Housing Quality Magazine Best Companies Special June 2021

BEST COMPANIES SPECIAL JUNE 2021

We know that North Wales Housing is a great place to work, but being listed as ones to watch is great recognition of this.

Thank you to our amazing people who make it a great place to work. Every day they go above and beyond, and we would like to thank and recognise them for that.

We don’t intend to stop. We want to make NWH an even better place to work. ✓ We offer careers in Housing, Finance, Development, Maintenance, HR, Customer Services, Marketing and more ✓ We’re very supportive in your career – We support your professional development and also support you if you want to improve your Welsh ✓ Achieving a good work/life balance – We offer flexible working arrangements where we can ✓ Health and wellbeing is important to us ✓ We offer a free employee health assistance scheme ✓ We have signed the Time to Change pledge. Leaders and Health and Wellbeing champions are ‘I-Act Promoting positive mental health and wellbeing’ trained

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HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE MARCH 2021

Contents 4 Housing’s Best Associations to Work For 2021 6 1st place

June 2021

10 Places 2 & 3 11 Places 4 & 5 12 Places 6–25

Published by: HQN Rockingham House St Maurice’s Road York YO31 7JA Editorial: Alistair McIntosh Mark Lawrence Email: mark.lawrence@hqnetwork.co.uk Tel: 07523 920010 Advertising: All enquiries to: ellie.salsbury@hqnetwork.co.uk Tel: 07542 860095 Design: Sam Wiggle Next issue of HQM out July 2021

HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021

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Housing’s Best Associations to Work For 2021 After a year like no other, being named as one of ‘Housing’s 25 Best Associations to Work For in the UK’ is a truly special achievement. To compile the Top 25 list, Best Companies surveys thousands of employees each year to determine the organisations with the highest levels of workplace engagement.

Organisations in the sector continue to demonstrate an investment in their people, performing well in areas such as strong management and connected teams.

Using a rigorous methodology, organisations are measured across eight factors of employee engagement (see graphic).

Each employee within an organisation is invited to respond to a series of statements using a seven-point scale where they can express how much they agree or disagree with a particular statement. These responses are combined to produce a Best Companies Index (BCI) score, recognised as the UK standard for employee engagement. These scores are then ranked against other organisations within the same sector to produce the list.

This year, over 7,200 employees from across the sector gave their views.

Giv ing

How employees feel about and communicate with their direct manager

How employees feel about the head of the organisation, senior management and the organisation's values and principles

The extent to which employees feel their organisation has a positive impact on society

The level of engagement employees feel with their job and organisation

How happy employees are with pay and benefits

lb el W

How employees feel about training and their future prospects

How employees feel about stress, pressure at work and life balance

ei ng

Employees’ feelings towards their immediate colleagues and how well they work together

My Team

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HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021

al n o rs Pe

My Company

Fair Deal

Le ad e

G ro wt h

g in h et

ck Ba

p hi rs

So m

My Manager

Top scorers in 2021

one factor out of the eight that didn’t improve overall in comparison to the previous year, and that’s ‘Personal Growth’. In particular, there was a decline in employees feeling the training they’ve received hasn’t been as great a benefit to them personally.

Of course, with the challenges of the pandemic, organisations may not have had the resources to invest in ongoing learning and development, or they might have had to adapt training methods. That said, there’s still been an improvement in certain statements related to this factor, such as employees feeling that their job overall is good for their personal growth.

For 2021, the top-scoring factors for listed organisations relate to ‘My Team’ and ‘My Manager’. This suggests employees feel positive towards their immediate colleagues and feel supported by their direct manager.

The top ten housing organisations have excelled compared to their rest of list when it comes to inspirational leadership and senior teams making decisions based on sound moral principles. Employees have confidence in their leaders and believe that their organisations have a strong social conscience.

