FEDERATION HOUSING DOES MATTER by Stan Brathwaite, RAF FF Evidence Team (Housing Specialist)
Whilst there are many housing issues that appear on our radar we are currently concerned about the rise in the number of ‘Move-in standard’ and ‘Walkaway Scheme’ issues we are receiving from occupants of SFA. Remember, at move-in, if the condition of the SFA is sufficiently bad, you can refuse to take the property. I know this is often difficult, especially if the removals van is outside waiting to unload but too often we are hearing of families being persuaded to take a quarter on the promise that issues will be sorted out quickly…and then they are not. It’s a judgement call for you at the time but, if the quarter is genuinely unacceptable, you should stand your ground and ask for alternative accommodation.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you are unfortunate enough to experience a poor move-in – we are challenging CarillionAmey (CA) performance at a senior level and we need your experiences as evidence.
Combined Accommodation Assessment System (CAAS)
I would now like to focus on the introduction of CAAS, due to be implemented from 1st April 2016.
When you receive your confirmed Band for Charge (BfC) and if you are not happy that it has been calculated correctly, you will be able to challenge it.
I recently represented the RAF FF at a CAAS workshop, hosted by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). The theme of the workshop was what would constitute a ‘legitimate challenge’ to a confirmed CAAS BfC and we looked at a series of realistic scenarios to determine whether a challenge to the grading was viable or not. The three principal components of the new grading process are: Condition, Scale and Location and it is against the detail under each of these components that you will be able to challenge.
The first step is to complete an online stage 1 challenge proforma, which when completed should be sent to CA. From a flowchart CA determine if the challenge is acceptable. You will then be informed whether the challenge is upheld or not.
26
Envoy Winter 2015
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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