Freedom of Information
Guide to Information 2021

ABOUT US

    Contents
    1 At a glance
    2 Background
    3 Formats other than online
    4 Information that we cannot publish
    5 For how long will information be published?
    6 Copyright and re-use
    7 Contact us
    8 Information we make available to you

    How to use this document

    1. At a glance - terms used in this document

    Term Used

    Explanation
    FOISA

    Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002

    Places a duty on those organisations covered to proactively publish certain types of information; and to respond to requests for information; and to provide advice and assistance to those making requests for information.
    EIRs

    Environmental Information Regulations (Scotland) 2004.

    Those organisations covered by EIRs have a duty to respond to requests for environmental information
    SIC

    The Scottish Information Commissioner

    Who is responsible for ensuring that those bodies covered by FOISA and EIRs comply with the terms of the legislation.
    MPS

    Model Publication Scheme

    Produced by the SIC - this details all of the information that those subject to FOISA should

    publish (if they hold it)
    Guide to Information A guide that all organisations subject to FOISA and adopting the MPS must produce to help people access the information it makes available
    Classes of Information

    Nine broad categories describing the types of information authorities should publish (if they hold it).

    2. Background

    The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 ( FOISA) requires that all housing associations/co-operatives in Scotland must produce and maintain a publication scheme. This must detail all of the key information that we publish and how you can access it. This Guide to Information is our publication scheme and contains links to where you can find all of the information listed online.

    Williamsburgh has adopted the Scottish Information Commissioner's (SIC) Model Publication Scheme (MPS}. and this Guide has been approved by the SIC.

    3. Formats other than online

    All of the information listed is available on our website (unless stated). and completely free to access on line. However. we understand that not everyone will have on line access and where this is the case you can contact us on 0141 887 8613 and our Customer Service Adviser will pass your details to your local office so that a colleague can call you to arrange an appointment for you to come and view the information you want to see at a mutually convenient time.

    If you would like a printed copy of any of the information listed. unfortunately we may have to charge a small fee to provide this. This fee will never exceed the cost of photocopying and postage - and we will let you know any total cost before we forward this to you.

    Our charges for providing any information detailed in this guide are summarised below:

    Format

    Charge
    Online Free of charge
    View at our office Free of charge
    Print in black and white Free of charge
    Print in colour Free of charge
    CD Rom Free of charge
    Posted document/CD Rom Free of charge

    If you would like to request information that we publish in a format other than on line, or  arrange a visit to our office to view information. please contact us.

    4. Information that we cannot publish

    Whilst we will try to make all the information we have detailed available. in rare cases there may be some information that we cannot make available. such as where the information is confidential or commercially sensitive or where it could reveal personal details about an individual. When this is the case. we will remove the information we will not be providing and highlight where and why we have done so.

    5. For how long will information be published?

    We aim, where possible. to publish information for at least the current and previous two financial years. When we review any document - e.g. our policies - to avoid confusion we will only publish the current version once it has been updated.

    6. Copyright and re-use

    Where we hold the copyright on our published information. the information may be copied or reproduced without formal permission. provided that: 

    • It is copied accurately
    • It is not used in a misleading context
    • The source of the material is identified

    7. Contact us

    If you have any queries about anything contained within this Guide to Information. or if there is some information that you cannot find that you would like to access. please contact us via all methods listed.

     8. Information we make available to you

    Under the MPS. the information we provide must be listed under certain "classes" of information. These are the categories of information that are detailed below. As FOI applies to other bodies and sectors across Scotland - such as Scottish Government and Councils for example -this means that not all of the categories in the MPS apply to housing associations/co-operatives.

     

    The details of all the information we hold under each of the classes that apply to our organisation. and hyperlinks to access this information when available online. are outlined below.

    Class 1 - About Williamsburgh Housing Association - Our legal structure

    Information about Williamsburgh Housing Association, who we are, where to find us, how to contact us, how we are managed and our external relations.

