Spotlight on
Flintshire Spring 2012
WWHA’s Extra Care scheme in Prestatyn is Award winning residents officially byHall FirstCourt Minister Carwyn Jones Pet friendlyopened Sydney scheme WWHA helps residents TakeCtrl in Cinnamon Trust’s UK top ten My Home DVD - ‘Making every penny count’
Also in this edition...
More affordable homes for the Flintshire area Award winning DVD ‘My home - every penny counts’
Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Welcome to the Spring 2012 edition of Spotlight on Flintshire
Jane Styles, Chair of Cwrt Leighton Residents’ Association in Connah’s Quay, is delighted with the murals at their newly renovated play park
I do not need to say that we are all still facing very challenging economic conditions and now more than ever we recognise the importance of delivering excellent customer service, supporting innovation to meet demand and, quite simply, going the extra mile to help our residents and their communities to help themselves.
including news of our £101m development programme, our first subsidiary company, our new RP strategy and how we’re approaching self-assessment.
We are committed to being green, to helping our residents deal with money-related problems, and to getting as many of them as possible up-and-running online. We’re also working with various partners to help people get into, or get back into, work or training.
Finally we always value your feedback so don’t hesitate to get in touch and tell us what you think about Spotlight, the news within it, or any other aspect of our business.
Then there are our latest developments within the business,
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So I hope you will take five minutes to read this newsletter and that it proves to be useful and informative.
Anne Hinchey Chief Executive
Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
More affordable homes for the Flintshire area Developing more high quality, affordable, sustainable homes for people in Wales is a major priority for WWHA. WWHA’s current five year £101m development programme includes innovative projects for residents with autism and learning difficulties, together with general needs housing and extra care facilities. The programme is supported by £15m social housing grant funding from our partner local authorities and the Welsh Government. Amongst WWHA’s developments currently on site, or shortly to go on site are: Llys Jasmine, Mold This £8.5m development, currently on site, will provide a 61 apartment extra care and dementia complex, plus an additional two extra care bungalows. Completion is anticipated in June 2013. The Contractor is Anwyl Construction,
a North Wales based company who play an active role in employment and training for the construction sector. The project will provide all the usual refinements expected of an extra care scheme, including restaurant, communal rooms, roof terrace, hairdressing, assisted bathing etc. The site was acquired from Flintshire County Council. Llys Y Binwydden learning autism scheme, Mold This £1m development, which is now fully occupied, is a supported living and independent living project in partnership with Flintshire County Council which provides six specialist units of accommodation, catering for a range of needs and capabilities. The project was constructed as phase 1 of a larger site which will now accommodate the extra care project mentioned above. Four of the dwellings are fully self-contained to provide accommodation for those who require independence but with a level of support. Llys Y Binwydden
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Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012 Other projects planned over the next two years include 60 houses and apartments at Glan Y Don, Greenfield, Flintshire, and we are playing an active role in the creation of plans for the regeneration of Flint. Nikki Cole, Head of Development at WWHA, says: “While family housing is a major area of strength and expertise for WWHA, we also work in partnership with local authorities across Wales to meet the
needs of local people with learning difficulties and autism. We relish the opportunity to provide housing solutions to meet a wide variety of housing requirements. Grant funding to assist the development of new social housing is limited however the Association has been successful in securing funding to help develop a range of housing opportunities across our area of operation.”
Continued investment in our properties
Taking action
During the last six months of 2011 we spent £5.7m on refurbishing our homes across Wales and we are delighted to say that we are on course to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2012.
We have recently secured possession of a property in the Mold area after the resident had demonstrated antisocial and criminal behaviour caused by severe mental health issues.
We’ve renewed the kitchens in over 400 homes (£1.3m) – including sixteen in Flintshire at a cost of £64,000.
The Court recognised that the resident should be placed in a secure hospital and should not remain in the community where he posed a risk both to himself and others around him.
Across Wales we’ve spent over £600k refurbishing bathrooms, including £106,000 on 53 in Flintshire, and we’re also investing a further £1.2m in a major window renewal programme which should make our homes more comfortable, warmer, cheaper to heat and less likely to need expensive maintenance work in the near future.
