Severnside Housing Annual Report for Residents 2013-14
Gruesome makeup at Fun Day
Bob the Play Bus Community Event
Contents
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Hello from Severnside’s Involved Residents
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Investing in our Residents
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Neighbourhood and Community Standard
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Tenancy Standard
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Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard
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Home Standard
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Value for Money Standard
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Governance and Financial Viability
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Hello from Severnside’s Involved Residents We are really proud to share with you Severnside’s Annual Report for residents. The report highlights the valuable things Severnside has been doing over the last 12 months and how it has performed. Resident Senate, Customer Panel and Resident Inspectors all work together to improve services for every resident of Severnside and we are always here to listen to your views. The report has been written in consultation with us, to make sure it includes all the information that really matters to you. The main theme of the report is based around Severnside’s Customer Service Standards and what Severnside has been doing in each of these areas and we think you will find it an interesting read. If you would like to get involved and make a difference why not join us? All you need to do is contact the Community Development Team on 0300 300 0059 or email community@severnsidehousing.co.uk and they will let you know all the different ways you can make your views be heard. Customer Panel
US
Resident Inspectors
T O ME
PA
R
C
Resident Senate
NEL
OUR VISION:
“Excellent homes
in thriving
communities”
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Investing in our Residents
Our Employment and Money Advice Service offering guidance
Learning Programme We are extremely proud of our inspirational Learning Programme which has grown year-on-year, since its launch in 2011. It offers residents the opportunity to learn new life skills and undertake accredited training in a diverse range of subjects. New courses are added every year and are free to all our residents. 350 residents attended courses last year, six secured employment, two signed up to attend college courses and one resident enjoyed their training so much they signed up to become a trainer!
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Employment and Money Advice Service We have a dedicated Employment and Money Advice Service that helps residents with benefit enquiries, manage debt, find employment, volunteering and work experience. Due to Welfare Reform changes our service saw an increase in referrals for people needing their help and support during 2013-14. They run twice weekly job clubs at the Cyber Café in Castlefields and the Digital Den in Meole and have also started new drop-in sessions, in partnership with SUSTAIN, at the Cyber Café and Minsterley Hub.
A staggering
8,000
user sessions were recorded at the Digital Den during the year In 2013-14 the team helped 11 people back into work and gave advice to more than 195 people who attended the job clubs and drop-in sessions. They also helped a number of residents secure discretionary housing payments and maximise their income by securing increased benefit awards.
Work Opportunities We are passionate about providing our residents with opportunities to help them gain employment, further education and training and deliver a whole range of excellent programmes to help and support them.
We offer work placements, training opportunities, and apprenticeships and work closely with local job centres, colleges and youth organisations to make sure we reach out to as many people in our communities as possible.
Apprenticeships Over the year we offered six new apprenticeship placements; two on one year Business Apprenticeships and four on three year Trade Apprenticeships. One of our existing apprentices also moved on to a two year Higher Apprenticeship. Two of the trade apprentices are currently working on site with our partners, SJ Roberts Construction, and two are out working with our property services team learning about repairs.
Work Placements We provided six office based work placements and are delighted to report that two of these people went on to find full time employment at our Digital Den and one became a Severnside apprentice.
“I would not have been able to afford any of these courses myself, so I am very grateful to have the privilege of having them paid for me – it shows Severnside Housing values and invests in their residents. Thank you for enabling me to learn new skills and have better job opportunities.” 5
Investing in our Residents
Resident signing up for an IT Course
Digital Inclusion
Prince’s Trust
The Digital Den in Meole Brace, delivered in partnership with Social Telecoms, continues to grow in popularity. A staggering 8,000 user sessions were recorded during the year and each month the Den delivers the equivalent of £2,000 of free training to residents and community groups through courses or drop in sessions.
We have teamed up with the Prince’s Trust and Wolverhampton College to offer our younger residents the opportunity to join the award winning Prince’s Trust Team Programme in Shrewsbury.
Free internet access is provided at the Den and low-cost, contract-free WiFi is delivered across the estate, plus affordable recycled computer equipment. With more and more services only being available online it is vitally important that we continue to invest in digital inclusion.
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Residents, aged between 16 and 25, can make a positive change to their lives by gaining work experience, taking part in community projects and enjoying an action-packed residential week. Certificates in First Aid, Level 2 Food Hygiene and Community Skills can be attained. 40 young people completed the programme last year; five went on to secure full time employment – one started a Severnside apprenticeship and one person is setting up their own business with the support of the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme.
