The Tenanc y Standa rd
inv The T em olvem enan po en t w sta erm t an d nd ard ent
The Home Standard
The Neighbourhood s and Communit ies standard
Improving Ser vices ForYou ... The value for money standard
e e and ty h T nc ili a viab n r ve cial ard o G an nd Fin sta
Contents Our Services to You
01
Having Your Say and Getting Involved
02
Repairing and Maintaining Your Home
04
Quality Homes for You
06
Your Home,Your Choice
08
Where you Live
10
Spending Your Money Wisely
12
How We Run Our Business
14
Our Plans for Improved Services
16
Our Services to You In October 2010 we sent you a report which included facts and figures showing how we had performed in 2009-10. It also included information about how we are meeting standards set by our regulator, the Tenant Services Authority and how we were planning improvements to our services in consultation with residents. We promised to keep you up to date with those plans and this special supplement to your regular newsletter brings you the latest news about this work.
How we have gathered your views We have been gathering tenants and other customers views for a long time and making changes to our services in response to your suggestions. Last summer we used the Residents Challenge Day to get your views on many of our main services and in October’s Tenants Report we asked you to get in touch with your ideas. Since then we have held a number of workshops, inviting tenants who had said they were interested in particular areas of our work to make suggestions about what we could do better or differently. We have also studied the results of the recent STATUS satisfaction survey to check which parts of our service tenants are most and least satisfied with. You can read more about the survey results in your newsletter.
01
t enan and T e h T t men ent e v l o inv owerm emp andard st
Having Your Say and Getting Involved
Finding the best way to get your views heard
We are committed to working with residents to improve neighbourhoods and to provide choices in the services we offer. We asked you what kind of service you wanted and how we could improve our existing service. As a result, as well as continuing with the best of what we already do, this is what we offer.
02
What we do now 4 We have agreed with you how we can engage 4 We have a clear complaints process with tenants and other customers which makes it easy for you to tell us if you think something has gone wrong 4 We involve residents in how we run our with our service business, with tenant Board Members and other groups involved in planning and 4 We aim to learn from complaints and improving services review any that we receive 4 We offer a range of ways for you to contact us and have your say 4 We carry out neighbourhood walkabouts with tenants and other agencies to identify and resolve problems in your local area
Involvement and empowerment
Understanding and responding to the diverse needs of our tenants
We will: 4 Provide a variety of ways for you to give your views and ideas on improving services
4 We will work with residents who represent neighbourhoods to listen to and feedback the differing views in that area
4 Provide training and information so that you are confident about getting involved
4 We will be flexible about how we gather information from individuals, groups or events
4 Make sure that even if you live in more remote rural areas you will have the same chance of being involved in our work
4 We will keep information we hold up-to-date, to help us deliver services which meet individuals’ needs
4 Provide opportunities for you to hold us to account and to compare us with other housing providers
Customer service & choice 4 We will continue to improve how we communicate with you
4 Where possible we will contact you in the way you prefer, offering home visits or appointments at the office as well as phone calls, texts, emails and letters 4 We will improve information available on our websites and through other media 4 We will explore where we may be able to offer you more choices
Comments and complaints 4 We will improve the way we learn from complaints and will try to involve tenants in how we review complaints 4 We will keep you better informed about what action we take when you make comments and suggestions
4 We aim to deal with most of your enquiries when you first contact us 03
The e Hom rd da Stan
Repairing and Maintaining Your Home Providing a reliable and responsive repairs service
We want you to have a say and feel that we have listened to your views. We believe we provide a cost effective service that keeps homes well maintained and safe. Customer satisfaction with our service has improved over the last two years and we want to continue to provide an excellent service to you. We asked you what kind of service you want and how we could improve our existing service. Where we can, we are making these changes. This is the service we offer you. 04
What we do now
Repairs
4 We have a dedicated team of operatives on call, 365 days a year
We will:
4 Our service includes a 24 hour emergency response 4 Our repairs target times have been agreed with tenants 4 We provide a service you can trust delivered by Total Response Ltd (TRL), our in-house team and approved local contractors 4 We follow up repairs to find out how satisfied you are with the service 4 We invest over ÂŁ1 million each year to bring existing properties up to our lettable standard
4 Make appointments for repairs when you first contact us 4 Make arrangements to remind customers of appointments 4 Develop a handyperson service for smaller jobs 4 Complete repairs right first time 4 Publicise how well we perform against our targets and other commitments each year
