Annual Report 2014/15
2
Introduction This is our report about Bron Afon’s work during 2014/15. Read on to find out information about our work renting and repairing your homes as well as about the other services and activities we are providing and developing. Get the facts and find out more about the impact of what we do.
Andrew Lawrence chair of the board
Lyn Weaver
The fact that we are a mutual organisation, so tenant and community involvement is key to all our work, is at the heart of Bron Afon. We want to make sure that everyone - tenants, staff, Board members and our partners - gets a clear picture of what this means in practice so that we can build on this work and develop it further.
chair of the membership committee
Duncan Forbes
The future depends on us making sure that we are working together to improve the impact that we have on our tenants and their families, on our environment, on the local economy and on our communities.
chief executive
We hope you enjoy this report on the last year in Bron Afon and share our enthusiasm for the exciting times ahead.
/bronafon
If you have any questions please get in touch.
/bronafonvideos
/bronafon
Welsh language Our annual monitoring report to the Welsh Language Commissioner is available on our website in the Corporate Information section.
3
Bron Afon as a landlord As a landlord, we want the best for our tenants. We are always looking for ways to get better at what we do. We undertake continuous reviews of our work, looking at how we can make improvements across all our services.
Here are a few facts to give you a taste of our work in 2014/15:
• We let 782 homes to new tenants across Torfaen. • Our customer services team dealt with 83,244 phone calls. • Our repairs team completed 35,184 jobs. • We tackled 889 anti-social behaviour cases and supported all the victims. Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) It has taken us seven years of planning and investment to bring our properties up to this standard and we know our tenants feel the benefit of this work - new kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, electrical and plumbing works, boilers and roofs. As a result of this achievement Bron Afon is now in a position to borrow the money to start on our next major commitment - to build new homes in Torfaen. Building new homes We have been busy preparing the plans and doing the financial and technical calculations for this work, as well as retraining many of our staff. We aim to build up to 500 new homes by 2021. We want to take on the task of building new homes and transforming some older buildings because we regularly see homeless people coming to Bron Afon - very often they are the sons and daughters of our tenants and residents. Last year we housed 324 people with high and urgent needs including homeless households.
4
5
Bron Afon is a Community Mutual Here are some of the activities that we believe show our commitment to involving tenants and communities in our work and listening to what they have to say.
• We supported 45 community groups in Torfaen to make positive changes and run activities in their own communities.
• 1 8 of the different services we run were improved
because of the direct involvement of members, meaning improved services for our 8,000 tenants.
•M embers spent 349 hours examining and scrutinising our services.
• 3 ,500 residents attended our fun day where they met staff and local organisations.
• T wo ‘Super Surgeries’ saw over 100 tenants come and meet staff to ask questions and talk about our services.
•O ur members spent 2,228 hours volunteering in
Bron Afon, running forums and committees and ‘Task and Finish’ groups, calling and visiting our tenants and seeing the work of our on-site teams.
•A ny Torfaen resident aged 11 or over can join Bron Afon as a member. There are 267 young members and Afon Youth (our youth forum) has over 30 young people meeting each month to have their say on the issues that affect them. They worked with the Children’s Commissioner for Wales to create a promotional video. Afon Youth got involved in research and workshops about finding new housing solutions for young people.
• Leaseholders helped us develop our policies and the leaseholder handbook. We commissioned a review of all our membership and involvement work. We have started to improve our website, our use of social media and our work with local communities. During the next year we will expand the ways you can tell us about things that are not working properly or that we need to know and involve you in the solutions, in ‘getting it right’.
