Tenants Annual Report - 2014/15

TENANTS ANNUAL REPORT 2014-15

Great People

Great Homes

Great Location

Other Formats or Annual Accounts Please contact the Corporate Services Team on 01495 761104 or corporateservices@ monmouthshirehousing.co.uk if you require this document in PDF, large format, another language, braille or audio format or would like to receive a copy of our Annual Accounts.

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Monmouthshire Housing Association

We would like to extend to you a very warm welcome to our Annual Report.

Throughout the report we try to give you a flavour of what we have been up to in the past year, so you can form an opinion on how well we have spent your rent and our time and resources to achieve our mission, which is “To provide high quality homes and services that put people first”.

First and foremost, we would like to bid a very fond farewell to David Gregory and Judith Langmead whose time on the Board has come to an end. Both Judith and David have been on our Board since before transfer and Judith was the first ever Tenant Chair in Wales, a fact we are all very proud of. Both Judith and David have been totally committed over the years to ensuring we provide the best value and highest quality services to our tenants and very much made this desire part of the culture of MHA. We wish them both well in the future and look forward to seeing them regularly, as both continue to be involved in other tenant groups.

You will see in the report what we have committed ourselves to do for our tenants and as an organisation over the next few years; our ambitions remain undiminished and each year we take stock and stretch them even further.

There have been many highlights over the past year and we have given you some glimpses of those throughout the report. The highlight for us has been the results of the tenant survey which shows satisfaction with services as the highest in Wales. On top of which, MHA became one of the Times top 100 non-profit making companies to work for in the UK. This doesn’t happen by accident and has come about through close working between tenants and staff since transfer. Across almost all performance indicators MHA is in the top 25% of performers in Wales. Our ambition is to be the top performer in every area of work we involve ourselves in from repairs to lettings, dealing with anti-social behaviour to getting tenants involved.

The report highlights how we get involved in our communities to help make them brilliant places to live. We hope you draw some comfort from the range of activities we are involved in, the way we work with our tenants to make this happen and the outcomes which we achieve by working together.

Our development programme is now gathering pace and you can see pictures of the really high quality properties we have built this year and will continue to build into the future. We have plans to build several hundred properties over the next five years so watch this space.

Our subsidiary CAPSEL has grown considerably during the year; you can see the range of activities it is now involved in from new build properties to waste management. The purpose of CAPSEL is to allow MHA to involve itself in activities outside of our charitable purposes.

This will allow MHA, through CAPSEL, to stretch our resources even further and create additional employment and volunteering opportunities, some of which have already been taken up by tenants. All of the profits will be ploughed back into services for our tenants and customers and we have great ambitions for CAPSEL’s growth.

We are actively looking for further volunteers to work in the business to help people get experience which will help them back into work.

The future holds many challenges for MHA and our tenants, but together we are confident that we can meet them head on, turn challenge into advantage and advantage into success.

J.Keegan John Keegan, Chief Executive

A.Martyn-Johns Andrew Martyn-Johns, Chair

Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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The Board Tenant Members

Ken Bucknall (Resigned July 2014)

David Gregory

Judith Langmead

Pip Williams (Appointed September 2014)

Sue White

Alan Wintle

Council Members

Peter Clarke

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Ann Webb

Monmouthshire Housing Association

Gary Witcombe (Appointed September 2014)

Lynette Bonar (Resigned July 2014)

Independent Members

Andrew MartynJohns (Chair)

Barry Gallagher

Lynnette Glover

Andy Jones (Appointed September 2014)

Alan Davies (Resigned May 2014)

Audit Committee Board

Finance & Governance Working Group Operations Working Group Remuneration Committee Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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Senior Management Team Executive Officers Corporate Planning

Governance

Continuous Improvement

PR, Communication & Design

Complaints, Compliments & Suggestions

Performance Management

John Keegan, Chief Executive

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Steve Higginson, Director of Resources & Deputy Chief Executive

Ian Atkinson, Director Karen Tarbox, Director of Property Services of Property Services (Left in June 2015) (Started in August 2015)

David Morris, Director of Housing & Communities

Human Resources

Direct Services

Housing Management

Information Services

Trade Operatives

Community Investment

Finance

Asset Management

Tenant Involvement

Managing Director - Capsel

Repairs & Maintenance

Support Services

Surveying

Board Member - Capsel

Board Member - Capsel Monmouthshire Housing Association

About Us • Capsel New Homes develops new housing for sale, including its flagship Bowen Gardens project in Monmouth

About MHA

About Capsel

• 228 employees

Capsel is MHA’s trading subsidiary. It has five key service areas that are all now up and running.

