Wales & West Housing's Spotlight on Denbighshire Autumn 2012

SPOTLIGHT ON

DENBIGHSHIRE ISSUE 4 | AUTUMN 2012

Preparing for Welfare Reform Enabling work, training and experience Expanding Cambria Maintenance Services Our latest new developments in your area

2 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

INTRODUCTION Welcome to the Autumn 2012 edition of Spotlight on Denbighshire, bringing you progress updates about Wales & West Housing initiatives in your area.

This edition ­ the first using our new brand identity which we introduced in April this year ­ features a mix of news about some of our current county­specific initiatives, plus relevant organisation­wide updates.

This Spring we welcomed a new Chair to our Board. After three successful years Ivor Gittens retired from this role, although he remains a WWH Board member. His successor is Kathy Smart, a well­known member of the Cardiff business community and long­time champion of social housing.

Other recent changes have included the promotion of Shayne Hembrow from Operations Director to the new role of Deputy Chief Executive/Commercial Director.

Following this I am pleased to say that Steve Porter has just been appointed as Operations Director.

With the changes to Welfare Reform gathering pace, against a backdrop of continuing economic uncertainty and ever increasing pressures on public finances, I’m sure you will agree that there is much for us to do.

However while the challenges are great, we remain committed to our vision to make a difference to people’s lives, homes and communities across Wales. We hope that this briefing will help to keep you up to date with much of our grassroots work in your area, as well as the bigger picture about WWH.

Finally please don’t hesitate to get in touch at any time with your comments, ideas and feedback about any aspect of our work.

Yours Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive.

Follow us on Twitter @wwha Watch us on our YouTube channel wwhahomesforwales

2 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | LOCAL NEWS | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

Residents at Nant y Môr are set to benefit from our affordable WiFi broadband access pilot project at the scheme.

DIGITAL INCLUSION PILOT AT NANT Y MÔR

Our extra care scheme in Prestatyn, Nant y Mƀr, will soon be benefitting from an internet access pilot project, our second such pilot in Wales.

Digital Inclusion is a key area of work for us, enabling our residents to get connected online, to be better placed to deal with forthcoming benefit changes including the introduction of Universal Credit. Being able to use the internet will also help our residents to get connected within and beyond their communities, as well as helping them to find value by making informed choices online.

Part of a £1m WWH investment to bridge the digital divide, Nant y Môr will host Wi­Fi in its communal area and enable residents to access the internet from their homes through North Wales provider, Boyns.net.

Our pilot scheme at Nant y Môr follows hot on the heels of our first successful WiFi broadband access project at Ty Pontrhun retirement scheme in Merthyr Tydfil. There

residents are enjoying WiFi access for just 63p per week, payable as part of their service charge.

We will learn from this pilot with the aim of bringing affordable WiFi access to as many residents within our retirement schemes across Wales as possible, thanks to a £1m investment from WWH. WWH also hosts the Take Ctrl project on behalf of the North Wales Financial Capability Forum, a wide partnership including Communities 2.0. Take Ctrl will offer computer sessions at Nant y Môr, giving residents the opportunity to learn all that the internet has to offer like shopping online, Friends Reunited, Facebook and speaking to family members for free on Skype.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtmoCdwpVz4

3 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | LOCAL NEWS | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

Brad Voyce, who has learning dificulties, enjoying life at Cil y Coed, Henllan

EXPERTS IN HOUSING TOO...

SPECIALIST

Our supported housing development portfolio continues to go from strength to strength.

Completed this summer Cil y Coed, in Henllan, is now providing state­of­the­art accommodation for people with learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders.

Cil y Coed’s first residents moved into the three needs­specific bungalows Alwyn, Bala and Brenig early this summer and feedback so far from residents, their families and carers has been nothing but positive.

This site in Henllan has had a long tradition of supporting people with learning disabilities and we are proud to be able to continue this tradition.

