Compliance with the requirements of the ANUK/Unipol National Codes is assessed in two ways: 1) Completion of a self-assessment questionnaire; 2) A verification visit to one or more developments managed by the provider or educational establishment concerned.
Self Assessment Questionnaire
Accommodation providers wishing to join either of the two ANUK/Unipol Codes are required to complete and return a self assessment questionnaire (members applying to join the Code for educational establishments can complete the SAQ on-line). The SAQ asks the provider to assess how well they meet the various criteria contained within the relevant Code and to award themselves a score on that criteria; it also invites them to reveal what supporting evidence they possess to justify these scores.
Membership of the Code cannot be awarded until the fee has been paid AND the SAQ has been satisfactorily completed and returned.
All SAQ returns are analysed to check for significant non-compliance with the Codes and the results are reported to the member of the verification team who is assigned to undertake the verification visit.
All members of the Codes are required to complete an SAQ once every three years.
Verification Visits
Once a new applicant’s completed SAQ has been analysed, a date for a visit to at least one development managed by them is arranged. Ideally this visits will take place within 12 weeks of the SAQ being returned, although this will depend on whether the development is occupied or not (verification visits will not be carried out if a development is unoccupied).
The visit will be conducted by either a member of the external verification team (as appointed by the Codes Audit Panel) OR a team of peer to peer verifiers (this only applies to members of the educational establishment Code who have requested to be verified in such a way).
Verifiers will focus on three specific aspects during the visit: 1) The physical condition of the development, including bedrooms, common areas and the grounds around the development (where appropriate); 2) The way in which the development is being managed on a day to day basis – focusing on existing management policies and procedures; 3) Tenant satisfaction levels, which will include talking to extant tenants as well as looking at the results of any surveys conducted amongst former tenants.
The verifier will produce a draft report following the visit detailing their findings (see below for an example). The provider will be sent a copy of the report and invited to either accept the findings OR to give a reason for not doing so. If the verifier discovers any evidence of non-compliance with the relevant Code then they will list these as Action Points, which the provider concerned will be asked to address within a given period of time; the provider will also need to supply a timetable for completion of the works within 14 days of receiving the report. The verifier may also identify some Observation Points which, although not requirements of the Code, they feel would be in the interest of the provider and/or the tenants.
The Audit Panel, which meets twice a year, receives copies of all of the verification visit reports and determines what action (if any) should be taken if a member is not fully compliant with the relevant Code. However, only the Complaints Tribunal Panel can recommend that a non-compliant provider is removed from membership.
All members will be subject to a verification visit to one of their developments once every three years. Providers with more than 5 developments covered by the Codes may receive visits on a more regular basis.