Customer Story Daniel Harris, aged 22 is a Severnside resident who turned his life around after initially undertaking an eight week work placement with us. He went on to join the Prince’s Trust Team Programme and then successfully interviewed to become one of our apprentices. Here Dan shares his story. “I had been claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) for around 6 months when I heard about the opportunity of an 8 week work placement at Severnside. I could still receive my JSA, which was essential as I needed an income to pay for my travel and lunch costs and also pay for my board at home. Prior to being on JSA I had been away at University in Stafford, studying IT, but unfortunately I had been unable to finish the course. Whilst I was working at Severnside I heard about the Prince’s Trust Team Programme, which sounded great, so I applied. I was so pleased when I heard I had been chosen for the 12 week programme. The Prince’s Trust Team Programme gave me a reason to get up in the morning and got me back into a daily routine. I learnt about the importance of communicating with people and started to really get my confidence back. I also made friends with people of my own age, who lived locally. The Prince’s Trust Team Programme was really enjoyable and fun and the leaders on the course were inspirational. They helped boost my confidence and the training we did really made me see that if I put my mind to something I can succeed. As a team we took part in a number of community events. We regenerated a communal garden for local residents to enjoy and painted fences and sheds at a local Primary School. We had to do this with no money, using ourselves as our only resource! We worked as a team and raised funds to undertake the projects by doing a car wash, sponsored walk and bag packing. Severnside kept in touch with the team and let us know when their apprenticeships were becoming available. I applied, went through their interview process, and was absolutely delighted to be offered an IT Apprenticeship which I am currently doing and really enjoy. It’s great having a purpose in life and earning my own money. I used to feel so bored and bad about myself and now I feel proud of what I have achieved and I am looking forward to the future.” Daniel Harris
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Neighbourhood and Community Standard
Estate Walkabout
Estate Walkabouts In 2013-14 we held 22 Estate Walkabouts around our local communities. These give residents the chance to meet up with their Neighbourhood Officer and local agencies, including the police and council, and walk around their neighbourhood highlighting any issues concerning them.
Neighbourhood Standards Agreements (NiSA’s) NiSA’s are drawn up in partnership with local agencies and set out the standards that everyone in a community can expect. All residents who live in the neighbourhood, whether or not they are a Severnside resident, are asked
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to sign up to the NiSA. Last year we delivered NiSA’s in Cross Houses, Ford, Harlescott, Minsterley and Sundorne aimed at improving security, reducing anti-social behaviour and creating thriving communities.
Community Chest Fund Our Community Chest Fund awarded £21,000 of funding in 2013-14 for local voluntary, community and recreational groups working within our communities, to a variety of projects, involving all age groups. Our panel, made up of Severnside residents and staff, awards grants to organisations that can prove that their project benefits and supports our residents and their communities.
In 2013-14 we invested
£21,000
of Community Chest funding in the local community Awards were given to local sports clubs and teams, West Mercia Police’s Urban Challenge Project, Street Teams Against Rubbish and many other community based projects.
Welfare Reform We continue to support residents through the Welfare Reform changes. We helped 41 residents successfully navigate the bedroom tax loop-hole and none of our residents have lost their home due to the Welfare Reform changes. Help is also available to assist residents moving from Disabled Living Allowance
(DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Neighbour Nuisance We are pleased to continue working with our partners, including the police, to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and nuisance. In serious cases we have obtained ASB injunctions and possession orders, giving a clear message from Severnside and the Courts that unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated. Many residents have expressed their appreciation for the actions we have taken that allow them to live peacefully within their communities. We also continue to work closely with the police around zero tolerance on drugs, with our Neighbourhood Officers attending drugs raids and where possible, taking court action against offenders.
“The Community Chest money the police Safer Neighbourhood Team received from Severnside has proved to be immensely valuable. We had some fantastic comments from the young people taking part and we have built positive relationships, that we hope will last for many years, with those engaged in the project and their families.” 9
Tenancy Standard
Learning Programme Launch
The tenancy standard makes sure that homes are let fairly and that we make the best use of the homes we have available. It also covers the rent we charge and the types of tenancy we offer.
Rent The amount of rent residents pay is set by a national rent formula that was introduced by central government in 2002. The formula says that rent will change based on the rate of ination for the previous year, plus 0.5 per cent. Any resident who is concerned about paying their rent or other bills should contact us as soon as possible. We can put residents in touch with advice
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agencies that can help and we may be able to agree a payment plan if residents are worried about falling behind with rent.
