HOME! CITY OF LINCOLN COUNCIL ANNUAL REPORT TO TENANTS 2012/13
FIND OUT HOW WELL WE’RE PERFORMING! ONLY IN HOME!
Rent, repairs and services - it’s all inside...
T S O O B N O I L £25 MIL L ECONOMY TO LOCA
FOREWORD Welcome to this year ’s annual report to tenants which sets out how we have performed as your landlord in 2012/13. This repor t has been put together jointly by the council and tenant representatives on Lincoln Tenants Panel. In previous years we have kept you updated on the services we provide, how we spend your money and how we are performing against the standards you expec t from us. We hope that you find this repor t a helpful snapshot of how we are doing. John Bibby Direc tor of Housing and Community Services Councillor Peter West Housing Portfolio Holder Tony Higgs Chairman of Lincoln Tenants Panel
OUR VISION! OUR VISION IS THAT:
‘All Lincoln residents can have a decent, suitable home which they can afford in a community where they want to live, with the support they need to live independently.’
What’s it all about? The Homes and Communities Agency sets out national housing standards that social landlords are required to meet. These are: CONSUMER STANDARDS Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Home Tenancy Neighbourhood and Community ECONOMIC STANDARD Rent
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New contract gives £25m boost to local economy
This Year’s Highlight
LINCOLN’S ECONOMY HAS RECEIVED A £25 MILLION BOOST AFTER THE COUNCIL INVESTED CASH TO CREATE JOBS, OFFER APPRENTICESHIPS, IMPROVE TENANT LIVING CONDITIONS AND BUILD COMMUNITY PROJECTS.
The partnership will result in an estimated £1.5 million in savings for the council over the coming five years of working together, with scope to extend the deal for a further five years to 2023.
The council’s housing planned maintenance partnering contract was awarded to Kier and provides maintenance and improvement works to the city’s 8,000 council homes.
As part of the works, Kier is responsible for installing new kitchens, bathrooms, windows and doors and rewiring at some properties to ensure the 8,000 council houses meet the government’s Decent Homes standard.
In addition to carrying out maintenance on the city council’s homes the contract provides employment opportunities for residents, as all Kier employees working on this scheme live within Lincoln and its surrounding areas. Kier also runs a number of apprenticeship projects, having already conducted 200 training programmes in the city.
The contract also incorporates a number of community-based projects ranging from providing tools, seeds and plants for allotments, working with young people to teach about money management and even running a time bank, where Kier staff can donate hours to help community-run schemes. One of the schemes to be introduced by Kier is a new website service where tenants can log problems so maintenance teams are able to deal with them as quickly and efficiently as possible.
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Tenant Satisfaction EVERY TWO YEARS WE ASK AN INDEPENDENT COMPANY TO CARRY OUT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY. OUR LATEST SURVEY WAS CARRIED OUT TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR. THE RESULTS WERE VERY ENCOURAGING WITH HIGH LEVELS OF TENANT SATISFACTION.
LAST YEAR WE BUILT FIVE NEW HOMES ON WELLINGTON STREET. NEXT YEAR WE PLAN TO BUILD FIVE MORE ON STAPLEFORD AVENUE.
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Questions asked
How did we do? 2011/12
How did we do? 2012/13
Satisfied with the overall service
86 per cent
88 per cent
Satisfied with quality of the home
88 per cent
90 per cent
Satisfied with condition of property
83 per cent
86 per cent
Satisfied with value for money for rent
84 per cent
76 per cent
Satisfied with the neighbourhood as a place to live
80 per cent
81 per cent
Made contact with the council
65 per cent
67 per cent
Ease of getting hold of the right person
60 per cent
72 per cent
Helpfulness of staff
79 per cent
86 per cent
Ability of staff to deal with the problem
78 per cent
80 per cent
Satisfied with final outcome of contact
68 per cent
78 per cent
Satisfied with repairs and maintenance
78 per cent
95 per cent
Satisfied that views are taken into account by the council
61 per cent
67 per cent
Keeping tenants informed
76 per cent
79 per cent
How we rate our service
E HOW WE HAV ASSESSED OUCRE PERFORMAN
Poor performance High cost 6 8
WE HAVE INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE HAVE ASSESSED PERFORMANCE, INCLUDING LOCAL OFFERS AND SERVICE STANDARDS.
