NFA ALMOs in Action Winter 2010/11

Winter 2011www.almos.org.uk

That's the message from arm'slength management organisations inthe wake of the biggest shake-up insocial housing for a generation.

Ministers have pledged thatcommunities will be at the heart ofdecision-making under their plans to'shake up the balance of power in thiscountry' with the Localism Bill. The Bill,ministers claim, will allow local peopleto set their own priorities and give localauthorities and social housingproviders new flexibility to innovate andto use their housing stock as they see fit.

The National Federation of ALMOssays ALMOs' successful track record ininvolving their residents and improvingthe quality of their services shows theway forward for the social housingsector. “What the ALMO sector has

done really well is real tenantengagement and serviceimprovement,” said NFA policy directorGwyneth Taylor. “Now that the AuditCommission and Tenant ServicesAuthority are going, we need to ensurethese improvements are reflected inthe approach to localism.” Thegovernment is proposing that tenantsbe given new responsibility toscrutinise their providers' performancevia tenants' panels - an area whereALMOs have already made significantchanges.

Other reforms introduced by theLocalism Bill include new flexibletenancies, more flexibility for localauthorities about who goes on theirwaiting list and changes to the duty to house homeless people. But as the

NFA points out, changes such asflexible tenancies will be discretionary

and it will therefore be up to individualcouncils to plot their own approach.

ALMOs inactionNews from and for arm’s length

management organisations

Resident involvement and service excellence should be at the heart of the government's localism agenda.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NFA AWARDS 2011 How you can enter | P3

MBES FOR ALMO CHAIRSRecognition of services to housing | P4 What matters to tenants | P6

COMMUNITY PURSE STRINGS

Keeping it local

Arm's length managementorganisations are pushing to be able tocontinue building new homes as theyprepare for a self-financing future.TheNational Federation of ALMOs haswelcomed the publication by thegovernment this month of detailedproposals on the reform of the councilhousing finance system.

But the NFA has urged ministers toensure that some of the detail does nothold ALMOs back, either in building newhomes or in renovating existing stock.NFA policy manager Chloe Fletcher saidthe proposals meant the prospects forcouncils and ALMOs being able to buildnew homes were very uncertain. No newfunding for local authority new build isbuilt into the plans and, as they stand,ALMOs are unlikely to be able to makeuse of the new affordable rent regime.

The NFA is also concerned that theHomes and Communities Agency will notprovide Decent Homes funding for thosecouncils whose proportion of non DecentHomes is less than 10 per cent of theirstock. This is based on the assumptionthat self-financing will provide sufficientresources to address the remainingbacklog. However, this may not alwaysbe the case.

“We would urge the government toensure that the combination of the self-financing deal and the distribution ofDecent Homes funding doesn't leavesome ALMOs and tenants with a DecentHomes backlog which they cannot affordto deal with,” said Ms Fletcher. “We verymuch hope that these issues can beresolved before the final implementationof self-financing to ensure that bothcouncils and ALMOs can properly

manage their assets and help to providethe homes and regeneration that theircommunities need.” Other issues in thedetailed proposals include:• A debt cap - which could limit theability to use the new financial freedomsfully • The possibility of reopening thecalculation on which the debt settlementis made if there is a change 'in anymatter that was taken into account'• A commitment to maintaining the ring-fence for the housing revenue account.But there will be no new guidelines fromgovernment on the ring-fence - adecision the NFA calls disappointing • Confirmation that councils have lost theright to keep 100 per cent of right to buyreceipts at least for the next four years • An end to the guaranteed minimumuplift in combined management and

maintenance and major repairsallowances - but additional funding fordisabled adaptations. The NFA says thevast majority of councils should get anincrease of between ten to 20 per centoverall in revenue allowances • The overall debt figure to beredistributed has now increased, with thenet receipt to the government going upfrom £4.9 billion to £6.7 billion. PFIschemes will not now be included in theself-financing deal, accounting for £1.2billion of this figure.

Ms Fletcher said: “We are pleased thatthe government has listened to ALMOsand local authorities on some of thetechnical issues associated with themove to self-financing and have madesome adjustments to ensure that councilsare not financially disadvantaged by thechange.”