Michelle Voyce, mother of Brad Voyce, who lives in Cil y Coed, told us: “Brad’s bungalow is 'to die for!' It’s fab! Perfectly planned! The way there are two bedrooms on either side with the living area in between really works well as does the sun room joining the two hallways.”

Craig Sparrow, Development Manager for WWH, writes: “Wales & West’s third project specially designed for autism and learning difficulties is now complete. Handover was achieved on 28th June 2012. Twelve people will now have a purpose built, safe home with care on site possibly for the first time in their lives. The mother of one of the young men who now lives there has called me today and says ‘It’s out of this world’ and it is making such a difference to her son’s life and their own. Well done to all involved.”

Phase two of this development has now started which will provide six family houses.

We are also currently negotiating the purchase of further sites in Denbighshire to provide new rented accommodation and to also help support the wider regeneration plans of key towns such as Rhyl.

4 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | LOCAL NEWS | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

SARTH PROJECT

NORTH WALES The SARTH (Single Access Route to Housing) project which aims to simplify the affordable housing application process in North Wales is progressing well.

The driver behind SARTH is to create a common policy for allocation of housing across the region. This will make it easier for applicants with one set of rules to follow than the nine that exist at the moment.

Council, Denbighshire County Borough Council, Flintshire County Council, Cartrefi Conwy, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association, Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd and North Wales Housing.

We are hosting SARTH Project Development Officer Nik Weatherall and are working in partnership with Conwy County Borough

A draft policy will shortly going out for public consultation and will be on partners’ websites.

5 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | LOCAL NEWS | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

Pic caption l – r: Mathew and Claire Anwyl, from category sponsors, Anwyl Construction; Celia Appleton, guest, Gordon Barlow winner of the Fresh Start (New Build) Award, Carol Johnston, care manager Allied Health, Kathy Smart, Chair of WWH and Anne Hinchey, CEO, WWH.

Eric Fitton, winner of our Eco Champion award with category sponsor Chris Williams of CJS Electrical, Kathy Smart, Chair WWH, Tina Williams of CJS Electrical and Anne Hinchey, CEO, WWH.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE AWARDS 2012 We held our fifth annual Making A Difference Awards in October and once again it proved to be a fantastic night.

A total of 159 residents, staff and contractor partners attended the ceremony at the Village Hotel, Coryton, Cardiff, on Friday, October 19th.

Denbighshire residents featured strongly in the winners as well as those shortlisted, as follows: • June & Roly Foster, Nant y Mor Extra Care Scheme Choir – winners, Community Project Award • Eric Fitton and Charlie Adams, Nant y Mor Extra Care Scheme – winners, Eco Champions Award • Gordon Barlow, Nant y Mor Extra Care Scheme – winner, Fresh Start (New Build) Award • Bill Hollis, Buxton Court, Rhyl – finalist, Good Neighbour Award We had almost 60 high quality entries from across Wales this year, a very pleasing figure, and a real demonstration of just how well so many of our staff really know their residents.

This year we also benefitted from superb

support from our contractors with 11 providing a very significant contribution to this year’s MAD budget.

Media Wales are now in the process of making a short film about the event, which will be uploaded onto our website and YouTube very shortly.

Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive, said: “Now in their fifth year, the MAD Awards are our way of recognising the strength, selflessness and community spirit of our residents. Our mission is strong, sustainable growth to make a difference to people’s lives, homes and communities, and these awards provide a real insight into some of the ways this is being achieved. It has been a wonderful night and a real privilege to hear the inspirational stories of all those involved.”

Finally, there is one more award to mention – this time the one won by our own PR & Marketing team when our MAD Awards were recognised by Community Housing Cymru’s PR Network as the Best Event in Wales 2012.

6 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | THE BIGGER PICTURE | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

PREPARING FOR WELFARE REFORM Perhaps no single issue currently dominates the housing sector more than Welfare Reform. Our staff right across our organisation are working closely with all our local authority partners, housing benefit officers, Community Housing Cymru and other partners to promote and publicise the changes to come, the consequences to our residents, and ways in which they can help themselves.

