Annual Report 24/25

Your

Annual Report Our yearly review of Weaver Vale Housing Trust service performance, which covers the financial year of 2024/2025 The financial year covers 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025.

Our Year Wayne Gales - Chief Executive I’m pleased to welcome you to our Annual Report for 2024/25 and to share some of the progress we’ve made over what has been a challenging, but ultimately rewarding year, delivering great outcomes for our customers and the communities we serve.

84% Customer Satisfaction

This year, 84% of our customers told us they’re satisfied with the overall service we provide, this is the same as last year and we are genuinely proud of this. Holding steady in a challenging climate speaks volumes about the resilience and commitment of our customers and teams.

Despite the mounting pressures on us all, from rising costs to growing demand for support, we stay focused on what matters most: delivering for you, our customers. We remain committed to our purpose to serve our customers and communities and to continue to learn along the way.

It’s also encouraging to see that 90% of customers feel you are treated fairly and with respect, and 86% of you believe your home is safe. These results reflect the dedication of our teams and their commitment to listening, supporting, and doing the right thing every day.

All of our Tenant Satisfaction Measures are above the affordable housing sector average, which is a huge credit to our staff. We’re proud of this achievement, but we also know there is always more we can do. We remain committed to improving services, listening to customers, and investing in our neighbourhoods.

90% Treated fairly & with respect

You can read our full Tenant Satisfaction Measures on pages 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this year’s journey customers, staff, partners, and board members. Together, we’ll keep working hard to build strong, safe, and thriving communities across Cheshire. We are always here to help, if you need to contact our staff you can find full contact information on page 36.

Wayne Gales Chief Executive

Who are Weaver Vale?

More about your landlord

We are an independent housing association that started in July 2002. We are not part of any local council. We work across Cheshire and Warrington and own and manage over 6,600 homes. We also own garages, shops, play areas, and green spaces. We want to help people live better lives. We care about the people who live in our homes and the places around them. That’s why we spend money and time on our homes, our services and our communities.

We are committed to building strong, happy communities. We work hard to provide goodquality homes and supportive services, so everyone has a safe and comfortable home. Our vision, which we work hard to achieve every day, is -

Working together to provide quality homes, places and services, making a positive impact for people Our Teams We have just over 320 people working at the Trust, including our apprentices who work in a variety of teams. Our teams cover many different areas, all working together to support our customers and communities. Here’s a look at what we do: Homes and Repairs Trades teams Emergency and day-to-day repairs Gas services Getting empty homes ready to re-let Customer liaison & Property co-ordination Development and regeneration (including Shared Ownership) Grounds maintenance and green spaces Compliance and safety Home investments Surveying

Customer Services and Support Rent Support and money matters Letting homes Customer services hub Neighbourhood services Tenancy sustainment (and safeguarding) Older persons services Employment support Customer engagement and complaints Behind-the-Scenes Support Human resources & communications Finance & legal & governance IT & software development

Each team plays an important role in helping us provide safe homes, strong communities, and great services.

Who are Weaver Vale?

Where we work We’ve grown over the past year and we now own and manage more than 6,600 homes across Cheshire and Warrington. This more recent increase in homes was from what is known as a ‘stock transfer’ which is buying homes from other housing associations. In this case, we bought close to 200 homes in Cheshire.

Did you know?

We have homes right across Cheshire, including Chester, Warrington, Wilmslow, Macclesfield, Crewe, Alsager, Congleton, Lymm and more.

We have over 80 vans on the road, give us a wave if you spot us out and about!

We are are graded as V1, C1, G1, by the Regulator of Social Housing. We were one of the first landlords in England to earn a C1 grading, which was introduced in April 2024. The C (consumer) grading is focused on ensuring customers are safe in their homes, treated with fairness and respect and able to influence the quality of services. We also have the highest grades for both Viability - V1 and Governance - G1. You can read more about what this means to you on our website - www.wvht.co.uk.

Your Rent

What we spend your rent on The rent we receive from our customers, whether you pay it yourself or it comes through benefits you are entitled to, helps us deliver the services you rely on, like repairs, maintenance, and improvements to your home.

Here’s a breakdown of how we spend each £1 we receive. These figures also include the pay of our senior colleagues - our Chief Executive and Executive Leadership Team of Directors. Our Chief Executive and directors are responsible for leading the Trust. Their salaries, including our Chief Executive, make up 2p in every £1 of rental income into the Trust.

37p

Investing in your homes. Work like new kitchens, bathrooms, roofing.

This work follows our investment plan.

21p

Providing services to you. Services such as rent support, tenancy sustainment, neighbourhoods, open spaces, repairs, lettings.

You can read about all of our teams and services on page 3.