A self-financing future

National News

2 | ALMOs in Action

So what were the mainimplications of the spending review,announced last autumn, for ALMOs?The good news is that the DecentHomes programme will continue, withthe government committing £2.1billion over four years to completingthe programme and halving thebacklog by 2015. In reality, after gapfunding for stock transfers and localauthorities is taken into account, thisfigure shrinks to £1.6 billion,significantly short of the £2.2 billionthe NFA had called for.

Other major headlines of the CSRinclude a cut in the capital budget for theNational Affordable Housing Programme(NAHP) from £8.4 billion over the last threeyears to £4.4 billion over the next four years,which the government claims will enablethe delivery of up to 150,000 new“affordable homes” over the spendingreview period. This will not include anyfunding for new social rented homes butinstead introduces a new affordable rentregime, set at up to 80 per cent of marketrents, or Low Cost Home Ownership if thelatter can demonstrate good value formoney.The details of these models have yetto be announced, with the Homes andCommunities Agency due to produce the

new bidding framework shortly.However, indications are that ALMOs

will be able to bid into the NAHP, but will becompeting with housing associations onvalue for money under the new regime. Inthis context how any borrowing undertakenby the ALMO is taken account of and theamount of grant required to build the newhomes will be critical in negotiations withthe HCA. Developing ALMOs across thecountry are keen to continue to deliver newhomes for their local communities and areworking hard to find innovative ways inwhich to do that.

The government also announced that it would protect investment in theHomelessness Grant (which will stay at itscurrent level) and the Disabled FacilitiesGrant. But additional cuts to welfare benefitswere also announced that the NFA isconcerned will penalise those in long-termunemployment without taking into accountthe personal circumstances of tenants thatcould be preventing them from finding work.

Despite the spending cuts, the NFA hashighlighted the efforts made by many of itsmembers to analyse properly wherespending cuts should be made, to involvetheir tenants in important financial decision-making, and ultimately to minimise theimpact of the CSR on the lives of tenants

and future of social housing. This sort ofactivity also sits perfectly within thegovernment’s localism agenda and isprecisely how the NFA views effectivecollaboration between ALMOs and theirtenants, no matter what the economicclimate.

Salix Homes is one of those leading theway in consulting with tenants on servicedelivery, having recently won a UK HousingAward for its customer senate (see page 4).Many ALMOs use tenant review panels toensure that their services are performing aseffectively and efficiently as possible.Homes for Islington tenants, for example,have even been involved in selectingcontractors, with decisions based on qualityand value for money, to deliver a range ofservices to their properties. Others areeffectively handing over community purse

strings to their residents by allowing them tovote on which services and initiatives aremost deserving of funding, and how to savemoney. Consultation surveys, like the onedistributed by Barnet Homes inside itsregular tenant newsletter, are anothereffective way of giving residents a say onhow budgets are spent.

For more on what specific ALMOs aredoing to consult with their tenants, turn topages 6 and 7.

Taking stockALMOs across the country are facing up to the tougher spending environment after the government's comprehensive spending review (CSR).

Cheltenham Borough Homes had itsagreement extended in 2009 for theperiod 2010-2020, making it one of thelongest in the sector. The ALMO hasattributed this success to the continualimprovement of performance and tenantsatisfaction levels; the completion ofDecent Homes works two years ahead ofgovernment targets; its award of threestars with excellent prospects by the AuditCommission in 2009, and its efforts inbuilding stronger and safer communities.

Paul Davies, chief executive atCheltenham Borough Homes, said: “Wewere delighted to have our managementagreement extended for a further tenyears. For our first seven years we haveshown that we have had an impact way

beyond the management and repair ofcouncil housing and are actively improvingquality of life for our residents by buildingsustainable communities with a brightfuture where our tenants want to live andwork.

“The security this ten-year agreementgives us, has allowed us to plan for anddeliver even better services and positivechanges for our tenants and thecommunity. In recognition of our excellentservices and prospects we have been ableto attract £3.4 million in HCA fundingwhich is making it possible for us to buildour first new affordable homes.”