We’ve looked again at the services we provide and are making sure that we are doing all we can to help people to stay out of debt and to pay their bills.

In particular we are working with residents to help them to: • prepare for the introduction of Universal Credit and direct payments • provide tailored help and advice around budgeting

• understand the implications of the introduction of the so­called ‘bedroom tax’ next year, and, • where appropriate, helping people to move to homes they can afford and of the right size.

Our two dedicated Money Advice Officers also work closely with Moneyline Cymru (see page 10) as well as Credit Unions across Wales, to help residents to budget effectively and to access low cost, safe and affordable credit.

LEADING THE SECTOR WITH

THE LIVING WAGE Our efforts to tackle poverty do not stop with our residents.

As the first housing association in Wales to introduce the ‘Living Wage’, we are leading the sector with this initiative.

Currently £7.20 per hour (for workers out­ side of London) the ‘Living Wage’ is consid­ erably higher than the legal minimum wage which is currently £6.08 per hour.

With more than 340 employees across Wales, our decision means that no­one working for us will earn less than £7.20 an hour, and since this August 40 of our employees have seen their wages go up as a result of this policy.

Rhys Moore, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said:

“We are delighted to award Wales & West Housing the Living Wage employer mark. This is a significant moment as they become the first housing association in Wales to achieve the mark.”

7 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | THE BIGGER PICTURE | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

WORK PLACEMENTS AVAILABLE Helping our residents to benefit from employment and training opportunities is also a key priority for us. Through our contractor partners we have already supported 33 people back into employment, and, we have a number of apprentices working on our projects across Wales.

Some examples of where we have recently had an impact include: • North Wales – At the recent Hightown Jobs Fair in Wrexham more than 50 people registered an interest in finding out more about potential employment and training opportunities to be facilitated through our contractor Anwyl. These opportunities will arise as part of our £17m developments on Kingsmills Road and Rivulet Road and more details will follow in subsequent editions of In Touch and Spotlight on Denbighshire.

• South Wales – 18­year­old Jordan Evans has just completed a two year plumbing apprenticeship with our subsidiary company Cambria Maintenance Services Ltd. Jordan, from Bridgend, combined on­the­job training with Cambria with a day a week study at Ogmore College. “I would recommend this as a good way to earn and study,” said Jordan. “Several of my mates have asked me if this is a good thing to do, and I have told them that it definitely is.”

Apprentice plumber Jordan Evans, 18, with Neal O’Leary, Cambria Board member and Peter Jackson, Head of Cambria, at a presentation ceremony outside Cardiff City Stadium to mark his qualification.

Cambria is now looking to take on an additional 3 apprentices across its operations in North and South Wales over the coming months.

• South Wales – As part of our Back to Work scheme (a Bridgend Employment Routes Team initiative) we hosted two trainee energy advisors. Based in Bridgend, Lynn and Howard were placed with us for six months, gaining experience that helped them to find permanent employment. They promoted the Warm Home Discount scheme in retirement schemes and offered residents advice on being more energy efficient and how to save money on their bills.

• We are working with Jobs Growth Wales as well as several other agencies to link people with opportunities, where possible and appropriate.

• We are also able to host a number of in­house placements, either as short­term unpaid work experience, work placements (some funded) and apprenticeships. These opportunities are open to all, regardless of age, qualifications or previous experience.

Those interested simply need to fill in and return to us the Workplace Skills Initiative Expression of Interest Form on our website www.wwha.co.uk

8 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | THE BIGGER PICTURE | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

REBRANDING If you receive In Touch, our quarterly residents’ magazine, you will already know that in April of this year we rebranded.

We are delighted to say that reaction to our new look has been very positive, and is helping to spread the message about our new group structure, with Cambria Maintenance Services Ltd as our first subsidiary company.

In addition to this Spotlight On Denbighshire, you should have received our 2013 Business Plan, which outlines Wales & West Housing Group’s strategic direction for the coming five years.

