Annual Report 2013/14 by Housing Plus Group

Annual Report 2013/14

For Partners and Stakeholders

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 our Prince’s Trust 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 six months when I heard about the opportunity of an eight 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 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 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 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

Daniel at the Prince’s Trust Programme

Contents

Welcome

Investing in our Partnerships

Investing in our Future

Performance

Investing in our Communities

Income and Expenditure

Investing in our Customers

Balance Sheet

Investing in our People

Our Executive Team

Investing in our Homes

Our Board

Welcome Welcome to Severnside Housing’s Annual Report which is a review of our performance during 2013/14. We have had an extremely busy and successful year and share with you in this report some of our key achievements.

It has been a difficult year for a lot of our residents as the implications of the Welfare Reform Act started to have a real impact on their day-to-day lives. As a result, our Employment and Money Advice Service saw a huge increase in the number of residents needing their specialist help and advice. We continue to embrace new ideas across all areas of our business and deliver first class services to our residents to ensure they live in a home where they feel safe and in a community that is thriving. Our Regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), awarded us a G1 governance and V1 financial viability rating showing that our financial management and future viability is robust. We

also received feedback from the HCA praising our Value for Money statement and action plan. There are so many achievements we are proud of; winning the West Midlands Region NHF Community Impact (Investing in People) Award; our inspirational Learning Programme; purchasing our offices in Brassey Road and our innovative community involvement work – to name but a few and this report provides further details.

Sarah Boden Chief Executive

Finally we would like to take this opportunity to thank our staff, our Board and Committee Members, all our involved residents and our partners for their input and support over the last 12 months and for ensuring Severnside continues to be focused on delivering its objectives in accordance with its values.

OUR VISION:

“Excellent homes

in thriving

Paul Smith Chair

communities”

Investing in our Future Our strong financial position is reflected in our G1 governance and V1 financial viability rating from our regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency. Our determination to improve performance and deliver first class customer service continues to drive our ambition.

Our Group Subsidiaries We formed a new Group structure in December 2012 which has strengthened and grown our business. Since joining the Group in 2013, Andy Walters Electrical has become two subsidiaries and rebranded to AWE and AWE Contractors. They have launched a new website, purchased new vans and are developing and extending their existing apprenticeship programme to support their projected business growth. Both have exceeded forecasted business turnover and profit. Shrewsbury Homes for All (SHFA), a well-known local charity, joined our Group structure in April 2013. SHFA has a wealth of experience and a good local reputation for helping vulnerable people manage their tenancies. SHFA has valued Severnside’s support services particularly Finance, IT, Legal Services and

Procurement. In 2013/14, as part of the SUSTAIN Consortium, SHFA delivered ﬂoating support to 180 people, either already homeless or under threat of homelessness.

Value for Money Delivering 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 strategic approach to achieving the very best VFM. As required by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) we carried out a robust selfassessment to ensure we meet their VFM standard, proving how wisely we spend the money received from our customers. The HCA praised our VFM statement and action plan. The total amount of savings recorded on the Severnside 2013/14 Efficiency Register was £360,000.

These cost savings included reducing the average void repair time by 2.3 days, renegotiating kitchen supply contracts and specifying new kitchen and bathroom fans that will cost residents just £1 a year to run. By purchasing our offices in Brassey Road we will also save £125,000 per year and the installation of low energy lighting will save around 4 metric tonnes of CO2 per annum.

Growth and Diversification Severnside constantly looks at ways to strengthen its core business with other revenue streams. In 2013/14 we continued to diversify the range of tenures we offered to include market rent, discounted rent, affordable rent and shared ownership alongside our social rent. We also continued to expand our geographical area of operation to meet local housing need to include Baschurch, Morda, Oswestry, Telford and Wem.