Responsive repairs
Regular servicing
Repairing empty homes
4 We aim to attend to all emergencies within 2 hours - if we can’t fix it we will make it safe and finish the repair within 24 hours
We will:
We will:
4 Service heating systems and appliances each year to ensure you remain safe in your home
4 Upgrade empty homes to a ‘tenant approved’ standard
4 We aim to carry out urgent repairs within 3 days
4 Regularly service emergency lighting, fire equipment, door entry systems, lifts, fire alarms and CCTV installations
4 We aim to carry out non-urgent repairs within 21 days 4 We will carry out some repairs in batches to ensure we get value for money 4 We aim to keep our high levels of customer satisfaction. We’ll use a mixture of surveys and inspections to check this out
4 Carry out other surveys periodically, for example, to check for asbestos, to ensure we identify any hazards in your home
4 Continue to involve tenants in checking the quality of our work on empty homes 4 Continue to ask new tenants what they think about their new home and act on the best suggestions 4 Repair and relet empty properties promptly, setting target times each year 4 Monitor the costs of repairing empty properties to keep them reasonable while keeping to our agreed standard
05
The e Hom rd da Stan
Quality Homes for You Providing homes you can be proud of
We are proud of the homes we provide and want you to be happy with your home too. Our new homes are built to a high standard and we invest in both new and older homes to improve their energy efficiency. We asked you what kind of service you wanted and how we could improve our existing service. Where we can, we are making those changes. This is the service we offer you. 06
What we’re already doing
We will:
4 W e have invested £25 million in improvements in the last 4 years across the whole Group
4 Maintain your home above the national standard
4 We are meeting our promises made to tenants about improvements to their homes 4 We have improved homes to meet, and in many cases exceed the Government’s Decent Homes Standard 4 We have invested in ‘green’ heating systems and insulation to energy efficiency and save you money on fuel bills 4 We have carried out adaptations to suit individual circumstances to help people to remain in their home 4 We involve you in planning improvements made to your home
4 Encourage feedback to improve our service and the homes we provide 4 Promote health and safety to our contractors and ensure that they work safely in your homes 4 Work with you to improve the information we give you about our investment plans for your homes and neighbourhoods
New homes
Improvements to your home
Adaptations
4 We will involve you in the design of homes that are built near where you live
We will:
We will:
4 We aim to build homes for rent to help those who can’t afford to buy
4 Continue to give you a choice of layout and style of products we fit into your home
4 Work with you and your Local Authority to provide adaptations to meet your needs
4 We aim to build homes for full and shared ownership for those who want to buy their home
4 Involve you more in the planning and implementation of our improvement works programmes
4 Improve servicing arrangements for adaptations
4 We will involve local communities in shaping our plans for new homes
4 Involve you in quality checks on improvement works
4 We will ask new occupiers how happy they are with their new home and how we could improve new developments
4 Publicise our plans for investment each year
4 We will let you know our plans for new homes each year
4 Advertise adapted properties through Shropshire HomePoint to ensure that we make the best possible use of our homes to meet your needs
4 Continue to explore and fit ‘greener’ and more efficient heating systems to help protect the environment and reduce residents’ bills 07
The ncy Tena ard d Stan
Your Home,Your Choice Making the right moves
We want you to make the right choice when deciding where to live. Once in your home we want you to be an active part of your community and be proud of your home and where you live. We asked you what kind of service you want and how we could improve our existing service. Where we can, we are making these changes. As well as continuing with the best of what we already do, this is the service we offer you. 08
What we do now 4 W e offer those looking for housing or to move an easy way to find a home through the Choice Based Letting system, Shropshire HomePoint which is run in partnership with Shropshire Council and other housing providers 4 W e use Herefordshire HomePoint to let our homes in Herefordshire 4 W e are members of HomeSwapper, a system to help people to move from one area to another 4 O ur rents are set in line with government guidance
4 W e have a clear policy about rents and aim to prevent arrears and deal with them quickly if they do occur 4 W e provide rent account statements for you every 3 months 4 W e have a clear process for providing aids and adaptations to help people stay in their homes and for finding adapted homes to meet individual needs 4 W e offer a range of housing and support services and can put you in touch with other agencies who can provide help if you need it
Allocations
Rents
Your Tenancy
4 W e will encourage more landlords to join Shropshire HomePoint so that applicants have more choice
4 I f you miss rent payments we will contact you promptly to help prevent arrears and agree manageable repayments