23p

Repairing your home. Our Repairs Team carry out Emergency, Urgent & Routine repairs all year round to homes.

17p

2p

Developing new homes across Cheshire & Warrington.

This includes building and buying new homes.

The pay of our Chief Executive and Executive Leadership Team of Directors. Our Chief Executive and directors are responsible for leading the Trust.

If you'd like to read our full financial statements, you can find the details on our website.

Just head to www.wvht.co.uk /performancefor more information.

Our Performance How are we doing? Our results in 2024/2025 Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM's) cover a wide range of service areas such as repairs, neighbourhood satisfaction, key safety areas, communication and complaints. These performance measures makes sure: We know how our customers feel about us and how they feel we can improve.

Customers can see how we are performing and can scrutinise our performance.

We provide this information to our regulator (The Regulator of Social Housing) about how we are performing against the Regulatory Consumer Standards. You can see our 2024/25 results below. Please note the question titles are set by the Regulator of Social Housing.

84%

77%

86%

90%

TP01 - Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied with the overall service from their landlord How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 71.3%

TP06 - Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied that their landlord listens to tenant views and acts upon them How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 60.4%

TP07 - Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied that their landlord keeps them informed about things that matter to them How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 70.3%

TP08 - Proportion of respondents who report that they agree their landlord treats them fairly and with respect How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 76.8%

Our Performance

How are we doing? Our results in 2024/2025

CH01 - Complaints relative to the size of the landlord (per 1000 low cost rental accomodation (LCRA) homes, per year).

Stage 1

30.63

Stage 2

3.14

CH02 - Stage 2 Complaints responded to within Complaint Handling Code timescales

45%

74%

79%

100%

CH02 - Stage 1 Complaints responded to within Complaint Handling Code timescales

100%

TP09 - Proportion of respondents who report making a complaint in the last 12 months who are satisfied with their landlord’s approach to complaints handling How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 34.5%

TP11 - Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied that their landlord makes a positive contribution to the neighbourhood How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 63.1%

TP10 - Proportion of respondents with communal areas who report that they are satisfied that their landlord keeps communal areas clean and well maintained How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 65.1%

Our Performance

How are we doing? Our results in 2024/2025

73%

TP12 - Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied with their landlord’s approach to handling anti-social behaviour How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 57.8%

NM01 - Anti-social behaviour cases relative to the size of the landlord (per 1,000 homes)

79%

86%

0%

71

NM01 - Anti-social behaviour Hate Crime cases relative to the size of the landlord (per 1,000 homes)

0.3

TP04 - Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied that their home is well maintained How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 70.8%

TP05 - Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied that their home is safe How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 76.6%

RP01 - Proportion of homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard This means all of our homes meet this standard

Our Performance

How are we doing? Our results in 2024/2025 82%

74%

TP02 - Proportion of respondents who have received a repair in the last 12 months who report that they are satisfied with the overall repairs service How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 72.3%

TP03 - Proportion of respondents who have received a repair in the last 12 months who report that they are satisfied with the time taken to complete their most recent repair How we compare against over 1,000 other Housing organisations. The average (median) score across other housing organisations is 67.4%.

RP02 - Repairs completed within target timescales set: Emergency

99.8%

RP02 - Repairs completed within target timescales set: Non-Emergency

68.4%

Includes urgent & routine repairs

If you need to report a repair or contact any of our teams, you can find full contact information on page 36.

Or contact our Customer Hub on Email enquiries@wvht.co.uk Call us 0300 303 9848 Visit www.wvht.co.uk for full tenancy information about all of our services.

Our Performance

How are we doing? Our results in 2024/2025 BS01 - Proportion of homes for which all required gas safety checks have been carried out

BS04 - Proportion of homes for which all required legionella risk assessments have been carried out

100%

100%

BS02 - Proportion of homes for which all required fire risk assessments have been carried out

100%

BS05 - Proportion of homes for which all required communal passenger lift safety checks have been carried out

100%

100%

BS03 - Proportion of homes for which all required asbestos management surveys or re-inspections have been carried out

“The plumber was the nicest most helpful person.

An absolute credit to Weaver Vale”

Complaints What do we learn from them?

We are committed to always improving through customer feedback and complaint resolution, you can read a summary of complaints activity for the 2024/25 period on the next 2 pages. We have made improvements to complaint handling in 2024/25 which meant 89% of customers were satisfied with how their complaint was handled.

We recognise that when things go wrong, it’s an opportunity to learn and improve. We welcome complaints as a vital part of our service development, and we are committed to handling them in a person-centred, fair, and consistent manner.

Our goal is to resolve issues promptly and use information from complaints to improve the quality of our services for you, our customers.