The greatest differentiator between nationally listed housing associations compared to non-listed housing organisations is the ‘Leadership’ factor, where there Additional findings was found to be on average a 10.07% difference in scores. When compared with non-listed associations, An additional observation within the housing sector employees in listed organisations felt more strongly is their commitment to Equality, Diversity and they had confidence in the Inclusion (EDI). Organisations leadership skills of their senior have shared what they’re managers and that the leader doing to support EDI within “This year, over 7,200 of their organisation was the workplace. Some have employees from across inspiring. focused on developing the sector gave their views Getting a Fair Deal on pay is dedicated EDI steering another strong differentiator committees or working responding to topics ranging between listed and non-listed groups to ensure people are from their interactions housing organisations. Those treated fairly and to tackle listed appear to renumerate inequality, whilst others have with senior leaders, employees fairly for their roles delivered specific training in through to personal growth and responsibilities, as well as areas such as unconscious paying fairly in comparison to bias and working towards an opportunities and wellbeing” other organisations for similar inclusive recruitment process. roles.

Some organisations are working to become LGBTQA+ or disability champions, with others recognising and showing support to Year-on-year changes initiatives such as Anti-Bullying Week, World Mental Health Day, Black History Month and Pride.

Indeed, when comparing housing associations that surveyed both in the BCI 2020 survey and BCI 2021 (January – March 2021), the ‘Fair Deal’ factor saw the In summary greatest increase in score, showing that being paid fairly has had a positive impact on how employees feel Overall, it’s encouraging to see the achievements about their organisation. housing associations have made over the past year.

Other factors that have increased year-on-year are They’ve delivered strong leadership and ‘Leadership’ and ‘My Manager’. This upswing can management through difficult times whilst also be attributed to employees feeling confident in the financially and emotionally supporting employees. leadership skills of their senior managers and feeling If organisations can continue to improve, particularly supported by their managers. around Personal Growth, these workplaces will likely Wellbeing, which has been so pivotal during the see increasing engagement levels and demonstrate pandemic, also saw an increase when comparing the outstanding best practice. two surveys. Findings show in relation to wellbeing Over the following pages, we’ll look at the specifically, employees are not feeling as under organisations that have made Housing’s 25 Best pressure to perform well at work with fewer looking to Associations to Work For in 2021 and look at some move on from their jobs. of the things they’ve done in relation to employee Generally, for the housing sector, there was just engagement to secure a place.

HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021

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Stockport Homes After its recent success being crowned as the UK’s Best Company to Work for in the Housing Sector in 2021, Stockport Homes Group explains why engagement is so fundamental to its culture and how an inclusive approach enabled it to embrace the challenges of the pandemic.

Surrounded by a team of socially distanced colleagues and with a brightly coloured balloon bridge in full vision, Helen McHale, CEO of Stockport Homes Group (SHG), exclaimed her joy as the organisation was named the UK’s Best Company to Work for in the Housing Sector in 2021.

On a live Zoom call from its Stockport Head Office on Friday 21 May, McHale told TV presenter Dan Walker just how proud she was of all her team and the ways they’d adapted to the challenges presented by the last 15 months, as part of an interview for Best Companies Live, a special broadcast during which the winning organisations were revealed.

“It’s been really difficult, but also really good,” McHale explained. “Obviously, an organisation like ours delivers services to very vulnerable customers who needed us during the pandemic, but, at the same time we had to consider keeping both them and our staff safe. This meant we had to learn whole new ways of working and being really flexible. We’re now going to take the best of these new practices and continue to use them.”

Recovery and transformation As a landlord, SHG manages Stockport Borough Council’s 11,500 homes, along with 800 in its own right. It delivers related services for homeless people, sheltered accommodation residents, and people with disabilities. It has a team of 650 staff, over 30,000 customers, and a turnover of £50m.

To continue providing its essential services throughout the pandemic, the organisation’s mission of ‘One Team, Transforming Lives’ really came to the fore. It put a robust ‘Recovery and Transformation Plan’ in place to safeguard its team members’ safety and wellbeing, whilst maintaining staff engagement and ensuring business continuity despite such challenging circumstances.

SHG says it was the collaborative and inclusive nature of this plan that meant colleagues and customers were the centre of focus throughout the pandemic.

It provided much needed support to its employees to allow them to continue to work effectively by undertaking individual welfare calls and keeping them connected with regular communications and virtual events, such as a ‘Colleague Festival’ and a ‘Festive Ball.’

