Community involvement is at the heart of what we do
We want to improve the quality of life, and life chances, for our residents
We want people to influence and help shape Bron Afon’s priorities
We will make it easy for people to have their say
Impact report We will involve the right people at the right time
Together we can make a difference
September 2017 to September 2018
Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
The feeling is mutual As a mutual organisation we have community involvement at the heart of everything we do and we are now looking back at the acheivements of the second year of our community involvement strategy.
Customer and community involvement is at the core of Bron Afon and the partnership between our members and staff is key to us achieving the commitments in our corporate plan. The last 12 months shows that working together really is making such a difference.
Mutual Respect Mutual Support Mutual Learning Mutual Goals
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Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
What difference does it make? The community involvement strategy sets out 7 key outcomes that we want to achieve:
Participants feeling valued and listened to
A more tailored and relevant approach based on people’s interests
Broader involvement from across our tenants and residents
Tenants, residents, members and communities empowered and up skilled to participate effectively and confidently
Involvement being the norm with service areas
Communities feeling supported and empowered to make change
Services developed and improved as a result of involvement
We have continued to see great progress during 2018 with the help from some amazing volunteers.
We have seen: Larger numbers of volunteers, especially amongst young people
An increase in the amount of funding for local groups and projects
More diversity amongst our members to better represent our communities
More tenants feeling their views are listened to
Lots of members take part in training and development opportunities to increase their skills
Great work carried out by our formal involvement groups
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Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Broader involvement from across our tenants and residents Lots of local people continue to work in partnership with us by contributing to a range of decisions, improvements and projects!
We reached a total of
2,418
Bron Afon Members, an increase of
424
566
3,979
were actively involved
volunteer hours given to projects, meetings, workshops and events
in the year.
,
Participants feeling valued and listened to We always ask participants questions about how being involved in activities and sessions has made them feel. The responses over the last 12 months have been very positive...
98%
said they feel that they were able to make a contribution
100%
(Stayed the same)
100%
said they felt they were listened to
(Up from 98%)
said they felt part of the discussion
said they felt that their views were valued
99%
(Up from 99%)
(Up from 97%)
When asked how being involved has made them feel, our participants told us:
Gave me back my confidence to speak in public and a feeling of belonging.
Being involved has not only allowed me to be involved in decision making but its allowed me to develop my own skills.
As a group we have made a huge difference.
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I feel getting involved has allowed myself and tenants to help provide ideas which have been part of using/changing procedures/policies.
Involvement is important to me from all aspects. To be in the Community you have to be part of it.
Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
A more tailored and relevant approach based on people’s interests We continue to use what we know about our members to invite them to meetings, workshops and events that we think will interest them. Some examples include:
1
For the review of the Leasehold Management and Leasehold Charging Policies we held a focus group and invited all Leaseholders. This was a good sized group with some really great suggestions
2
For the development of the Hate Crime Policy we used our customer base to specifically target those who fall into the 9 protected characteristics. We were able to consult with people from 8 out the 9 groups and they all provided exceptionally valuable input into the policy.
3
We invited all those who had raised a formal complaint in the last 12 months to a workshop where the group discussed what works well in regards to reaching resolutions and how we can evolve the complaints policy and process to ensure faster and smoother complaints resolution.
4
We invited all those who have had a repair carried out in the last year to help us review how our repairs work. We provided a range of methods for feedback; via email, through workshops and individual meetings. The input from our customers has now been used to review how we work.
5
We sent an email to every tenant with an email address inviting them to help us review our Money Solutions Policy. The group was very diverse and offered a very balanced review of the policy and defined the core principles that now underpin the way in which we work.
By targeting our approach to involvement in this way more members have been involved and they’ve focused on the things that matter to them. Page 5
Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Tenants, residents, members and communities empowered and up skilled to participate effectively and confidently Our Members Academy was launched in March 2018 and has seen a wide range of training and development opportunities for our active members which enhances their confidence and ability to actively engage. We have offered a mix of online, workshop based, formal and bespoke group training. The catalogue of topics delivered has been designed by our members and covers elements suited for members working in either a formal involvement setting or delivering local projects:
Risk assessing for community groups
Setting and monitoring service standards
Interview techniques for members helping us with recruitment
First Aid
Constructive challenge for our formal groups
Food Hygiene Safeguarding for local groups
Successful bid writing for community groups
Environmental Health Awareness
Advertising and promoting projects for local groups
Introduction to Housing
98%
100%
of learners have told us that they have gained new skills or knowledge as a result of development opportunities provided.
of learners were satisfied with the learning experience.