228

In 2024/25 we recorded a total of 228 new complaints, which is a 64% increase from last year and a 43% increase in Stage 2 escalations.

196

Complaints resolved stage 1. This is a 53% increase on the previous year.

90%

We continue to address most complaints at Stage 1 90%. This means most customers receive a response within 10 working days.

22

Complaints stage 2. This is a 43% increase on the previous year.

Complaints What have we learnt from them?

We views complaints as a really good opportunity for learning and service improvement. ​ Over the past 12-months, 130 customer complaints have led to improvement actions, mostly operational, like performance management, training, and procedure changes. These actions aim to prevent any recurrence and increase service improvements.

Examples of service improvements include:

Repairs appointment process now includes text confirmations and reminders sent 7 and 2 days in advance, as well as when our operatives are on their way to your home.

Survey forms updated to allow on-site agreement and documentation of repair works, improving recordkeeping.

All out-of-hours calls are now sent directly to the Out of Hours Manager to avoid delays in booking repairs.

Call back wait time from our out of hours team reduced from 10 to 3 minutes, minimising customer wait times.

Getting it right Compliments In 2024/25, we received 853 customer compliments, acknowledging the dedication, care, and professionalism of our staff. While this is an 8% decrease from the compliments recorded in 2023/24, these comments are really important for our teams, thank you for sending them.

Compliments are more than kind words, they boost morale, reinforce good practice, and directly influence the quality of service we provide. For many staff, a single compliment can be a motivating and memorable moment, letting them know that the care and support they deliver matters. We've highlighted key themes from this year's compliments here.

Staff are friendly, kind, professional, efficient, polite and respectful Support and understanding for vulnerable customers Good quality work & high levels of customer service Appreciation of fast response to emergency repairs Pride taken in workplace and clearing up afterwards

The lady I spoke to at the Hub was very friendly and helpful

It was good having someone there to support me. It’s really helpful because it breaks actions into steps and the task doesn't seem so bad after all.

The repair man is very polite and respectful of being in my house and sets a high standard to his work, you’re lucky to have someone like this in your team.

Your Involvement What our involved customers have done Our Customer Assurance Team (CAT) is our group of involved customers, all volunteers who give up their time to help shape and improve our services. The group’s aim to make sure we’re doing things right, and give updates to our Board and other important groups.

The Customer Assurance Team (CAT) has become a key part of how we run things. Their job is to speak for customers, ask important questions, and make sure our services match what customers need. They also help us meet the standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing, and even go beyond them. The team is split into 4 smaller groups, each looking at different areas of our service.

The Neighbourhood Group

The Home Group

The Empowerment Group

The Tenancy Group

This year, the Customer Assurance Team (CAT) continued to grow and make a real impact. The 4 sub-groups stayed active, working hard to check how well we are meeting customer needs and following the standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing. They’ve helped shape services, shared feedback, and made sure customers’ voices are heard.

On the next four pages you can read a summary of the group’s work. You can read the full group report on our website www.wvht.co.uk/performance-

Join Us! We’d love more customers to get involved. Whether you want to volunteer, share your ideas, or help us make our services better, we’d love to hear from you. Just get in touch with our Engagement Team for a friendly chat about how you can take part.

getinvolved@wvht.co.uk

0300 303 9848

Neighbourhood Group Overview The Neighbourhood Group held 9 meetings between April 2024 and March 2025, during which time they looked at the following areas:

Reviewed the grounds maintenance service and helped improve policies to boost customer satisfaction and reduce complaints. The group looked into how open spaces are managed, found some gaps in customer feedback and communication, and shared a report with actions to improve.

Neighbourhood Experience Project. The group helped shape 2 new policies, the Good Neighbourhood Management and the Pet Guidance. This focused on handling noise issues with care.

Focus Group & Survey. The group ran a door-to-door survey about wildflower areas, giving real-time feedback that helped update the Open Space Policy.

Walkabout Theme 2025. The group tested how we collect customer feedback and deliver value for money, linking to a wider review of satisfaction data.

“Being part of the Customer Assurance Team has been awesome, I’ve learned a lot about the Trust and it’s given me a better understanding of social housing. We have the opportunity to ask questions and it feels great to know that we are listened to and are helping to improve the trust for everyone.“

Looking ahead the group will: Track progress on the Grounds Maintenance improvements Check we meet the Neighbourhood & Community Standard Help run annual Walkabouts and the Neighbourhood Experience Project

Empowerment Group Overview The Empowerment Group held 9 meetings between April 2024 and March 2025, during which time they focused on the following areas: The group strengthened customer voice across the Trust, reviewing complaints handling, communications, and contributing to compliance with the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard and Housing Ombudsman Code.