• Capsel Waste Management recycles and processes the waste of a number of businesses and organisations, including MHA

• MHA turnover was £18.3 million • We own and manage 3,565 homes and 265 leaseholders

• Capsel Lettings lets homes in and around Monmouthshire

• Capsel Home Essentials offers a range of services, including gas and heating repairs and installations • Capsel Property Services provides a range of property and maintenance services Capsel employs a number of full time staff and volunteers and has just taken on its first apprentice, who is working on painting and decorating projects for Capsel whilst studying at college. Capsel has also been shortlisted for an award in the Responsible Business category of the 2015 Monmouthshire Business Awards.

Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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Our Mission & Vision Statements Our Mission Statement To provide high quality homes and services that put people first.

Our Vision By 2020 MHA will be the top performing Social Enterprise in Wales providing quality homes and services, transforming peoples’ lives and giving them the confidence and support to realise their ambitions. We will create an environment where people can have a brilliant quality of life, in areas where they aspire to live and work.

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Monmouthshire Housing Association

Achievements Against Our Objectives Landlord

Economic

Landlord – by 2020 we will: Economically – by 2020 we will: • Optimise every opportunity to • Increase our turnover from develop the type of homes and diversified activities by £4.0m, communities where people want increasing our workforce to 270 to live • Maintain financial strength and • Directly support at least 500 viability achieving maximum tenants each year, where scores from the regulator and necessary, to improve their covenant compliance from our quality of life funders • Build 540 homes using our own resources • Be in the top 25% performers across all key performance indicators

• Achieve efficiencies of 10% by maximising our use of technology and ensuring that value for money is an embedded principle for driving value

Environmental

People

Environmentally – by 2020 we will: • Seek to maximise existing and new technology to reduce our CO2 footprint by a further 10% from 2014 • Purchase low energy equipment using local supply chains, we will reduce our energy usage in our accommodation by 10% • Reduce fuel usage in our vehicles by a further 10% on average • Develop a recycling business to reduce our waste by 50% and this business will form part of our diversified activities • Spend a further £1m improving the external environment on our estates increasing tenant satisfaction with their neighbourhoods

People orientated – by 2020 we will: • Create 200 work placements helping people into work • Concentrate resources on getting tenants into work helping 100 into work • Spend £1m transforming lives and ambitions through training and personal development on both staff and tenants, increasing productivity by 10% • Focus our resources on ensuring that MHA can quickly become a more flexible organisation adapting to a constantly changing environment

Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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How Have We Done in the Last Year?

The Work and Skills Wise service helps tenants with finding employment and learning new skills.

164

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Tenants have engaged with Young people have engaged the MHA Work & Skills Wise with the MHA Work & Skills Wise Service Service

Money Wise provides face to face advice to tenants assisting in debt, energy and benefit advice. With the introduction of bedroom tax and a number of changes to the benefit system, the team has been busy responding to your queries.

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The chart below shows how much money we helped tenants claiming benefits during the year.

Tenants were helped into employment

29

64

£4,845

Young people were helped into employment

People were placed into volunteering roles

Worth of bursaries were gained via external agencies to help tenants move towards the labour market

Disability Living Allowance & Personal Independent Payment Working Tax Credits

£19,682

Attendance Allowance

£27,046

£13,890

Job Seekers Allowance Income Support

£61,390

£53,271

Employment Support Allowance

15 Laptops were loaned via our laptop loan scheme

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50

100

Coffee and Computer 1-2-1 appointments for training group sessions were getting online support were held offered

Monmouthshire Housing Association

Pension Credit Other grants and debt related savings

£51,017 £15,059 £8,580

Sponsorship Monmouthshire Housing Sponsors Off-Street Project We awarded sponsorship to the Monmouth Off Street Project to help with the cost of a new Skate Park and BMX Track in Monmouth.