Derby Homes, meanwhile, has had anextension to its management agreementapproved by Derby City Council for the

period 2012-2022, dependent onconsultation. The council asked all tenantsand leaseholders whether or not theyagreed with this proposal and 90 per centof residents supported the plans. The finaldecision of the council to award thecontract is expected in March 2011.

One of the first ALMOs to launch in2002, Derby Homes today manages anddelivers vital services to 14,200 rentedand leasehold homes across the city.Derby Homes completed its DecentHomes programme in 2006. According tochief executive Phil Davies, councilhousing is now the rented housing ofchoice in the city.

He said: “I’m delighted that tenantsand leaseholders have overwhelmingly

supported the council’s decision to awardus a further ten-year contract. The boardtook the lead and although fullycommitted to Derby Homes continuing itswork, asked for an independent report byhousing experts Rachel Terry and JohnPerry which gave them the confidence topush for a new contract. We have a soundrecord of performance and takinginitiatives, such as building some of thefirst ALMO-owned houses in the country.But the most important factor in oursuccess has been the support of ourtenants, who want to continue having adirect say over the services they receivethrough their ALMO.”

Long-term partnersIn this issue of ALMOs in Action, we put the spotlight on ALMOs who have successfully secured theirfuture with extensions to their management agreements.

National News

ALMOs in Action | 3

NFA Awards 2011 launchedEntries have opened for the National Federation of ALMOs Awards. Energy supplier British Gas and social housing repairand maintenance company Kier Building Maintenance are sponsoring the awards, which are now in their fifth year.

The awards will take place on 12 July at the Midland Hotel in Manchester during theNFA’s annual conference.

Since their launch in 2007, the awards have had more than 1,000 entries and havebecome an important event in the social housing calendar, celebrating the hard work andachievements of ALMOs.

For the first time in the awards’ five-year history, Inside Housing, the weekly magazinefor housing professionals, will be acting as media partner. Announcements of additionalaward sponsors are expected shortly.

Alison Inman, chair of the NFA and a judge of the NFA Awards 2011, said: “The quality

and volume of entries for the 2010 NFA Awards was outstanding, and I am looking forwardto reviewing fresh and innovative concepts together with highly committed and inspiringindividuals - all working together to build strong communities.”

The deadline for entries to the NFA Awards is 28 April 2011.For more information and how to enter, please visit:www.almos.org.uk/awards

ALMOs in ParliamentNearly 200 ALMO representatives, MPs and tenants have gathered in Parliament to highlight theachievements of ALMOs and to explore the future of the ALMO movement.

The annual All Party ParliamentaryGroup for ALMOs (APPG) Reception, hostedby Clive Betts MP in his capacity as APPGchair and sponsored by Keepmoat, washeld in the members’ dining room of theHouse of Commons on 16 November.

The reception is designed to promotedebate on the future development of ALMOsand to bring ALMO officers and tenantsface-to-face with the country’s leadingpoliticians to discuss key developments inthe social housing sector.

Among those at the event were AlisonInman, chair of the NFA,Andrew Stunell MP,Parliamentary Under Secretary of State forCommunities and Local Government, andJack Dromey, Shadow Minister forCommunities and Local Government.

They were joined by nearly 120 ALMOrepresentatives and more than 40Conservative, Liberal Democrat and LabourMPs from across the country.

The event was opened by Clive BettsMP and Alison Inman, who gave a special

welcome to the 52 ALMOs in attendance.The reception also featured speeches byAndrew Stunell MP and Jack Dromey MP,followed by discussion and networking forall the guests.

Key issues explored on the day includedself-financing options for ALMOs,particularly in light of the spending cuts andthe government’s comprehensive spendingreview, the benefits of ‘localism’ in housingand community management, and thefuture for ALMOs beyond Decent Homes

(read more about this below).The event alsogave tenants an opportunity to meet theirlocal MP and visit the House of Commons.

The importance of tenant engagementwas also a key theme. In his speech toreception guests, Mr Stunell said: “ALMOs have a level of tenant participation that hascompletely eluded councils in the past. It’s anew model and it has been a successfulone.”

Protecting residents' futures

As the Decent Homes programmeenters its final stages for manyALMOs, the NFA has been looking tothe future of how ALMOs are managedand, importantly, how they are funded.