Reviewed and confirmed compliance with the Complaints Handling Code, leading to clearer website information and improved customer letters.

Raised and resolved concerns about rent year communication for Universal Credit users.

Provided input on policies and the Annual Report’s accessibility and design.

Assurance Sessions Summary Held in October and November, the sessions focused on the Transparency, Influence and Accountability (TIA) Standard, covering Respect, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Customer Engagement, Complaints, Performance Data, and Communications.

Presentations from colleagues helped the group confirm we are fully compliant, providing assurance.

Looking ahead the group will: Scope out the Survey of Tenants & Residents (STAR) survey scrutiny project, focusing on the quality of the data, methods of collection and value for money.

Monitor compliance with the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard through scrutiny and check and challenge activities.

Monitor compliance with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.

Tenancy Group Overview The Tenancy Group held 10 meetings between April 2024 and March 2025, during which time they focused on the following areas:

Scrutiny Review. Conducted interviews, webinars, journey mapping, and surveys. The group found some low customer awareness of HomeSwapper and identified some neighbourhood reputation perceptions as a barrier to exchanges. They delivered a final report and action plan in August 2024, with recommendations now being tracked.

Performance Monitoring. Early actions on communication and marketing boosted visibility resulting in increased applications and 7 successful exchanges in March 2025.

41% of registered customers completed the feedback survey - the highest response rate.

Tenure Innovation - Supported the Trust’s plan to introduce Rent-to-Buy homes, promoting affordable homeownership.

Bootcamp Assurance Sessions Summary (October 2024 – early 2025) Focus: Reviewed key service areas under the Tenancy Standard, including: Allocations & Lettings Tenancy Sustainment & Evictions Tenure & Mutual Exchanges Members confirmed we are compliant with the Tenancy Standard. They identified areas to improve: Customer communication Support for residents without online access, especially regarding Mutual Exchange services

Looking ahead the group will Support delivery of and monitor the Mutual Exchange action plan.

Monitor compliance of the Tenancy Standard through scrutiny and check and challenge activities.

Knowledge & Information Customer Financial Assistance Fund.

Home Group Overview The Home Group held 11 meetings between April 2024 and March 2025, during which time they focused on the following areas: Enhancing customer experience around Damp, Mould & Condensation (DMC), improving housing safety and quality, and ensuring regulatory compliance with the Safety and Quality consumer standard.

The Compliance Manager presented the Trust’s approach to legal and regulatory standards.

The group praised the Trust for managing building safety risks and achieving 100% compliance.

Empty Homes Standard - the group had oversight of new standard implementation, including: Switch to B&Q vouchers / pre-termination visits / kitchen/bathroom flooring / retention of safe fittings. The group carried out Inspections and confirmed high quality and customer/staff satisfaction.

Repairs & Maintenance Policy - This was approved July 2023 and the group maintains full oversight of the implementation of the new policy, getting regular updates from the Director of Property.

Damp, Mould and Condensation Project - the group identified key themes: some wait times, repeat visits, communication, fuel vouchers, and ventilation costs. They were reassured by ongoing actions that we are taking including - an increase in communications, improved surveyor forms and increased staff training.

Bootcamp Assurance Session Summary. The session focused on the Safety and Quality Consumer Standard, addressing key areas: Stock Quality & Decency & Health & Safety Repairs & Maintenance & Planned Improvements & Adaptations

Looking ahead the group will Complete the damp, mould and condensation (DMC) project, report findings and monitor agreed actions Monitor compliance of the Safety and Quality Standard through scrutiny and check and challenge activities Continue to conduct Empty Homes inspections to monitor the standard and quality to ensure it is maintained

Your Voice How your voice improves our services We are committed to making sure customers have opportunities to shape and improve our services. By actively listening and involving customers, we want to improve our service quality, to build transparency, to drive accountability, and empower you to influence decisions that affect your lives. We do this in a range of ways: Satisfaction & Monitoring Engagement Forums Survey of Tenants & Residents (known as Joint Board & Engaged Customer Meetings STAR survey) E-Voice Group Repairs & Complaints Surveys (we send Customer Facebook Group out short surveys after each repair we Customer Assurance Team (with 4 sub-groups) carry out) Contractor Procurement Panel Interviews Neighbourhood Walkabouts (each Feedback & Consultation Summer we get out and about in a range Customer consultations for policy and of our communities) service reviews Collation of feedback for scrutiny by the Assurance Team Involved customer input into Corporate Strategies In-bound communications and complaints In 2024/25, a total of 3,101 customer surveys were completed across the Trust, providing valuable insights that influenced service improvements across a wide range of areas.

