I strongly advise any LAs with so-called “supported housing” / “exempt accommodation” cases to take a very close look at [b:6b1d53b3aa]CH/0423/2006[/b:6b1d53b3aa]. This was released with Information Issue 06/06 and will be on the HBinfo site in the next few days.
[[b:6b1d53b3aa]Edit:[/b:6b1d53b3aa]] The CD has appeared on the Commissioners’ website:
http://www.osscsc.gov.uk/aspx/view.aspx?id=1988
The core issue addressed in this CD was whether or not care, support or supervision (CSS) was provided on behalf of the L/L. The Commr emphatically found that CSS was [u:6b1d53b3aa]not[/u:6b1d53b3aa] provided [b:6b1d53b3aa]on behalf of the [u:6b1d53b3aa]L/L[/u:6b1d53b3aa][/b:6b1d53b3aa].
Extracts from “agreements” between the L/L and other parties are reproduced in the CD and the findings on those make extremely interesting reading. Of note, observations are made relating to documents that were amended, changed or replaced at a later date – including a term being added to the claimants Tenancy Agreements, by RLHA, that was not previously in existence.
Potentially useful observations are also made with regard to the eligibility of some service charges.
It is worth noting that the landlord involved was Rivendell Lake Housing Association Ltd (NB: according to the public register, RLHA are not registered with the Housing Corporation). It is a fact that this L/L has been involved with purported “exempt accommodation” cases at other LAs (per earlier threads on HBinfo).
Courtesy of publicly available records (Companies House), there are a number of connections between RLHA & other companies. For example, a search of records through Companies House will reveal that a number of persons who have been involved with RLHA, have also been involved with “Renaissance Social Housing Ltd”. A thread on HBinfo last August referred to cases in which CSS was again at issue in the context of who CSS was provided on behalf of. The L/L is that case was in fact Renaissance – the link to that thread is:
hbinfo.local.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1659
Happy reading….. 😯
