Annual Report 2024/2025
Introduction from Helen McHale and Steve Partridge
Key to achieving this vision is your feedback and involvement, which has continued to shape our services for 20 years. This collaborative approach has produced the 2024/25 Annual Report, with what matters most to customers at the forefront of its layout, design and digital format. This year, we’re creating more opportunities than ever to hear from you and we welcome your attendance at events, activities and Cornerstone, which continues to be a hub for so many customers.
Where it all started: The Big Conversation
Top Categories: What Matters Most
These are the most frequently mentioned themes:
Neighbourhood & Community
Preferred Formats
Online flipbook: 106 mentions
Video: 41 mentions
Infographic: 10 mentions
Booklet: 1 mention
Preferred Formats
Bullet-pointed text Graphics
mentions
Neighbourhoods & Communities
Connecting with others and growing as a community is essential to living a happy, healthy life. Whether you have joined one of our neighbourhood events, completed an online survey or met up with our team at Cornerstone, your feedback supports our ambition to create more inclusive and prosperous neighbourhoods for all customers to enjoy… and be proud to call home.
You said
Contractors should be fully aware of SHG’s code of conduct and your expectations for their behaviour on site.
We did
We arranged a toolbox talk led by the Greenspace contractor to ensure all operatives clearly understand SHG’s code of conduct and the standards expected of them.
Safety & Quality
More than ever over the past 12 months ‘Home’ has become somewhere we live, work from, and thrive in, so it’s vital you feel safe every time you walk through the door. As your landlord, customer health and safety is at the heart of all home improvements, adaptations and maintenance, giving you peace of mind in your safe space. £3.8m
12.8 Days
You
It was inconvenient to visit Cornerstone to re-programme fobs when they stopped working, and there needed to be a reliable way to access homes in an emergency.
You said We did
We removed the need for in-person visits by introducing a remote re-programming process for faulty fobs, and we established a fail-safe emergency access procedure to ensure residents can always get into their homes overnight.
Repairs Review
Last year, we conducted a review of our repairs service, with over 740 customers contributing by attending focus groups across the Borough and completing online surveys. Customer feedback has been central to this review, and we would like to express our gratitude to everyone who generously dedicated their time to participate.
Customers are increasingly frustrated with long repair times, especially when simple fixes, like the recurring unblocking a sink repair that was reported 303 times last year, could easily be handled at home. We’ve provided helpful videos below to guide you through the process
You can view all the videos here
Tenancy
Your tenancy matters; to you, the people you live with and to us as your landlord. We’re committed to supporting the individual needs of all households no matter what their circumstance may be. Access to excellent services is the first step towards a brighter future, and your feedback helps to make them as fair, responsive and accessible as they can be, providing stability in your tenancy and everyday life.
100.79%
Rents collected
Evictions due to rent arrears
2,979 3,016
Customers supported to obtain additional income, totalling £9.5m
5 253
5,965
Customers claiming Universal Credit
Customers in Rent Arrears
High arrears cases, down from 255 in 23/24
You said We did
You said We did Letters about medical points assessments for Homechoice applicants needed to be clearer and more transparent about how evidence is reviewed against the Allocations Policy.
We improved the wording of these letters to provide greater clarity and transparency, clearly explaining how medical evidence is assessed in line with the Allocations Policy.
New Homes, New Communities
Since 2021, Viaduct Housing Partnership have brought in over 49 million in government grant, leading to the development of more than 1,400 homes.
The launch of Stockport Homes as a Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) with Helen McHale becoming CEO with responsibility to achieve a 2 star rating from Audit Commission to qualify for additional funding needed to improve the social housing stock in Stockport
The Audit Commission inspection team gave the ALMO services the maximum threestars
2008
History made as Corporation signs first ever funding agreement with an ALMO £1.02 million received to fund 17 new homes
2011
2009
The launch of Repairs 1 and the completion of the first ever new builds delivered by Stockport Homes at Lantern Close
The first shared ownership homes at Blackberry Lane were comple
2012
Stockport Homes won the prestigious British Renewable Energy ‘Pioneer Award’ beating off competition from retail giants Tesco and Marks and Spencer.
The first ‘Your Local Pantry’ opened its doors at Penny Lane.
The ASB service achieve national
CEO Helen McHale named amongst the 50 most influential people in housing
Stockport Homes named Top Landlord in the Country
Cornerstone was officially opened, a town centre HQ for customers, colleagues and the community, and the new group structure saw Viaduct Housing Partnership & Three Sixty brought to life.
Stockport Homes and Stockport Council complete £10m project to install sprinklers inall 22 blocks and 1,579 flats.
20 Years of Impact: The Stockport Homes Story 2024
Stockport Homes named Number 1 Housing Provider to work from Best Companies withspecial recognition for ‘Giving Back’
Watch our journey of transforming lives, building communities, and creating lasting change.
Over the past year, Stockport Homes Group (SHG) has been dedicated to making a real difference, successfully raising an incredible £18,476.10 for the Wellspring, its Charity of Choice. This achievement highlights SHG’s strong commitment to social responsibility and the passion of its employees and community in supporting a vital cause.
Fundraising activities include
Sleep Out event (via JustGiving)
£2,005.00
10K Challenge (via JustGiving)
£1,635.29 SHG Festival £2,358.20
Custard drive competition
Over 1,000 tins donated
Staff are also encouraged to use 4 hours a month to volunteer, to support either a SHG support service, including the Furniture Project or Your Local Pantry, or a local charity.
This year Stockport Homes will turn 20. To commemorate this anniversary, staff will be taking part in volunteering opportunities across the Borough and giving something back to our communities.