3101

Total customer surveys were completed across the Trust

227

Feedback through complaints

972

Customers surveyed through STAR survey

177

Feedback through e-voice group

643

Through repairs & complaint handling surveys

19

Customers attended 47 meetings

53 188 853

41

Feedback through Facebook

Feedback from walkabouts

Compliments from customers

Surveys completed after new customers sign-up to a tenancy

Your Feedback Your feedback themes Customer feedback has led to wider service improvements, including over 80 completed actions to address complaints, enhanced staff training to prevent future issues, and increased trade resources to speed up repair times. Here’s a selection of some of the feedback we’ve acted upon to improve services.

My Account improvements: Customers can now book more types of repairs online.

Planned investment works are visible for homes.

Homes location information: A location map of Trust homes across Cheshire & Warrington was added to Your Home magazine, this annual report and our website.

Out-of-Hours service upgrade: All emergency calls now assessed by the Call-Out Manager to reduce delays to emergency jobs.

Call-back option offered after 3 minutes (previously 10 minutes).

Empty Homes process update: Post-inspection issues are now raised immediately to avoid delays and missed follow-ups.

Customer communication review: Focus group leading to creation of a new customer “Read-It” group launching in 2025/26.

Email response process improved: Internal systems updated to prevent delays in responding to team inbox emails.

Mutual Exchange awareness increased: Increased the information we share, including social media and Your Home magazine.

Vulnerability recording in surveys: New section added to record household vulnerabilities to increase respectful service planning.

Text message notifications introduced: Appointment reminders sent 7 and 2 days before, plus on-way alerts.

Trade resource increased: More tradespeople recruited to speed up responsive repair times.

Your landlord Contacting us You can contact us through a wide range of channels, from phone calls, emails, and social media to in-person conversations with staff during home visits, neighbourhood walkabouts, and community hubs. Speaking directly with customers allows staff to build trust, understand your needs, and deliver services that you need.

Over

Calling Us - 0300 303 9848 Incoming calls into our Customer Hub on the 0300 303 9848 number.

Our average call duration time was 4.46 minutes.

76,000

Our Website - www.wvht.co.uk

Over 75,000 Over 1,110

Visits to our website. Our website has a lot of tenancy information on it about all of our services that you can use.

Social Media (Facebook)

Messages through our active Facebook page with over 5,400 followers. You can message our Facebook page and we will pass your message to the correct team. We put a lot of information on Facebook about Weaver Vale and also community news and events.

My Account Our free Rent and Repairs app available to all customers.

59.80%

Of customers were signed up to My Account. This has now increased to over 62%.

Sign up here, hold your phone camera over this QR code and it will take you to our website to sign up.

Your Home - Repairs We carried out over 20,000 repairs along with improvement works to help keep your home safe, comfortable, and well looked after.

Here’s a look at the repair work we’ve carried out over the last 12 months in our homes across Cheshire and Warrington. We have 3 repairs categories: Routine / Urgent and Emergency. You can read more information about our repairs service on our website, www.wvht.co.uk. We also continue to do important Damp, Mould and Condensation works to all of our homes.

Routine Repairs - 11,341 carried out 61.74% of these were in target time. Our target is 80%.

Emergency Repairs - 5,634 carried out 99.8% of these were in target time. Our target is 100%.

Urgent Repairs - 3,616 carried out 89.35% of these were in target time. Our target is 90%.

Property Compliance covering the important home safety areas of Gas Servicing Electrical Testing Water Hygiene Management Fire Door Inspection Fire Risk Assessments Lift Examinations & Servicing Asbestos Management

Your Home - Improvements Here’s a summary of the improvement work we’ve completed over the last 12 months across Cheshire and Warrington.

Keeping your home safe and in good condition is our top priority. As well as carrying out day-today repairs, we also plan bigger improvement works, like new kitchens, bathrooms, and roofs, where they’re needed most. Improvement work is really important to us. It’s about more than just maintaining buildings, it’s about making sure you have a home that’s comfortable, safe, and fit for the future.

To help us plan this work, we regularly carry out stock condition surveys. These are simple checks on your home that give us a clear picture of what needs updating and when. This helps us invest wisely and make sure we’re doing the right things at the right time.

115 Electrical re-wires to homes were carried out

324 Heating Replacements to homes were carried out

81 Roofing Replacements to homes were carried out

180 new kitchens fitted

113

new bathrooms fitted

Letting Homes & Selling Homes We own and manage over 6,600 homes across Cheshire and Warrington, including a wide range of options to suit you and your family, from 1–2 bedroom flats to 2, 3 and 4 bedroom family homes.

We offer other home types like bungalows for people aged 55 and over, and Independent Living Apartments (in the Northwich area). Some of our homes have been adapted for people with mobility needs.