Shropshire HomePoint Our homes are advertised through Shropshire HomePoint, a choice-based lettings service. All available homes from local landlords are advertised on a weekly basis and residents can bid for the home they would like to live in.
Empty Homes 38 of our homes were empty at the end of March 2014. Of these ďŹ ve were immediately available for letting and 33 needed further work before they could be re-let.
£87.26
was our average weekly rent for 2013-14 Lettings Last year we let 500 homes, eight of which were new properties. We have a dedicated Decant Officer who can offer advice and assistance to residents who want to swap their home and we offer an incentive scheme to residents wanting to down-size.
Customer Service Centre Our Customer Service Centre is staffed by an experienced team of advisors and is the first point of contact for most people when they get in touch with us, either on the phone, in person or by email.
During 2013-14, we took over 70,150 telephone calls and received 17,081 visitors to our reception. We also dealt with just over 3,535 emails.
HomeSwapper Severnside works in partnership with HomeSwapper to offer residents the chance to move by arranging a mutual exchange. HomeSwapper is easy to use and once residents have registered it automatically matches them with other tenants who may be interested in swapping homes with them. To register just visit www.homeswapper.co.uk and follow the instructions. In 2014 we were awarded the HomeSwapper Star Landlord Award, for the West Midlands Region, for being a forward thinking landlord and for encouraging our residents to join HomeSwapper.
“I am now arrear and bedroom tax free and wouldn’t have got here without the help and support from Severnside who took into account all my circumstances and saw me through the mutual exchange process.”
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Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard
Meole Street Party
We have a long history of resident involvement and there are many ways our residents can have a voice and help shape our services.
Resident Senate The Resident Senate work directly with our Board ensuring residents inuence how we plan and deliver services. During the year the Senate undertook a Communications Project to see how Severnside communicates with its residents and whether these methods of communication can be used to promote resident involvement and empowerment. The Senate produced
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a Green paper for our Board with recommendations, which have been listened to and acted on. Members also sat on the Complaints Panel to make sure that residents are involved in resolving complaints.
Resident Inspectors The Resident Inspectors test and inspect existing services and delivery standards using a variety of measures. Through their work on NiSA’s, satisfaction surveys, mystery shopping and attendance at community events, the Resident Inspectors made contact
350 residents were involved in shaping our services in 2013-14
with around 500 customers, partners and community stakeholders during the year.
Customer Panel The Customer Panel work to improve the way our services are delivered, looking at new projects and how these affect the lives of residents. The Customer Panel meets once a month and in 2013-14 they were involved in influencing our new complaints policy and the customer leaflet explaining it.
Grounds Maintenance Inspectors Over the year, a group of residents were involved in the procurement of our new grounds maintenance contract.
They went on to attend training on monitoring the contract in readiness for it starting in April 2014. This is the first time that residents have been involved in this way.
Asset Management Tenant Involvement Group (AMTIG) AMTIG review tenders and specifications for our services. In 2013-14 AMTIG were involved in the procurement of the grounds maintenance contract and the concessionary gardening scheme.
Equality & Diversity Focus Group We have a resident Equality & Diversity Focus Group that works to ensure we tailor our services to meet our diverse customer needs. Last year the group were involved in the delivery of our new voids process, ensuring our policy does not disadvantage anyone moving into one of our homes.
Get involved and make a difference If you are interested in getting involved with Severnside through meetings, focus groups, surveys or other activities please contact our Community Development Team on 0300 300 0059/ 01743 285000 or email: community@severnsidehousing.co.uk
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Home Standard Two of our Trade Apprentices on site
New homes In 2013-14 our £3.9m Development Programme provided 43 new homes with a mix of affordable rent, shared ownership, market rent, social rent and discounted rent tenures in Shrewsbury and the surrounding areas and in our planned areas of growth. • Fenton Close/Shelton Gardens, Bicton Heath (7 homes) • 104 Mary Webb Road, Shrewsbury (1 home) • Nettles Lane, Shrewsbury (9 homes)
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• Brambles Walk, Wellington (10 homes) • 9 Benbow Close, Shrewsbury (1 home) • The Brew Tower, Noble Street, Wem (5 homes) • 15 Kynaston Road, Shrewsbury (1 home) • Abbey Wharf, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury (9 homes) These properties were either delivered through our new build programme or purchased directly from developers or private individuals.