Creating Brighter Futures
£44,862.75
Stockport Pantries Social Value totalled from 3,175 volunteering hours
Care leavers signed up to use Local Pantries, 20 Care Leavers use Your Local Pantry Weekly Holiday Club and 359 School Workshops Delivered, including 242 one-to-one sessions with young people Community Grants secured, totalling £1,095,476 Volunteering hours from Pantry volunteers and Holiday Club 25 42
39 3,376
Creating Brighter Futures
147 1,303 38
104
Customers moved into employment Training session attendees Training session delivered Health & wellbeing sessions delivered
SKylight was awarded £20,000 from National Lottery Awards for All towards the cost of purchasing a new van for the Furniture Recycling Project.
Rising Stars NW CIC was awarded £50,960 by the 10GM Violence Reduction Unit funding work in Adswood and Bridgehall
Social Enterprise Nornir were awarded £70,000 of GM Foundational Economy Funds to develop work around food systems in Stockport.
All Hallows Church in Cheadle were awarded £20,000 by National Lottery Awards for All which also unlocked a substantial amount of match funding and enabled the church to provide debt outreach advice over two years.
DryWave Recovery CIC were awarded £24,630 from the GMCA / Workers Educational Association for pathways to employment projects working with people who are experiencing or recovering from barriers created by substance misuse.
Aged 18-35?
Have your say as a young resident
Aged 18-35? We want to hear from you!
We don’t have many residents involved at Stockport Homes that can give young people a voice. We want to change that.
We’re making decisions that affect your home, community, and future. And to make sure we’re getting things right, we need your perspective.
To get involved, fill in our short survey to help us understand what young peoplereally want and need.
Tenancy
Last year, 81 of the 191 tenants supported through mutual exchange had a recognised housing need, like overcrowding, under-occupying or medical conditions. By not ending their tenancy with Stockport Homes and seeking alternative accommodation, these 81 tenants and the work of the teams involved created efficiencies in void repairs and void rent loss, saving £316,386.
544
Households prevented from being homeless
865
Home or
Remote visits
Hardship Fund Payments
£28,000
748
Relief duties accepted
1,650 emails and calls giving support and advice
Discretionary Housing Payments
£141,000
350
home visits for Energy Advice.
In 2024/25, Carecall partnered with Virgin Media O2 and TSA to support vulnerable residents in Stockport through the UK’s transition from analogue to Digital Voice, ensuring they continued to receive vital telecare services during this critical change.
1,031 new clients welcomed
6,078 emergency home visits
90,759
Carecall telephone calls received
Transparency, Accountability and Data
The top three themes for customer complaints for 2024/25
Repeated Repairs/Time taken to resolve repairs
And across service areas
Communication with customers
Standard of Service Provided
The top three themes for customer compliments for 2024/25
Repairs – attitude and standard of work of operatives
Tenancy and Estates (NHO’s) help and support
Assistance and professionalism in dealing with issues
Transparency, Accountability and Data
Where each £1 comes from that is spent on services
Rents
Income from collecting water on behalf of United Utilities
Service charge and other income
Where each £1 comes from that is spent on services
Day to day management
Major repairs
Interest and Principal Debt Repayments
Water Rates paid to United Utilites Future Invetment
You said We did
You said
Customers should be asked about any reasonable adjustments they might need when contacting the Customer Feedback Team.
We did
We introduced a form at first contact to ask customers about any reasonable adjustments, ensuring their needs are identified and supported from the outset.
Keeping in Touch Customer Roadshow
During July 2024, 98 Stockport Homes colleagues took part in the ‘Keeping in Touch’ Customer Roadshow, visiting customers in their local community to better understand customers’ vulnerabilities, so SHG can tailor their services to meet customers’ needs. We spoke with 371 customers, visiting 278 at home and received 93 completed online surveys!
380,000
Working with Partners
As well as listening to our customers, we are always wanting to work collaboratively and proactively with our other key stakeholders, including local Councillors who also represent our customers on the ground. This review has been an opportunity to really focus on the benefits these relationships bring to our overall customer voice, and we will strengthen those relationships further in the coming months.
Estate walkabouts took place across our neighbourhoods
Resident Forums took place across the Borough 219 20
Working with Partners
Stockport is a wonderful place to live and work. As the local Member of Parliament for the constituency of Stockport, housing is the issue that I receive most casework on. It is an incredibly challenging time for housing providers and tenants across all sectors, and it is important to me that I take this opportunity to congratulate Stockport Homes on their 20th anniversary of serving the Borough. Throughout this time, Stockport Homes, as an ALMO, has increased the housing stock. I would like to thank their leadership and entire workforce – the organisation delivers services which far exceed those of a traditional landlord. From my own cases I am aware of the support they provide to their residents in terms of employment and wellbeing support as well as money and energy advice. The “Your Local Pantry” initiative has been a welcome addition, helping people access affordable food. My very best wishes to everyone at Stockport Homes celebrating 20 years of service.
Cllr Navendu Mishra, MP
Looking Forward
We want your voice to be heard. Not only does it shape our services, but keeps customers at the heart of their delivery. Over the next 12 months, growing the number of volunteers, panel members and community champions is a priority for Stockport Homes to build on the successes of 2024/25.
Customer Voice
Customer Board Member
Aspire Panel Member
Service Reviews
Community Fund Panel
Complaints Review Groups
Building Safety Panels
High Rise Resident Forums
Local Community Groups
Rainbow Roofs LGBTQ+
Follow us on Social Media
Online Surveys
A digital brochure is also available to download via The Stockport Homes website and physical copies of this report are available by contacting The Marketing Team and if you would prefer to watch any of the videos without background music, please let us know.