6
7
Bron Afon is regenerating Torfaen We are developing our knowledge and expertise as a regeneration agency, across our work in support services, in economic activity and in improving our environment. Our vision is to multiply the benefits of this work by retaining local jobs and creating training places, and by spending as much as we can locally, on suppliers and businesses. e refurbished a derelict block into eight one-bedroom starter homes and provide W support there for tenants and other young people aged 16-24. Tˆy Cyfle in Garndiffaith came about through our work with Afon Youth. It was refurbished by our own trades staff and created opportunities for young people to train with us through Trades that Work. Tˆy Cyfle offers training facilities and support to the wider community. We completed a project to improve Miskin House in Cwmbran. In Bronllys Place we removed balconies, repaired brickwork damaged by water, refurbished the communal areas and improved the green bin storage. In Thornhill we fitted external wall insulation to ten blocks of flats and renewed some of the roofs. We are partners with Torfaen Council and Melin Homes delivering a regeneration project in Pontypool town centre. We will refurbish about 20 properties and bring them into use as homes. Our in-house trades staff now carry out skilled work that would previously have been done by contractors. They:
• Fitted external wall insulation to 55 homes. • Renewed the roof coverings on 51 homes. • Adapted homes so tenants could live independently.
• Improved paths and fences around homes. • Brought 21 long-term voids in retirement housing back into use.
• Improved communal areas in flats. • Made sure our void homes were ready for new tenants.
• Converted a house into a shared home for three people.
8
9
Bron Afon is tackling poverty Finding ways to increase weekly incomes and reduce the household bills for our tenants is important work. Here are some examples of what we have achieved in the last year:
•O ur Money Solutions team call 1,300 tenants a
month to resolve rent arrears and deal with other issues.
• Rent arrears are £5,340 (0.47%) lower than 2013/2014 figures.
• T he rent arrears of tenants who are affected by the spare-room subsidy are £25,603 (2.4%) lower than in 2013/2014.
•O ur new rent policy is fairer by linking rent levels with home size, type and location.
•W e supported 42 households to move to smaller accommodation to avoid arrears because of the spare-room subsidy.
•O ur mortgage rescue scheme stopped six households from becoming homeless. This meant they were able to stay on in their homes as Bron Afon tenants.
• We helped tenants claim a total of £154,000 in discretionary housing payments. •O ur Supported Living Service helped 95 residents increase their income by claiming benefits they didn’t know they could get.
• 1 44 residents involved in our Supported Living Service told us they now felt more confident about managing their money.
•O ur solar PV panels help 771 households to cut their fuel bills. • We have secured £4.2m in external funding since 2008 to improve the energy efficiency of tenants’ homes.
10
11
Bron Afon supports people to become and to stay independent Year after year we have expanded the types of support we can offer our tenants. We now support young people, befriend those living in isolation, prepare people for employment by delivering skills and work training, as well as offering family support and benefits advice.
• Our Supported Living Service helped 500 older people.
Almost 180 residents achieved their goal of living independently and no longer need our support.
• Our decluttering service prevented children from six families going into care due to the condition of their home.
Home Family Links supported 822 families to prevent them reaching crisis. Their work stopped families breaking up or being evicted and meant that:
• 5 3 families reduced or stopped their anti-social behaviour.
• 1 07 people took part in healthy lifestyle programmes.
• 1 30 people started work, volunteering or accredited training courses.
A child psychologist spends a half a day a week with our Home Family Links team. She goes on home visits with our team if needed and provides expert advice on child behaviour.
•O ur tenancy support staff are trained to carry out assessments for minor adaptations.
•O ur adaptations service helped over 500 tenants
with a physical disability to live in safer and more comfortable homes.
•O ur homes are now labelled according to
accessibility so we can make best use of them when tenants leave.