99.8% of Emergency, 99.2% of Urgent and 98.5% of Routine
Repairs were completed on time
• Disabled adaptations at 122 homes • New roofs at 23 homes • New soffits and fascias at 71 homes • New windows at 8 homes • New doors at 27 homes
Improvement works
Repairs
As well as building much needed new homes, we continue to repair and maintain our existing homes to a very high standard. We spent £10.2m on our Repairs, Maintenance and Improvement Programme. Of this, £5.2m was spent on planned/improvement works:
We completed in excess of 18,000 repairs to our homes in 2013-14 spending £1.6m. Customer satisfaction across the year indicated that 87% of our residents were happy with our repairs service.
• New kitchens installed at 248 homes • New bathrooms installed at 88 homes • New heating installed at 308 homes • Full electrical rewires at 154 homes
We spent nearly £1m carrying out work to 456 empty properties which became vacant during the year, ensuring they met our lettable standard before being re-let. Customer satisfaction across the year indicated that over 84% of our residents were happy with the quality of their allocated property.
More information on how we performed against our published local standards is available on our website – www.severnsidehousing.co.uk/localstandards
“I want to thank the plumber, builder, chippy, decorator, and all the other trades who have done a fabulous job of our wet room, it has been done to a very high standard with all the trades being very good at their jobs – they were all very friendly and tidied up every day.” 15
Value for Money Standard
Two Involved Residents with the Connynger Crescent Flats Refurbishment Team
Value for Money Value for Money (VFM) has always been a key goal for Severnside and the ever changing economic climate makes it vitally important that we adopt a comprehensive and planned approach to achieving the very best VFM and getting the most from our resources. As required by our regulators, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), we have carried out a robust self-assessment to ensure we meet their VFM standard, proving that we are spending the money we receive
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from our residents wisely. The HCA have praised our VFM statement and action plan. During the year we recorded total savings of £360,000 on our Efficiency Register. These cost savings included: • reducing the average void repair time by 2.3 days; • renegotiating kitchen supply contracts; and • specifying only 4 types of kitchen and bathroom fans that will cost residents just £1 per year to run.
£10,175,000
Last year we spent on repairing and improving our residents’ homes What We Spent
£4,284,000
£1,656,000 £1,019,000
£988,000
£973,000 £952,000
£246,000 Improvements
£57,000 Minor Cyclical Planned Tenanted Adaptations Maintenance Maintenance Property Repairs
Empty Property Repairs
Electrical Repairs
Overhead Costs
Our Regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency, praised our Value for Money statement and action plan.
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Governance and Financial Viability
Severnside’s Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Financial Viability
Our Board of ten Directors are responsible for the way Severnside is run at the highest level.
Our regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency awarded us a G1 governance and V1 ďŹ nancial viability rating showing that our ďŹ nancial management and future viability is robust and that the organisation is well governed.
The Directors have a wide range of knowledge, skills and experience, from a variety of backgrounds and work with the Executive Team and Resident Senate to ensure current and future resident needs are met.
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We have money available, both from our funders and from the Council, to enable us to keep building new homes and improve our services.
£360,000
of savings were recorded on the 2013-14 Efficiency Register How do residents know the information we give them is correct? As an honest and transparent organisation, we aim to provide residents with clear and accurate information. We check that the information we provide is correct in a number of different ways. These include:
• Reviews by our auditors and our funders. • Official recognition by other organisations including awards and accreditations. The logos on the back of this report show some of the memberships and accreditations we have received. • Reviews by our regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency.
• Checks by our involved resident groups.
Recognition & Awards • HomeSwapper Star Landlord Award for the Midlands Region • National Housing Federation Community Impact Awards – Severnside’s Digital Inclusion Project won the Midlands Regional Award in the ‘Investing in People’ Category • British Safety Council 4 Star Award • EFQM Recognised for Excellence 4 Star Award – issued by the British Quality Foundation • The Mayor’s Awards 2013/14 – Severnside’s Digital Den won the Mayor’s Community Award
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If you would like any more information about Severnside Housing, please contact us: Write to us Severnside Housing, Brassey Road, Old Potts Way, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 7FA
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Ring us 01743 285000 or 0300 300 0059 Email us enquiries@severnsidehousing.co.uk Visit our website www.severnsidehousing.co.uk Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/severnsidehousing Follow us on Twitter @severnsideha
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