4 W e will keep you updated with changes that will affect your tenancy
4 W e will provide more general information to you about who we house 4 W e will provide help to those who want to move to a smaller or more manageable home 4 W e will improve information to Shropshire HomePoint users for example applications will be registered and an acknowledgment sent
4 We aim to visit all our tenants over a 3 year period
4 W e will use the phone more as a method of contact 4 W e will treat every case based on individual circumstances 4 W e will work with partner agencies to provide debt advice to tenants with rent arrears 4 W e will consider incentives for people who have a clear rent account
09
The oods h bour nities h g i Ne ommu and Cstandard
Where you Live Creating safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods
We want you to be proud of where you live. We will work with you and other agencies to make sure that neighbourhoods and shared community spaces are well maintained, clean and safe. We asked you what kind of service you wanted and how we could improve our existing service. Where we can we are making those changes. As well as continuing with the best of what we already do, this is the service we offer you. 10
What we do now
Neighbourhoods
4 We have contracts which set clear standards for grass cutting and related work
We will:
4 Tenant ‘spotters’ check that these standards are maintained 4 We carry out neighbourhood walkabouts with tenants and local agencies to improve where you live. 4 We have sponsored community clean up days 4 We have a clear policy which guides how we deal with anti-social behaviour 4 We work in partnership with the Police and other local agencies to identify issues and agree the best way to tackle anti social behaviour
4 Expand our regular neighbourhood walkabouts in your community 4 Publicise the dates and outcomes of the walkabouts 4 Agree standards appropriate to your neighbourhood including standards for the upkeep of green areas
Anti-social behaviour
Service Charges
We will:
4 We will work towards making statements clear to everyone so that you know what services you are paying for
4 Respond to the most serious incidents within 1 working day 4 Provide advice and guidance to tackle the problem 4 Let you know the outcomes of cases
4 We will consult with you to create a ‘menu’ of choice that covers services provided to shared areas
4 Arrange for specialist agencies to provide help and support where appropriate 4 Improve how we monitor and handle reports of anti social behaviour 4 Keep you informed of the progress of your case We plan to use mediation more to resolve disputes and have trained staff to do this 11
alue The v oney for m dard stan
Spending Your Money Wisely
Shropshire Housing Group recognises the importance of giving value for money… and that this does not only mean keeping costs down
You have told us that you want to see services that are effective, meet your needs and are of good quality. In a recent survey 87% of our residents said that the rent they pay is good value. We must ensure we keep it that way. We asked you what kind of service you wanted and how we could improve our existing service.
12
What we do now 4 Wherever possible we join procurement clubs to share purchases with other providers. We have recently set up a new ‘club’ with other housing organisations which is dedicated to the Midlands Region 4 We have a Value For Money Working Group which includes senior staff, Board Members and tenants. The Group meets regularly to consider new ways of improving the efficiency of our services 4 We involve tenants in the choice and appointment of contractors, suppliers and consultants to help make sure we get the right balance between cost and quality
4 Senior Managers regularly review budgets and the top ten highest areas of spending 4 We use a process called “lean working” which helps us to look carefully at how we do things and eliminate unnecessary and wasteful procedures. This has had a big impact on the speed with which we relet empty homes and in managing rent arrears
You told us that:
Our commitment for the future
4 We need to publicise our performance more – especially Total Response Ltd
As a result, we have set some clear service standards. We promise to:
4 We need to encourage tenants to help themselves where possible, for example working together to benefit all in the local community and using heating systems more efficiently
4 Improve and simplify the way in which we get feedback from you with fewer but more effective surveys
4 Work harder to engage with younger tenants and home owners, so we understand what matters to them
4 Set clear targets each year for each department setting out the efficiencies we wish to achieve
4 Look to work in partnership with other housing providers to save money
4 We need to use purchasing clubs more widely 4 We must cut out inefficiencies. 4 We need to work with other agencies where possible to cut costs
4 Focus our attention on the three top priorities the Value For Money Focus Group set out:
4 Providing new homes
4 We must make sure all services are delivered in a consistent way
4 Continuing to invest in our existing homes
4 Plan improvements that help tenants save money for example fitting more energy efficient heating systems
4 Putting more money into face to face housing services
4 To produce more relevant performance information and statistics to share with residents
13
The and ance bility n r e Gov cial via n Fina standard
How We Run Our Business Ensuring we’re run well.
