leadership
viability
customers
growth
support
CORPORATE
STRATEGY
2016 - 2020
2
mission Deliver quality homes, build communities & improve lives
vision
values
Homes people choose
Pride Passion Respect Innovation Teamwork
MA CD O C LD NA OURT
In delivering our vision, we expect to achieve a number of key outcomes: Provide a choice of good quality homes and services. Deliver excellent services tailored to the needs of individual residents, with additional support for those who need it. Support the development of vibrant, sustainable communities. Continue to provide new homes, working within financial constraints.
index 4 introduction 6 strategic objectives 2016-2020 9 schedule of awards 10 who we are
SE R
AM
IC S
K TE R MA E C VI
Pride in everything we do Passion for excellent customer services Respect for everyone Innovation for improvement and value for money Teamwork for results
I
am delighted to be introducing the new
We will build on our strong reputation as an
Corporate Strategy for Town & Country
efficient, well managed and financially sound
Housing Group to take us through to 2020.
business. Our well documented track record of
The rapidly changing landscape for social
innovation means we will be able to continue to
housing and some of the biggest challenges for the
deliver on our social purpose as well as responding
social housing sector in memory has energised the
positively to the agenda of efficiencies, increasing
Board, executives and staff at Town & Country and
the supply of new homes and providing access to
this strategy sets out how we intend to respond to
home ownership for more people.
those challenges. This strategy sets out our focus and objectives We intend to remain a housing business with
for the next five years to ensure we are well
a social purpose. We will adopt a commercial
positioned in the new environment and remain on a
approach to driving an efficient housing business,
sustainable footing for the future.
through being an excellent organisation, maximising resources and investing in commercial ventures to provide surpluses to invest in affordable housing and services.
Bob Heapy Chief Executive
4 Introduction
O
and manage risk within clearly defined parameters.
ver the last five years Town &
Recent changes in our operating environment,
Country Housing Group has
such as falling expenditure on public services, the
made significant progress as a
continued constraint on welfare benefits and the
business. We have increased
reduction in social rents will provide significant
our financial strength and become more efficient.
challenges and pressures on the social housing
We have high operating margins and in 2016
sector. Town & Country will not be isolated from
maintained our credit rating of AA-; we have
these challenges, but we are in a strong position to
continued to grow and regenerate some of our
respond positively to them.
neighbourhoods delivering 323 new homes in
We recognise and support the need for the
2015/16; and we continued to improve our service
government to manage public finances effectively,
offer to our residents with customer satisfaction
particularly the costs of welfare benefit. Through
for repairs now at 94% and overall satisfaction at
our charitable Foundation, utilising our experience
82%. We have invested in information technology
and working with partners, we will assist in
which has allowed us to work more effectively and
providing additional support for those who need it,
we are constantly striving to make it easier for our
particularly by helping people to move from benefits
customers to interact with us.
into work.
We have sophisticated internal controls and risk
We also recognise and support the government’s
management tools to help us manage the business.
drive to provide opportunities for people to own
Our internal ‘tramlines’ enable us to manage our
a home they can afford, and we can and will
business comfortably within our financial covenants
support that aspiration by delivering routes into
deliver popular state of the art accommodation for independent living for the elderly. home ownership through voluntary right to buy, Over the next five years we will continue to improve shared ownership, rent to home buy, starter efficiency and deliver cost savings. We will be looking homes and outright sale. We can help people at new more efficient delivery models, smarter through that journey into home ownership as their procurement and further investment in information personal situations change. We also realise that technology. A more efficient business will help us to there will always be people who will never be able deliver greater surpluses to allow us to increase the to own their own homes and therefore a key part supply of new homes. of our work is to continue to provide affordable Our focus of operation and growth will remain homes for rent. So we also intend to remain within Kent and East Sussex. Our successful stock true to our values and as a minimum protect rationalisation strategy has seen us exit much the number of social rented homes that we own of London, Surrey and West Sussex. This has and manage by replacing those lost through the allowed us to focus on effectively managing key extended right to buy. local relationships to deliver growth in our core We will continue to work with our residents to geographical area. It has also helped us to achieve ensure our homes and services are of high quality the high levels of efficiency in our operations and continue to meet the needs of our customers. through geographical concentration. We anticipate that we will manage many more interactions with our customers on-line, but will ensure we are able to continue to provide direct support to those most vulnerable living in our homes. Our ‘older persons offer’ has seen us transform outdated sheltered schemes and
Our Corporate Strategy is based around five key themes: Viability - Customers - Support Growth - Leadership
6 strategic objectives 2016 - 2020 growth
viability
iv e s t c je
Maintain financial strength and resilience.