The new Skate Park near Rockfield Road, Monmouth officially opened in the spring and will provide a safe place for children and young people to ride their skateboards, scooters and bikes. The park is open to people of all ages to use during day time hours and will bring together local children and families from Monmouth and the surrounding areas. It is also hoped that the park will host competitions and events in the future.

John Keegan, Chief Executive said “We are very pleased that we have been able to award sponsorship to this project. It is important that children and young people in our communities have a safe place to socialise and take part in sport and by helping to fund this project we have helped to provide this facility in Monmouth”.

MHA Sponsors Defibrillators We awarded sponsorship to Llangybi Fawr Community Council to help with the purchase of public access defibrillators for the villages of Llangybi, Coed-y-Paen and Llandegfedd.

The potentially life-saving defibrillator in Llangybi is situated at the Village Hall. So far 22 residents within Llangybi have received training which could prove vital if an emergency arises.

Resident Marilyn Walne added “It’s reassuring to know we may be able to help someone who is in danger whilst waiting for medical attention.”

Monmouthshire Home Start Monmouthshire Home Start supports families who have children under five through times of difficulty in their lives. Volunteers visit families in their homes and offer friendship and practical support in the home and with the children.

Presenting the cheque to Home Start

Families can become isolated which can lead to further problems and family breakdown.

The support and guidance offered by Home Start can enable parents to provide a safe, stimulating environment for their children and form relationships with others to help them through.

Pam Lloyd, Home Start Manager said, “Our support helps parents to address and begin to deal with their difficulties. Since the service started we have worked with 229 families.”

Opening the Skate Park Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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Performance Indicators for the Year Picked b

98.93%

Target: 90%

0.48%

Target: 1.8% Rent owed by current tenants

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) cases resolved

93.43%

Target: 97% Tenants satisfied with repair work

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Monmouthshire Housing Association

94.9%

61.99 cases

Target: 72 cases

No of new ASB cases per 1,000 tenancies

Repairs righ

91.60%

Overall satisfaction wi

by Tenants to Report to Tenants

Target: 92%

99.79%

Target: 98%

92.59%

88%

ith services from MHA

22 secs

Target: 20 secs

Average time taken for Repairs Hotline to be answered

No Change

Below Target

Target: 97% Urgent repairs completed on target

Emergency repairs completed on target

ht first time

On or Above Target

23.03%

Target: 18% Offers refused on properties Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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Your Tenancy & Benefit Changes Rent Management

Smart Move

Homesearch

Our Neighbourhood Officers have continued to work with you to make sure that you have access to all the support available. From helping tenants access Discretionary Housing Payments, to helping tenants move to smaller properties with Smart Move, officers have made sure that you remain at home through the welfare changes.

Smart Move is a scheme to help tenants that are under-occupying their homes to move to smaller properties. So far we’ve helped 35 tenants to downsize and are committed to helping a further 25 tenants this year.

Monmouthshire Homesearch had 1,706 new applicants registered on the waiting list in 2014-15 and 436 applicants were housed.

Homesearch remains an accessible service for all, with online being the preferred method of registration for housing and bidding.

Tenancy Management This year we reviewed our Tenancy Management Service to make sure that it supports your needs and meets the standards that you want from us. Our neighbourhood staff have been training to make sure that they can help you and the new service will be launched in spring 2016.

2,375,869 Internet Hits 5% 2%

93%

Bidding Information: Online Telephone Text

www.monmouthshirehomesearch.co.uk

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Monmouthshire Housing Association

Leaseholders

Anti-Social Behaviour

Leaseholders Satisfaction Survey Year

Amount

2012-13

279

2014-15

265

2012-13

55.1%

2014-15

56%

Number of leaseholders

How satisfied are you that MHA listens to your views and acts upon them?