We believe that Shropshire Housing Group is a well run organisation with sound finances. We want to ensure this continues and that we operate in a way that is open and accountable to our tenants and the wider communities in which we work. We have a ‘governance improvement plan’ which we update every year and so we asked you what we could do better. As a result, we will add some new actions. 14
What we do now 4 We follow the National Housing Federation’s code of good practice Excellence in Governance which guides how we are run 4 W e carry out regular reviews to check that our boards, committees and individual board members work effectively 4 The boards set clear aims and objectives for the Group; we publicise these and what we have achieved along with how we are governed in our corporate plan, our annual report and in tenants’ newsletters 4 We regularly review the risks we face to make sure we have arrangements in place to minimise them
What we do now continued
We will:
4 We have clear guidelines that explain the different roles of board members and staff
4 Continue to follow the code ‘Excellence in Governance’
4 We regularly review what our regulators and funders need to make sure we meet those requirements
Getting the finances right 4 We have annual budgets which are managed closely
4 Provide clearer and more regular information about our performance 4 Set up clear ways by which tenants can scrutinise our performance 4 Promote how tenants can get involved in running the organisation 4 Arrange opportunities for tenants to meet and question board members and senior staff
4 We have clear 30 year business plans which show that we can and remain in business in the long term 4 We have clear procedures to ensure that we borrow and lend money responsibly 4 We follow widely recognised accounting rules to ensure that our finances are recorded and reported accurately. 4 Each year our accounts are audited by an independent firm to comply with the law
15
Our plans for improved services In this update you can see what Shropshire Housing Group offers you. The tenants we spoke to didn’t want major changes to our services or for them to be significantly different in different towns and villages; they wanted us keep to a high standard of service and to work on making some services more efficient – which might include working more closely with other organisations. If you want more details about the services we mention you can pick up one of our individual service leaflets from our offices or from the website (www.shropshirehousing.org.uk) or alternatively ring our Customer Services Team on 0300 303 1190 who will be pleased to help you.
16
It’s never too late to get involved! Interested? Getting involved doesn’t have to mean committing yourself to attending lots of long meetings – you can get involved in other ways. If you want to know more about having your say then contact our Resident Involvement Team on 0300 303 1190.
Next Steps Staff from across the Group will be working hard to make the changes you wanted to see and to improve our services. As part of this work we will be listening you about what you want. For example, over the coming months there will be: 4 C onsultation with residents about our future investment plans – looking at what and where we need to spend money to improve your homes and environment 4 Survey work to help us find out more about our customers 4 A review of how Shropshire HomePoint works – including consultation with a sample of HomePoint users
4 Consultation with residents about maintenance standards for shared areas – including grass cutting and cleaning standards 4 Follow up discussions with residents who have reported anti-social behaviour to find out where we need to doing things better 4 More work to find out how we can improve the satisfaction and meet the expectations of our younger customers
Working together to improve services We have developed these plans and standards in consultation with tenants. We are working with Shropshire Council and other housing associations to explore ways in which we can share resources, involve residents more in checking services and support residents as they become more involved in planning services.
Equal Opportunities statement We recognise the damage that disadvantage and discrimination can cause. We are committed to equal opportunities and will take positive steps to ensure that you will not be treated less favourably than anyone else in your dealings with us because of race, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, class or age.
We will provide a report every year on how we have met our standards and improved our services. 17
The Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 9BW T: 0300 303 1190 E: enquiries@shropshirehousing.org.uk www.sshropsha.co.uk
Talbot House, High Street, Wem, Shropshire SY4 5AA T: 0300 303 1190 E: enquiries@mmha.org.uk www.mmha.org.uk
The Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 9BW T: 0300 303 1190 E: enquiries@tresponse.org.uk www.tresponse.co.uk
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The Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 9BW T: 0300 303 1190 E: enquiries@shropshirehousing.org.uk www.shropshirehousing.org.uk