12
13
Bron Afon develops skills and learning: we help people find jobs We work to improve the life chances of our tenants, our volunteers and our staff by developing their skills, experience and confidence. During the last year:
• Eight apprentices found jobs and 67 other young people were given work placements
or ‘Try a Trade’ experience of a career in construction. •W e had 26 apprentices. Since 2008 we have recruited 43 apprentices and 95% have gone on to achieve their qualifications and found a job with Bron Afon or other organisations. • F ive people found a job or apprenticeship after going through our ‘Routes To Employment’ programme which includes a guaranteed interview for any relevant Bron Afon vacancies. • 1 6 people did a long-term voluntary placement to build their skills and confidence. As a result: - One of them started a job with another employer. - One of them found a job in Bron Afon. - Four of them started NVQs on Bron Afon traineeships/apprenticeships. • 2 87 people were supported through our digital inclusion work. We created 58 digital champions who have helped 900 people to improve their digital literacy. •O ur investment and inclusion team worked with 275 people to help them find work, increase their skills and maximise their income. Eight out of ten of them moved on to volunteering, training or work. • 1 52 people were supported by the Bron Afon Job Club and 71 of them found jobs with most of the rest going on to volunteering or learning. • 4 1 young people learned job skills by fitting reflectors to radiators in 122 homes. Go Girls is our award-winning project with Charter Housing for women aged 15-25 to increase their confidence and self-esteem. Go Girls supported 74 young people over six months with 56 going on to find work, education or volunteering.
14
15
Bron Afon as an employer We think we are a great employer but we are always looking for ways to improve. Bron Afon employs 515 staff. Here are some key facts:
• 75% of our staff live locally which makes a
significant contribution to the local economy and makes us a major employer in Torfaen.
•W e have Investors in People accreditation and
have signed up to the mental health pledge ‘Time to Change’.
•O ur annual staff turnover is 6.6% which is low compared to the national housing sector.
Staff benefits include:
• Competitive pay rates. • Pension. • Flexitime. • On-site café. • Showers. • Loan bikes. • A health care plan. • Health screening. •H ealth and wellbeing initiatives such as support to stop smoking and lose weight.
• Job and career training. We welcome people from all backgrounds to apply for our wide range of jobs and career opportunities.
16
17
Bron Afon is making Torfaen a greener place to live The Community Environmental Team supported residents to take responsibility for many of the fly-tipping issues we face in Torfaen. Their approach involves talking to residents where the problem occurs and trying to re-cycle and re-use fly-tipped waste. This helps cut landfill costs. In 2014/15 we dealt with 1,154 incidents of fly-tipping.
• We cut the level of waste going to landfill from our empty homes. Old furniture now • •
•
• • •
goes to a recycling project for people in need. W e supported four trainees who are studying for NVQ Level 2 in caretaking and facilities services. W e increased the area of land managed for biodiversity (wildflowers and insects) to over 41,000 square metres - the size of ten football pitches. Twenty-one of our 51 biodiversity sites were nominated by residents. Biodiversity targets set by Torfaen Council have been achieved. W e worked with tenants to create enclosed spaces around some of our blocks of flats. Tenants are enjoying the feeling of better security and space to grow their own vegetables. W e worked with Torfaen Council to introduce recycling at 55 blocks of flats. W e helped pupils plant and care for vegetables on raised beds in Northville. The produce is picked and eaten by the school and local residents. W e worked with 17 environmental and gardening projects where residents have improved the look and feel of their outside space.
In 2015/16 we are starting work on our main investment in environmental improvements. The priorities are yours - ideas from tenants and communities. We want local people to get involved so our outside spaces are the best they can be for our communities.
18
19
Bron Afon is developing its business and supporting the local economy Bron Afon is committed to running an open and honest business, passing the Welsh Government’s financial and governance tests. As well as running the business well, we aim to support the local economy and develop new business as well as supporting local firms.
• Since 2008 we have spent £60,291,957.90 with contractors based in Torfaen, and
another £72,594,218.67 in south Wales. This cash has helped secure and create local jobs.
• 7 5% of our staff live in the local area which means that their combined annual earnings of £10.5 million is a boost to the economy.
• T he business incubation units we built at Trevethin Shops are helping new businesses to grow.
• We retained all of our construction accreditations. •B ron Appétit is our social enterprise café and is open to everyone. We ran community workshops on cooking on a budget and healthy eating. The café has supported an NVQ1 and an NVQ2 trainee. One volunteer got a part-time job in the café.
