COVID-19 Briefings
Restarting serivces guides for members*
SFHA, the Housing Support and Enabling Unit and their members have produced a guide to support social landlords with restarting sheltered housing services which were paused during the lockdown phase of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Social Housing Resilience Group has produced a guide to help our members restart services which have been paused due to coronavirus (Covid-19):
SFHA briefing notes for members*
SFHA has produced briefing notes to help our members through the COVID-19 crisis – click on the specific area of work below to go directly to that section:
The SFHA team will update the briefings as circumstances change and more information becomes available. These briefings are based on what our members are telling us they want from us. If you would like a new briefing or have any feedback on the published briefings, please contact enquiries@sfha.co.uk.
*Please check this page regularly as briefings will be continuously updated.
This guide covers the following topics:
- the re-opening of housing offices
- the resumption of services delivered to tenants in their homes.
Version 5 updated on 16 September covers:
Included in previous update on 6 August:
- Updates to section on re-opening offices (p4)
- Updates to example routemap (p5)
- Additional link to guidance on individual risk assessment (p6)
- Additional links to guidance on homeworking and guidance for call centres and contact centres (p8)
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Download the PDF version by clicking here.
Last updated 16 September 2020
During lockdown many Sheltered Housing services were put on hold in order to protect tenants and staff.
With the easing of lockdown, housing providers are now considering the practical measures required to restart services, enabling tenants to safely see friends and families again and access communal areas in line with government guidance on physical distancing and infection control.
A group of housing associations has come together with the SFHA and the Housing Support Enabling Unit to produce this guide which includes guidance, practical examples and a range of useful templates covering:
- Supporting tenants’ health and wellbeing
- Staff protection
- Test and protect
- The use and management of communal areas
- The use and management of other onsite facilities
- Communication with tenants
- Housing management
- Financial issues
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Download the PDF version by clicking here.
Published 13 August 2020
Practical Governance Advice
This briefing covers the following topics:
- Annual General Meetings (AGMs)
- Governing Body Meetings
- Business Continuity
- Legal/Regulatory Obligations
- Business Continuity Update Template
- AGM Frequently Asked Questions
Version 4 published 19 August contains new information on:
- Postal voting at SGMs if adopting the SFHA Model Rules this year
- AGM process for items that do not require a vote
- Updates references to Scottish Housing Regulator Governance Briefing issued in August
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Download the PDF version by clicking here or the word version including templates by clicking here.
Last updated 19 August 2020
Health and Safety
This briefing covers the following topics:
- General health and safety advice related to COVID-19
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Face coverings
- Safe access to property – carrying out checks and repairs, including gas safety
- Essential visits – engaging with tenants
- Close cleaning
- When to deep clean a property
- Tenant safety in communal areas
- Fire safety
- Housing support services
Version eight updated on 15 July covers:
- Updates to useful links on (p2)
- Additional information on face coverings (p4)
- Safe access to properties updated to reflect Phase 3 guidance (p5)
- Section on gas safety checks updated (p5)
- Guidance on accessing void properties updated (p8)
- Construction and maintenance section updated to reflect Phase 4 guidance (p9)
- Additional links to CICV Forum resources (p9)
- Additional information on home visits (p10)
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Download the PDF version by clicking here.
Last updated 15 July 2020
This briefing covers the following topics:
- SHR data return
- SFHA data return
- Furlough
- Annual General Meetings
- Audit/annual account deadlines
- Other submission date extensions
- Commercial Borrowing
- Online finance forum group
- Virtual forum meetings
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Download the PDF version by clicking here.
Last updated 9 July 2020
This briefing covers the following topics:
- Changes to Timescales Repealed
- Key Points to Remember
- Further Information
- Template letters
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Download the PDF version by clicking here or the FOI letter word template clicking here.
Last updated 22 June 2020
This briefing covers the following topics:
- Managing Staff
- Employer’s Duties
- Key Workers
- Other Staff
- COVID-19 Texting for Staff
- Managing Essential Services
- Regulation and Current Restrictions
- Tenant Support
- Tenant Services
- Allocations
- Multi-storey and High-density Flats
- Recording Service Disruption
- Supporting Social Distancing
- Appendix
- Communication Templates
- Key Worker Framework
- Sample Telephone Questionnaire
- Indicative Contactless Letting Protocol
- Useful Links
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Last updated 10 June 2020. Please note that this briefing in no longer being updated.
This briefing covers the following topics:
- Care and support guidance
- Social or community care and residential settings (including home visits)
- Covid-19 testing
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Self-directed support
- Telecare service continuity
- Tackling domestic abuse
- Guidance for staff in non-healthcare settings
- Shielding support and contacts
- Clinical guidance – care at home, housing support and sheltered housing
- Guidance for first responders
- Latest COVID-19 care and support news
- National well-being hub for people working in health and social care
- Connecting Scotland
- Dealing with additional Covid-19 related costs
- Increasing the hourly rate for social care/housing support
- Health board staff to work in the community
- Home fire safety visits
- Previously reported COVID-19 care and support news
- Tenant support
- Further information and useful links
- Key worker letter template
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Download the PDF version by clicking here.
Last updated 19 May 2020
This briefing covers the following topics:
- Emergency help for those worst affected by coronavirus
- Provision of food and medicine within communities
- Tenant wellbeing calls
- Communication methods
- Funding
- Wider community services
- Resources
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Last updated 16 April 2020. Please note that this briefing in no longer being updated.
This briefing covers the following topics:
- Scottish Secure Tenancies
- Short Scottish Secure Tenancies
- Private Residential Tenancies (Mid-Market Rent)
- Errors in notices
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
- Duration, Amendments and Reporting Requirements
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Last updated 9 April 2020
This briefing covers the following topics:
- Scottish Government advice on staying at home
- Effects of social isolation
- Tools to combat isolation
- Supporting the vulnerable
- Housing association services
- Wider business services
- SFHA actions
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Last updated 3 April 2020. Please note that this briefing in no longer being updated.
This briefing covers the following topics:
- Key points for individuals
- Key points for businesses
- Scottish Government intervention
- Support from the energy industry
- Useful links and sources of support
View onscreen below, or you can use the icon in the right hand corner to make the briefing full screen.
Download the PDF version by clicking here.
Last updated 31 March 2020