Thanks to the plan, SHG has also embraced new technologies and advanced its approach to flexible working to support team member wellbeing. Under its ‘Maximising our Potential’ initiative, the organisation embraced giving employees the opportunity to work in the ways that suit them best, taking into account personal circumstances and caring responsibilities. This, it says, has enabled it to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction, enhance its 100% attendance record, and increase its headcount by continuing to recruit throughout the pandemic.

Helen McHale, CEO, Stockport Homes

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HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021

Stockport Homes Group employees celebrate being named the UK’s Best Company to Work For in the Housing Sector

Embracing the new Despite having to quickly pivot to the new ways of working in its ‘Recovery and Transformation Plan’, SHG used the challenges of the situation as an opportunity to consider the way it works and delivers its services in future.

In particular, it says the success of the digital technologies it implemented – such as the ‘My Online’ portal, which allows customers to access services remotely – will remain in place, as will the use of Office 365 and virtual platforms for its team members to stay connected.

It’ll also continue to embrace guidance it implemented around safely returning to the office.

Called ‘Stay Safe Considerate Colleague’, the document allows employees to safely use SHG’s new, purpose-built head office whilst ensuring compliance with the latest government advice on office-based working. SHG says the ability for colleagues to return to this space was particularly important to support their wellbeing and connectivity.

Heart, soul, and resilience Looking back on the past 15 months, SHG says it’s proud of the ways in which it took on the challenges of

Covid-19, thanks to a strong foundation of exceptional leadership and planning together with sound health and safety practices.

However, above all else it recognises the importance of its people, saying its greatest pride is in the “overwhelming heart, soul and resilience” of its colleagues, who have fully embraced the spirit of its ‘One Team’ culture, and mission of ‘Transforming Lives’; overcoming their own difficulties to support the most vulnerable in their communities when they need it most, whatever it takes.

A continuing journey Now, with the accolade of the UK’s Best Company to Work for in the Housing Sector in 2021 to its name, as well as maintaining its three-star accreditation for ‘world class’ levels of employee engagement based on Best Companies’ index score, SHG says it’ll continue to build on its success.

It believes that through its strategies, values, and the commitment of its team members, it’s enhanced an already high performing working environment and has proven to be adaptable and forward thinking.

This, it says, is something that’ll be a huge asset as it continues the next steps of its journey.

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HQN Accreditation Would you like to demonstrate that your service has been scrutinised by a reputable, independent organisation, and been found to meet exacting industry standards?

The HQN Accreditation scheme provides the framework to achieve this. It will ensure the confidence of customers, clients and partners.

HQN Accreditation recognises and rewards organisations who:

• Understand and support their customers and communities – recognising and valuing diversity

• Deliver excellent customer service for tenants • Operate efficiently and sustainably, making the best use of resources available

• Show a commitment to developing and sustaining strong partnerships

• Show innovation and are proactive in looking for opportunities to improve

MIST – Maximising Income; Sustaining Tenancies

Repairs and Maintenance

Gas

DLO / Contractor

Leasehold Management

Lettings

Estate Management

The HQN Accreditation mark is a visible sign that your organisation not only meets or exceeds good practice standards, but is also proud to offer a best-in-class service to its tenants and residents

hqnetwork.co.uk/accreditation

2 Weaver Vale Housing Trust Weaver Vale Housing Trust is a large-scale voluntary transfer housing association, formed in July 2002, operating in Cheshire. It owns over 6,200 homes – plus garages, shops, and community play areas – and places its people at the heart of all it does by investing in its employees, assets, services, and communities.

The association recycles and renews 97.6% of all its waste, both from head office and trade staff jobs and activities. Since 2013, solar panels at the Northwich Head Office and those on customer homes have generated 12,014,665 kWh of electricity, preventing CO2 from entering the atmosphere and generating £8,000 of green energy income in 2019-2020.

Everyone gets carbon literacy training and there’s training for trade staff on renewable technologies. The target at Weaver Vale is for all new homes to use only clean energy by 2025 and to achieve a net zero-carbon position by 2050.

Weaver Vale has a caring and family orientated culture. It’s been a Top 100 Best Company to Work For over 12 consecutive years.

