AN “URGENT” review of health and safety at a housing association with hundreds of homes is under way.

Faifley Housing Association (FHA) said it had been “working hard” since the “first indications that things weren’t right” at the organisation last year.

An independent review earlier this year found serious problems across FHA’s governance and financial management.

It found they hadn’t provided for long-term maintenance of their housing stock, and a lack of long-term planning was even more obvious during the pandemic lockdown when the IT system failed.

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) said last week it was engaging with Faifley and that the association had commissioned two audits.

One, “as a matter of urgency”, is into “compliance with tenant health and safety legislation”. The second will look at options for the future.

FHA missed an October 2019 deadline for an annual assurance statement - a document laying out how they’re efficient and effective. When it was submitted, weeks late, FHA acknowledged they weren’t meeting their requirements.

The association’s director left in February 2020 after a period of absence and the board was left without enough members to meet the minimum for its constitution.

SHR’s “engagement plan” stated that the independent review of the housing association found its governing body “had not understood or fulfilled its role and responsibilities and did not provide effective leadership and strategic direction over a number of years”.

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Faifley’s chair, Jackie Lorimer, told the Post: “We are grateful for the regulator’s support as Faifley Housing Association deals with a range of failings in the way the association was previously managed, including concerns over leadership, financial management, business continuity and health and safety compliance.

“While we have no reason to believe tenants’ health or safety has been compromised, the fact is that some legally required checks to guarantee that was the case were not carried out previously.

“We are, therefore, committed to completing a comprehensive audit as quickly as possible.”

Ms Lorimer said the association had recruited new management committee members as well as the appointment of Lindsay Gemmill as the interim director.

She added: “[Ms Gemmill] is now leading the staff team delivering these changes in practice required by the regulator while continuing to ensure we continue to provide great customer services to all our tenants and residents.”

Local councillor Douglas McAllister said the SHR update made for “very concerning reading”.

He said: “It is unacceptable that the lack of governance and financial mismanagement of Faifley Housing Association has reached this level.

“It is particularly concerning that it could potentially risk tenants’ safety and that apparently this has gone on for years.

“These issues must be addressed as a matter of urgency. We need assurances from the Scottish Housing Regulator that they have confidence in Faifley’s ability to turn things round, and quickly, if radical alternatives will require to be considered.

“This is unacceptable and unfair on residents and cannot continue.”