Corporate Strategy 2020 - 2023

somewhere to feel at home

Corporate Strategy October 2020 – September 2023 Quick Read Guide

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Introduction

We recognise that a lot has changed, both in Swan and in the environment in which we operate over the last few years. In fact, this strategy was developed remotely during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. It has given Swan the opportunity to refresh our Purpose, Mission and Values.

While devising a visionary plan that will transform the organisation as we continue to lead the way as an innovative housing service provider.

Changing landscape Financial impact of Covid-19

Brexit

Economic recession

Skills shortages in construction and care

More people working from home

Slow in urbanisation

Government policy changes (White paper on Social Housing)

Statutory obligations (e.g. Fire Safety and Environment Bills)

This ‘quick read’ guide summarises our new Purpose, Mission and Values, introducing our seven strategic AIMS and outlining how we will achieve them. A full version of the Corporate Strategy can be downloaded at swan.org.uk.

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Our Purpose, Mission and Values Swan’s Purpose To find better ways of doing things so that we improve lives and communities. Every day.

Swan’s Mission To deliver brilliant customer care and great places to call home.

Swan’s Values 1. Making a difference 2. Being inventive and solutions focused 3. Being open and fair 4. Caring about every customer

Making a difference

Being inventive and solutions focused

Being open and fair

Caring about every customer

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Our Strategic Aims

AIM1 Build Customer Trust If our customers trust us it will mean that we are competently delivering services, that we act with integrity and that we do the right thing. We expect this to lead to increased satisfaction with our services and greater customer advocacy. The phrase ‘our customers’ encompasses a broad range of stakeholders at Swan including our social housing residents, private sector renters, leaseholders, keyworkers, community engagement participants, care and support customers, as well as commissioners, NHS trusts, Local Authorities and many others.

• We will engage with our customers to better understand their journey • We will review our services and identify areas for improvement (including cost efficiencies) • We will develop our trust model to ensure we always act with transparency and integrity • We will increase our digital offering so that customers can access us using their channel of choice

AIM2 Maximise Our Talent To enable us to deliver this strategy we will need committed, high performing and dedicated employees. An engaged, talented and diverse workforce is essential for the delivery of this strategy.

• We will recruit, train and retain the best talent • We will continue to create an inclusive, diverse workplace • We will deliver an agile working environment

AIM3 Provide Safe, High Quality Homes Our most important responsibility is to ensure that the homes we provide are safe and remain great places to call home. Most of the homes we provide are less than 20 years old, but we need to plan for and implement the repairs and improvements that will be required in the future to ensure that they remain among the best in our sector.

• We will invest in our stock, making repairs and improvements, and complying with all health and safety requirements, so that they remain great places to call home • We will continue to build beautiful homes • We will communicate with our customers so that they know what they can expect from us and what our priorities are 4

Our Strategic Aims

AIM4 Build Financial Capacity and Resilience We have always been an organisation that strives to innovate and do more, and to generate additional funding through our commercial activities to invest in our Purpose. We want to continue to find ways to fund both our social housing and commercial activities ensuring we are resilient to whatever economic turbulence comes our way.

• We will achieve this through fundraising, joint ventures, third party investment capital, and the possible formation of strategic partnerships • We will drive efficiencies through new channel shift and strategic procurement strategies • We will report our financials in a transparent way showing value for money

AIM5 Love the Planet Environmental performance has always been important to us, from building our first zero carbon homes in Basildon around 15 years ago, through to our latest modular homes which are carbon negative for the first two years of their lives we have driven innovation in this area. With growing public and government concern about climate change this strategy commits us to do even more.

• We will develop and deliver an environmental strategy and investment in line with Government policies • We will ensure that environmental performance is embedded in everyone’s jobs • We will green our organisation, eg our procurement processes, offices and vehicle fleet

AIM6 Deliver Digital First Over the course of the last three years we have invested some £5m in improving our core IT systems, customer portal and hardware. Some of these systems are only just going live and others are in development. Over the next three years we want to make the best use of the technology we have invested in and invest further, to drive better, more efficient business performance and customer satisfaction.

• We will develop our online self-service offering • We will ensure that we have technology to support agile working practices • We will use data to monitor and drive efficiencies, whether that be better understanding customers’ preferences or monitoring energy installations • We will make sure that the homes we build are ‘future proof’ 5

Our Strategic Aims

AIM7 Grow Responsibly Our development pipeline is very strong and concentrated in our major regeneration projects at Purfleet-on-Thames, Queensway in Southend-on Sea, Blackwall Reach in Tower Hamlets and at Beechwood and Laindon in Basildon. We will focus on meeting our existing commitments, including identifying new opportunities to deliver 2,000 new housing starts for the GLA by 2022.

Our modular housing factory is now operating efficiently and producing great quality homes; we see the growth of this and our traditional construction business as a real area of opportunity.

• We will develop joint ventures and strategic partnerships to provide 2,000 new homes under the GLA programme by March 2022 • We will ensure that our commercial property portfolio performs allowing us to continue to invest in social housing and community regeneration • We will grow our modular housing business through government investment and third party funding

How will we know we are on track?

A delivery plan, with key milestones and clear accountability among the Executive and Senior Management Teams, will accompany this strategy. Many of the actions will be rolled into a series of strategic projects.

The Executive Team will monitor the delivery of these plans and report to the Board on progress.

If you have any questions, you can find more information at swan.org.uk or email communicationsteam@swan.org.uk

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somewhere to feel at home

www.swan.org.uk