Alongside homes for rent, we also offer shared ownership homes for sale, and rent to buy, helping more people take their first step onto the property ladder if they want to.

Our rental homes are let through Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cheshire East Council, and Warrington Borough Council, but from time to time, we also rent homes directly.

To see what’s available and find out more, visit www.wvht.co.uk.

22 Mutual Exchanges

347 Existing homes let to customers

17 New Shared Ownership homes sold to customers “Shared Ownership gave us a good choice, its more affordable for us as a family.

It’s a really good option to get onto the housing ladder”.

New Homes We’re committed to meeting local housing need by building and also buying new homes, bringing underused or empty sites back into use. This includes a mix of family housing and smaller homes and apartments, with a strong focus on affordability through homes for rent and shared ownership sale.

We work with a wide range of trusted local builders and developers. By doing this we’re delivering high-quality, sustainable housing options that help strengthen local communities, keeping our commitment to increasing affordable housing in Cheshire and Warrington.

223

£3.76

New Affordable Rent & Shared Ownership homes built or bought.

Million received in grant funding from Homes England. Homes England is the Government’s housing and regeneration agency.

This money is used towards our development of new homes.

Your Community The Environment Here’s an overview of the work we’ve delivered across Cheshire and Warrington over the past 12 months.

Green open spaces are important for the wellbeing of our communities and the environment.

That’s why we’re committed to protecting and maintaining these spaces, ensuring they remain clean, safe, and accessible for everyone to enjoy, now and into the future.

Our Open Spaces team manages a large amount of land in Cheshire and Warrington, and plays an important role in preserving these natural areas. From mowing communal grass, trimming hedges, and controlling weeds, to creating wildflower habitats that support bees and other pollinators, their work helps biodiversity thrive. They also carry out regular estate inspections, litter picking, external garden repairs, and the upkeep of Trust-owned play areas and signage.

We planted 6000 bulbs, that’s 1000 more than last year!

Over 1200 of our homes (& our Head Office) have solar panels fitted. In total they generated enough electricity to make 94,528,489 cups of tea. (Jan 2024 - Dec 2024)

We surveyed 550 trees & planted 18 new trees.

We cut 8.5 km of hedges

Our solar panels saved 1022.70 tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide emissions going into the air (Jan 2024 - Dec 2024)

Your Community Keeping you safe Here’s a look at how we’ve supported our customers across Cheshire and Warrington over the past 12 months.

Our Neighourhood Housing Team is here to support you with any matters related to your tenancy and local community.

We’re committed to working with our communities to create safe, thriving neighbourhoods where people feel proud to live. We work closely with the Police and other partners, including local councils, to address tenancy-related issues such as anti-social behaviour in agreed timecales effectively.

The team worked on 771 tenancy cases.

375 of these were classed as Anti-Social Behaviour.

We closed 476 cases that we worked on.

Taking on average 90.59 days to close cases.

“You guys are my landlords, and yet this service you’re offering is just over and above the call of duty, it’s fantastic.

Thank you so much, I mean it sincerely”

Supporting You Sustaining your tenancy Here’s a look at how we’ve supported customers across Cheshire and Warrington over the past 12 months.

Our Tenancy Sustainment Team is here to help you stay in your home. We have a dedicated focus on helping customers successfully maintain their tenancies with us. We’ve introduced a central point of contact, which means we can allocate cases quicker and ensure you get the right support when you need it most. We can support you if you’re finding it difficult to manage your tenancy or maintain your home. We work closely with our Neighbourhood Housing Team to work with customers to sustain tenancies with us.

106

Support cases were opened

242

Extra advice and contacts made with customers

95%

We had a tenancy sustainment rate of 95%

“May I add how amazing you are.

I struggle very much to concentrate and you've been extremely patient with me”.

Supporting You Safeguarding Here’s a look at how we’ve supported customers with safeguarding concerns, across Cheshire and Warrington over the past 12 months.

We are committed to the safety, wellbeing, and dignity of every person who lives in our homes.

Safeguarding is a key part of our work, and we take our responsibilities seriously. We work with local authorities, health services, and other support agencies to identify and respond to concerns involving adults at risk and children who may be experiencing abuse, neglect, exploitation, or other forms of harm.

Our staff are trained to recognise signs of vulnerability and act swiftly and sensitively to ensure appropriate support is provided. We believe that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and we encourage customers, staff, and partners to speak up if they have concerns.

If you believe someone is in immediate danger or at serious risk of harm, please do not hesitate to contact the police straight away, on 999 - your action could make a life-changing difference.

