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Training

DASH host events and provide training sessions for Housing Officers in the East Midlands region. News of available training is detailed below.

• HHSRS Rating Training
• HHSRS Enforcement
• HHSRS Enforcement and the Role of the RPT
• HHSRS Advanced Practitioners Course
• Compulsory Purchase Order

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Two Day Warwick HHSRS Rating Training

This Course aimed at: Local authority officers, letting agents, housing associations, anyone who carries out Decent Homes Standard inspections, landlords and property inspectors

HHSRS is the risk based hazard scoring system used by local authority housing standards and environmental health teams when they inspect properties in the private rented sector, usually in response to a complaint from a tenant.  HHSRS replaced the Fitness Standard following the introduction of the Housing Act 2004. 

Certification for successful completion of the course will be issued by Warwick University, who originally developed HHSRS for HM Government, providing an industry recognised certificate of competency to delegates.

No prior experience of HHSRS is necessary, but experience of property inspections is helpful.

An assessment has to be completed and submitted between day one and day two of the course, so if a potential delegate has holiday booked between day one and day two, it may be worth deferring attendance until a later session.

Course Dates

• 10th August & 7th September 2010, venue Daventry District Council
• 31st August & 28th September 2010, venue South Derbyshire District Council, Swadlincote
• 19th October & 16th November 2010, venue West Lindsey District Council, Gainsborough
• 15th February & 15th March 2011, venue Kedleston Road training centre, Derby
• 22nd March & 19th April 2011, venue South Derbyshire District Council, Swadlincote

Course Fees

£325 per delegate - This includes the Warwick Assessment fee and certification, course packs with HHSRS guidance manual and worked examples for delegates to retain, CPD certificates, and all refreshments.

Group rates for a minimum of 10 delegates or an in-house course can be negotiated.

Please contact Linda Selvey: linda.selvey@derby.gov.uk or 01332 256907 for further information.

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Enforcement course

One Day HHSRS Enforcement Course (In Association with CPC ltd)

Who is this course aimed at?

Local authority private sector housing enforcement staff, who ideally will have attended an HHSRS Inspections and Assessments course.

About the course

The course is the same as CPC delivered in a national programme for the IDeA. The course will assist delegates to:

• Understand the powers and duties available to local authority officers consideringtaking enforcement action after the HHSRS assessment
• Appreciate the context of HHSRS enforcement
• Determine the most appropriate course of action and prepare a statement of reasons for the action
• Understand the respective obligations of officers and property owners
• Understand how to proceed with emergency action
• Understand the role of the Residential Property Tribunal
• Identify areas where issues of consistency of use of powers are likely to arise
• Be aware of relevant options and resources for further learning

Course Dates

You can register your interest to attend this training now. Once we have sufficient numbers interested then we will book the trainer, and set the next training date.

Course Fees - £125

Course materials

Delegates will receive professionally bound Delegate Packs containing course notes from the various sessions and be issued with Continuing Professional Development certificates confirming their attendance on the course.

For further details or to register your interest in the Enforcement training email linda.selvey@derby.gov.uk.

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HHSRS Enforecment and the Role of the RPT

DASH are looking for expressions of interest to register for a new course in association with CPC.

This course is in essence an advanced enforcement course combined with a substantial section on procedure at the Residential Property Tribunal. It refers to the legal framework in the Housing Act 2004 but looks in particular at relevant decisions of the RPT.

As usual there are practical exercises to illustrate and reinforce the taught sessions with a course manual which gives extensive additional notes including information on the decisions discussed in the sessions.

Further details are available in the new programme outline.

Course Fees

£150 per delegate

Delegates will be issued with Continuing Professional Development certificates confirming their attendance on the course.

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HHSRS Advanced Practioners Course

This course is being developed at the moment and will be ready shortly. It will look in more depth a number of hazards in particular looking at best practice in terms of investigating and assessing such hazards. Where appropriate, the sessions will refer to the scope of remedial works. Sessions will also cover relevant Residential Property Tribunal decisions in respect of such hazards, and decisions made by the RPT relating to defects in notices/orders, proportionality, specification of works, etc.

The specific hazards covered will include:

• Damp and mould growth – causes of damp, use of electrical moisture meters and carbide meters, differentiation between condensation and rising/penetrating damp, use of data loggers, approach to low scoring cases, remedial works
• Excess cold – hazard assessment, relevance of RDSAP, system built/hard to heat dwellings, specification of works
• Asbestos – hazard assessment, HSE guidance
• Carbon monoxide – CO testing, assessment of potential hazard and use of specialist advice, CO and solid fuel appliances
• Crowding and space – latest guidance and typical action
• Entry by intruders – defensible space, specification of works
• Lighting – hazard assessment, British Standard BS8206 Code of Practice Parts 1 and 2
• Noise - hazard assessment, Part E of the Building Regulations and other guidance, remedial works
• Falling on stairs etc – hazard assessment, specification of works
• Falling between levels – hazard assessment, specification of works
• Electrical hazard – identification of hazards, relationship with IEE Regulations, use of specialist advice
• Flames, hot surfaces – hazard assessment, application in social housing
• Collision and entrapment – hazard assessment, application in social housing, specification of works

Course Fees

£150 per delegate

To register your interest in this advanced HHSRS practitioner training email linda.selvey@derby.gov.uk.

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Compulsory Purchase Order Training

This course is aimed at Officers who may be considering the use of Compulsory Purchase Powers in practice, but have very limited expeience of the subject.

Suitable delegates would include Private Sector Housing Officer or EHO's invovled in private sector housing renewal, housing led regeneration and emplty property schemes.

The course will enable delegates to:

• Understand the principle pieces of legislation and guidance relating to the Compulsory Purchase of Land for housing purposes.
• Appreciate changes to the CPO system following the introduction of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
• Understand the process involved in preparing and submitting an Order.
• Gain an appreciation of potential pitfalls.
• Understand process for making an Order and what to do if a public inquiry is called.
• Understand the inquiry process and the alternatives
• Obtain an appreciation of the powers available to acquire land in particular the use of general vesting declarations or notice to treat
• Gather an appreciation of issues relating to compensation and rehousing people displaced by CPO intervention

See the programme of the day to assess whether this is the course for you. To register your interest in this course email linda.selvey@derby.gov.uk.

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