which practical assistance is available should be set out in the authority's statement of assistance.

2.78. Assistance can be delivered either by the local authority itself or by delivery partners such as Care and Repair, or - in the case of some common works programmes - property managers (where they have been appointed), and local registered social landlords.

Care and Repair

2.79. Care and Repair projects, whose key roles are covered in Annex 2, offer practical assistance to many older and disabled homeowners in Scotland. Indications from local authorities are that they generally consider the role undertaken by Care and Repair to be important. However, the level of services offered across Scotland varies between local authority areas. As part of their overall consideration of the delivery of their Scheme of Assistance (and of practical assistance in particular), local authorities may wish to explore the scope for expansion or other modification of the services offered locally in order to maximise the contribution of such services to the authority's Scheme of Assistance.

2.80. For example, there may be scope to roll out Care and Repair services to a greater range of owners who would benefit from practical help which can assist them to identify necessary works, assist them through the process of hiring reputable traders and in some instances to oversee works or carry out minor works. In some circumstances, at the discretion of the local authority (but set out in the statement of assistance), such services could be the subject of a charge.

2.81. Another example is for authorities to make greater use of Care and Repair services, contracting them to directly carry out certain types of adaptation for disabled people. Whilst additional funding for Care and Repair services would be needed to cover relevant costs, significant savings could be made on the cost of grant funded adaptation work.

2.82. Where there is no such provision in the area, local authorities should consider making available a handyman service, perhaps similar to that already provided by some Care and Repair organisations. This would enable the provision of less formal forms of repair and maintenance, for example cleaning guttering, fixing fencing/walls, garden maintenance etc. This service could coordinate with the house condition survey process to help homeowners to make a start on tackling the repairs identified in the report condition survey.

2.83. Care and Repair is a service delivery model which can in principle be delivered by the public, commercial or third (voluntary and charitable) sectors. There is already substantial experience and expertise in the third sector, which has a particular advantage in that it is perceived as independent by users. The Scottish Government is undertaking a review of Care and Repair to help local authorities consider the role of these services within their overall Scheme of Assistance.

Communal works

2.84. In many tenements and other properties with common parts, property managers or "factors" have responsibility for arranging and overseeing work to the communal parts. In essence they are the project managers who work on behalf of the owners and help ensure the work is undertaken. The individual owners may need some form of assistance from the local authority and it is therefore important for property managers to be made aware of and hold information on the assistance available, so that they can signpost homeowners appropriately. For older and disabled owners, Care and Repair services may have a valuable role in acting as an intermediary with a property manager.

2.85. In local authority areas where property managers are not commonplace, or where there are known gaps in effective support from property managers, local authorities may wish to consider establishing within their Scheme of Assistance service provision a dedicated maintenance support service for commonly owned property. This could be provided by the authority or by a delivery partner such as a registered social landlord, a social enterprise or a commercial company. Again, Care and Repair might work alongside such a service to provide additional support or to play an intermediary role for those who need it, subject to being funded to carry out such a role.

2.86. Such a service could operate at a variety of levels. It could in effect be similar to that of a property manager, taking responsibility for the project management of the works, including liaising with all owners, detailing work required and timescales, preparing plans, obtaining quotes, progressing works and ensuring quality control. The service could be coupled with targeted action by the local authority such as enforcement through work notices and/or maintenance orders, Housing Renewal Areas and regeneration activity.

2.87. The service could be wholly or partly funded by the local authority or charged for on a commercial basis.

2.88. City of Edinburgh Council has undertaken valuable research into disrepair in tenements and the attitudes of owners using a 100% survey sample technique. More information is available from the City Council. Authorities should consider the merits of using this approach to build detailed profiles of typical, or particularly problematic blocks of houses.

Q. Are there any specific aspects of practical assistance on which you would welcome guidance?