2015–16 WELCOME We are proud to share with you, our residents, Severnside’s Annual Report for 2015–16. It’s our chance to share with you what we’ve been doing and how we have delivered our services to you.
This Annual Review reports on our Customer Service Standards and what we have been doing in each of these areas. We hope it includes all of the information that matters to you.
All of our involved customers work together to improve the services we provide for you. We are always keen to hear your views and help where we can.
If you would like to get involved and make a difference you are welcome to join us. Please call our Customer Services Team on 0300 300 0059 for more information.
SUPPORTING OUR CUSTOMERS Customer Service Centre We have an experienced team of Customer Service Advisors who provide help and advice to customers, whether they contact us by phone, in person or by email.
During 2015–16, our customer services: answered
69,055 phonecalls
Severnside Housing Brassey Road Shrewsbury Shropshire SY3 7FA
95%
of phonecalls were answered within 30 seconds
85.7%
welcomed
13,797
of phonecalls customers to our were dealt with reception at the first point of contact
answered
7,004
email enquiries
01743 285000 0300 300 0059 www.severnsidehousing.co.uk enquiries@severnsidehousing.co.uk
Learning Programme Delivered in partnership with local organisations, our inspirational Learning Programme continues to offer customers the opportunity to gain new life skills.
387
People attended
In its sixth year, the Learning Programme offers a diverse range of free courses suitable for everyone, no matter what their age or ability.
49
Different training sessions
Employment and Money Advice Service Our Employment and Money Advice Team offer advice and support to help customers understand and manage debt, ensuring priority bills are paid to keep their home safe.
During 2015–16:
318 90% £258,600
referrals were received
of benefits the total amount applied of benefits for were awarded successfully achieved
Digital Inclusion With more and more services only available online it is vitally important that we continue to provide opportunities for customers to get online. Throughout the year free access to wi-fi and computers has been available at our Digital Dens in Meole Brace and Castlefields, along with our Tenants Resource Centre.
95%
Rated their course either good or excellent
Job Clubs We offer people help and advice to get online, update CVs, search for jobs and assist with evidencing claimant commitment hours for the Job Centre. We run Job Clubs at our Digitals Dens in Meole Brace and Castlefields and the Baptist Church in Monkmoor. All our job clubs and drop-ins are free and open to all. More than
1,000
attendances were recorded at our popular weekly job clubs and drop-ins
10
People found employment after receiving support at the job clubs
During 2015–16, there were:
2,000 403
14
Hours of Certificate Customers customer modules achieved support of Learn City & Guilds and access my Way qualifications to the training were internet completed
Prince’s Trust In partnership with the Prince’s Trust, Severnside supported 38 young people, aged 16–25 years, to successfully complete a 12 week programme.
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22
Those who take part can make a positive change to their lives by participating in community events, community projects and enjoying an action-packed residential week away from home.
Participants are now in employment or college, on an apprenticeship, work placement or volunteering. Severnside Housing, Annual Review 2015–16
The Prince’s Trust Programme gave new direction to 19 year old Trae’s life
The Prince’s Trust programme inspires young people to positively change their life and our customer, Trae has done just that! At 18, Trae left care and started living by himself. He wasn’t sure in what direction his life and career were heading. However, after visiting a local Job Centre for his Job Seekers review, he was told about the Prince’s Trust and hasn’t looked back since. He took part in the twelve week programme and impressed the staff at the Prince’s Trust so much he was offered the role of Apprentice Youth Worker.
Trae explained he had finished studying Outdoor Education at college and was thinking of joining the army when he heard about the Prince’s Trust. He thought the programme sounded really interesting, particularly the team leadership and structure, so he decided to give it a go. “I had always wanted to work outdoors so absolutely loved the residential trip, which involved lots of physical activity and team building events. Although already fairly confident, over the week I started to see what I could achieve and realise my full potential.