The NFA is working on a major projectto develop proposals that would build on thecurrent, successful ALMO model, creating anew form of organisation both accountableto the community and eligible for additionalfinancing from the private sector. There arethree potential models, which would ideallyspan more than 25 years, being developed.The models would allow ALMOs to accessadditional, private sector, off-balance-sheetfinancing by ALMOs as private, non-profitcorporations, while retaining the strongelement of partnership with the localauthority. They are:

Model 1 - Long-term managementagreement - is based on the ALMO havinga much longer contract and on the localauthority having a one-third (rather thansole) interest in the ALMO’s ownership

Model 2 - Long-term management andtransfer of some vacant properties - isbased on model 1, but with the ALMO alsogradually building an asset base throughtransfer of void properties and vacant land

Model 3 - Transfer to a Council andCommunity Organisation (CoCo) -represents a more fundamental changeboth in the ALMO’s constitution and in thefact that it would become the owner of thestock, but on a different basis to currentstock transfers.

The subject was further explored at around table event organised by InsideHousing magazine, which saw nine socialhousing experts debate the issues facingALMOs. The panel included Alison Inman,chair of the NFA, Peter Brynes, managingdirector of Kier Building Maintenance, andJohn Townend, board member at TAROE(Tenants’ and Residents’ Organisations ofEngland), as well as senior representativesof a number of ALMOs and local authorities.

Some ALMOs are already looking atoffering housing services to other housingproviders and at areas like Supporting

People and adult social care.This is a period of significant change for

the housing sector. All ALMOs areconsidering their organisation’s ongoing rolein the light of changes to the Decent Homesfunding process, especially given that localauthorities can now access this funding.ALMOs which have successfully securedextensions of their managementagreements such as Cheltenham BoroughHomes demonstrate how ALMOs can havea long-term future. The strong track recordof ALMOs serving their tenants is ofparticular importance.

The Inside Housing panel highlightedthree general themes for ALMOs to focus onin 2011: promoting themselves asorganisations that deliver much more thanrepairs and maintenance; demonstrating totheir local authority how they can achievecost efficiencies in housing services whilestill serving their local community to a highstandard; and retaining the support of theircommunity to prove from first-handexperience what a difference ALMOs make,not just in terms of housing services, but tothe lives of tenants.

ALMOs - beyond Decent HomesALMOs have made huge strides in improving performance and tenant involvement and satisfaction. But what is the nextstep? In this age of cutbacks and tight budgets, how will we ensure our estates remain good places to live?

ALMO achievements

Best publicationLewisham Homes has won the prestigious ‘publication excellence’ award at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Local PublicServices Awards for its quarterly magazine ‘Home’ for tenants and leaseholders.

The CIPR judges described it as “a fact-filled, visually strong publication with clear objectives communicated to tenants”. They also praised its frequency,content, style, and lack of housing jargon.

4 | ALMOs in Action

ALMOs scoop housing awards

Salford’s Salix Homes and its ground-breaking tenant participation scheme, thecustomer senate, won the overall‘outstanding achievement in housing inthe UK’ award, as well as the ‘outstandingachievement in housing in England’ andthe ‘involving and empoweringcommunities’ catagories.

CityWest Homes was recognised in the‘delivering effective repairs and maintenance’category for its work improving housing in theWestminster area.

Salix Homes’ customer senate, a residents’panel that scrutinises the ALMO’s housingservices on behalf of tenants, was praised byaward organisers the Chartered Institute ofHousing. The Institute’s vice president HelenCollins described the initiative as “a testamentto the importance of giving tenants a voice”.

Kevin Scarlett, Salix Homes' chiefexecutive, said: “Getting tenants involved indeveloping the services that they use is a bigpriority for us and we're always looking at howwe can get more people from differentbackgrounds to give us feedback.

"The customer senate is proving to be agreat success and once again people inSalford are setting the standard for othersacross the country to follow."