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Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Growing their own
GROWING your own fruit and veg has now got that little bit easier for many of our residents across the country. Thanks to our new Environment Fund 29 new resident-led ecoprojects are up and running with a big emphasis on helping groups to grow their own produce. Owen Jones, Environment and Sustainability Officer, said: “We know many of our residents enjoy gardening and want to make the most of the areas they have available to them. “We also know that more and more people are concerned about the environment and want to do what they can to help have a
positive impact on where they live, as well as helping to reduce their carbon footprint. “We really want to see unproductive land brought back into use by residents, and growing fruit and vegetables is a great way to stay fit and healthy and keep the food bills down.” So far the fund has invested nearly £15,000 in 29 projects across Wales, approximately £1000 of which has gone to Sydney Hall Court retirement scheme in Connah’s Quay for environmental improvements and raised beds, in partnership with EON, and to Ystad Goffa Court in Flint, for supplies of plants and vegetables for their gardening club.
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Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Award winners 2011 was an amazing year for Cwrt Leighton Residents’ Association in Connahs Quay. Not only did they launch their new Residents’ Association in style by combining it with a Royal Wedding party, but during their first year they also won significant financial support - £30,000 - from Flintshire County Council to upgrade a local children’s play park, leading to their being shortlisted for a Community Project Award at WWHA’s 2011 Making a Difference Awards. The park, now named by local children as ‘Rainbow’s End’ was formally opened by Carl Sargeant, AM for Alyn & Deeside, last week. Other partners involved in upgrading the area were Barclays Bank, moneysupermarket.com, Keep Wales Tidy, Deeside College and Groundwork Flintshire. WWHA’s eco-friendly scheme to refurbish 82 properties in Flintshire was shortlisted for a top UK Housing Award. The £852,000 project at Powell Road and Becketts Lane in Buckley, which was part-funded by the Welsh Government’s ARBED (Strategic Energy Performance Investment Programme), was shortlisted for the Outstanding Achievement in Wales category, beating dozens of other entrants from around the UK. The 18 week project saw 82 properties benefit from:
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• An external wall insulation system; • old windows and doors have been replaced with new double-glazed energy efficient products; • repairs and improvements to rooflines; • the installation of energy efficient heat recovery ventilation units to bathrooms and kitchens; all of which have made the properties cosier, more energy efficient and more eco-friendly as well as providing a substantial exterior face-lift for the area bringing attendant social, economic and psychological gains to all. Super Pet-Friendly Sydney Hall Court retirement scheme in Connah’s Quay, has been recognised as one of the top five most pet-friendly retirement schemes in the UK. In recognition of his achievements at Sydney Hall Court scheme manager Rob Holmes was presented with a certificate and a cheque for £250 to be spent on pet-related projects for the scheme at a ceremony held by The Cinnamon Trust in London. For more information go to www.cinnamon.org.uk
Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Sydney Hall Court residents walking their pets
SARTH project In north east Wales the single access to housing project (SARTH) aims to make access to social housing as efficient, consistent and fair as possible. It is a joint project of Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham local authorities and North Wales Housing, Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd, Clwyd Alyn, Cartrefi Conwy and Wales & West Housing Associations. All current partnership members have agreed to work together on a common framework for allocations and advice, as well as a set of aims and objectives, in line with Welsh Government advice to local authorities.
The project steering group has since then recruited project development officer, Nicholas Weatherall, jointly funded by all partners and hosted by Wales & West Housing Association, to coordinate the development of a common allocations framework. The project aims to pilot the common framework in 2013. Further information can be found on Tai Clwyd’s website: http://bit.ly/yvK0in
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Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
My home DVD - ‘Making every penny count’ We are proud to be a member of the North Financial Inclusion Partnership which has recently won two prestigious national awards for it’s ‘My Home…making every penny count’ DVD: 1. Promoting Independence Award 2011 – Service User Involvement Award 2011 2. MoneyActionNet Award 2011 The ‘My Home.. making every penny count’ DVD offers an innovative approach to tackling the day to day financial issues that a tenant may run into when first starting a tenancy with a social landlord.
finances. It also gives practical ideas as to where savings can be made and debt avoided. It particularly highlights the consequences of borrowing from illegal loan sharks and other sources of high cost borrowing. The DVD is made available to all new housing association residents in north Wales. The Partnership has representatives from all of the housing associations in north Wales:
The film explores the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ approach to money handling and highlights the dangers of adopting a ‘careless’ attitude towards household
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Self-assessment and planning for the future
Wi-fi broadband access for older residents
Like many other housing associations we conduct rigorous self-assessment exercises to look at how well we are performing and to help us plan for the future.