How satisfied are you that service charges give you value for money?

How satisfied are you with the overall service provided by MHA? How satisfied are you with your neighbourhood as a place to live?

2012-13 66.7% 2014-15

We dealt with 226 cases of ASB last year, with the most common complaint being of noise. We’ll be using noise monitoring equipment and we’re hoping to use a new noise phone app in the coming year. The second highest cause of ASB is domestic violence. Our Community Safety Team is trained to deal with this and work with local authorities and the police to support any tenants experiencing domestic violence.

We also worked to secure 9 injunctions against one family and restored peace to one of our neighbourhoods.

68%

2012-13 76.5% 2014-15

82%

2012-13 78.4% 2014-15

67%

ASB Awards Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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Your Neighbourhood Investing in our Communities MHA understands the importance of investing in its communities, helping them to develop and become great places to live. These are just some of the events that have taken place in the last 12 months.

Poppy Project

Girls United

Making A Difference

With help from pupils from Magor Church in Wales Primary School we planted wildflower seeds in areas at Old Hereford Road, The Lawns and Chestnut Close in Magor this year. As part of the centenary commemorations of WW1, the children and tenants got together to share thoughts and memories of the war. Mrs Smith from The Lawns said, “The project went very well; the children were great; and the flowers came out lovely. We’re hoping for an even better show of poppies next year!”

In October 2014 we launched the “Girls United” project for young women aged 15-25. The scheme was a success with the young women attending regularly, taking part in activities that improves their communication and people skills. All involved fed back that they felt more confident about themselves and their prospects. The project was important to them as this provided a place where they could share and discuss important issues, feel safe, valued and to make new friends.

Our Making A Difference awards were held this year at the Glan-Yr-Afon Hotel, Usk. Our project group found it difficult to choose winners from the high standard of entries that were made.

Individuals and groups were recognised for contributions to their communities as well as personal achievements through studying, volunteering and gaining employment.

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Monmouthshire Housing Association

Family Festival

Dads Can

Safe Hands

Dads Can has been going from strength to strength in the last 18 months and now runs in Newport as well as Monmouthshire. The team has connected with 68 dads and provided 273 hours of support. The team have helped 15 dads with their CVs and 7 of these dads have now found work. For some dads this project has been life changing, with access to their children being granted, long term substance abuse being tackled and employment becoming a reality. One dad said, “I found it very helpful to be able to talk through my family situation with someone who wasn’t judging me, and who could help me see other views.”

As well as providing support to those who need us in our Older Persons Schemes, our Safe Hands floating support service for older people has provided support to a further 80 people in the last year.

Our summer activities this year took the theme of the Family Festival; a series of activities for all the family to enjoy together. As well as giving parents the opportunity to find out more about our services, they were also able to enjoy a wide range of fun activities from golf to bike maintenance to Bollywood dancing!

Give and Gain Day

We got involved in a national event where 36 staff members got involved with 7 projects across the county, creating wild flower beds, repainting planters, reweaving willow structures and creating an outdoor play kitchen.

We have also provided a number of activities at our schemes including Fit4Life exercise classes and tea dances.

96% of tenants receiving the Older Persons Safe Hands Service said they would recommend the service to a friend or relative.

Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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Your Home Overview of DSO / Maintenance From the inside, out: We’ve now completed the Welsh Housing Quality Standard programme and have begun external work to improve the outside of the buildings where you live.

Total amount spent by MHA 6.4m External decoration to how many 91 properties Internal decoration to no of flats (and 4 70 communal lounges) Upgrading of paths, gates, etc to how 444 many properties Number of replacement roofs 261 Refurbishment of kitchens (number) 41 Refurbishment of bathrooms (number) 67 Replacement of number of central heating 86 boilers & associated heating upgrades Bedsits to bungalows (The Bryn & 8 Dumfries Close) Garage / carport programme - 8 Demolition for additional car parking Garage / carport programme - 42 Refurbishment Garage / carport programme - 40 Demolition & renewal

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Monmouthshire Housing Association

Tenant Quotes:

“The men who worked on our property were all hard-working, very polite and worked well as a team... Everything was put back in its place and better than it was when they started. All we can say is thank you to the men for all their hard work and for their understanding of our needs.”