HomeSwapper Star Landlord Award

“In a climate significantly affected by welfare reform Severnside Housing is one of our most forward thinking landlords. Having held successful tenant events and encouraged 13% of its residents onto HomeSwapper, Severnside is making the very most of the service.” Richard Blundell, CEO of Housing Partners (HomeSwapper)

Our market rent portfolio rapidly grew to 55 properties in 2013/14, and further growth is planned over the coming years. Our successful shared ownership programme continues to provide an affordable solution to local people wanting to get their foot on the property ladder, in the difficult economic climate. In partnership with SJ Roberts Construction, we are currently building our first homes for sale on the open market at Heaths Houses in Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury; the proceeds will be reinvested to provide more affordable homes.

Recognition During the year we received a number of external accreditations and awards, including:

• 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.

Investing in our Communities A not-for-proﬁt business, we invest in our diverse neighbourhoods and work closely with our residents, partners and the wider community to deliver our vision of ‘Excellent Homes in thriving communities’. It is vitally important that we ﬁnd innovative ways to bring our residents together, whatever their age or interest, and really listen to what matters to them.

Estate Walkabouts Estate walkabouts are led by Severnside’s neighbourhood officers in partnership with local agencies. Residents are encouraged to attend to raise awareness of any problems in their area. Action plans are drawn up following each walkabout and published online. In 2013/14 we undertook 22 estate walkabouts, resolving 119 issues to the satisfaction of our residents – in many cases ensuring small niggles were dealt with before they had the opportunity to become real issues.

Community Chest Fund Severnside’s Community Chest Fund, launched in 2009, continues to fund local voluntary, community and recreational groups working within our communities. Over the year, thirteen applications were awarded £21,000 of Community Chest funding by our panel made up of Severnside residents and staff. These included: • Riversway Elim Church received funding to purchase a new cooker for their ‘Let’s get Cooking Charity’ aimed at

helping the local community cook healthy meals on a budget. • West Mercia Police received funding for their ‘Urban Challenge Project’ aimed at helping the police to actively engage with local children, encouraging them to look after and take pride in the area where they live. • Meresiders Football Club received funding to purchase football kits for their under 8’s and under 11’s football teams.

Neighbourhood Standards Agreements Severnside has successfully used Neighbourhood Standards Agreements (NiSAs) for a number of years. NiSAs are drawn up in partnership with local agencies and all residents who live in the community, whether or not they are a Severnside tenant, are asked to sign up to the NiSA.

Meresiders FC

During 2013/14 we delivered new NiSAs in Cross Houses,

Estate Walkabout

Ford, Harlescott, Minsterley and Sundorne aimed at improving security, reducing anti-social behaviour and creating new community areas. Once a NiSA has been in use for a year we use ‘Rate your Place’ questionnaires to monitor outcomes, to ensure the NiSA has been effective and to make any changes.

Data Warehouse Our Data Warehouse brings together our existing resident and property data and externally collated statistics from agencies, including the Office for National Statistics, local Council and Police. We analyse the collective data to gain a real insight into our resident demographics, enabling us to target service provision. We also monitor outcomes to evaluate where our services are having a positive impact.

Employment & Money Advice Service Due to Welfare Reform changes our Employment & Money Advice Service saw a real increase in referrals for people needing their help and support. They continued to run their twice weekly job clubs at the Cyber Café in Castlefields and the Digital Den in Meole Brace and also started new drop-in sessions, in partnership with SUSTAIN, at the Cyber Café and Minsterley Hub. In 2013/14 the team:

• Helped 11 people into work. • Gave advice to 195 people who attended our job clubs and drop-in sessions. • Over the year supported residents’ reduced rent arrears by £47,100. • Successfully secured £11,000 of discretionary housing payment (DHP) for residents. Over 66% of applications the team submitted were successful. • Helped 20 residents maximise their income by securing increased benefit awards totalling £8,500 and helped three residents apply for Housing Benefit exemption payments totalling £2,100.

Investing in our Customers 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.