Safeguarding cases

475

We work on a range of safeguarding cases, including concerns around domestic abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, mental health crises, and risks to children’s safety, reflecting the complex and varied needs within our communities.

57 of these cases were domestic abuse 55 of these cases were due to mental health concerns 10 of these cases were due to neglet

246

Foodbank referrals to MidCheshire foodbank.

SupportingYou Sheltered Living Our Independent Living Apartments offer affordable, secure housing for individuals and couples aged 55 and over, across several locations in and around Northwich. More than just a place to live, each apartment is part of a vibrant, supportive community designed to help residents maintain independence while feeling connected and cared for.

We understand that later life can sometimes bring feelings of isolation, which is why our Independent Retirement Apartments are designed to encourage companionship, shared experiences, and a sense of belonging. Whether it's chatting with neighbours over a brew and biscuit, joining in on group activities, or simply knowing someone is nearby, our spaces promote wellbeing.

Each location offers excellent facilities, a warm and friendly atmosphere, and the reassurance of living among people who value independence and connecting with neighbours.

Our Independent Living Apartments are located at: Moretons Meade, Weaverham, near Northwich Heathbrook, Rudheath, Northwich Queen Elizabeth House, Northwich Fountain Court, Davenham, near Northwich

We have 102 residents.

The average age of our residents is 74 years young.

We run regular arts and crafts and exercise classes, as well as Bingo and celebration parties for our residents.

Your Rent Managing rent and supporting you We understand that keeping up with rent and other bills can be difficult, especially during uncertain times. That’s why our Rent Support team is here to offer you the support you need, without judgement, and to help ease the pressure.

Paying your rent is important because it helps keep your home secure. But we know life doesn’t always go to plan, and asking for help can feel daunting. You’re not alone and reaching out early can make a big difference. Our team can: Review your income to make sure you’re receiving the right benefits and support Help you find ways to boost your household income Talk through your concerns and connect you with other support teams in the Trust Liaise with external services you’re working with to make sure support is joined up If you’re feeling worried about paying your rent or other bills, please don’t wait, get in touch with our Rent Support team today. We're here to help you stay on track.

Total rent collected

£39.55 Million

Total rent outstanding, owed to Weaver Vale This is 1.39% of our total rent.

“I cannot thank you enough for all the help and assistance that you have provided.

Never thought for a moment that we would be entitled to these benefits, having been refused pension credit.

So a great big thank you from the both of us”

£544,304

Your Rent Money Matters We know that financial worries can feel overwhelming, whether it’s struggling to pay rent, dealing with debts, or trying to understand your benefits. Whatever you’re facing, our Money Matters team is here to support you.

Our friendly and experienced team offers confidential, non-judgemental help with: Benefits advice and checks Rent arrears and housing-related concerns Managing debts and improving money confidence We take the time to understand your situation and work with you to find lasting solutions. That might include referrals to in-house teams or external partners who can support you with money advice, employment, and your health and wellbeing. You don’t have to face this alone. We’re here to help you take the first step toward feeling more in control.

We helped customers gain a total of in extra income gains.

Which is

£4.05 Million

1859 individual outcomes for customers.

“The support they gave me to access financial support was invaluable.

She was a friendly face I could turn to when I needed help.

Thank you!”

Your Job Support & Training Supporting our communities Thanks to continued support from The National Lottery Reaching Communities fund, our Employment Support team is helping people across Cheshire West aspire to and achieve more than they ever thought possible. In the face of rising cost-of-living pressures and the toll it takes on mental and physical health, our team offers a lifeline. We work with individuals from all walks of life, whether employed, unemployed, or somewhere in between, providing free tailored support without barriers.

If you're aged 18 or over and living in Cheshire West, you don’t need to be a Weaver Vale customer to access our services. If you’re ready to improve your life, we’re ready to help.

218 people.

We completed 494 work preparation interventions, We supported

including creating and writing 138 CV’s.

103 people get prepared for and attend job

We helped interviews.

87 People secured a job and 115 undertook training. £1.4 Million Income gains for participants.

That’s an average of £6,566 per person.

“I feel that they helped me realise what I want in life.

My mentor showed me a way out and I realised that I was unhappy in my current job, and it wasn’t covering the bills, but I had the power to change it.”

Your Annual Report For everyone If you would like this report, or any others printed and posted to you, please contact us and we will arrange this for you.

If you would like a report translating into a different language, please let us know, and we will do this for you and print or email it to you. Just detail the information you would like, the language and email to -

enquiries@wvht.co.uk and we will be in contact with you.

Jeśli chcieliby Państwo, aby którykolwiek z tych raportów został wydrukowany i wysłany do Państwa wiadomości, prosimy o kontakt z nami, a my zajmiemy się tym za Państwa.