Another part of our rebranding process has involved the creation of our first new sub­brand, Connect24. This brings together the comprehensive range of services that we provide including our Emergency Alarm, Out of Hours and lone worker support services.

Having added a number of corporate customers to our portfolio in recent months, we now look after more than 20,000 homes across Wales via our Telecare Services Association accredited customer service centre, enabling repairs to get done and helping people to get the help they need in an emergency.

If you would like to talk to us about how our Customer Service Centre might be able to help organisations in your area who require call centre support, please contact Cate Dooher, Head of Support Services on 029 20415386.

Mrs Nancy Pilott of Cwrt Anghorfa, Bridgend, modelling our Connect24 personal alarm wrist button.

9 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | THE BIGGER PICTURE | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

Cambria Maintenance Service’s 40 strong South and Mid Wales­based team. A further 40 skilled jobs are being secured through Cambria’s expansion into North Wales which will become operational in early 2013.

CAMBRIA EXPANSION

INTO NORTH WALES We set up our own maintenance company in 2011, taking us to a Group structure. Cambria Maintenance Services has just seen a very successful first 20 months of trading, undertaking repairs as well as kitchen and bathroom renewals for WWH in South and Mid Wales.

With a turnover of £2.8m in its first year, we anticipate that in the next couple of years that this will triple.

Building on the considerable success of its operations in South and Mid Wales, preparations are now underway for Cambria to expand into North Wales, with this division becoming operational from the beginning of 2013.

This move will secure the future of 40 skilled jobs in North Wales, as well as providing another secure platform for further work placement and apprenticeship opportunities.

We anticipate that Cambria within the next five years will install 4,000 kitchens and bathrooms across Wales.

10 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | THE BIGGER PICTURE | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

SYNIAD CONSORTIUM In 2005 we joined forces with Linc Cymru and Clwyd Alyn Housing to form the Syniad Consortium. Since then the consortium members delivered more than 1,500 new social housing units, 11 extra care schemes and enabled training and apprenticeships for more than 150 people, maximising outcomes from more than £100m social housing grant.

However with the transfer of the social housing grant programme to local authority partners and the reduction in available public subsidy for new homes, Syniad members reviewed its role. The result was that from June 1st of this year, the consortium ceased to exist.

Notwithstanding the end of the consortium, we will continue to work together where appropriate to provide much needed new homes across Wales.

MONEYLINE CYMRU

EXPANSION Wales & West Housing, one of the founder members of Moneyline Cymru, is continuing to provide financial support for this important initiative.

In these very difficult economic times more and more social housing residents will need to be able to access the services provided by organisations including Moneyline Cymru and local credit unions.

We are pleased to support both and WWH is now actively working with Moneyline and North Wales Credit Union to look at how new services can be developed to help residents to deal with the changes that will come with the introduction of Universal Credit.

We have also committed to help fund the expansion of Moneyline over the next 3 years,

and the latest branch has recently opened in Merthyr Tydfil. Further branches are planned in Swansea and Wrexham.

Loans given by Moneyline in the past 3 years have resulted in £2.5m savings in interest compared to interest charged by the Provident, the most common provider of doorstep loans.

11 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | THE BIGGER PICTURE | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

OUR FINANCIAL

PERFORMANCE

Today’s challenging economic environment means we need to be efficient and invest wisely if we are to achieve our ambition of growth and to make a difference. While big is not always beautiful it does bring with it the financial strength and capacity to ride out the current economic storm as well as the wherewithal for innovation, creativity and fresh ideas.

We expect to achieve year on year increases in operating surpluses through the effective operation of our business even after absorbing the bad debts we expect to incur from changes to welfare benefits, and in particular the introduction of Universal Credit and the ‘bedroom tax’.

Number of homes currently in development by LA area Denbighshire

9 Conwy

12

Flintshire

121 Wrexham

127

Over the next five years we expect to invest £36m in maintaining and improving our existing stock.

