Ore Valley Housing Association has been classed as “non-compliant, working towards compliance” after the Scottish Housing Regulator raised a series of concerns about how the organisation was being run.

The watchdog identified what it described as “serious weaknesses in governance oversight and assurance arrangements”, as well as concerns around decision-making and the way risks were being handled.

Have you been affected by the issues at Ore Valley Housing Association? Click here to tell us your story.

The issues emerged after Ore Valley contacted the regulator in April over ongoing staffing problems.

Its subsequent involvement highlighted “areas of potential material non-compliance”, including “potential breaches of the code of conduct” and concerns over “the management of ongoing conflicts of interest”.

Concerns were also raised about board oversight and decision-making, the handling of staff grievances and investigations, and whether the association was fully following its own rules.

The housing association put forward a plan to tackle staffing and governance problems, but it “did not sufficiently address the extent of the governance weaknesses”, according to the engagement plan.

It also did not provide enough reassurance that the organisation could deal with all the challenges it faced within a reasonable timescale.

An internal audit of its governance was carried out and a new HR and Governance Sub-committee set up, but the watchdog said it had still not received enough reassurance about the association’s ability to deliver the necessary improvements.

It concluded that the association “does not comply with all the Standards of Governance and Financial Management”.

The findings also questioned whether its governing body had provided effective leadership and oversight, while further reassurance is being sought over the standard requiring its affairs to be conducted with “honesty and integrity”.

In response, Ore Valley Housing Association said: “Progress has already been made with significant work undertaken by both the Board and staff of the Association who are working hard to address the matters at hand and restore our position to one of compliance.”

It added: “We will keep you updated on progress through our various channels of communication in the coming months including our website and newsletter.”

The housing association must commission a full independent review of its compliance with regulatory requirements by November 30.

It was also required to provide further information on its governance, business plan and risks by the end of October.

The Scottish Housing Regulator will review the information provided and the steps proposed to address the problems, with its engagement plan running until March 31, 2027.