Customer satisfaction is monitored through Weaver Vale’s STAR (Survey of Tenants and Residents) survey, with the latest results showing 92% customer satisfaction – the best ever outcome. Staff care for one another, too. The trust says: “There are so many opportunities to be involved and make a difference, and all roles present the opportunity to be as rich and full as the participant chooses.”

3 Regenda Homes Regenda is a housing association managing over 13,000 properties in the North West. Most of these are social rented homes and the company also has more than 30 independent living schemes for older people, and 160 supported homes.

Regenda Homes, with its head office in Liverpool and neighbourhood offices in Fleetwood and Oldham, aims to support its residents to ensure they’ve the best possible quality of life, in healthy, safe, prosperous, and sustainable communities. The name comes from a combination of ‘regeneration’ and ‘agenda’, reflecting the social landlord’s history of regenerating buildings and neighbourhoods. It operates across 28 local authorities.

The company is a registered society for the benefit of the community, formerly known as an ‘industrial and provident society’. It works with a range of partner organisations and its core purpose is to regenerate places to create opportunities for people.

Regenda also aims to achieve value for money – one of its core values – in all that it does, using its resources and assets economically, efficiently, and effectively to deliver its strategic objectives and meet customer expectations. Performance is regularly assessed by the executive team and board.

The organisation’s CEO, Dr Michael Birkett, sent weekly email updates to staff providing information about its response to the pandemic. He also advised in every update that if any staff member had any concerns, they should feel free to contact him directly on his mobile.

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HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021

4 Abri Last Christmas, housing association Abri gave a £250 Christmas thank-you to all employees, except the senior leadership and executive team, to acknowledge how well everyone had continued to do their job despite the pandemic. The gesture also recognised the important role everybody has to play at the not-for-profit organisation, which provides 35,000 homes for 80,000 residents, from those working out-and-about keeping communities spick and span to the development team making sure new homes are the best they can be.

Trying to keep things feeling a little bit normal has been key to keeping up morale and at Hampshire-based Abri, which was formed as a result of the merger between housing providers Radian and Yarlington, creating one of the largest housing associations in the south of England.

The trades team were involved in the launch of its new name, which means shelter, and modelled their rebranded uniforms in a fashion show at the virtual conference watched by 1,100 staff, who were all sent goody bags to mark the change. The annual staff-run pantomime also went ahead, albeit virtually, with a reduced cast delivering a socially distanced version of Scrooge spreading some much-needed Christmas cheer amid the pandemic gloom.

Abri, which builds, owns, looks after, and sells homes that people can afford to rent or buy, is passionate about tackling the housing crisis and building thriving and sustainable communities, and prides itself on being a workplace where everyone has a chance to belong, grow, and thrive.

5 Curo The virtual annual awards ceremony at housing association and housebuilder Curo was hosted by comedian Tom Allen, famous for his sartorial elegance. Staff, though, had the option of dressing up or down for the occasion. In another departure from the normal event, employees were all sent hampers of goodies and wine for their meal, and were encouraged to bring the family along to join in the celebrations. In addition to the normal nominations for colleagues, chief executive Victor da Cunha was presented with an award for his care, support, and leadership throughout the pandemic.

One of the largest landlords in the South West, the Bath-based not-for-profit organisation provides homes as well as care and support services across the West of England for more than 25,000 customers. It manages more than 13,000 homes and builds hundreds of new ones every year.

Curo reinvests surpluses from its commercial housebuilding and lettings businesses into its social purpose, which is to make communities thriving, sustainable places where people want to live and work.

The leadership team set up a daily ‘COBRAstyle’ call during lockdown, which fed into a daily emails from da Cunha, who did a Friday online chat where anyone could join for an hour to share what had been happening to them, or just talk about non-work things. In addition to sending staff care packages in the first lockdown, Curo also delivered winter warming hot water bottles, fluffy socks, and a personalised mug to them in November.

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6 Melin Homes Melin Homes does much more than just put a roof over people’s head, and during the pandemic its staff went the extra mile to support the local community through volunteering and fundraising events. These ranged from online ‘laughter workshops’ and mindfulness and exercise classes for teachers, to raising £16,000 for a local hospice through fun activities including the senior management team doing dares, from ice bucket challenges to TikTok dances. The large not-for-profit enterprise, formed in 2007, manages more than 4,000 homes across South East Wales and provides a range of services to help people and communities thrive.