Prince’s Trust Programme By teaming up with the Prince’s Trust and the City of Wolverhampton College we encourage our younger residents to join the award winning Prince’s Trust Team Programme in Shrewsbury. 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 from the local community completed the Team Programme in 2013/14, nine of which were Severnside residents. Five young people went on to secure full time employment – one started a Severnside apprenticeship and one person is setting up their own business through the support of the Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme.

Work Placements Severnside works in partnership with the Job Centre to offer eightweek work placements to residents who are on Job Seekers Allowance (JSA). Our work placements give residents an excellent opportunity to gain new skills and find work in the future. In 2013/14 we provided six office based work placements; two people went on to find fulltime employment at our Digital Den and one became a Severnside apprentice.

Learning Programme We are extremely proud of our inspirational Learning Programme as it helps our residents learn new life skills and undertake accredited training. 350 residents attended courses during the 2013/14 learning programme, six secured employment, two signed up to attend college courses and one resident enjoyed their training experience so much they signed up to become a trainer! All courses are free of charge to residents and there is something

for everyone, no matter what their age or ability. This year’s Learning Programme has a ‘Claimant Course Tick’ against courses that can assist with commitment hours, required under the new Job Seekers Allowance Claimant Commitment.

Football Coaching In partnership with the Shropshire FA, residents aged between 16 and 25 can take part in a five day ‘1st 4 Sport’ Level 1 recognised football qualification. We also partner with Shrewsbury Juniors Football Club who offer further coaching development following the FA course. Four young people completed their Level 1 training over the year.

Digital Inclusion 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 in 2013/14 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.

Bob the Playbus Community Event

Free internet access is provided at the Den and low-cost, contract-free WiFi is delivered across the estate for as little as 30p per day. With only around 40% of our residents having internet access at home it is vitally important that we continue to invest in digital inclusion. Residents can also gain internet and computer access at our Digital Hubs, located at a number of our sheltered schemes and the Tenants’ Resource Centre at our Brassey Road office.

Welfare Reform We continue to support our residents through Welfare Reform changes. We have 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 being provided to assist residents moving from Disabled Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Resident Involvement Severnside has a strong history of resident involvement and there are many ways our residents can help shape our services. Residents are encouraged to have a voice and we engage with them through an extensive range of resident engagement groups.

• Resident Senate – work directly with our Board ensuring residents inﬂuence how we plan and deliver services. • Customer Panel – work to improve the way our services are delivered, looking at new projects and how these affect the lives of our residents. • Resident Inspectors – test and inspect existing services and delivery standards using a variety of measures. These may include mystery shopping and satisfaction surveys. • Asset Management Tenant Involvement Group (AMTIG) – review tenders and specifications for our services. • Grounds Maintenance Inspectors – inspect and assess grounds maintenance services delivered in their local area. • Equality and Diversity Group – ensure we tailor our services to meet our diverse customer needs.

Investing in our People We aim to attract, develop and retain the very best people to work with us. Our staff are at the heart of our business and passionate about everything they do. We are one of only 2% of Investors in People accredited companies to hold Gold Status, awarded in recognition of our commitment to the training and development of our staff and our proven track record of staff engagement. People Development We are committed to developing and training our staff to ensure we have a highly motivated and skilled workforce. In November 2013 we launched our e-learning training programme and in the first five months 283 online courses and assessments were completed. These online training courses included Data Protection, Stress Essentials and Drive Wise. Our e-learning training programme continues to grow alongside staff vocational studies and traditional event based training. In 2013/14, 1,605 staff training days were recorded, which equates to 6.92 training days per colleague.

Staff Engagement Biennially, Severnside undertakes an extensive staff survey as we believe that it is vitally important that we involve, engage and listen to our staff. At our last staff survey our staff engagement level was 77% â&#x20AC;&#x201C; well above the sector benchmark of 73%.

Our staff also take part in focus groups to share their views. This year staff have been involved in the overhaul of our Individual Performance Review (IPR) and our Staff Survey Action Planning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20% of staff attended thirty staff survey action planning meetings.