•O ur ICT team achieved the National Computing Centre accreditation.
•W e achieved ISO9001 accreditation for our contract management practices.
• L ive and Let Homes is our new social lettings
business, which will provide alternative housing choices for local residents and an ethical service for landlords.
•W e are reviewing our procurement strategy to
make it easier for local companies to do business with us.
20
Tˆy Rosser Site
21
Bron Afon is helping people feel safe We want all our tenants to feel safe in their homes and communities. This is some of the work involved:
• 34 environmental improvement schemes were completed using ideas from residents to help reduce crime.
•O ur estate inspections involve us asking residents to tell us how their community could be safer.
•W e have gone beyond statutory health and safety requirements by fitting sprinkler systems in our three high-rise blocks.
•W e carried out over 1,000 duty of care inspections. This included safety checks on our fire alarms, inspections of our land, playgrounds, pathways and lifts.
•A t Halloween we held a safe haven event for
75 older and vulnerable residents so that they wouldn’t have to be at home.
• 5 9 out of 60 domestic abuse victims who we
closely supported by fitting home safety equipment have stayed in their home. We work with partners across Gwent to improve services for domestic abuse victims to prevent homelessness.
22
23
Our accounts for 2014/15 Managing money - Income and Expenditure The figures below show the financial performance for the years 2013/14 and 2014/15 for the Bron Afon Group.
Income and Expenditure Account Turnover Operating Costs
2014/15 2013/14 ÂŁ000 ÂŁ000 41,479 36,769 -32,650
-30,225
8,829
6,544
Surplus from Sale of Properties
882
575
Interest Receivable
496
203
-3,192
-3,173
7,015
4,149
Operating Surplus
Interest Payable Surplus for the Year
Capital Income and Expenditure Improvements Expenditure
-11,447
-20,877
Other Capital Expenditure
-301
-220
4,445
7,435
-7,303
-13,662
0
4,500
Capital Grant Total Cost of Capital Expenditure Loans Borrowed in the Year
Turnover is the income Bron Afon receives as rent, service charges and other activities such as the supporting people grant and from our solar panels. Operating Costs is the money we spend on repairing and managing our homes and on our staff and offices. Surplus from Sale of Properties is the income received from selling our properties under the Right to Buy scheme.
24
Interest Payable is the total interest charged on our bank loans. Surplus for the Year is the difference between the income and expenditure. We use this surplus to maintain our existing homes and carry out improvements. Capital is money we spend on our assets that will last for more than one year e.g. on properties, computers and vehicles. Improvements Expenditure is the amount we spent to improve and maintain our properties. Capital Grant is the money received from other organisations e.g Welsh Government to assist us with our improvement works. Loans Borrowed in the Year is the amount of money we borrow from the banks to help pay for our capital expenditure.
Where every ÂŁ1 comes from 12p Income from other Activities e.g. Solar Panels 13p Grant Income 75p Rents and Service Charges
How we spend every ÂŁ1
2p Other Costs e.g. Bad Debts
7p Interest Charges
11p Property Depreciation 24p Cost of Delivering Services 27p Planned Maintenance and Improvements 29p Responsive Repairs
25
Bron Afon Community Housing Limited, Ty^ Bron Afon, William Brown Close, Llantarnam Industrial Park, Cwmbran, Torfaen NP44 3AB Tai Cymunedol Bron Afon Cyfyngedig, Ty^ Bron Afon, Clos William Brown, Parc Diwydiannol Llantarnam, Cwmbr芒n, Torfaen NP44 3AB Tel/Ff么n: 01633 620 111 Freephone/Rhadff么n: 0800 111 42 42
/bronafon /bronafon /bronafonvideos If you would like this document in an email, large print, braille, audio or any other language, then please let us know. Os hoffech chi gael y ddogfen hon drwy ebost, ar brint bras, braille, sain neu mewn unrhyw iaith arall, gadewch i ni wybod.