Following each training session we asked the individuals what they thought about the training, what they learnt and what they would do differently as a result...
It has made me consider doing an Environmental Studies Degree. Sharpen up my assessment skills for the complex.
Definitely will be more aware of the risk presented in the activities and events we hold and everyday lives and meetings.
More understanding of environmental issues with regards to housing.
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This is really useful, I’ve done a few. Food hygiene (I got a job because of it), child protection and data protection so far. Aiming to do one a week.
Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Communities feeling supported and empowered to make change 73
community groups, clubs and schools have been supported to deliver local change in their communities.
We have more than doubled the amount of external funding gained compared to last year to...
£69,805
Satisfaction surveys completed by those involved in community groups we have supported show very positive results:
99%
are satisfied with the support they receive from Bron Afon.
100%
said that the group’s ability to make changes that are important in their communities has improved.
One group stated:
Please accept our sincere gratitude for the support and guidance you have given our group Go2gether. Before coming to Bron Afon we had tried other avenues to support our venture and were just starting to accept that it was just a dream. Thanks to the generous funding of Bron Afon three of our team were able to attend the Pound Fit training, one of only two dates in this Country, and gained their qualification to become ‘Pound Pros’. We are focused on bringing accessible exercise to Torfaen and thanks to Bron Afon we have just completed our first sessions supporting vulnerable young people through the Inspire To Learn project. We are at the start of our journey with hurdles to get over but we are confident we can overcome them’.
Our networking events for all local groups to come together and share their experiences, jointly discuss topics that are important to them and to receive guidance on best practice have been very popular and proved invaluable to our groups. One of the attendees emailed in to say...
I would just like to say that I really enjoyed our day together on Saturday. Very informative and a very helpful room full of friendly people.
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Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Bron Afon Community Grant Scheme Bron Afon Community Grant Scheme has over the last year seen a 65% increase in funds donated.
28 local groups
have benefitted from a total of
£9,850
The funding is awarded through our grants panel that consists of 5 local residents. We continue to work with our contractors to gain community benefits that will support local groups to deliver their priorities.
Themed groups:
Social inclusion activities
Improving community assets
Sports and recreation
Environmental projects
Health and wellbeing
Intergenerational projects
Youth provision
£2,250
£600
£2,950
£900
£1,650
£500
£1,000
Gurkha Mothers Group
Greenmeadow Community Group
Hawthorns Woody Workers
Sid Griffiths Court Complex
£150 Womens Art & Craft
Pontnewynydd Allotment
£100
Tuesday Painters
£250
£350
Trevethin Pigeon Club
£250
£500 £300
Torfaen Pickle Ball Club
£250
Pleasant Court Complex
Penybryn Residents Club
Northville Community Group
Mount Pleasant Complex
Llarcs
Heritage United
£300
£250
Go Families
£500
£350 £200
£500
£250
Torfaen Sea Cadets
£500
£500 £500
£300
Friends of Ponthir
£300
Friends of Bryn Onnen
Forgeside RFC
£350
£300
Cwmffrwdoer Primary School
Croesyceiliog AFC
Blaenavon Blues AFC
Blaenavon & District Horticultural Society
Cwmbran Otters
£300
£300
£500
£500
Garnsychan Partnership
£500
Dawnswyr Blaenavon
£500
Cwmffrwdoer Primary school said:
Woody Workers said:
Securing a Bron Afon Grant gave us an excellent start to our fund raising for our snack shack project. It enabled us to start running our vision into reality. Thank you.
Thank you to Bron Afon and the grant scheme for helping us with funding. We will now be able to provide many activities for the young people within our community.
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Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Involvement being the norm with service areas
Staff inductions have provided really positive feedback on the new mutuality and involvement element. It has also generated a high level of continued involvement from staff who have received the new look induction.
Involvement from members in our staff recruitment has also not only directly influenced the selection process but also given a clear indication to the prospective new starters what mutuality means.
In this second year we have seen a further increase in requests from across the business for support with involvement and we continue to work with teams to ensure customer facing and relevant topics are discussed and developed with our customers.