Good performance High cost 1
4
5
BENCHMARKING
Poor performance Low cost
The chart to the right shows cost compared to performance for each activity area. If an activity area is missing from the chart, it is because we do not have all the information required for that activity area. Figures are based on the total cost per property of delivering the service (including overheads).
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Good performance Low cost 7
Performance
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM US? We will answer your enquiries professionally We will notify you of any changes in housing officers We will listen to your views and seek to improve our services
WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM YOU? That you treat all staff and contractors politely, courteously and with respect. That you provide any information we ask for when we ask for it or as soon as possible
KEY Responsive repairs and empty property wor Rent arrears and collection
1 2
4
Anti-social behaviour (we do not have all of the information needed to plot this) Major works and cyclical maintenance
5
Lettings
6 7
Tenancy management Resident involvement
8
Estate services
3
ks
5
HOME! EXCLUSIVE
Tenant Involvement and Empowerment LAST YEAR WE LOOKED AT HOW TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED AND WE SET UP A GROUP CALLED ‘EQUALITY COUNTS’. WE ALSO INTRODUCED AND TRAINED TENANT INSPECTORS TO ASSESS OUR EMPTY PROPERTY LETTING STANDARD. We recruited 13 tenants who are now involved in a range of tenant involvement options. Sadly, Eve Villiers, who was a longstanding member of Lincoln Tenants’ Panel, died in March and we took some time to remember the work that she did. We will continue to consult and involve tenants and leaseholders about decisions affecting the management of homes.
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QUESTIONS ASKED
HOW DID WE DO? 2011/12
HOW DID WE DO? 2012/13
Answer telephone calls within 30 seconds
49 per cent
46 per cent
See visitors at the contact centre in 20 minutes
10 minutes 11 minutes average average waiting waiting time time
Answer complaints within 10 working days
62 per cent
82 per cent
HOW WE RATE OUR SERVICE
We want to hear from you JOI N US ON FAC EBO OK :
FACEBOOK.COM/LINCOLNCOUNCIL
WE WA NT TO KN OW WH AT YOU THI NK AB OU T OU R SER VIC E. WE INT EN D TO HO LD A FAC EBO OK FOR UM WI TH TEN AN TS IN TH E FUT UR E.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO IMPROVE OUR TENANT INVOLVEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT, CUSTOMER AND COMPLAINTS SERVICE This year our focus is very much on working with community groups that represent our tenants, and helping new groups to become established. We are doing this to increase the number of tenants actively involved in our work. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE: We hope to be able to develop
local offers with the groups that are specific to their areas We are reviewing our tenant
involvement service and renewing our strategy We are trying to involve young
people and will start using Facebook and Twitter We are looking to launch a loyalty
card scheme to encourage people to get involved We have revised our tenant
satisfaction survey and are talking to new tenants after they have settled in to find out if there is anything we can do to improve the service We are re-launching mystery
shopping to test the quality of our services
HOME STANDARD
irs Quality of accommodation and repa
Last year we: ensured all our properties remained at the decent homes standard through our investment programme provided all tenants with information on the future programme of works and published it in our annual report and on our website kept a reasonable level of appointments for repairs and satisfaction with repairs without increasing costs improved the number of urgent repairs completed on time prioritised repairs for customers who are vulnerable
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO IMPROVE OUR HOME SERVICE? THIS YEAR WE: h ave started using tenant inspectors to check we are meeting the improved empty property letting standard want to launch a decorating guide to show people how to decorate their homes a re seeking accreditation of service
excellence of responsive repairs and customer service
launched our handyperson service carried a new initiative of communal door replacements in two areas of the city
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WHAT WE SAID WE WOULD MEASURE
HOW DID WE DO? 2012/13
HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHERS
£18
£18
We do not have a comparison
96 per cent
98 per cent
Good
Average number of days to complete a repair
12 days
10 days
Not as good
Tenant satisfaction with repairs surveyed after work complete
98 per cent
96 per cent
Good
Getting repairs right first time
81 per cent
67 per cent
Not as good
Keeping appointments first time
92 per cent
86 per cent
We do not have a comparison
Homes with a gas safety certificate as at 31st March 2013
100 per cent
99.9 per cent
Average
Average repair cost per property per week Urgent repairs completed on time
Energy efficiency in our social housing
HOW DID WE DO? 2011/12
What we said Energy we would measure efficiency rating How did we do? 2011/12 How did we do? 2012/13
74/100 76/100
Energy Efficiency Rating
2011/2012
2012/2013
74
76
Vary energy efficient—lower running cost
(92 -100) A (81 -91) B (69 -80) (55 -68) ( 39-54)
(21 -38) (1 -20)
C D E
F G
England & Wales
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HOW WE RATE OUR SERVICE
EU directive 2002/91/EC
FIRE SAFETY IN FLATS FIRE KILLS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE EACH YEAR. WE RECENTLY HAD A FIRE IN ONE OF OUR FLATS IN CANNON STREET. WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THERE WAS A FIRE IN YOURS OR A NEIGHBOURING FLAT?
IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT IN YOUR FLAT : Alert everyone else and leave the flat,
staying together where possible Call 999, once you are safely out of the building Keep calm and speak clearly Don’t open doors looking for the source of the fire Don’t stop to gather personal belongings or pets Don’t use a balcony to escape Don’t go back into the building until you
have been told it is safe to do so IF YOU CAN’T GET OUT BY YOUR ESCAPE ROUTE: Get everyone into one room, preferably with a window that opens Put cushions or towels or bedding at the
bottom of the door to block smoke Open the window and call for help and if
possible call 999
IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: It is normally safer for you to stay in your own flat Do not leave your flat unless a fire officer directs you, and then follow their instructions Open windows if you need fresh air, stay by the window where you may be seen Seal your front door from smoke with tape, bedding or wet towels and close any ventilators If your front door becomes hot, wet it down If you have to move through smoke keep as close to the floor as you can, where the air is fresher
WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO?
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TENANCY STANDARD
Choice based lettings and housing allocations LAST YEAR WE:
provided comprehensive housing advice carried out lettings in accordance with our allocations and local lettings policy provided information on anticipated waiting times for property types provided new tenants with information on their home and provided a new tenants handbook let our empty properties as quickly as we could and increased the number of offers that were accepted first time took steps to ensure that all our properties met our empty homes standard before people moved in, this was assisted by the introduction of tenant inspectors directed new tenants with complex support needs to other support agencies in order to try to help them sustain their tenancies
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What we said we would measure
How did we do? 2011/12
How did we do? 2012/13
How we compare to others
Average time to re-let a property
36 days
35 days
Not as Good
Offers accepted first time
79 per cent
81 per cent
Good
Customer Service
2012 Survey
How we compare to others
Satisfaction with the empty property letting standard
91 per cent
Not as good
How we rate our service
How we rate our service
HOME! EXCLUSIVE
Neighbourhood and Community Standard CUSTOMER SERVICE
HOW DID WE DO 2011/12 SURVEY
HOW DID WE DO HOW WE RATE 2012/13 SURVEY OUR SERVICE
Satisfaction with the overall estate services
84 per cent
77 per cent
Neighbourhood estate management and local co-operation
Anti-social behaviour LAST YEAR WE:
LAST YEAR WE: maintained all communal areas to a high standard
provided you with a supportive response which was consistent and kept you informed of progress
set up a public protection team to improve continued to provide a free gardening service our service to you when dealing with anti- to qualifying tenants social behaviour worked with tenants to ensure they upheld their terms of tenancy h eld a programme of estate inspections and carried out estate improvements, for example we created a new car parking area at Trent View reviewed the structure of our tenancy management and introduced a new way of working
Supported housing LAST YEAR WE: provided you with a regular home visit provided information on how your alarm system works and demonstrated how to use it.
What are we doing to improve our tenancy service? THIS YEAR WE: are revising our tenancy agreement are developing a tenancy fraud strategy h ave equipped all our housing
officers with iPads so they can help you at surgeries or when they visit you at home are introducing tenant inspectors to carry out estate inspections are carrying satisfaction surveys for mutual exchanges and when tenants leave our property joined up with West Lindsey District Council, North Kesteven District Council and Acis Group and introduced a new choice-based lettings scheme
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RENT
What are we doing to improve our rent service?