Deliver efficiency and value for money through innovation in all we do to maximise financial capacity for reinvestment in services and new homes
measures • Reduce our operating cost per unit in real terms each year to achieve our business plan position. • By 2020 achieve gearing below the 52% tramline and surpluses in excess of the 5% tramline • Continue to monitor the roll out of Universal Credit and the impact of the benefit cap and other benefit changes on our customers. • Ensure that rent and service charge collection is at least 99.8% (31 Mar 2016 at 99.5%) • Ensure void processes are effective and void income loss remains at or below 0.6% (31 March 2016 at 0.7%) • Review the current model for delivering responsive maintenance and voids servicing by March 2017 to deliver improved efficiency on responsive repairs budgets • Introduce a new ‘Smart Procurement’ approach to deliver annual real terms efficiency savings • Identify the potential for partnerships with others to share costs and add value
Growth and asset investment
ob
ob
Continued viability, innovation, efficiency and financial capacity
iv e s t c je
Achieve sustainable growth from the delivery of new homes and new forms of home ownership. Ensure we at least maintain the total number of social rented stock
measures • Deliver in excess of 2% growth in homes annually (including private sale)subject to business plan capacity and commercial tramlines • Increase return on assets by identifying low performing assets which can be disposed of when void to reinvest in new housing and improved energy performance of our existing stock. • Continue to rationalise our stock to focus on our core operating areas of Kent and East Sussex through acquisition, swap or transfer. • Replace homes sold through the extended right to buy one for one to maintain the profile of the rented stock • Ensure our homes continue to meet the Decent Homes Standard or equivalent standard. • Grow our leasehold and private rented management functions by delivering services for other providers.
7 Keeping residents at the heart of our business
Effective governance, leadership and people
iv e s t c je
iv e s t c je
ob
leadership
ob
customers
Be an excellent landlord, deliver efficient, excellent core services and listen to the views of our residents
Provide excellent governance and leadership, be the local employer of choice to attract and retain the best talent to deliver our outcomes
measures
measures
• Deliver ‘brilliant basics’ and improve customer satisfaction with repairs to 95% (31 Mar 2016 94%) and overall satisfaction to 84% (31 Mar 2016 82%) • In 2016 review our operational structure to ensure it is fit for purpose and delivers excellent, efficient services • Utilise technology to ensure our customers have the opportunity to engage with us in the most appropriate and effective way. Enhance the channels through which residents can interact and transact with us to maximise online transactions and by 2018 have 30% of our customers signed up to ‘My Home Online’ (31 March 2016, 20% of our residents had signed up) • By the end of 2016, deliver a root and branch review of our service charge process. Ensure service charge variances are contained to within 5% and achieve an overall satisfaction rating with service charges of 60% by 2020 • Increase the percentage of customers who are satisfied that we have taken their views into account to 60% (measured 2013 at 57%) • Research and by 2017 develop approaches for tenants and shared ownership customers who want to move on to own their home outright
• Ensure the governance review implemented in 2014 is reviewed in 2017 to ensure it remains fit for purpose • Implement a staff development programme, which includes increasing and developing skills that will be needed in the new operating environment • In 2016/17 deliver an effective succession plan for Board retirements in 2017 • In 2016/17 deliver a succession plan for the executive and leadership group • In 2017 modernise our brand, building on our new communications strategy • Retain Best Companies and IIP accreditation • Fill at least 35% of vacancies with internal candidates from April 2017 • Introduce new ways of promoting jobs to our residents, e.g. using social media. We will monitor applications and report to board. • Promote our achievements, best practice and innovation through multi media channels • Review our approach to equality and diversity for both customers and staff, including producing a new strategy by March 2018.