Learning Agreement In partnership with our three recognised trade unions, UNISON, Unite and UCATT, we officially launched the Severnside Learning National Learning Week

Agreement. This agreement recognises and promotes the benefits of lifelong learning and development. In conjunction with the agreement, a Severnside Learning Committee has been established. Its aim is to promote, initiate, support and monitor lifelong learning activities across the organisation.

Apprenticeships Our successful apprenticeship programme continues to develop and grow. Six new apprentices started with us in 2013/14; 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.

Severnside Staff Conference

Colleague Story Stuart McNab joined Severnside as an apprentice in 2011 and is now a full time Finance Assistant. Here Stuart shares his story: “If I am totally honest I took my GCSE’s and A Levels with no clear idea of what I wanted to do when I left school. I thought it would be fairly easy to get a job, but after nine months of claiming Job Seekers Allowance I had found nothing. I applied for in excess of 50 jobs and apprenticeships and in the majority of cases I never heard anything back. I did manage to get some bar work, now and then, but nothing on a regular basis. I also tried to keep myself busy by volunteering as a coach with Shrewsbury Up and Comers Football Club and working in a Salvation Army charity shop. I applied for the Severnside apprenticeship online and I was so pleased to receive the call offering me an interview. I was over the moon when I heard I had been successful and was offered the apprenticeship. I have to say it was a massive shock to the system having to get up for work for the first few weeks, but right from the start everyone at Severnside was so welcoming and friendly. It was great having a regular income at long last and feeling like I was starting out on a career path. Severnside paid above the standard apprenticeship rate and increased my pay rate every three months, which really made me feel valued. During my 12 month apprenticeship I really enjoyed working with the different teams, across the business, and learning about what they all did.

Stuart McNab

When my apprenticeship came to an end I worked on secondment in Procurement for a number of months before I was offered a permanent position in the Finance Team as a Finance Officer. For the last two years, whilst working in the Finance Team, I have been given the opportunity to do vocational training. I am currently studying for AAT Accounting Diploma Level 3 at Shrewsbury College, having already passed level 2. I attend on a Tuesday afternoon and use what I am learning in my everyday job. I’m not sure where I would be now if I hadn’t got my apprenticeship at Severnside.” Stuart McNab

Investing in our Homes Due to excellent business management Severnside continues to be ﬁnancially strong. All of our surpluses are reinvested into our business ensuring we maintain our homes to a very high standard and continue to invest in the delivery of much needed new homes for the future.

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) • Brambles Walk, Wellington (10 homes) • 9 Benbow Close, Shrewsbury (1 home) • The Brew Tower, Noble Street, Wem (5 homes)

These properties were either delivered through our new build programme or purchased directly from developers or private individuals.

Improvement Works 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: • New kitchens installed at 248 homes • New bathrooms installed at 88 homes • New heating installed at 308 homes • Full electrical rewires at 154 homes • New roofs at 23 homes

• 15 Kynaston Road, Shrewsbury (1 home)

• New soffits and fascias at 71 homes

• Abbey Wharf, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury (9 homes)

• New windows at 8 homes • New doors at 27 homes

Repairs 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. We spent nearly £1m carrying out work to 456 void properties which became vacant during the year, ensuring they met our lettable standard before being re-let and achieving a customer satisfaction rating on the quality of their new home of over 84%. The Brew Tower, Wem

On site at Heaths Houses

“We continue to build a strong collaborative partnership with Severnside, providing quality new homes for the local community. We have also worked closely with Severnside to bring on to site their new apprentices and helped introduce them to what are very exciting times in the construction industry.” Michael Sambrook, SJ Roberts Construction

Schemes on Site Severnside currently has a number of schemes on site building 129 new homes:

• Chapel Close, Bomere Heath – 18 new homes due for completion in January 2015. • Weston Road, Morda – 21 new homes due for completion in September 2014. • Soulton Road, Wem – 23 new homes due for completion in March and June 2015. • 62 Wrekin Road, Wellington – 14 refurbished and new homes due for completion in December 2014. • Merrington Road, Bomere Heath – 12 new homes due for completion in March 2015. • Heaths Houses, Shrewsbury – 41 new homes due for completion in August 2015.