We are committed to providing broadband WiFi access at all our 100 older persons schemes across Wales within the next two years, investing £1m in the project.
We always welcome constructive feedback about any aspect of our business, our properties, or the services we deliver.
We are already working on a pilot scheme at Ty Pontrhun, one of our retirement schemes in Merthyr Tydfil, in partnership with Welsh provider Boynes. Four lines, routers and boosters will be up and running at the scheme from March 2012 providing 1MG download capacity for each resident. The cost to residents will be an affordable £1 per household per week.
To find out more about our plans and self assessment process please go to: www.wwha.net/AboutUs/ CorporateInformation/Performance/ InspectionInformation
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Cartefi Cymunedol Gwynedd Cartrefi Conwy Clwyd Alyn Housing Association North Wales Housing Association Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd Cymdeithas Tai Eryri Wales & West Housing Association
Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Take Ctrl
Take Ctrl is a digital inclusion initiative that aims to raise awareness of and provide training in the use and application of digital technologies, as a means of tackling financial inclusion across the whole of North Wales. It is specifically targeted at three of the four priority groups identified for the Communities 2.0 project. As the title suggests, the project’s aim is to empower people to make informed choices and to better manage their finances. It’s ultimate goal is to ensure that digital, financial and indeed social exclusion are reduced; to dovetail the approach for dealing with all three and to ensure that the reationale for driving digital take-up to eradicate poverty is firmly embedded in the mind-set of the project’s beneficiaries - from the housing associations’ policy development teams, front-line and broader staff base to their tenants and, indeed, the wider community. The proposal was put together by a consortium of members from seven of the housing associations that serve the North Wales area - between them the associations have housing stock the length and breadth of North Wales and have a proven track record of working
successfully in partnership on similar initiatives. The project will run across the whole of the North Wales area. The main component of the project is the proposed employment of a digital inclusion officer for a two-year period, hosted at WWHA, whose time will be shared proportionately between the organisations and their respective tenants. Her role will broadly incorporate the co-ordination (and sometimes delivery) of direct training and awareness raising; garnering and signposting to existing digital information; devising and adhering to marketing and volunteering strategies; forging links and building future partnerships. Although the proposal is for a two-year initiative, from its very conception partners have been considering its sustainability and see this very much as the first phase of a much more inclusive project that could bring together existing projects in the area, secure new partners from the public, private and third sectors, and create a model for dealing with exclusion that could be replciated elsewhere.
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Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Eco-friendly initiatives We are committed to being green across our organisation, as well as supporting our residents to be able to enjoy the many benefits of being environmentally friendly. and we have just passed our annual Green Dragon audit, reaching Level 2.
Picured is the first bore hole being started at Clos Pontganol for the installation of the ground source heat pumps. One of the 10 bore holes will go nearly 200 meters (aproximately 600 feet) down.
We are undertaking a wide range of projects, led by Owen Jones, our Environment & Sustainability Officer. We have been installing Ground Source Heat Pumps at Clos Pontganol, Llangynidr, together with additional sites at Crickhowell, Llanfair Cereinion and Flint. These literally groundbreaking projects are going to have a huge impact in helping residents to save money on their energy bills. Some residents in Maes Yr Onnen, Crickhowell are currently
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paying £150 to £200 per month on their electricity bills, and they are now going to benefit from new windows, improved insulation and Ground Source Heat Pumps. Further measures such as removing their electric showers and replacing them with mixer showers will also help to reduce their bills. Ground Source Heat Pumps are amongst the most sustainable space and domestic hot water heating systems currently available and residents will gain from having greater control of their heating and in most cases it will be cheaper to run.
Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Other projects include: •
Fuel switching
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Continuing to trial voltage optimisation devices
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Working with the Environment Agency to develop flood plans for our properties which may be affected.
We’ve also invested more than £15,000 from our Environment Fund in 29 projects across Wales. These are all resident-led projects which have applied to us for grassroots funding. Projects include developing biodiversity gardens, installation of raised beds for accessible planting,
to purchase of seeds, tools, greenhouses and other equipment. We are continually working hard to make sure that, where possible, we use and incorporate environmentally friendly technologies into every aspect of our new developments as well as in our refurbishment programmes. However, uncertainty around funding has unfortunately resulted in us having to put on hold our plans to install solar PV panels on the roofs of our suitable properties. This was due to factors beyond our control and we are among many other social housing providers across the UK in this position.