7 Broadland Housing Association Keen to ensure staff furloughed during the pandemic still felt involved, Broadland kept in regular contact and encouraged them to take part in welfare calls to vulnerable tenants, as well as team meetings. The not-forprofit organisation, which provides more than 5,100 homes across Norfolk and North Suffolk, also introduced a monthly online survey to see how its workforce was coping and what it could do to help them. Broadland knows that to create thriving neighbourhoods and communities, looking after the wellbeing of staff is a priority, so it introduced flexible working and organised a fun social calendar.

8 Golden Lane Housing While Covid restrictions limited how much volunteering staff at Golden Lane Housing could do, they did whatever they could – from litter picking and delivering essential supplies to vulnerable people in the community, to completing garden makeovers so tenants could sit outside in the nice weather during lockdown. Golden Lane Housing works with adults with learning disabilities, providing supported housing around which they can build their lives. It was established as an independent charity by Mencap in 1998 to help tackle the immense challenges that people with a learning disability face in finding a home.

9 Accent Housing Making a difference and improving people’s lives is part of the job at Accent Group, which has been providing roofs over people’s heads since 1966.

Today, the housing association owns almost 22,000 properties across the north, east, and south of the country, which are home to more than 35,000 residents. A registered society for the benefit of the community, Accent has plans to build many more. Looking after staff so they can look after residents is a priority for the organisation, which has an employeeled group which organises a calendar of activities to boost the health and wellbeing of the workforce.

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HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021

Number 6 in 2021! in Housing’s 25 Best Associations to Work For

Melin Homes have entered The Sunday Times Best Companies Lists for the last six years.

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2021 is the first year we have been on three lists, with Giving Something Back remaining our highest category.

Best Companies is fantastic reward and recognition for all the hard work of our dedicated and caring staff.

Our people know that we aim to do our best for our residents and the communities we work in. The last 14 months have been unprecedented and we felt continuing with our Best Companies journey was more important than ever.

Here’s what some of our staff had to say when asked:

What makes Melin a great place to work?

“Even though most of this year we have been in lockdown and working from home, Melin has made every effort to make us feel valued and included, with lots of postal surprises!”

“Employees are constantly appreciated for the work they do.

There is team spirit and you get a great sense of belonging to the organisation.”

“The people, it’s a great place to work! I have been here since 2001 so say no more.”

“I feel supported in my role and appreciated. It’s been a very tough year for everyone. I feel extremely lucky to be able to work from home in these difficult times. My line manager and team manager have been supportive throughout. Not only do we look after our residents, we look after each other.”

“Melin is an outstanding place to work. I am encouraged and empowered to carry out my daily role. We are looked after as individuals, with a wide range of benefit options which support my mental health, wellbeing and keeps me motivated. The Zest initiative has been the bed rock of looking after staff welfare for a long time with many initiatives to keep me fit and well.”

www.melinhomes.co.uk

@melinhomes

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Paula Kennedy, Chief Executive at Melin said: “Being placed at number six on Housing’s 25 Best Associations to Work For list is something to be really proud of. These awards really matter to us at Melin because they are based on how staff genuinely feel about where they work. I would like to thank everyone at Melin for making it a fantastic place to work, their dedication over the last year has been inspiring under such difficult circumstances.”

Photos were taken before Covid-19

10 Kingdom Group A ground-breaking project to tackle the vicious circle of homelessness and unemployment was launched by Fife-based Kingdom Housing Association in 2019, which other associations have since adopted. The ‘Naumann Initiative’ gives homeless people a job, a home, and support with sustaining their tenancy. The project continues at Kingdom this year with the provision of two career pathfinder traineeships and three housing advocacy worker vacancies. In keeping with its mission of providing more than a home, Kingdom, formed in 1979, supplies a variety of enhanced services to tenants and delivers community initiative projects.