Investing in our Partnerships Our growing business is strengthened through our partnership working, enabling us to develop and deliver innovative solutions.

Stakeholders As a community-focused organisation, we appreciate that the work we do affects not only our residents, but also our local partners and stakeholders. We hold an annual Stakeholder Event to demonstrate how we value these close partnerships and how the work we are doing together is making a real difference in our local communities. To ensure we continue to get the very best from our partnerships, we have commissioned an independent organisation to carry out a Stakeholder Perception Survey to

test the views and perceptions of our key stakeholders, to understand what we are we doing well and areas where we can improve.

Procurement Our procurement team is responsible for working with our partners to ensure value for money and, wherever possible, resident engagement. Last year the team worked with our Resident Inspectors to tender the estate gardening contract. Residents are now involved in helping to monitor the levels of service being provided by the successful tenderer, Ground Control.

Severnside is a member of the Central Housing Investment Consortium (CHIC). Formed in 2010, CHIC is a procurement framework we use to secure purchasing efficiencies.

SUSTAIN As lead member of the SUSTAIN Consortium, a cross-county partnership that delivers support services to vulnerable people, we provide individual support and group support to people in need in Shropshire, along with 15 partner agencies including Shropshire Towns & Rural Housing and Shropshire Housing Group. In 2013/14, the SUSTAIN Consortium partners delivered ďŹ&#x201A;oating support to 11,766 people. Of this number, 4,209 people received ďŹ&#x201A;oating support directly from Severnside.

Learning Programme launch

The SUSTAIN partners also delivered social activities to 33,786 people and 4,082 visitors were recorded at various drop-in groups across the county.

Start on site at Soulton Road

“Shropshire Jobcentres partnership working is a key cornerstone in helping and supporting people back into work. Severnside has worked closely with us on a number of initiatives including offering work experience opportunities which have been successfully tailored to each individual’s needs. We have also found the digital hubs and job clubs a source of excellent support for people looking for work. Thank you for all your support.” Kairen Francis, Partnership Manager and Bridgette Harper, Employer Adviser, Department for Work and Pensions

Community Partnerships We would not be able to deliver our extensive community involvement work without our successful and innovative partnerships. Cross-agency partnership working within our communities is having a positive effect resulting in reduced anti-social behaviour, higher resident engagement, reduced crime and cleaner estates.

Our Learning Programme is delivered in partnership with a group of local partner organisations who either deliver courses free of charge or at a reduced rate, enabling us to create a diverse Learning Programme within budget. Through a social enterprise partnership with Social Telecoms, we set up the Digital Den to provide Digital Inclusion initiatives to our residents. It also enables

us to put back any profits into the community. We work in partnership with the Hive in Shrewsbury on their Young Carers project. The Hive give young carers the opportunity to get involved in workshops and events and we support their project by offering work placements. Our current two year higher apprentice joined Severnside from the Hive Young Carers Project.

Performance A Round Up of our Key Facts and Performance as at 31st March 2014 Our Homes

2013/14

General needs Affordable rent Market Rent Housing for older people Supported housing Other Shared ownership

3,929 60 55 1,318 10 1 54

Total 5,427

New Lettings by Household Type Single adult (aged over 60) or Older couple (at least one aged 60 or over) Single adult (aged 16-59) Two adults (aged 16-59, no children) Two or more adults (with at least one child under 16) One adult (with at least one child under 16) (Data not provided)

51 122 67 67 86 107

Total

500

Available for letting Not available for letting

5 33

Total

Rent Collection Collected Outstanding current tenant arrears Average weekly rent

101.30% 0.60% £87.26

Our Staff Staff turnover 13.37% Average number of staff 232 Male / Female split 58.7% / 41.3% Ethnicity: White British 93.80% Other 3.30% Undisclosed 2.90% Sickness absence 5% (as per cent of available working days)

Income and Expenditure and Balance Sheet

for the year ended 31 March 2014

New Lettings by Ethnic Origin White British White Other Mixed White and Black Caribbean Mixed White and Black African Mixed Other Black or Black British African Asian or Asian British Other Chinese (Data not provided)

473 23 0 1 1 1 0 1 0

Total

500

Repairs

How Many Homes are Empty?

