2021 CEO letter re data collection - local authorities
Published 16 March 2021
Applies to England
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10 March 2021
Dear Chief Executive
In 2020 we ran the first collection of the Local Authority Data Return, with local authorities registered with us required to submit detailed stock and rent information to allow us to regulate compliance with the Rent Standard. This letter seeks to draw your attention to the processes and guidance for data submission during the 2021/22 year, where submission of the LADR is mandatory [footnote 2] for all Local Authorities registered with us [footnote 3].
2021-22 Data collection
We collect data through NROSH+. This is a web portal which allows providers registered with us to submit data and documents. The Local Authority Data Return, collecting information on stock and rents for the purposes of rent regulation, is hosted on the NROSH+ system as is the Coronavirus Operational Response Survey.
Each Local Authority must maintain at least one user on the NROSH+ system throughout the year so that they can submit the LADR and keep contact details current. We will be in contact with all registered NROSH+ users later this month, providing them with more detailed guidance on the data submission requirements for 2021.
LADR
The LADR survey will be open for submission between 1 April 2021 and 16 July 2021, with guidance on completing the LADR being made available on the NROSH+ website on or shortly before it opens. It is important that guidance materials are reviewed before the completion of the LADR and that stock is correctly categorised and recorded accurately according to the latest applicable legislation. Please submit returns as early as possible within the survey period to allow sufficient time for us to answer any queries you may have.
We strongly recommend that you review your 2020 submission using the ‘View Previous Survey’ facility on the NROSH+ system. You should ensure that changes in data between the two submission years are understood by your organisation. As in 2020 we may contact your organisation regarding changes in stock totals; the number of units excepted from the rent standard; and changes in rent figures which are outside of expected ranges as part of our data cleansing processes.
Subsequent to that, we may be in further contact with a minority of providers where there are any regulatory issues arising from analysis of the validated data. If you have any queries, please refer to the NROSH+ system and LADR survey guidance and FAQs on the NROSH+ website.
CORS
The CORS is currently under review and subject to what we see in CORS returns for the period up to and including 31 March 2021, we intend to withdraw this survey at that time. The next planned CORS, covering the period up to and including 31 March, will launch on 1 April 2021 with a deadline of 9 April 2021. We will confirm our position on further CORS before the end of April 2021.
NROSH+ closure
In order to prepare for the 2021-22 survey period, the NROSH+ system will be offline from 6pm on Thursday 25 March until launch on Thursday 1 April. During this time, you will be unable to access the site and should make alternative provision to access documents and templates should you require these during this period. We will notify all users by email when NROSH+ launches for the 2021 collections.
Organisational and contact details
Once your organisation begins submitting data via the NROSH+ website, it will be responsible for maintaining contact details for both the Chief Executive and a suitable Regulatory Contact. This information must be kept updated and accurate throughout the year. Please note that contact information cannot be updated between 1 April and mid-August except via your LADR return (please contact the enquiries team if you need to amend submitted data).
It is very important that the organisational and contact details in NROSH+ are kept accurate and up to date by your officers. If they are not:
(a) your organisation may not receive important information on statutory consultations and/ or regulatory requirements; and/ or
(b) correspondence (which may include information about the provider’s business or regulatory compliance) may be sent to the wrong individuals (who in some cases may no longer work for the provider).
We take our duties in relation to data protection seriously, but to do this we rely on providers updating their contact information in a timely fashion. Please see our privacy policy on the NROSH+ site for more details.
If you have any queries, please refer to the guidance and FAQs on the NROSH+ website. If further assistance is required you can contact the referrals and regulatory enquiries team [email protected] who will assist you with your query. We aim to respond to all queries within five working days, but as the LADR return is still a relatively new collection there may be some queries that require a longer resolution period.
Yours faithfully