Member’s involvement is working really well across all teams, but we recognise there are still some gaps in the way services capture and utilise informal feedback, for example from everyday tenant conversations. This is an area that we need to explore further and implement going forward.
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Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Services developed and improved as a result of involvement
We continue to see great improvements of tenant and community involvement in developing our services across the organisation. Here are some examples where services have been changed, policies written and strategies developed as a result of member involvement this year:
Helped us review how our repairs service is delivered and how we can make improvements
Joined the interview panel to help us recruit new board members
Reviewed how we classify and prioritise our repairs
Tested a Rent Reward App to see if it would beneďŹ t our tenants
Designed Bron Afon’s new website to include more self service options
Discussed the annual rent increase and its impact on customers as well as the business
Members were interviewed and helped us achieve our Customer Service Excellence Award
Reviewed and challenged our approach to recharging resulting in an overhaul of the process
Developed our new Hate Crime Policy and strengthened our no tolerance approach
Actively helped us deliver our Dementia Awareness campaign
Chose how we would celebrate our 10th anniversary in our communities
Designed and developed our new Corporate Plan
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Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Helped us feed into the Welsh Government’s consultation about abandoned properties
Reviewed our policy for complaints against Board members
Designed and influenced our new look branding
Reviewed our Leasehold Management and Charging Policy
Influenced and approved our Health and Safety report to the regulator
Designed our approach to ensure core policies are accessibility to all
Developed our Inclusion and Support Strategy
Redesigned our Annual Members Meeting literature and voting forms
Influenced and designed the key themes used in our staff recruitment process
Developed the key principles in our new Money Solutions Policy
Developed our Older Person’s Housing Strategy to ensure it benefits our communities
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Developed Land Management Agreements to give residents the opportunity to manage plots of land
Reviewed and redesigned our Complaints Policy to ensure faster resolutions
Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
As well as continuing to support and develop our existing groups and forums we have also established some new opportunities for people to work with us and to hold us to account.
Fire Safety Forum We have established a new mechanism for residents in high rise blocks to work directly alongside Bron Afon staff and the Fire Service to further develop our fire safety commitment to tenants and residents. The group is only 6 months in but has already influenced and helped us develop a range of initiatives: A new look fire safety information pack that will be used as part of the up coming communication campaigns.
An extension of our sheltered scheme fire safety road shows and demos to be delivered to residents in high and low rise blocks.
A new initiative where all residents can register their electrical appliances to help the Fire Service monitor trends and help residents should there be faulty machines.
A review of fire safety signage in all of our blocks to ensure it is clear and informative.
This group will continue to work with us not only to keep us in the loop of what is happening in their blocks but also to help us develop our services.
Adaptations Panel Our approach to assessing adaptations applications has changed and we now have a member specifically allocated as part of the panel. This is fairly new but feedback so far from both staff and members has been very positive:
I was thrilled with her enthusiasm, knowledge and compassion and she will be an asset to the panel team
I really did enjoy it, looking at things logically is what I like!
Youth Forum Afon Youth has seen 27 members join in discussions during this year. They have been fundamental in the development of a range of projects and initiatives:
Developed ‘Wake up to Housing’ which has now been delivered to 399 high school students. This project has been shortlisted for the 2018 Welsh Housing Awards
Bron Afon’s Young Person’s Housing Solutions Strategy has been developed in partnership with the forum
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They were successful in obtaining Gwent High Sheriffs funding for the Brothers Project who are passionate about making a difference to the horrendous statistics of male suicide – the biggest killer of young men
Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Retirement Forum The Forum members represent a wide range of tenants and residents from both general needs housing and our retirement schemes. They develop, manage and attend a range of activities including the forum meetings, conferences, training and planning. In the last 12 months they have worked to ensure older people have a voice in the services that are important to them: Contributed their views to the formulation of Bron Afon’s Older Persons’ Housing Strategy – resulting in a robust strategy that reflects the current and future needs of older people.
Scheme management – sharing their insight and ideas on how we can deliver value for money and improve the services we provide. Held their Annual General Meeting which is a democratic process that demonstrates the forum is transparent and well governed.
Complaints - learning about the work of the complaints forum and supporting them to review the complaints policy. The forum have participated and sign posted older people to specific projects to support their well-being. Working in Partnership with MIND the ‘My Generation Course’ helps over 50’s to stay mentally well while enjoying activities and spending time with others. The forum are part of the Ageing Well in Wales Network at a recent conference a member told us ‘that it was very informative and demonstrated what can be achieved when we work together.’