Staff at CityWest Homes are alsocelebrating their win in the repairs and

maintenance category. CityWest Homesdelivers up to 58,000 responsive repairsannually, including general and boiler repairs,lifts, electrical installations, and door entrysystems. Having reduced the total cost ofrepairs by almost £900,000, it has alsofocused on getting repairs right first time andoffering late evening, weekend and bankholiday appointments.

Darren Levy, director of customer servicesat CityWest Homes, accepted the award. Hesaid: “We’ve been working very hard toincrease customer satisfaction, which reached91 per cent last year, an all-time high! Thisaward not only recognises the teams whodeliver a great service, but also the residentswho give us valuable feedback through ourrepairs surveys.”

Major accolades went to two ALMOs at the UK Housing Awards 2010.

Sue Roberts, chair of Wolverhampton Homes, and Rupert Tyson, chair ofHackney Homes, each received an MBE for their significant contribution toimproving council housing in Wolverhampton and Hackney.

Sue Roberts became co-vice chair of the NFA in June 2009. A Wolverhamptoncouncil tenant since 1976, Sue has been a Wolverhampton board member since itslaunch in 2005 and was elected as chair in 2008.

As NFA co-vice chair, Sue has been very involved in representing the interests ofEngland’s ALMOs at a national level. This has involved negotiating with centralgovernment on behalf of NFA members as well as developing a strategic housingpolicy and ensuring an ongoing role for ALMOs.

Commenting on her award, Sue said: “I’m extremely proud. We’ve come througha lot as an organisation over the past five years but together we’ve significantly raisedthe standard of services for residents, increased tenant involvement and haveimproved more than 14,000 homes in the city.”

Hackney Homes chair Rupert Tyson received his award for his work spanning morethan two decades on the frontline of housing service delivery and campaigning for fairaccess to housing for all in Hackney.

MBEs for ALMO chairsTwo key figures in the ALMO movement have been awarded MBEs in the New Year Honours List in recognition of their services to social housing.

Speaking about his award, Rupert said: “When I received the letter, I thought it wassomeone pulling my leg and I had to re-read it a few times. I am truly honoured andhumbled to be awarded in this way. This is a testament to everyone in Hackney whoworks to ensure that residents get the services that they deserve.”

South Essex Homes has become the first ALMO in thecountry to be assessed as operating at an ‘excellent’ standardfor its equality practices.

The ALMO, which manages some 6,000 council properties inSouthend–on-Sea, was recognised for its achievements using theequality framework for social housing, which is run by LocalGovernment Improvement and Development (LGID) (formerly theIDeA).

Equality, as an essential element of tenant engagement, is anincreasingly important issue to South Essex Homes due to thediversity of its 12,500 residents: 44 per cent are over 60 years old,30 per cent have a disability and nine per cent are from a black orAsian ethnic minority background.

The ALMO says implementing the framework has improved itsdialogue with its tenants as new feedback facilities have beenestablished. Tenants can communicate through day-to-day contactwith ALMO staff, report problems online via the South Essex Homeswebsite and there is also a mystery shopper scheme in place toensure levels of service are upheld.

The framework has also provided staff with a platform to promoteother services they offer, including their work with vulnerable groupssuch as domestic abuse victims, the disabled and those who havebeen affected by anti-social behaviour.

South Essex Homes chief executive Mike Gatrell said: “Equality isnot about treating everyone the same, but about recognising that theyhave individual needs to be met in different ways.

“We work with a diverse community and have always beenproactive in promoting equality but it is fantastic to have thiscommitment recognised by the LGID.”

The equality framework for social housing was established inresponse to ALMOs concerned that the equality framework for localgovernment was not tailored to their circumstances.For more information about the framework visit:www.idea.gov.uk

Equality excellence

Barbara Harper, Salix Homes customer senator

Sue Roberts MBE (left) and Rupert Tyson MBE (right)

ALMO achievements

Workplace givingHomes for Haringey has won a top award for itscommitment to charitable giving in the workplace.

ALMOs in Action | 5

Homes for Haringey, whose 700 employees collectively donatemore than £5,000 a year to charity, won the ‘best third sectoremployee campaign’ for its comprehensive promotion of theWorkplace Giving scheme.

This was achieved through regular blogs by the chief executive,posters, briefings, emails and via publicity at staff events.