Jeśli chcesz, aby raport został przetłumaczony na inny język, poinformuj nas o tym, a my zrobimy to za Ciebie i wydrukujemy go lub wyślemy do Ciebie e-mailem. Wystarczy, że podasz informacje, które chcesz, język i enquiries@wvht.co.uk e-mail, a my skontaktujemy się z Tobą.

Ak by ste chceli niektorú z týchto správ vytlačiť a poslať, kontaktujte nás a my vám to zabezpečíme. Ak by ste chceli preložiť správu do iného jazyka, dajte nám vedieť a my to urobíme za vás a vytlačíme vám ju alebo pošleme e-mailom. Stačí uviesť požadované informácie, jazyk a e-mailovú enquiries@wvht.co.uk a my vás budeme kontaktovať.

Se você quiser que algum desses relatórios seja impresso e postado para você, entre em contato conosco e providenciaremos isso para você. Se pretender que um relatório seja traduzido para um idioma diferente, por favor informe-nos, e faremos isso por si e imprimilo-emos ou enviá-lo-emos por e-mail. Basta detalhar as informações que você gostaria, o idioma e o e-mail enquiries@wvht.co.uk e entraremos em contato com você.

yakshchyo vi khochet nadrukuvati ta nadislati bud-yakii ease tsikh zvetiv, bud laska, zv'yazhitsya z nami, i mee organizuemo tse dlya vas. yakshchyo vi khochet pereklasti zvit na inshu movu, bud laska, povidomte nam, i mee zrobimo tse so vas i rozdrukuyemo abo nadislemo yogo vam electronic poshtoyu. prosto detalizuite information, yaku vi khotili b, movu ta electronic enquiries@wvht.co.uk i mee zv'yazhemosya z vami.

translation by Google Translate September 2025

Your Annual Report For everyone If you would like this report, or any others printed and posted to you, please contact us and we will arrange this for you.

If you would like a report translating into a different language, please let us know, and we will do this for you and print or email it to you. Just detail the information you would like, the language and send an email to -

email enquiries@wvht.co.uk and we will be in contact with you.

We have more detailed reports covering information that is in this annual report on our website. You can find a full list below.

Financial Statements www.wvht.co.uk/performanceCustomer Insights Report www.wvht.co.uk/performanceSTAR (survey of tenants and residents) www.wvht.co.uk/performanceTenant Satisfaction Measures www.wvht.co.uk/performanceDetailed Satisfaction Reports www.wvht.co.uk/performanceComplaints Annual Report www.wvht.co.uk/performanceCustomer Voice Annual Report www.wvht.co.uk/getinvolved Customer Assurance Team Annual Report www.wvht.co.uk/getinvolved Previous Annual Reports www.wvht.co.uk/performanceYour Home customer magazine www.wvht.co.uk/for-tenants Weaver Vale Work Team Annual Report www.wvht.co.uk/performance-

How to contact us We are here to help. If you want to access our services, here are the contact details for our customer teams. Our teams and staff work out and about in all of our communities, they are also happy to visit you at home, please just ask when you contact them.

For general enquiries and to book repairs call us on 0300 303 9848 email enquiries@wvht.co.uk message us via www.facebook.com/weavervale visit our customer reception at our Head Office, open Monday to Friday 9am-4pm. Gadbrook Point - Rudheath Way, Gadbrook Park, Northwich, CW9 7LL emergency repairs call us on 0300 303 9848, this number is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergency repairs.

For Neighourhood services call us on 0300 303 9848 email neighbourhoods@wvht.co.uk visit www.wvht.co.uk/neighbourhoodhousingteam For rent and money advice call us on 0300 303 9848 email rentfirst@wvht.co.uk visit www.wvht.co.uk/money-advice

For work advice call us on 0300 303 9848 email workteam@wvht.co.uk visit www.wvht.co.uk/employment-support

To make a complaint call us on 0300 303 9848 email us at complaints@wvht.co.uk visit our customer reception at our head office, open Monday to Friday 9am - 4pm visit www.wvht.co.uk/complaints You can also visit our website, where we have alot of customer information - www.wvht.co.uk

Follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with Weaver Vale Housing Trust news and community events.

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read our Annual Report. We hope you’ve found the information interesting and learnt about how your feedback is helping to improve our services. Your continued support and engagement is vital to help us deliver high-quality, customer-focused housing services across Cheshire and Warrington.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to listening, learning, and working together to build stronger communities and better homes for all customers.

0300 303 9848

Gadbrook Point - Rudheath Way - Gadbrook Park - Northwich - Cheshire CW9 7LL

www.wvht.co.uk Annual Report All figures correct as of September 2025