8 strategic objectives 2016 - 2020 support
work of the Foundation
ob
Supporting the most vulnerable in our homes
iv e s t c je
Provide appropriate support for those most vulnerable in our homes
measures • Ensure that 6% of annual operating costs is utilised for ‘support’ of residents through both core business and our charitable arm, The Foundation focusing on key themes of: 1. Learning, skills and employment 2. Health and wellbeing 3. Financial inclusion • Continue to deliver an effective response to fuel poverty and by 2020 ensure our homes have an average SAP rating of 70 (In March 2016 the figure was 68.2)
As well as providing good quality housing, we are immensely proud of our partnership work with the wider community, much of which has been led by the Town & Country Foundation. The work we have been involved in includes: ~ Learning, skills, employment and enterprise ~ ~ Community development and cohesion ~ ~ Community wellbeing ~ ~ Developing support and services for families ~
our awards 9 The business is in very good health and we are
AA-rating
We are Investors in People accredited.
Shortlisted at this year’s Housing Innovation Awards in the ‘Most Innovative IT System’ category.
Sunday Times
Innovation Award
Accredited
We have been named as one of the Sunday Times 100 Best Not for Profit Organisations to work for both 2015 and 2016.
Placemakers
Homeswapper
We were highly commended in the Placemakers of the Year Awards in 2015 for the Spa Meadows development.
TPAS Award Our Resident Scrutiny Panel has delivered several excellent service reviews and in 2015 won ‘The Most Inspiring Newcomers’ Award at the Customer Scrutiny Inspection Awards and in 2016 were shortlisted in the TPAS (the Tenant Participation Advisory Service) ‘Excellence in Scrutiny’ Award.
Charity Award The Foundation was highly commended in the ‘Charity Partnership’ Small Business’ category of the Third Sector’s Business Charity Awards in 2014.
Contact Centre We were the regional winner in the 2015 Homeswapper Star Landlord Award.
Our customer contact centre was highly placed in the London and South East Contact Centre Forum awards in 2015.
In 2016 we retained a AA- credit rating.
Excellence
Town & Country won three awards at the Kent Housing Group excellence awards in 2015.
We retained our Institute of Customer Services (ICS) ‘Service Mark’ in 2015. We were the first housing association to receive this accolade.
Service Mark
very proud of our achievements:
Staff Awards Awards won by individual Town and Country staff have included the ‘Green Social Housing Champion of the Year’ Award at the 2014 Sustainable Housing Awards and the Office Angels Professional of the Year Award for 2015.
10 Who we are Town and Country is an independent provider of housing and related services in the South East of England. We own 9,247 homes and in addition we own the freehold interest for 455 leasehold properties.
Social rented Affordable Rent homes
(general needs)
Sheltered housing
Supported housing
Intermediate rented
Outright market sale
Shared ownership Market rented
The following map shows where our homes are located:
Jargon Buster List of terms and definitions Assets An asset is something that is owned by a company and has a monetary value, for example property. Decent Homes Standard This sets out the standard that social housing should meet in terms of having modern facilities, being in good repair and being energy efficient. Financial covenants These are the conditions included in loan agreements (for example something that will or will not be carried out as a condition of the loan). Gearing This is the amount of money owed as a percentage of the company’s assets minus any money owed on them. Governance The way an organisation is managed or run, including the way decisions are made. Operating environment The outside factors that affect our organisation, such as market conditions and political changes. Operating margin This is the percentage of a company’s income that is left after paying its operating costs such as wages. Return on assets This is the surplus generated by a company as a percentage of the value of the assets owned by a company. Tramlines These are our financial limits that we will always try to remain within. Internal controls These are the processes we have in place to give assurance that we are meeting our obligations and objectives and we are working efficiently and effectively. Stock rationalisation This is our programme for reducing the number of local authority areas in which we own housing so that we can focus on a smaller number of core areas. Financial Inclusion Delivering income and money advice, support and training
leadership
viability
customers
growth
support
Monson House Monson Way Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1LQ 01892 501480 www.tchg.org.uk