Mr & Mrs Skipp, Lime Tree Avenue, Wyesham

“I have no worries about the contractors; the men are great and go out of their way to help. Very polite.”

Mr Salubi, Brynglas, Gilwern

“Very reassuring; the work was carried out to a very high level. Very nice workers. Polite at all times.

Very helpful. Can’t praise them enough. Work done with pride.”

D Edwards, Dan-y-Deri, Abergavenny

External wall insulation (EWI) to traditional bungalows at Chestnut Close in Magor

Welsh Housing Quality Standard Kitchen for a three bedroom house

External wall insulation (EWI) to traditional houses in Charles Close in Abergavenny

Upgrading work to boundary walls, fences, gates and paths in Abergavenny

External wall insulation (EWI) to traditional houses at Old Barn Way in Abergavenny

Upgrading work to boundary walls, fences, gates and paths

Some of the DSO Team Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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New Developments MHA has a number of developments under way, Thornwell Road, Chepstow and West End School Caldicot to name a few. These are a few that have recently been completed:

Trevor Bowen House (MHA’s Flagship Development), Monmouth

Customer Service

St David’s Road, Abergavenny

In February 2015 MHA achieved the Customer Excellence Standard. The standard demonstrates that MHA has a real understanding of its customer groups and the breadth of information held on our tenants has helped MHA really target its services improving value for money and enhancing the experience of tenants dealing with MHA. This scheme was developed from a site containing obsolete garages. It provides a mix of one and two bedroom properties for some MHA tenants who are looking to downsize as a result of the bedroom tax.

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Monmouthshire Housing Association

Trevor Bowen House replaces the old Trevor Bowen Court building with new, modern purpose-built apartments for existing and new residents aged 60+.

Our Response to You Number of calls received

50,794

Calls Received

Requests & Complaints Number of callback requests

Calls handled

41,778

968

Abandoned calls

7,758

Average time taken to answer a call

Voicemails Actioned

28 SECONDS

1,265

Number of Estate Management requests raised by the CSA team

58%

REDUCTION

Number of Anti-Social Behaviour complaints logged by the CSA team

56%

REDUCTION

Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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Our Houses & Finance Where Our Houses are Located

Grosmont Fawr (21) Crucorney Fawr (11)

Gilwern (54)

Govilon/ Llanfoist (147)

Clydach (33)

Mardy (365)

Llantilio United (20)

Abergavenny (598)

Llanelly Hill (55)

Monmouth (346) Wyesham (153)

Llanarth (16)

Mitchell Troy United (31)

Llanover Fawr (39)

Raglan United (100) Goytre Fawr (64)

Trellech United (46)

Gwehelog Fawr (4)

Usk (90)

Tintern (19) Devauden (20) St Arvans (16)

Llangybi (38)

Shirenewton (5) Caerwent (45)

Chepstow (447) Mathern (17)

Caldicot (637) Magor (18)

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Monmouthshire Housing Association

Undy (58)

Rogiet (57)

Portskewett (57)

Where Does the Association’s Income Come From?

How Does the Association Spend its Money?

Rent: £16,783,000pa

Pennies in the Pound:

Service Charges: £230,000pa

Interest payable: 5.6p

Revenue Grants: £358,000pa Other Income: £955,000pa Turnover from Social Housing Lettings: £18,326,000pa

Other costs: 3.5p Depreciation of housing properties: 12.3p Bad debts: 0.2p Management costs: 35p Major repairs Exp: 4.2p Routine maintenance: 36.1p

Service charge: 3.1p

Tenant’s Annual Report 2014-15

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0345 677 2277 communityservices@monmouthshirehousing.co.uk www.monmouthshirehousing.co.uk Monmouthshire Housing Association Nant-Y-Pia House, Mamhilad Technology Park Mamhilad, Monmouthshire, NP4 0JJ facebook.com/Monmouthshire.Housing twitter.com/mon_housing