Income and Expenditure Total Turnover

Operating Surplus

£’000s 25,250 6,557

Surplus for the year transferred to reserves 1,143

Balance Sheet

Intangible assets Housing properties, net of depreciation Social housing grant and other grants Other tangible assets Net current liabilities Total assets less current liabilities Loan (due over one year) FRS17 Liability

233 125,163 (11,226) 4,247 (3,207) 115,210 (105,853) (7,285)

Emergency – 1 day Target – 99.5%

99.80%

Urgent – 7 calendar days Target – 99%

99.20%

Routine – 31 calendar days Target – 99%

Net Assets/(Liabilities) 2,072 Revenue Reserves 9,357 Pension Reserves (7,285)

98.50%

Surplus/(Deficit) 2,072

Our Executive Team as at 31st March 2014 SARAH BODEN MCIH Chief Executive

Sarah joined Severnside as Chief Executive in January 2006 and has 27 years’ experience in the housing sector. She has led the organisation through major challenges and change, effecting significant service and governance improvements. These include improving value for money and financial viability, and growing the business. Sarah has a passion for business partnership, growth and change. Sarah is a member of the NHF West Midlands Regional Committee and Marches Local Enterprise Partnership Task and Finish Group.

PETER DONOVAN FCMA, FGMA, MBCS Resources Director

SUE GROOM FCIH Neighbourhood & Community Services Director

IAN GARDNER MSc, BA (HONS), FCIH, FCMI Asset Management Director

Peter was appointed Resources Director in October 2001. He has over 20 years’ housing experience. Previously Peter worked in the banking industry, private sector companies and commerce. He has helped the organisation through major challenges and change. His particular strengths lie in corporate and financial planning, treasury management, organisational excellence and business and performance management.

Sue was appointed Neighbourhood and Community Services Director in July 2006 and has over 30 years’ housing sector experience. She has worked at a senior level covering all areas of housing services, including spending several years in consultancy with HQN. Her particular strengths lie in strategic organisational development, engaging customers in developing the business and ensuring services are accessible, fair and equitable.

Ian was appointed Asset Management Director in November 2009, having been Interim Asset Management Director since June 2009. Prior to joining Severnside, Ian worked as a consultant and Interim Manager in the sector for nearly 10 years’ and has over 27 years’ housing experience. Ian is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing and has particular experience in Performance Improvement, Health & Safety and Asset Management.

Details of the Chief Executive’s remuneration package may be obtained on request from the Company Secretary.

Our Board as at 31st March 2014 Paul Smith

A qualified Town Planner, Paul has spent his working life in the public sector and, prior to his retirement, was Chief Executive at the City and Chair County of Swansea. Now resident in Shropshire, Paul is a Parish Councillor (Appointed September 2013) in Munslow and a volunteer Board Member at Shropshire Citizens Advice Member of Nominations and Bureau. Paul has extensive strategic management experience and good Remuneration Committee knowledge of the broader issues of governance, corporate and business planning, standards, performance and risk management. With a lifelong interest in housing and community development and a passion for delivering excellent, value for money services, Paul looks forward to using his knowledge and experience for the benefit of Severnside customers and Shropshire Residents.

Rory Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Byrne LLB (Hons) Vice Chair (Appointed January 2010) Chair of Nominations and Remuneration Committee

Rory has lived in Shrewsbury for ten years. He is a Partner at Wace Morgan in Shrewsbury in the Social Housing and Development Team. Rory specialises in residential development and has over twelve years of experience in delivering social housing, strategic land acquisition, stock transfers and regeneration projects for housing associations, local authorities and the private sector.