Picured is the former bin store at Western Court, Bridgend, which has now been transformed by the residents into a greenhouse, thanks to a £200 contribution from the WWHA Environment Fund.
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Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Upskilling with Communities 2.0 and Take Ctrl
Development update
We’re also working with a number of partners to upskill any of our residents, regardless of age or previous experience, to be able to enjoy the benefits of digital technology.
Throughout Wales our £101m five-year development programme is going from strength to strength.
In Merthyr Tydfil we’re working with Communities 2.0 on the Connect Merthyr Project. This is supporting older people to learn how to use a variety of platforms on the internet inclusing email, Skype, search engines, Twitter and YouTube. It is also helping them to use a variety of other digital equipment including mobile phones, cameras and video cameras. Welsh Finance minister Jane Hutt visited the project recently to see for herself the incredibly positive impact it is having on its older participants. And in North Wales we are hosting Jen Bailey, co-ordinator of the Take Ctrl Project. This is a partnership between seven housing associations including WWHA. For more details go to: www. takectrl.org
We are now on site, or about to go on site, to start work on more than 250 units in five different local authority areas. These units include general needs housing, extra care, special needs and dementia care accommodation. We have also recently completed a total of 47 units across Wales including general needs houses and apartments as well as specialist supported housing units. We’re also piloting our first Try Before You Buy’ initiative with 16 units for affordable rent with the option of purchasing the property, after a year’s successful tenureship. For more information about our development plans please go to: www.wwha.net/ourservices/ development
Making a Difference Awards 2012 Our fifth annual Making a Difference Awards will take place on October 19th at The Village Hotel, Coryton, Cardiff.
Those who make the shortlist are invited to our red carpet gala evening where community spirit is recognised with a series of awards.
We welcome nominations from anyone for community-spirited individuals or groups at any time. Our only criteria is that nominees must either be WWHA residents, or working together with WWHA residents, and the nomination process itself is quick and easy.
The categories are: Fresh Start, Local Hero, Good Neighbour, Eco Champion, Green Fingers, Community Champion.
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For more details and to make a nomination call Sharon Buckley on 029 20 415363 or email sharon. buckley@wwha.co.uk
Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Mortgage rescue Our mortgage rescue scheme is continuing to have a positive impact on the lives of many householders at risk of repossession. We are one of the few associations to operate a self-funded scheme now that the grant funding from the Welsh Government has stopped. We are still experiencing considerable demand and are committed to continuing the mortgage rescue scheme in order to help reduce homelessness. So far we’ve invested more than £2m in the scheme.
To date WWHA has: • Purchased 31 properties outright – where the residents have now become our tenants. This includes 3 properties which have been purchased without grant as part of the Associations self funded scheme. A further 4 households have accepted offers of assistance as part of this scheme. • Completed 26 loans to enable the occupiers to remain in their properties as owners To find out more our mortgage rescue scheme call freephone 0800 052 2526 Or go to: www.wwha.net/OurServices MortgageRescue/
Strong financial performance for WWHA The Association has just closed another strong year of financial performance. Firstly, as part of the new WG regulatory framework, we received a pass for financial viability judgement which is the highest rating awarded and demonstrates that we are adequately resourced to meet current and future business and financial commitments. Secondly, our results for the year show both a surplus and a positive free cash flow. This has allowed us to invest over £30m in the last three years in our existing properties to improve the quality
of our homes. With a further £10m investment planned this year, we are well on track to meeting the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) by the target date of 2012. We already have £35m of funding in place to fund future development. Having brought into management 165 newly developed properties this year alone, we have plans to bring in a further 600 over the next 5 years. To do this will require further funding and we are well placed to do this, with low gearing and a large portfolio of unsecured high quality properties on our books.
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Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Awards round-up Since our last edition of Spotlight we’ve gained the following recognition: • 2012 Sunday Times Best
Companies. In 2012 WWHA has been named the top not-for-profit organisation in Wales and ranked 8th, up from 14th in 2011.
We are also the only Welsh housing association to be awarded the coveted three stars award by Best Companies.
“I’m absolutely thrilled that we’ve been recognised as the top not-for-profit organisation in Wales, and, that we’ve made the top ten NFP organisations to work for in the UK. And to have been awarded the highest rating of three stars is fantastic,” says Anne Hinchey.