    Information

    Where to access
    Descriptions of who we are
    Mission Statement To provide and develop high quality affordable homes and to maintain our commitment to continuous improvement in our service delivery and in the regeneration of our communities.
    Vision  To be a leading and innovative provider of quality homes and housing services
    Values Excellence, accountability, integrity, equity and resilence
    Corporate Objectives N/A
    Area(s) of operation Paisley, Renfrew, Johnstone, kilbarchan
    Key activities: Strategic/corporate plan(s) Key Information
    Business Plan (or summary) Available upon request
    Customer Code/Charter Customer care charter
    Location and opening arrangements
    Address Contact us
    Telephone number and email address for general enquiries (and dedicated lines where appropriate) Contact us
    Opening times Contact us
    General contact arrangements Contact us
    Contact details for making a complaint Compliments & Complaints
    Information relating to Freedom of Information
    Publication Scheme and Guide to Information Freedom of Information
    Charging Schedule for Published Information Freedom of Information
    Contact details and advice on making an FOI request Freedom of Information
    Freedom of Information policies and procedures Freedom of Information
    Charging Schedule for environmental information provided in response to requests made under EIRs Williamsburgh will not charge for EIRs
    About our Governing Body
    List of Governing Body Members
    • Names
    • When they became a governing body member
    • Professional biographical details
    • Office-bearing responsibilities
    • When they became an office-bearer

    Williamsburgh Housing Board

    How we are regulated

    Our regulators in Scotland

    Description of the role of the Governing Body

    • Governance structure chart 
    • Remits for governing body and any sub-committees

    Our board and legal structure

    Governance
    How to become part of the governing body Join our board
    About our staff
    List of Senior Management Team, including professional biography and contact details Senior Management Team
    Organisational Structure Available upon request
    Governance Documents and Corporate Policies
    Rules/Article Policies
    Direct Debits Policies
    Membership Policy Policies
    Code of Conduct for Governing Body Members Policies
    Entitlements Payments and Benefits Policy including arrangements for payments for expenses and subsistense Policies
    Register of Interests Williamsburgh Housing Board
    Equalities Policy Policies
    Health and Safety Policy Policies
    Relationship with Regulators
    Engagement plan with Scottish Housing Regulator Our regulators in Scotland
    Assurance Statement Our regulators in Scotland
    Annual Return on Charter Submission to SHR Our regulators in Scotland
    Financial Returns to SHR Available upon request
    Charter report to tenants Our regulators in Scotland
    Internal and External Audit arrangements Our regulators in Scotland
    Group Details 
    Details of our subsidiaries/parent organisation  About us
    Key Partnerships
    Strategic agreements with other organisations

    Nominations and Section 5 Protocol

    ASB Protocol

    MAPPA Protocol

    All documents will be held by Local Authority area and available on request

    Class 2 - How we deliver our functions and services

    Information about our work, our strategy and policies for delivering services and information for our service users.

    Information

    Where to access
    How to use our services
    List of services provided All services relating to the promotion and alleviation of homelessness and management of Social Housing accommodation including income management: Management of waiting list and allocation of properties: Repairs and maintenance: Estate management and response to ASB issues.
    How to report a repair Report a repair
    Right to Repair information Emergency information
    How to apply for a house Homes to rent
    How to get information about tenancy support Benefits advice
    How to make a complaint Compliments & Complaints
    How to speak to a Housing Officer My Housing Officer
    How we consult with tenants and other customers to inform and improve service delivery and develop new services Rent and service charges, and policy reviews. We undertake this is a number of ways including direct mailing, emailing and telephoning.
    Policies and Procedures
    Allocations Policy Policies
    Adaptations Policy Medical adaptations
    Anti-Social Behaviour Policy Available upon request
    Asbestos Management Policy Asbestos Management Policy
    Arrears Management Policy Policies
    Asset Management Policy Available upon request
    Customer Care Policy Available upon request
    Data Protection Policy How we manage your data
    Equality and Diversity Policy Policies
    Estate Management Policy Available upon request
    Health and Safety Policy and procedures Policies
    Legionnaires Inspection/Prevention Policy Water safety
    Procurement Policy Policies
    Risk Management Policy Available upon request
    Rent Setting Policy Policies
    Repairs Policy Policies
    Substainability Policy Available upon request
    Tenant Engagement Policy Get involved
    Tenancy Sustainment Policy Policies
    Internal procedures relating to above (where available)
    Allocations Homes to rent 
    Adaptations Aids and adaptations
    Anti-Social Behaviour Policies
    Arrears Management Struggling to pay 
    Data Protection How we manage your data
    Equality and Diversity Policies
    Health and Safety Health and safety at home
    Legionnaires Inspection/Prevention Water Safety
    Procurement Policies
    Rent Setting Understanding rent changes
    Repairs Repairs
    Sustainability Available upon request
    Tenant Engagement Get involved

    Class 3 - How we take decisions and what we have decided

    Information about decisions we take , how we make decisions and how we involve others.