LAST YEAR WE:
THIS YEAR WE:
provided advice on whether you were entitled to receive assistance with your rent if you needed it
have introduced a new rent accounting computer system that will help us to monitor rent accounts and provide you with better information
helped you to complete a housing benefit form if you needed it ensured that we did everything to prevent tenants from falling into arrears gave you four weeks’ notice of your rent increase
WHAT WE SAID WE WOULD MEASURE
are helping people to understand the changes to housing benefit that have been made by the government’s welfare reforms
HOW DID WE DO? 2011/12
HOW DID WE DO? 2012/13
Rent collected against rent due
99 per cent
97 per cent
Good
Level of arrears against total rent due
2 per cent
3 per cent
Very Good
Value for money LAST YEAR WE: reduced our operating costs by relocating staff from St Giles to City Hall started to make savings of £1.5 million over the next five years through our new partnership with Kier
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are targeting our resources to chase rent arrears
HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHERS
HOW WE RATE OUR SERVICE
DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS We aim to resolve complaints efficiently and effectively to your satisfaction Last year we had 157 complaints from tenants,42 per cent of these were upheld (meaning the tenant was right to complain). The rest were sorted out once the tenant had met an officer to discuss the problem.
The opening of the Tower communal garden
Obtaining copies in alternative formats If you have difficulty in understanding anything in this document, please go to City Hall, Beaumont Fee, Lincoln or any other council office, and an interpretation service will be provided. French Si vous avez besoin d’éclaircissements au sujet de ce document, veuillez vous rendre au City Hall, Beaumont Fee, Lincoln ou tout autre Council office, où nous pourrons faire appel à un interprète par le biais du National Interpreting Service. Polish Jezeli masz trudnosci ze zrozumieniem tego dokumentu, zgłos sie do urzedu miasta w City Hall, Beaumont Fee w Lincoln lub do innego urzedu nalezłcego do rady miejskiej, w którym wezwiemy tłumacza z National Interpreting Service. Portuguese Se tiver dificuldade em compreender qualquer coisa neste documento, por favor dirija-se à City Hall, Beaumont Fee, Lincoln ou qualquer outra repartição do município, onde poderemos chamar um interprete para si através do Serviço Nacional de Interpretação. Turkish Bu belgeyi anlamakta zorlanırsanız, Beaumont Fee, Lincoln Belediyesi’ne ya da herhangi baska bir belediye meclisi ofisine gidin. National Interpreting Service aracılıgıyla size bir çevirmen saglanacaktır.
This publication can also be made available in large print, or electronically. Please call: 01522 873398 13
DESIGNATED PERSONS AND THE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE FROM 1 APRIL 2013 A NEW LOCALISED COMPLAINTS PROCESS MEANS THAT IF YOUR COMPLAINT TO THE COUNCIL FOR LANDLORD RELATED MATTERS HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED USING OUR PROCEDURE, YOU CAN TAKE THE MATTER TO A DESIGNATED PERSON.
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This means you can contact your local councillor or any MP or alternatively a ‘designated tenants’ panel’, where one exists. You can still take your complaint to the Independent Housing Ombudsman but only after eight weeks have passed from the final decision we make about your complaint. The Lincoln Tenants’ Panel could become a designated person. The council is taking residents views on this option for the next month as part of a consultation process. For further information please see www.lincoln.gov.uk/housing or contact customer services tel: 01522 873333 or email customer.services@lincoln.gov.uk.
OUR HOUSING INVESTMENT PROGRAMME EXPLAINED OF PRO PER TIES THAT THE TAB LE BELOW SHO WS THE NUM BER DUR ING 2012/13. HAV E REC EIVE D IMP ROV EME NT WO RKS
FEEDBACK
Area
2012/13 completed works
179
Bathroom
27
Chimneys
172
Electrical Improvement
233
Heating
267
Kitchens
658
Roof Works
10
Walls
538
Doors
102
Insulation
208
Landscape & Boundaries
We had some very good feedback on last year’s report, so we have kept the same style and hope you enjoy it again as much this year. If you wish to make any comments about this year’s annual report to tenants, please contact us at customer.services@lincoln.gov.uk or call us on 881188. Alternatively you can write to us at: Directorate of Housing and Community Services, City of Lincoln Council, City Hall, Beaumont Fee, Lincoln, LN1 1DE