“We pride ourselves on being a values-driven company – to be fair, open, supportive, efficient and responsible – to our staff as well as everyone with whom, and for whom, we work.
• WWHA were delighted to be named in the Top 30 Family Friendly Firms in the UK by Working Families, an organisation which campaigns for work-life balance. We were one of only two Welsh organisations to make the list which is dominated by blue chip firms. • Our Stoneleigh Manor More Options Homelessness Project in partnership with Powys County Council won the Cymorth Cymru Promoting Independence
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2011 Good Commissioning Award. This project was also shortlisted for a CIH Welsh Housing Award ‘Making Best Use of Stock.” • North Wales Financial Inclusion Forum, of which we are a member organisation, won the 2011 Promoting Independence Award 2011 Service User Involvement Award for it’s ‘My Home… Making Every Penny Count’ DVD. The DVD has since won a second award – the MoneyActionNet Award 2011 by social action information provider Lemos & Crane. • WWHA residents have scooped two TPAS Cymru awards. The groups from the Garw Valley, Bridgend, and Barracksfield estate in Wrexham, beat off stiff competition from other social landlords’ groups in Wales. • Our Powell Road Eco-Friendly Regeneration Project in Flintshire was shortlisted for an Outstanding Achievement in Wales CIH UK Housing Award. • Our retirement scheme Sydney Hall Court in Connah’s Quay, run by scheme manager Rob Holmes, was shortlisted for The Cinnamon Trust’s Pet Friendly Care Home of the Year Award. • We’ve achieved the Gold Standard in RSPCA Housing Footprint.
Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Employment and training opportunities We are continuing to work in partnership with our contractors and others to provide work and training to people within many of the communities where we work.
• Working with JobMatch to train two dedicated Energy Advisers who will spread the word among residents as to how to get the best fuel deals and how best to cut costs.
Donna Samuel, one of two returners to work who have secured permanent jobs with WWHA thanks to JobMatch, Bridgend. Donna recently met First Minister Carwyn Jones (pictured beloew) at a local Health and Wellbeing event, and she took the opportunity to explain how finding a full-time job had transformed her life.
• Supporting our contractors and suppliers to create apprenticeships in electrics and window fitting. • Creating work placements through JobCentre Plus and the Department of Work and Pensions’Work Programme. • And we’re exploring what job opportunities we may be able to create through recycling.
New Resident Participation Strategy We’ve updated our resident Participation strategy. If you’d like to find out more please go to: www.wwha.net/ NR/rdonlyres/6C6733C0-FA834302-912C-F846D2D3C68F/0/ InTouchWinter20112.pdf Many of our contractors have taken on apprentices as a result of the work we commission them to do. Some other example of how we are supporting people to get back into work, include:
Or you can read the strategy in full at: www.wwha.net/NR/ rdonlyres/10FD0DC5-E4DD4B9C-9FC0-EF0F5A83AA1B/0/ WHALTPS2011.pdf
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Spotlight on Flintshire - Spring 2012
Key
Contacts
Head Office 3 Alexandra Gate, Ffordd Pengam, Tremorfa, Cardiff CF24 2UD Tel: 0800 052 2526 Fax: 029 2041 5380 Website: www.wwha.net
Flint Office Unit 2 Acorn Business Park Aber Road, Flint, Flintshire CH6 5YN Email: info@wwha.co.uk Minicom: 0800 052 5205 Follow us on @WWHA
STRATEGIC Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive 029 2041 5335 anne.hinchey@wwha.co.uk
Tony Wilson, Finance Director 029 2041 5346 tony.wilson@wwha.co.uk
Shayne Hembrow, Operations Director 029 2041 5362 shayne.hembrow@wwha.co.uk
HOUSING Lynnette Glover, Head of Housing 029 2041 5365 lynnette.glover@wwha.co.uk
Cate Porter, Housing Manager (Gen. Needs) 01352 736325 catherine.porter@wwha.co.uk
Anne Caloe, Housing Manager (Retirement/Supported Housing) 01352 736323
anne.caloe@wwha.co.uk
DEVELOPMENT Nikki Cole, Head of Development 029 2041 4093 nikki.cole@wwha.co.uk
PROPERTY SERVICES Steve Porter, Head of Property Services 029 2041 5373 steve.porter@wwha.co.uk
Wales & West Housing Association is registered as a charitable 16 association under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 No. 21114R www.wwha.net