The Forum continue to manage and deliver the Never Too Old Programme which is a peer led project delivering social inclusion activities and opportunities to help build resilience and well-being amongst our older residents. The Forum are also supporting the business in its commitment to become a dementia friendly organisation through craft clubs and awareness campaigns.
The Complaints Forum
The Scrutiny Team
The Complaints Forum has seen an increase in members to 5 tenants plus 4 staff who work with
The Scrutiny Team is well established and now has 6 members. It has gone from strength to
us to review our performance around complaints and customer service. The group have met with a range of service managers to explore areas of development and are pleased to see a range of recommendations now in place and seeing improvements.
strength and as a group have been developing their skills to enhance their approach to reviewing our services. They have been working very closely with our Internal Auditors, Barcud Shared Services, to ensure that we maximise the outcome of each review. This year they have carried out a review on our pre-tenancy process.
The key focus for this group has been to evolve into a customer focused oriented group to help us maintain and exceed the elements identified as part of our Customer Excellence Award. The group are now the custodians and supporters of our action plan developed in partnership with the Customer Excellence Awards.
They made 9 recommendations for service change all of which are being implemented. They have also carried out a revisit of a previous review to check on progress and made an additional 3 recommendations for further improvements.
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Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Equality and Diversity Reference Group The Group is made of staff and 5 members. Over the last year they have worked in partnership to: Develop a stronger visible equality and diversity commitment on our jobs website page – use of logos to show our commitment to LGBT, supporting pregnant women and new parents at work.
Become Dementia Friends and support the introduction of a dementia e-learning module.
Become Diversity Champions to provide support and guidance to staff and communities. Since being part of the group our staff and members have shared some of their thoughts and achievements:
Contribute to the development of our next Equality & Diversity Strategy.
I have challenged stereotyping for roles against gender within work and during engagement with community.
Worked to review Equality Impact Assessment and action plans across the business.
I have gained confidence to tackle awkward conversations.
I have shared and learned from others in the group how best to think about equality and diversity and how to challenge poor behaviour and attitudes.
Mutual Futures has been very well represented by members since its launch with:
77
members and staff attending in November 2017
103
members attending in March 2018
74
members attending in September 2018
These sessions have provided our members, staff and Board the opportunity to discuss a range of strategic topics. They helped us finalise and launch the corporate plan and have started working with us on developing ‘One Bron Afon’ which will continue to be a focus of discussion over the coming year.
Tenant Services Forum is a group of 11 members aged between 23 and 65. They have increased
their meetings from 6 times a year to monthly as they are keen to work with us on a range of topics. They have been instrumental in a range of discussions and have helped Bron Afon develop and improve across a variety of service areas: Developed new suite of KPIs which helps tell the story of how our services look and feel like to our customers. They will be working with us as part of the One Bron Afon project to review these and ensure that they align with our new ways of working. Been monitoring and reviewing our Community Involvement performance since the launch of new strategy and helped us futher develop our approach.
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Been scrutinising any new or revised tenant facing policies, strategies and service changes to ensure that quality involvement has taken place right from the start. Examples this year have included our hate crime policy, older persons’ housing strategy, corporate plan, money solutions policy and reclassifying our repairs. Worked with us on a joint submission to the Welsh Government’s consultation on the Renting Homes Act.
Impact report September 2017 to September 2018
Next Steps
During
1
Review our more formal structures to create opportunities aligned with our new ways of working and our One Bron Afon business transformation programme.
4
we aim to
Continue to develop a robust process and system to capture and report on trends from customer feedback in every day conversations.
2
Incorporate in to all new One Bron Afon job descriptions and ways of working the expectation of accountability to our customers aligned with our values.
3
Further develop and roll out the LEARN approach across all service areas and create a culture where customers influence our work and enjoy an effortless service experience.
Continue to explore more innovative and user friendly options to increase digital engagement and involvement through social media, website and customer portal to match our vision for easy and accessible opportunities.
5
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Working together really does make a difference, so why not join us! @bronafon
For more information on Community Involvement opportunities please contact the team on: Tel: 01633 620111 Email: community.involvement@bronafon.org.uk