Resident information (STAIRS)
What is STAIRS?
The government has introduced a new regulatory standard called Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements, also known as STAIRS.
STAIRS makes it easier for residents to access key information about their home, landlord and the services they receive.
It provides greater transparency for residents of privately registered providers (PRPs) such as YMCA DownsLink Group and strengthens residents' ability to understand how we operate and hold us to account.
You can read more about STAIRS on the GOV.UK website.
Information about your home and services
The government requires all housing providers to introduce a publication scheme by October 2026.
Much of the information we are required to publish is already available on our website. For ease of access, we have organised this information using the STAIRS categories and included links to relevant information and policies.
We will monitor and review the information included within this publication scheme to ensure it remains accurate and up to date. We will continue to add further information as requirements develop and services change.
In this publication scheme you can find information about:
- Governance and decision making
- Spending
- Housing stock management
- Performance
- Housing lists and registers
- Social housing management
This section contains information about how we are governed and how key decisions are made.
About us
You can find out more about who we are and what we do - by visiting our about us page.
Senior staff and roles
Read about our Leadership team, our executive directors, and their roles within YMCA DLG. You can also see who is part of our Extended Leadership team.
Organisational structure and governance arrangements
You can find details of our Board of trustees, alongside our independent committee members.
Our Board is structured with committees which include the Impact and Services Committee, the People and Resources Committee, and the Audit and Risk Committee.
Our Board sets the overall strategy for YMCA DLG, while our Executive team, which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the organisation, ensures that it is delivered effectively.
YMCA DLG is a registered company (No. 3853734), registered charity, (No. 1079570) and registered social landlord (No. 4644).
Our news
You can discover what is happening across YMCA DLG by visiting our news page, where you can read stories and articles about our residents and their experiences of living with us.
Decision making processes and policies
Read our strategy (2026-2031) which outlines our vision and long-term objectives, all of which shape our priorities and decision-making.
Resident participation and influence
Our Youth Voice Strategy (2025- 2028) outlines our approach to involving residents in decision making. In 2027, we will work with residents to redesign our residents' panel, ensuring it plays an active role in shaping organisational decisions.
View our resident participation structure for supported housing services . It shows the different ways you can get involved in our organisation, helping to shape meaningful change, share your ideas for improvement, hold us to account, and connect with other residents.
We have a small number of general needs properties, and engagement with these residents is managed by their housing officer, who acts as their main point of contact for feedback and participation.
This section explains how YMCA DLG manages and spends its money, including information about grants, rents, service charges, and procurement.
Read our latest Annual Report and Financial Statements. This report includes details of our income, expenditure, and overall financial performance. We publish an updated report each year.
You can also read our Gender Pay Gap Report, which explains the differences in pay between men and women across our organisation.
Rents and service charges
We collect rent and service charges from residents living in our accommodation. When you move in we will clearly tell you what your rent and service charges breakdown will be, which is based on the accommodation you live in and the services you receive.
Rents
Your rent is due on the first day of your tenancy and should be paid in advance. The frequency of your rent will be detailed in your occupancy agreement as either weekly or monthly. There are several ways you can pay your rent which we will explain to you.
Once a year, or as stipulated in your agreement, we review the rent and service charges you pay for the next 12 months. We will let you know ahead of time about the changes.
We will use your core rent to;
- Pay for the management and maintenance of your home
- Pay back any money we may have borrowed to buy your home
- You will be able to review our rent collection policy here soon.
- We set rents fairly and in line with regulation.
We are committed to taking a fair, consistent and supportive approach to managing rent arrears, in line with current legislation and good practice. We understand that people can sometimes face financial difficulties, and we aim to work with occupants at an early stage to help them maintain their accommodation and manage their rent account.
When arrears arise, we will make prompt contact, offer appropriate advice and support, and work with occupants to find realistic solutions. Our approach is supportive but clear, encouraging engagement and preventing arrears from increasing wherever possible.
We are committed to helping occupants sustain their tenancy or licence, and a notice will only be considered when all reasonable support and opportunities to resolve the arrears have been exhausted. Eviction is always a last resort
Service charges
The total amount of rent that you pay may also include a service charge that pays for services that provide a benefit over and above the right to occupy your home. These can include (but are not limited to)
- Cleaning windows
- Intensive housing management (in supported housing)
- Maintaining the garden area
- Cleaning of communal areas
- Heating and lighting in communal areas, for example.
Residents will receive quarterly rent statements from their Support Worker or Housing Officer, and you can ask our staff at any time to discuss your account.
Purchasing and procurement
Our approach to purchasing is governed by our Procurement Policy and Financial Regulations. We spend our income economically, efficiently, transparently and accountably, ensuring that expenditure supports our charitable objectives and provides value for money. Value for money is assessed through a balanced consideration of need, quality, cost, risk, sustainability, social value and long-term outcomes, rather than lowest price alone.
The policy applies to the procurement of all goods, services and works, excluding direct employment costs. Appropriate financial controls, delegated authorities and approval processes are in place to ensure expenditure is authorised, recorded and monitored. Compliance with these controls is subject to periodic internal and external review. Actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest must be declared and managed in accordance with our governance arrangements.
Where applicable, procurement activity is undertaken in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 and associated regulations. Competition requirements are proportionate to the value, complexity and risk of the contract, with quotations and tender exercises undertaken in line with approved financial thresholds. Procurement decisions seek to achieve value for money, support sustainability objectives and promote fair, transparent and proportionate purchasing practices.
A significant proportion of expenditure within our housing services relates to the maintenance, improvement and management of our homes and buildings. This investment is guided by our Asset Management Strategy, which adopts an evidence-led approach using stock condition data, compliance requirements, asset performance information and resident needs to prioritise investment. Procurement of major asset-related contracts is coordinated centrally to achieve consistency, value for money, effective contract management and economies of scale across the housing portfolio.
