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Last month, we shared the countdown to Christmas Day. This month, we're letting you know that there's just 50 days left until 2026.
In this month's newsletter, we share important reminders and updates including:
- this week's DMS data submission deadline
- a reminder on the importance of timely TrustMark lodgements
- planning ahead for any holiday closures or stakeholders on leave
- an invite to share your seasonal insights
- opportunities to showcase your project by hosting us for a site visit
Your monthly DMS data submission is due on Friday
Timely, accurate and quality monthly data management system (DMS) data submissions are a critical requirement for tracking project delivery.
Staying on top of your data reporting helps us track progress and keep operations running smoothly. Plus, your DMS data submission is used to inform the department's official statistics which are published monthly on the GOV.UK website.
As you should be aware, the deadline for this report falls on the tenth working day of the month. Grant recipients who have completed delivery of capital works should continue to submit/refine their monthly reports while delivery, financial and lodgement data is being confirmed.
The next deadline to submit your report is Friday 14 November.
You can find data reporting guidance, including a video walkthrough addressing common questions and challenges on the monthly reporting resources webpage of the SHDF Hive.
You must lodge all measures installed through the scheme
Lodging work in the Trustmark data warehouse is a condition of grant funding for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.
It provides evidence that retrofit works are delivered in line with PAS standards and ensures accountability, quality assurance and protection for residents.
Lodgements must be finished by your agreed project completion date.
To maintain full visibility of delivery and compliance it's recommended that you work with relevant stakeholders, particularly those responsible for lodging measures, to track and confirm that all measures are being submitted via TrustMark as the scheme progresses.
Video guides to assist with lodging your property can be found via the TrustMark website and tips and advice for TrustMark photo evidence can be found on our website.
As a part of project closure, our teams will work to verify and review your TrustMark and DMS data to ensure there are no errors, omissions or inconsistencies in your records. Your project cannot close until this process - called data reconciliation - is complete.
Change of support received at 'tools down'
As projects near completion and as part of our ongoing monitoring and evaluation, we will contact grant recipients to ask them to provide forecasted and confirmed achievement dates for the following key milestones:
- ‘tools down’ date (completion of on-site works/MS8 achieved)
- ‘completion’ date (MS8 achieved + TrustMark lodgements complete)
These milestones are important as the support received will change at the point of ‘tools down’.
When your project reaches this stage, support from your single point of contact (SPOC) will be replaced with your Salix project support officer (PSO), who will be there to guide you through activities and tasks required to officially close.
Confirmation of these achievements is required in writing and your SPOC is still available to support while you’re delivering on-site.
You can also visit the closure hub on the SHDF Hive for key information to support scheme closure and project completion.
Co-funding assurance reminder
As a part of our role to provide assurance to the department, we’re confirming that your co-funding figures align with requirements.
All grant recipients should have received an email from their Salix project support officer (PSO) requesting a review of co-funding figures for your project aligned with both your returned financial reconciliation templates and monthly DMS data uploads.
Please respond to your PSO to confirm or amend your figures as requested no later than 5pm, Friday 14 November.
If you have any questions about this, please speak with your PSO who will happily assist.
Thinking ahead to the holiday period
The holiday period is fast approaching (as noted in our countdown above). During this time, bank holidays, office closures and annual leave may affect project progress and key milestones.
Now is the time to plan ahead — both for project delivery and reporting requirements — to ensure you continue to meet your obligations throughout this period.
Please also note that meeting cadence with your SPOC and PSO may be adjusted to accommodate leave schedules and office closures, allowing everyone some well-deserved time off.
Formalising your approach with fraud
In line with both GDPR requirements and the recommendations made in the recent national audit office (NAO) report, grant recipients must ensure a clear and compliant process is in place for retaining fraud and error records.
Records must be securely stored for 10 years following scheme closure to support future audits and spot-checks and uphold transparency and accountability.
If your organisation hasn’t yet formalised this process, we strongly recommend doing so as soon as possible.
Awaab's Law – now in force
As you may be aware, new laws are now in force to protect social housing tenants from emergency hazards, damp, and mould. These changes serve as a lasting legacy to two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who tragically died after prolonged exposure to mould in his home.
The first phase of Awaab’s Law requires social landlords to take urgent action to fix dangerous homes or face the full force of the law — improving living conditions for tenants and families across England’s four million social rented homes.
From 27 October 2025, social landlords must address all emergency hazards, as well as any damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to tenants, within fixed timeframes.
Further guidance on these changes and expectations for social landlords is available on the GOV.UK website.
Showcase your project by hosting us for a site visit
A site visit is an exciting opportunity to showcase your organisation's project, discuss challenges and opportunities and celebrate successful outcomes for your residents.
If you’re interested in hosting us, please complete the form below and one of our team will contact you to arrange next steps.
Seasonal successes and winter wins – how do you keep delivery moving?
Cold weather, shorter days and festive breaks can slow things down. If your team has found - or is finding - smart ways to stay on track, we'd love to hear about it.
Share your seasonal success by reaching out to our Learning Community and tell us how your project tackles challenges during of the winter months.
Be a part of what's next – how to stay in touch
Whether you're reached tools down or if you're ready for project close – we want to stay connected with you.
Keep receiving news, latest case studies, industry best practice, knowledge sharing opportunities and more by opting in to our Learning Community mailing list.
Unsure if you've missed a communication?
The historic communications webpage on the SHDF Hive details an overview of key communications sent to grant recipients by us (Salix) or the department.
If you're unable to locate or didn't receive a communication listed on the page, please contact your SPOC.
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