Severnside Housing, Annual Review 2015–16
When the Prince’s Trust offered me the Youth Worker Apprenticeship I was delighted and since taking up the role, I have enjoyed helping to guide young people in the right direction and find it extremely rewarding seeing them gain confidence.” Kevin Faulkner, Team Leader at the Prince’s Trust, told us “Trae completed the course strongly and we decided he deserved an opportunity to progress himself. We are very proud to provide Trae with an apprenticeship and hope he will progress to Assistant Team Leader in the near future.”
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NEIGHBOURHOOD & COMMUNITY STANDARD Estate Walkabouts Estate Walkabouts are led by Severnside’s Neighbourhood Officers in partnership with key local agencies, including the Police and Council. Customers are invited to take part so they can raise any concerns they may have about the area in which they live. The walkabouts aim to highlight and address issues such as grounds and highway maintenance, street lighting, graffiti, litter, dog fouling, vandalism and parking problems. Timescales are logged for any issues to be addressed.
17
Estate Walkabouts took place in 2015–16
Neighbourhood Standards Agreement 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 customer.
4
new NiSAs were established over the past year
NiSAs remain in place across our communities
Apprentices
Work Placements
7
Severnside works in partnership with the Job Centre, to help young people develop skills, gain work experience and secure paid employment.
In 2015–16, we gave apprentices the opportunity to work across different areas of our business.
We offer a range of eight week placements including Severnside office based experience, digital and technical at Social Telecoms, painting and decorating with Novus and gardening with Ground Control.
Mutual Exchange
In 2015–16, Severnside provided
5
work placements
495
Homes were allocated during 2015–16
53
of the new homes allocated, were newly built properties
Community Chest Fund Severnside’s Community Chest fund invites grant applications from voluntary, community and recreational groups working in the Shropshire area, whose work will directly benefit our customers and their communities.
4
21
We successfully helped
90
families exchange their homes in 2015–16 and continue to work in partnership with Homepoint.
Home Allocations To help customers maintain their tenancies pre-tenancy work is carried out during the allocation process. This includes tenancy sustainment assessments, Experian credit checks and payment of rent in advance.
6
£1,235
Community Chest grants were awarded
Total amount of Community Chest Funds awarded
Severnside Housing, Annual Review 2015–16
Supporting Local Groups Severnside has worked in partnership and supported The Shropshire Disability Network (SDN) for a number of years. SDN is a registered charity, run by volunteers, welcoming anyone with a disability, who cares for someone who is disabled, or a family member of a disabled person, to join them. During 2015–16, we awarded SDN with Community Chest Funding to assist them in purchasing promotional items to publicise their vision of giving disabled people and carers in Shropshire a voice.
Severnside also signed up to a great SDN community led initiative, supported by the Police, called ‘Safe Places Shropshire’. Safe Places are short-term safe places for vulnerable people. If a person feels threatened or has a crime committed against them, whilst they are out in the community, they can go to any registered Safe Place to ask for help. Statistics show that vulnerable people are often the victims of crime – as many as nine out of ten have had a hate crime committed against them. Organisations who sign up to the initiative receive specialist training and are given Safe Place stickers to display in their windows.
provide a powerful collective voice for disabled people across Shropshire. The grant received from Severnside has enabled us to promote the services we offer and help us reach out to people who really need our help. We are also delighted that Severnside signed up to Safer Places. While Shropshire is a relatively safe place to live, this community initiative gives confidence to anyone who is feeling vulnerable, and may need assistance when they are out, to feel safe and know where they can go to get help.”
Ruby Hartshorn, Chairperson of SDN told us “The Shropshire Disability Network was formed in 2008 to
Severnside Housing, Annual Review 2015–16
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TENANCY STANDARD How your Rent is Spent
Empty Homes (Voids)
The government sets the level of rents that we charge and we work hard to ensure that the rent we receive gives value for money and is well spent.
Our void performance is measured in average calendar days from the time the keys are returned following a tenancy termination, to the time the keys are issued to a new customer.
10p 10p
3p
How each pound of your rent is spent
30p
On 31 March 2016, we had:
35
Empty homes
22p 25p Services to your home & communal areas
Repairs & Services to our homes
Interest on our loans
Investment in new homes
Staff costs & overheads
Improvements to your home
13
of these were unavailable due to improvements works
Improvements works and repairs cost
£746k to ensure 442 homes met our Lettable Standard for new tenants.