We seek to maximise the social, environmental and economic value generated from our expenditure, ensuring resources are directed to activities that deliver the greatest benefit for residents, young people and communities.
Information about how we manage, maintain and improve our homes.
Our long term plans for managing our assets are governed by our Asset Management Strategy.
Home safety
YMCA DownsLink Group is committed to keeping residents, customers, colleagues, visitors and our buildings safe. Our Home Safety information explains how we manage key safety risks across our homes and supported accommodation, including fire safety, building safety, damp and mould, gas safety, electrical safety, portable appliance testing, and mobility scooter and battery safety.
The guidance sets out what residents can expect from us, including regular inspections, risk assessments, statutory safety checks, planned maintenance, prompt responses to reported concerns, and clear communication about safety issues or improvement works. It also explains how residents can help keep themselves and others safe by reporting concerns, allowing access for safety checks, keeping communal areas clear, using appliances safely, and following fire and emergency guidance.
This information supports our commitment to transparency, resident safety, legal compliance and continuous improvement. It is designed to help residents understand their rights and responsibilities, how to raise safety concerns, and where to find further advice or support.
Information about how we are performing and how we use feedback to improve services.
We are committed to being transparent and accountable, and to demonstrating continuous improvement in our services. To support this, we regularly measure, monitor and publish information about our performance, including:
Annual Report and Financial Statements
Read our latest Annual Report and Financial Statements.
(opens in new taOur Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report
Read our latest complaints performance and service improvement report.
Compliments and complaints
We also value hearing what we do well. You can find out more about how to submit a complaint or compliment, and read our complaints policy, on our compliments and complaints page.
Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code self-assessment
You can read our self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.
Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs)
Our Tenant Satisfaction Measures include both:
- Tenant perception measures (what residents tell us about their experience); and
- Landlord performance measures (how we have performed, based on our management information).
Regulator of Social Housing Consumer Standards
We regularly assess our performance against the Regulator of Social Housing's Consumer Standards. You can read more about these standards on the government website.
We regularly share updates with residents about how we are performing and the improvements we are making. You can read our latest resident newsletter.
Continual improvement is important to us. Alongside working to increase resident participation and survey response rates, we use resident feedback to help shape and improve our services.
Ofsted inspection reports
Information about our Ofsted inspection results can be found on the Ofsted website.
Housing Ombudsman reports
You can view reports published by the Housing Ombudsman.
Our environmental performance
We are committed to reducing the impact our organisation has on the environment. This includes reducing energy and water consumption, minimising waste, improving the energy efficiency of our homes and workplaces, considering greener travel options, and making more sustainable purchasing decisions.
We will also listen to young people, residents, staff and local communities to ensure our approach is fair, inclusive and reflects the views of those affected by our decisions.
Each year, we monitor and review a range of environmental measures, including:
- Energy and water consumption
- Carbon emissions
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings for our homes
- Waste and recycling performance
- Business travel mileage
- Vehicle emissions
- Environmental incidents.
Information held in registers and lists relating to the management of social housing, where applicable.
We will continue to review this section as our publication scheme develops.
Our Housing stock management area provides detailed safety information about our buildings.
We keep a register showing where asbestos is in our buildings.
Most of our homes are allocated via local authority or professional referral direct to YMCA DLG.
When you move into YMCA DownsLink Group accommodation and become a resident, you will receive a handbook relevant to your accommodation type and tenancy. This will be provided by your support worker or housing officer, who will also give you information about how to access help and support on a day-to-day basis.
You can also contact us using the information on our website:
- Contact us
- Provide feedback on a recent repair
- Tenure Policy
- Find more information about our housing services
Passport to Independence (P2I)
Residents living in our supported housing accommodation have access to our Passport to Independence (P2I) programme. P2I is designed to support residents to develop the skills, confidence and knowledge needed to successfully move into and on from supported accommodation.
The programme provides information and guidance across a range of areas, including:
- Employment, education and training
- Health and wellbeing
Managing money - Independent living skills
- Residents' rights and responsibilities
- Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB).
P2I also includes information about what to do if you experience anti-social behaviour (ASB). This may include:
- Harassment or threats
- Hate crime
- Domestic abuse
- Intimidating or nuisance behaviour
Read our Anti-Social Behaviour Policy.
Reporting repairs and maintaining your home
There are several ways to report repairs. In most cases, your first point of contact will be your support worker or housing officer, who can help ensure the issue is reported and addressed appropriately.
What YMCA DownsLink Group looks after
As your landlord, we are responsible for maintaining your home and communal areas. This includes:
- Repairs and maintenance to your home
- Gas and electrical safety inspections
- Addressing damp and mould issues
- Planned improvement works, such as replacing kitchens or bathrooms when they reach the end of their lifecycle
- Cleaning and caretaking services in communal areas.
Aids and adaptations
If you need changes to your home to help you live safely and independently, we will work with your local authority and relevant professionals to support you.
Examples of aids and adaptations may include:
- Grab rails
- Ramps
- Accessible bathroom facilities
- Other reasonable adaptations based on your individual needs.
We consider each request on an individual basis. If you think you may benefit from an adaptation, please speak to your support worker or housing officer.
Decent homes
We are committed to ensuring that residents live in homes that are safe, secure and fit for purpose.
The Decent Homes Standard means that your home should be:
- Safe and free from serious hazards
- In a reasonable state of repair
- Warm and energy efficient
- Equipped with suitable kitchen and bathroom facilities
As your landlord, we are responsible for maintaining key elements of the property and responding appropriately when problems arise. This includes taking issues such as damp and mould seriously, carrying out necessary repairs, and ensuring your home remains healthy, secure and suitable for you.
To raise a complaint read more here.