    Governing Body Meetings
    Governing body meeting minutes Available upon request
    Governing body meeting reports/papers Available upon request
    Governing body agendas Available upon request
    Consultation and Participation
    Tenant Participation Strategy Get involved
    Consultation reports noting the outcome of any recent consultations with tenants/others Get involved

    Class 4 - What we spend and how we spend it

    Information about our strategy for, and management of, financial resources (in sufficient detail to explain how we plan to spend public money and what has actually been spent).

    Information Where to access
    Description of funding sources  How we are funded
    Audited accounts  Financial reports
    Budget policies and procedures  Budget policies and procedures
    Budget allocation to key service areas Available upon request
    Projects
    Brief details of any project funding and how it's being spent  Available in minutes from Management Meeting
    Capital works programme/plans information (annual programme figure) Available in minutes from Management Meeting
    Spending relating to Staff and Governing Body
    Expenses policies and procedures Expenses policy
    Senior staff/governing body member expenses at category level e.g travel, subsistense and accommodation Expenses policy
    Board member remunertion other than expenses Available upon request
    Pay and grading structure (levels of pay rather than individual salaries) Pay and grading structure
    General information about staff pension scheme Pension information

    Class 5 - How we manage our resources

    Information about how we manage our human, physical and information resources

    Human resources
    Strategy and management of human resources Available upon request
    Staffing structure Available upon request

    Human resources policies, covering:

    • recruitment
    • performance management
    • salary and grading
    • promotion
    • pensions
    • discipline
    • grievance
    • staff development
    • maintenance and retention of staff records
    		 Available upon request
    Internal procedures relating to the above (where available) Available upon request
    Trade Union information Available upon request
    Summary of professional organisations/trade bodies of which we are a member

    Chartered Institue of Housing

    Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

    Scottish Housing Netwoek
    Physical Resources
    Management of our land and property assets, including environmental/sustainability reports Available upon request
    General description of our land and property holdings Available upon request
    Estate development Available upon request
    Plans Available upon request
    Information Resources
    Records management, policy and records management plan, including records retention schedule Available upon request
    Data protection or privacy policy Privacy policy -How we manage your data

    Class 6 - How we procure goods and services from external providers

    Information about how we procure works, goods and services, and our contracts with external providers.

    Our Contractors and suppliers

    Information about our key service delivery contractors who carry out:

    • resonsive repairs
    • lanscape maintenance
    • planned/cyclical maintenance

    Responsive repairs, various
    Gas, James Frew
    Grounds maintenance - Caledonia Maintenance
    Planned maintenance - Various
    Cyclical maintenance - Various
    Gas Audits - Argon
    Asbestos Testing - Enviraz
    Door entry and CCTV - Robertson Accom

    Information about regulated procurement contracts awarded (value, scope, duration)

    		 Available upon request
    Our Procurement
    Procurement Policy and procedures Policies
    Information on how to tender for work and invitations to tender Available upon request
    Register of contracts awarded which have gone through formal tendering, including name of supplier, period of contract and value Available upon request
    Links to procurement information we publish on Public Contracts Scotland website Available upon request
    Framework Agreements Available upon request

    Class 7 - How we are performing

    Information about how we perform as an organisation and how well we deliver our functions and services

    Annual Report Annual Report
    ARC Report to tenants Our regulators in Scotland
    Performance Standards/indicators Our regulators in Scotland
    Benchmarking information Available upon request
    Complaints policy guidance and forms Compliments & Complaints
    Complaints reports or equivalent to show how complaints are handled and influence service delivery (aggregate reports rather than individual outcomes).
    Tenant scrutiny reports Get involved

    Class 8 - Our commercial publications

    Information packaged and made available for sale on a commercial basis and sold at market value through a retail outlet e.g bookshop, museum or research journal

    This class does not apply to us as we do not produce any publications for sale.

    Class 9 - Our open data

    Open data made available by us under the Scottish Government's OPen Data Resource Pack and available under open licence.

    This class does not apply to Williamsburgh Housing.