11 RHA Wales RHA owns and manages over 1,800 homes. The group has been the main provider of new social housing in the area in recent years, delivering over 350 new homes since 2015. Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary it’s now one of the longest-serving social landlords in Wales, with over 40 years’ experience of delivering high-quality services to tenants and stakeholders. The team of 70+ staff work with partners to deliver more than just housing. The organisation strives to build sustainable communities and improve the quality of life for tenants by increasing opportunities for employment and skills, and by promoting social inclusion.

12 believe housing A multimillion-pound cash injection means believe housing, a multiaward-winning housing association, will build 1,250 new homes, upgrade thousands more, and extend the support it offers to communities. The not-for-profit housing association based in Co Durham will use the cash to transform homes and communities. It’ll double its home-building programme and spend more than £6m extra on improving the energy efficiency of existing homes. believe housing prides itself on putting its tenants and its people at the heart of everything it does. Its mission is to strive every day to improve on what it did the day before.

13 Thrive Homes Social housing may not be immediately associated with Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Oxfordshire, but Thrive Homes knows the market well. The company owns and manages around 5,000 homes in those counties. It believes having a decent home and employment opportunities promotes a sense of self-worth and is the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life. Thrive describes itself as having a “social purpose” and its employees enjoy serving the community. Through their volunteering programme, they offer their time and expertise to local projects and charities.

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HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021

Proud to be the UK’s

‘Best Company to Work For’ In a year like no other our teams have gone the extra mile to be connected, engaged and to deliver excellent services for our customers.

Thank you Team SHG

HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE MARCH 2021

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14 Queens Cross Housing Association Queens Cross came to the aid of residents of all ages when the pandemic confined them to their homes. Arts activity packs were given to children, while some older tenants were handed digital devices to help them stay in contact with loved ones. Meals and groceries were delivered to those in need. Queens Cross was founded in 1976 to improve housing conditions and became a charity in 2005. The organisation provides mainstream housing and support services for people aged 60+, young people facing homelessness, and people with mental health issues. Its core values are respect, integrity, and aspiration.

15 VIVID As a provider of affordable homes in the South of England, VIVID put customer care centre stage during the pandemic and asked staff to make videos that showcased their pride in their work and the difference it makes to others. The fun films, which featured parodies of Bake Off, M&S adverts, ABBA, and Johnny Cash, brought teams together, as well as providing a reminder of the importance of the work they do. Formed in 2017, VIVID provides support to 72,000 customers across Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, and West Sussex, and has plans to build 17,000 homes over the next ten years.

16 Aspire Group Virtual coffee mornings and a ‘Feel Good’ campaign – including a timeoff pass and paid respite periods for staff working during lockdown – are just some of the initiatives that have kept spirits high at Aspire Group.

The Group provides around 9,000 homes across north Staffordshire and south and east Cheshire and its profits are reinvested in new homes, revitalising communities, and in a range of support services. The group demonstrates its commitment to its values by encouraging innovation, promoting cross-organisational working, and being ambitious – not just for the business but also for the people it serves and its employees.

17 Orwell Housing Association Orwell cares for the environment as well as its tenants and staff. The housing association manages not just 4,000 properties but 70 acres of outside space, including 5,000+ trees and six miles of hedging. All green waste is now recycled into mulch and compost for use across Orwell’s gardens and open spaces, rather than going to landfill. The idea came from staff, reflecting the collaborative culture encouraged by the association’s leadership. Ipswich-based Orwell supplies care services for older people, adults with learning disabilities, people facing homelessness, and those in or leaving abusive relationships.

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HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021

How engaged are your employees?

Ask them.

Measuring employee engagement with Best Companies gives you a unique understanding of how your employees feel about their working life in the housing sector.

Using our accurate and actionable engagement data, we enable you to drive genuine, effective change within your organisation – improving communication, cooperation and managerial behaviour.

Our data also provides the measurement behind ‘Housing’s Best Associations To Work For’ list, as well as providing our industry-leading accreditation standard.

Best Companies’ nationally recognised accreditation programme.