Furthermore we have the financial capability to invest more than £100m in building and acquiring new homes. Only one fifth of this investment is expected to be funded by social housing grant from the Welsh Government, with £70m coming from additional borrowings and the remainder from internally generated surplus cash. For more detailed information about our financial position please see pages 28 and 29 of our Business Plan 2013 to 2017 which you should have recently received, alternatively you can access it through our website www.wwha.co.uk.

Our strong position has been endorsed by the Welsh Government who awarded the Association a ‘pass’ in its annual financial assessment.

Total

393 Powys

24 Merthyr Tydfil

15

Cardiff Bridgend

26

39 Vale of Glamorgan

20

These figures represent developments which are on site now and programmed to commence in the next 12 months. However, in total, we anticipate building and aquiring an additional 450 units in the next five years, which will take our total new build over that period of time to 850 units.

12 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | THE BIGGER PICTURE | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

SOUTH WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE

PARTNERSHIP Dealing with the risk from fire is high on the agenda at the moment and we want to ensure that all our homes are as safe as they can be.

We have formed an innovative partnership with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, agreeing to act as an ‘exemplar’ partner to help them to promote good practice within fire safety in the social housing sector across the country.

Group Manager Andy Petersen from SWFRS said “WWH has demonstrated the

importance that they place on fire safety.

Our partnership with them will provide a positive attitude to enabling compliance with all fire safety legislation.”

We are now in talks with Mid Wales Fire Service and North Wales Fire Service to explore the possibility of expanding this partnership further.

Andy Petersen, Group Manager South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and colleague, Robin Alldred, Commercial Manager WWH, Jo Burns, Health and Safety Officer WWH, Anthony Williams, Health and Safety Officer WWH.

13 | Spotlight on DENBIGHSHIRE | THE BIGGER PICTURE | Autumn 2012 | www.wwha.co.uk

DOING THE RIGHT THING… Our aim is to do right by our residents and right by our staff, and below are the awards and accreditations which we have recently received which recognise and celebrate our approach.

• We have been awarded the highest accolade possible under the prestigious Investors in People awards system achieving the Gold standard in our recent assessment. “Wales & West Housing continues to demonstrate that it is a forward­ thinking organisation achieving business success by the application of visionary leadership behaviour, under­pinned by strong and meaningful values,” said IiP specialist Mavis Elliott­Smith.

• The Sunday Times Best Companies 2012 has recognised us as the top­not­for­profit organisation in Wales, and, we were ranked 8th out of the top 100 best not­for­profit organisations to work for in the whole of the UK. We are also the only Welsh housing association to be awarded the top 3 stars award by Best Companies.

• Work­life balance charity Working Families have ranked us in the Top 30 family friendly firms to work for in the UK for the second year running. At their recent national awards ceremony we also

won the Working Families Award for Career Progression for Flexible Workers and were finalists in the following categories: Best for Carers and Eldercare, Best for Engagement, and, The National Grid Best for Innovation Award. Sarah Jackson OBE, Chief Executive of Working Families said:

“To reach the shortlist in four out of seven of the Special Award categories is a tremendous achievement. The judges were impressed by Wales & West Housing’s innovative policies to engage and support their employees, particularly carers and flexible workers.”

• In partnership with GKR Maintenance & Building we have been Highly Commended in the Integration and Collaborative Working award category at the 2012 Constructing Excellence Awards. Judges said the team has worked hard to cut costs and reduce waste ‘with passion and commitment.’

Steve Porter (right) now Operations Director WWH, receiving a trophy at the 2012 Constructing Excellence Awards. He is pictured with Jayne Rowland­Evans, Director of GKR Maintenance Services and Phil Lumley, Head of Property Services for Carmarthenshire County Council

Wales & West Housing 3 Alexandra Gate, Ffordd Pengam, Tremorfa, Cardi CF24 2UD. and Unit 2, Acorn Business Park, Aber Road, Flint CH6 5YN. Telephone on 0800 052 2526 Minicom: 0800 052 5205 Email: contactus@wwha.co.uk Website: www.wwha.co.uk @wwha wwhahomesforwales

Published October 2012