Glossary of Terms

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S

Scottish Enterprise

A "quango" responsible for economic development, training and employment initiatives. It carries out this role through a network of local enterprise companies.

Scottish Executive

The branch of the civil service which serves the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA)

This is a membership body which aims to represent all RSL's in Scotland. Any RSL may become a member. Its activities and committees are open to board/committee members and staff alike. Its main activities are policy development and guidance, training, research and representation to the Government and Communities Scotland on housing issues.

Scottish Housing Associations Resources for Education (SHARE)

A national agency specialising in staff and committee training for RSL's in Scotland.

Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS)

An agreed standard of good quality housing, which all local authorities and social landlords must meet by 2015.

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

The public services ombudsman receives and investigates claims of maladministration by tenants about landlords (after an organisation's own complaints procedure has been exhausted).

Scottish Secure Tenancy (SST)

A unified form of tenancy which was introduced by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 as a replacement for secure, regulated and assured tenancies. Tenants of all RSL's will either have a Scottish Secure Tenancy or a Short Scottish Secure Tenancy.

Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC)

SSSC regulates the social services workforce and its education and training to protect service users, raise standards and enhance professionalism.

Self-Build

A scheme involving homes being built by the people who will occupy them on completion. The self builders learn skills during construction which may improve their ability to secure employment/trades.

Share Company/Company Limited by Shares

A company owned by its shareholders who invest in it by purchasing shares. Their liability in the event of financial difficulty is limited to the amount of share capital they have bought. Registered with Companies House.

Shared Equity

A means of helping people into home ownership through the purchase of an equity share in a property with the remaining share being held by, for example, a social landlord who would also benefit from any increase in the equity value.

Shared Ownership

Although housing organisations cannot build new homes for outright owner-occupation, they can build new homes for part ownership and rent. The aim is to encourage those who cannot afford outright ownership, but who can afford more than an affordable rent, to become part owners. The private owner must buy at least 25% of the value of the house initially, but can buy more later. A rent is paid on the portion of the house remaining in the association's ownership. The sharing owner is responsible for all maintenance to his or her home. Where an association buys new homes on the open market for shared ownership, this is known as shared ownership off the shelf (SOOTS).

Sheltered Housing

Groups of self contained homes linked to a warden or sheltered housing officer who provides specialist support to all of the tenants.

Sist

A legal term meaning the sheriff suspends a case from further court action.

Smaller Urban Renewal Initiatives (SURI)

SURIs aim to regenerate run down areas by targeting investment and focusing the efforts of local agencies, the community and the private sector. They are housing-led initiatives, usually in small towns.

Social Economy Organisations/Social Enterprises

Voluntary and community organisations that use a business-like approach to delivering goods and services. They have a wide range of interests, from community initiatives in rural areas to those that provide employment opportunities for disabled people (e.g. Social Firms).

Social Housing

General and special needs housing provided by registered social landlords, local authorities and other social housing providers for rent.

Social Inclusion and Social Justice

The term used to describe the aim of assisting people to participate fully in society by removing barriers such as poverty.

Social Inclusion Partnership

A government initiative aimed at developing a multi-agency approach to dealing with problems of deprivation within a given area or for a particular group of people.

Special Needs Housing

General term covering housing built with particular tenant groups in mind. Usually involves either specially built or adapted housing, e.g., housing for disabled, or house linked to some support facility for adults with learning difficulties. Can also refer to houses allocated to particular groups, e.g., vulnerable young single people.

Staircasing

The term used to describe the increase in the proportion of a shared ownership home owner by the sharing owner. A minimum of 25% must be owned by the sharing owner and he or she can buy further 25% tranches to reach full ownership.

Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP)

A measure of insulation efficiency in buildings.

Subsidiary

A subsidiary is an organisation which is wholly or partly owned by another organisation (the "parent" organisation) and which is controlled by the parent. The parent must either:

be a member of the subsidiary and control the composition of its management committee; or
hold more than half of the shares issued by the subsidiary.

Succession

The right of succession is contained within a secure tenancy and can be offered to assured tenancies, although it is not mandatory. Succession means that when the current tenant dies, the tenancy of a property passes to someone close to the previous tenant and who lived in the property before the tenant died.

Supported Accommodation

Accommodation where care or other services are provided to allow the resident to live as independently as possible within the community.

Supporting People

A policy and funding framework which ensure good quality, person centred services which enable independent living.

Sustainability

Sustainable development aims to enhance social wellbeing and provide a better quality of life for all, both now and in the future. It means wise use of human, economic and natural resources and aims to enable high levels of housing quality, reduced running costs, stable population and employment levels and protection and enhancement of the environment.

Sustainable Communities

Communities where the local economy supports a fairly constant population level and which meet the different needs of existing and future residents, provide a good quality of life and offer opportunity and choice. RSLs increasingly aim to help achieve this in addition to mere 'bricks and mortar' development.

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Page last updated on Tuesday, 25 November 2008