VALUE FOR MONEY STANDARD Value for Money
Spending the Shropshire £££
Severnside is committed to securing yearon-year improvements in value for money for our customers.
By spending our money in Shropshire, we are helping to support the local economy and contribute to the development of sustainable communities.
We saved over
£380,000 in 2015–16
Rent Reductions In the 2015 budget the Government announced that all social landlords must reduce their rents by 1% per annum, for four years, starting in April 2016.
£9.7m which equates to 75% of our budget, was spent in Shropshire during 2015–16
A fundamental business review, to give year-on-year budgetary savings of £1.8m, has been developed. As a result, Severnside will be able to withstand the impact of the rent reductions and continue to be financially strong.
1% reduction in rents means an accumuative loss of more than £30m over 30 years
6
Severnside Housing, Annual Review 2015–16
RESIDENT INVOLVEMENT & EMPOWERMENT STANDARD Customer Involvement We are passionate about providing our customers with opportunities to ‘get involved’ and have a real say in the service they receive. We have a large number of involved customers who have met on a regular basis, throughout the year, to share their views and help shape service delivery.
A project is well underway to review our Customer Involvement Strategy to make sure we are fit for the future and our customers’ views continue to influence everything we do. To get involved please contact Customer Services on 0300 300 0059 or email enquiries@severnsidehousing.co.uk
In2015–16:
Resident Senate
Equality, Customer Resident Diversion Panel Inspectors & Inclusion
Worked on a number Is an open group were involved in our of projects, including which everyone Estate Walkabouts Recruitment, is welcome to to identify issues Communication attend. The panel that affect our local Review and Resident are consulted on communities, as Involvement. They proposed changes to well as reviewing recommend how services and how our void properties to we plan and deliver customers will be ensure we meet services. affected by them. the ready to let standard.
Ensures our services are tailored to meet the diverse needs of our customers.
GOVERNANCE & FINANCIAL VIABILITY STANDARD Funding and Viability
V1 G1
In 2015–16, we retained our & rating from our regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency. This is the highest rating available, confirming our financial management and future viability is strong and that Severnside is well governed.
Our Board
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Severnside has Board members who work to ensure current and future customer needs are met and that Severnside operates to the highest standard. Severnside Housing, Annual Review 2015–16
Governance As an honest and transparent organisation we aim to provide clear and accurate information to our customers. We have many processes to ensure the information we provide is correct, including: • Checks by our involved resident groups. • Reviews by our auditors and funders. • Official recognition by other organisations, including awards and accreditations. • Reviews by our regulator, the Homes and Communities Agency
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HOME STANDARD Well Maintained Homes
£10.03m 18,800
Improvement Works
was spent on repairing, maintaining and improving our homes. Property repairs completed
87%
of customers said they were hapy with the repairs service they received
Performance of Repair Timescales
of our total budget was spent on planned improvement works on
1,076
of our properties.
Major works completed in 2015–16 Item
100
99
98
Quantity
Kitchens
280
Bathrooms
108
Central Heating Systems
287
Electric Heating Systems
32
Rewires
97
96
95
£5.17m
Emergency
1 day
1 day (attend in 4 hours, complete in 24 hours)
Urgent
days 7 7days
Target Performance %
Target Performance (%)
Routine
day 3131days
Repairs
Appointments made Appointments and kept made and kept
180
New Roof
51
Fascia and Soffit
48
New gas supply
90
Actual Performance % Actual Performance (%)
Tenures of Completed Properties
New Homes Severnside is committed to providing quality, affordable homes for our customers across our communities. As well as maintaining our existing housing stock, we have a key role in developing new homes.
13
Marke Afford Shared Marke Social
37
23
Market Rent Affordable & Discounted Rent Shared Ownership Market Sale
In 2015–16, we built
127
new homes, taking our total number of homes to
Social Rent
25
29
5,500
A company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales No. 04025816. Homes & Communities Agency Registration No. LH4325. VAT No, 157 6336 88. Severnside Housing is a registered charity. Charity No. 1166317
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