05 September 2003
Transfers of council housing to new social landlords are creating more jobs but leaving some employees concerned about their future, a study for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister shows.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of registered social landlords set up following a stock transfer are employing more people than the old local authority housing department, according to research published on August 28.
'There is a tendency among some large-scale voluntary transfer RSLs to diversify away from their core base of activities associated with the transferred housing and, over time, to develop new areas of business,' says the Mori report, LSVTs: Staff impacts and implications.
Just 17% of LSVT landlords are employing fewer staff than before the transfer, while one-fifth employ the same. A third of LSVT staff regard their new terms and conditions as better than under the council while one quarter said they were inferior.
Although most staff move to the new landlord with job transfer protection, the report is critical of the communication process before and after a ballot of tenants.
Nigel Minto, head of projects at the National Housing Federation, said that this study, and a Housing Corporation survey showing that LSVT landlords encourage greater resident participation, should reassure council tenants and employees.
'Stock transfer is a positive step forward to improving homes, jobs and neighbourhoods,' he said.
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