Find out more today by calling 01978 851 220 or visit www.b.co.uk HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE MARCH 2021

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18 Family Housing Association Teamwork makes the dream work at social landlord Family Housing Association (FHA), where staff pitched in together to make sure the organisation was able to provide vital care and support during the pandemic. Based in Swansea, FHA was established in 1975 to meet the housing needs of families and older and more vulnerable people with a mission to create strong, vibrant, and resilient communities where people can live active, fulfilling lives, living independently and safely. Today, it manages more than 2,800 affordable homes and provides a range of services.

19 Stonewater “No meetings at lunchtime” was the golden rule introduced by social housing provider Stonewater to ensure staff could grab the chance to take some exercise in daylight during lockdown. Furloughed staff weren’t left out either: they were sent a wellbeing toolkit, and mental health first aiders raised their profile across the intranet site to highlight the support they could offer. With 32,500 homes in England for 70,000 residents, including supported living for older and vulnerable people and women’s refuges, Stonewater’s priority was to improve communication to keep the workforce up to date on developments.

20 Black Country Housing Group An innovative member of staff at Black Country Housing Group (BCHG) adapted an empty bedroom in its care homes so relatives could visit their loved ones after months of being separated from them due to strict Covid regulations. This allowed families to sit behind Perspex glass in the novel visiting booth and speak to each other over a phone. Founded in 1974, this large not-for-profit community organisation employs more than 300 people across its portfolio of more than 2,200 homes and two residential care homes, and provides not only roofs over people’s heads, but also a wide range of support and services.

21 Watford Community Housing Watford Community Housing displayed its dedication to its customers during Covid by carrying out hundreds of welfare calls. Between April and September 2020 alone, it completed 752 calls to older and vulnerable customers. The housing association also awarded £250 welfare grants to 138 households. Formed in 2007, Watford Community Housing owns and manages more than 5,000 homes across south-west Hertfordshire.

As a Community Gateway organisation, it puts residents at the heart of its work, and they’re encouraged to become members so they can vote and make decisions which help to shape the organisation’s future.

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HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021

22 Christian Action Housing Association When a need for affordable housing for rent was identified in north London in the mid-1960s, the church-based Christian Housing Action Association stepped into the breach. Today, it manages or owns almost 1,600 homes in Enfield, Barnet, Haringey, and Waltham Forest. Christian Housing expects its team of 100 knowledgeable professionals to operate on its shared values of fairness and dedication to community service and, as a ‘people organisation’, understands that wellbeing is important.

Regular pulse surveys are held to find out what challenges its team members are facing and if additional support staff are needed.

23 Saffron Housing Trust Saffron Housing Trust’s people are at the heart of everything it does.

Their motivation, support, and engagement is critical to the delivery of the corporate plan, which promotes a positive, inclusive, and respectful culture with a strong focus on service improvement. The organisation acknowledges how hard its people work and their commitment to its future. Its exciting engagement and benefits platform means staff can recognise colleagues and take advantage of a range of discounts. As part of its ‘Positive Future Strategy’, it prioritises opportunities to get involved and the happiness of staff.

24 Cheltenham Borough Homes Formed in 2003, Cheltenham Borough Homes (CBH) is responsible for the management and maintenance of the town council’s housing stock and its allied housing the homeless service. Community engagement runs through CBH’s DNA, making a difference to thousands of lives in this way, with teams delivering face-to-face wellbeing sessions in a Covid safe way to vulnerable groups. They’ve also worked with three resident’s groups across Cheltenham on grow-your-own-vegetables projects and offer the chance to sign up for online activities alongside CBH staff, including craft sessions, foodie Fridays, and fitness activities.

25 Tai Calon Community Housing Jumping in at the deep end, new CEO Howard Toplis took over his role at Tai Calon Community Housing last year in the middle of the pandemic crisis. As employees made welfare calls to their vulnerable tenants, making sure people had food deliveries, Blaenau Gwent’s largest social landlord rose to the challenge to help local people. Four staff members were seconded to help the local Covid-19 Track and Trace effort and six went to help run food banks serving 450 families. Staff also helped with community projects including upgrading a local memorial garden with new shrubs.

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The HQN annual conference 2021: Respecting the resident voice – are we ready to listen?

13 - 15 July 2021

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HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE MARCH 2021

hqnetwork.co.uk/events