Cllr. Malcolm Price

Malcolm is an Executive Member of Shropshire Council holding the Cabinet Portfolios for Planning and Housing. First elected in 2002, he Council Director represents the Battlefield Ward in North Shrewsbury. Areas covered by (Appointed September 2010) his portfolios include; New Housing Development, Shropshire Council Member of Audit and Risk Housing Stock, Housing Options, Private Sector Housing, Supporting Committee People, Extra Care Housing and all aspects of Planning.

Sarah Boden MCIH

Sarah joined Severnside as Chief Executive in January 2006 and has 27 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in the housing sector. She has led the organisation through major challenges and change, effecting significant service and Executive Director governance improvements. These include improving value for money (Appointed September 2010) and financial viability, and growing the business. Sarah has a passion for business partnership, growth and change. Sarah is a member of the NHF West Midlands Regional Committee and Marches Local Enterprise Partnership Task and Finish Group.

Gareth Evans Independent Director (Appointed December 2013) Member of Resident Senate

A retired banking professional, Gareth has worked in the banking industry for 42 years, 37 years of this time having been spent at Barclays Bank where he was a Corporate Manager. Gareth has particular expertise in providing funding for business, across the full range of business types with considerable experience in funding residential and commercial property development.

Committees of the Board The Board is supported by the Audit and Risk Committee and Nominations and Remuneration Committee. The membership of these committees is detailed within the Board biographies.

Elaine Ganderton Independent Director (Appointed August 2008) Chair of Audit and Risk Committee

Alyson Lanning Independent Director (Appointed November 2010) Member of Nominations and Remuneration Committee

Andy Parkes MA Independent Director (Appointed November 2010) Chair of Resident Senate

Peter Price Independent Director (Appointed December 2013) Member of Audit and Risk Committee

Paul Williams Independent Director (Appointed January 2013)

Elaine is a Strategic Consultant with over 30 years’ experience in the social housing sector both as an Executive and Non-Executive Director. She has extensive experience of strategic management, governance, housing management and maintenance and has been involved in national policy making through the National Housing Federation. Elaine is also a corporate member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and has studied Quality Management at Cranfield School of Management. She is focused on results and is passionate about providing quality services for Severnside’s tenants and residents.

Alyson is the Director of the Hive Music and Media Centre in Shrewsbury, having been appointed to this post in 2008. A former journalist and holder of a law degree, Alyson has also worked as a Research Assistant and as Millennium Co-ordinator for the newly appointed City of Wolverhampton in the year 2000. With a lifelong passion for the arts – particularly music – Alyson is committed to making the arts accessible for everyone, irrespective of ability or advantage.

Andy is a career police officer who retired as a Superintendent after 32 years with the West Mercia force. From community policing to senior level management, Andy has held positions in uniform, criminal investigation and specialist departments, completing his career by heading up the West Mercia Equality and Diversity Team. Passionate about leadership and developing people, Andy now runs his own company helping other business owners to develop and mentoring start-ups through the Young Britain programme.

Born and bred in Shropshire, Peter is a qualified chartered accountant. An experienced finance professional, he has served the major part of his career in the health service. He recently retired from the position of Director of Finance with NHS Telford and Wrekin, a position he had held since April 2002. Prior to this appointment, he fulfilled the role of Finance Director at the Shropshire Community and Mental Health NHS Trust and Princess Royal Hospital.

Paul is a business and customer focused electronics engineer with over 30 years’ experience in start-up and Blue-chip companies in the telecommunications, test and semiconductor industries. Having retired from senior positions in industry, Paul now runs his own electrical business in south Shropshire.

Board Directors who served during the year Robin Pritchard: Appointed March 2007, Resigned September 2013. Matt James: Appointed November 2010, Resigned December 2013.

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 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

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