Only organisations that both offer and actively promote WorkplaceGiving to their employees and have over five per cent of their workforcegiving through their pay are eligible for the award. Workplace Giving is alsoknown as Payroll Giving or Give As You Earn. For more information, visit:www.workplacegiving.co.uk

CityWest Homes has been recognised as ‘Employer of the Year’ bythe European Social Fund (ESF) for helping to get Westminsterresidents back into work and training.

The London ALMO was acknowledged for its contribution to the partnershipprogramme Westminster Works. CityWest Homes has so far enrolled more than300 local people onto the programme and helped 69 of these into work. It hasalso trained 130 staff members in signposting people to jobs and training,provided 35 work placements, organised 20 job fairs, opened community hallsto local colleges, engaged 45 external employers and carried out several door-knocking campaigns.

CityWest Homes was nominated by leading social enterprise the PaddingtonDevelopment Trust which runs the Westminster Works programme. JessicaPickard, spokeswoman for the trust, said: “Winning this award is well-deservedrecognition for the role CityWest Homes has played in helping local Westminsterresidents get jobs and training.

“At the beginning people wondered whether a housing provider would beeffective in this kind of work. Some suggested it would be better left to 'theprofessionals', but CityWest Homes has proved them wrong by becoming thehighest performing partner in the group.”

Mayor of London Boris Johnson, presented the prestigious ESF award at aceremony at London’s City Hall in November.

Working for residents

Seeing starsWolverhampton Homes, Gloucester City Homes and StLeger Homes have become the latest ALMOs to be awardedthe highest possible rating for their services.

The Wolverhampton, Gloucester and Doncaster organisations eachreceived the maximum three-star ‘excellent’ rating from the AuditCommission, the government’s independent inspection watchdog.

Wolverhampton Homes, which manages Wolverhampton City Council’s 23,500properties, was recognised for listening to its customers and putting them at theheart of decision-making. Among the strengths commended by the AuditCommission, the report highlighted the ALMO’s strong commitment to customercare, value-for-money and increased employment and training opportunities.

Gloucester City Homes, meanwhile, was noted for a number of strengths,including major progress in improving homes to meet the Decent HomesStandard, and performance in areas such as repairs, gas servicing, re-lettingempty homes and reducing rent arrears.

Two areas of national best practice were also highlighted – the establishmentof Project Solace, a multi-agency team to tackle anti-social behaviour across thecity, and the way in which Gloucester City Homes uses benchmarking to reviewand improve services.

Meanwhile, St Leger Homes was recognised for a range of improvements

including increased tenant satisfaction, a strong customer focus andcomprehensive, easy-to-read information for customers.

Commenting on the three-star rating, Susan Jordan, St Leger’s chiefexecutive, said: “This is fantastic news for tenants, our staff, the council and ourother partners. Our staff work as a team to deliver excellent services and thisresult is clear evidence of our commitment to customers. However, we will not reston our laurels; we know we can improve our services even further.”

St Leger Homes count their lucky stars - (from left to right) Andy Kerr, chairman of the Doncaster Federation of Tenants’and Residents’ Associations, Susan Jordan, chief executive of St Leger Homes, John Young, chairman of St LegerHomes and Councillor Patrick Wilson, Doncaster Council’s cabinet member for housing

Name of ALMO Category and award/accreditation

More information

‘Public administration’ -European eco-managementand audit scheme (EMAS)awards, which recogniseenvironmental performance

Sandwell Homes was acknowledged forreducing energy consumption and carbonemissions, encouraging tenant engagementthrough an eco-champion project and sharingexamples of good practice through a greenwebsite. Sandwell Homes was the onlycompany to represent Britain at the awards,which were held in Brussels, Belgium

SandwellHomes

'Renewable Energy' - Edieawards for environmentalexcellence. These awardscelebrate the achievements ofcompanies making significantstrides towards environmentalprotection and improvement

Just some of the projects that helped A1 Housingto this accolade include the installation of morethan 150 ground source and 60 air source heatpumps across Bassetlaw; a retrofit housing project as part of a national programme to testnew technology that reduces carbon emissions by 80 per cent and increases energy efficiency;becoming the first ALMO in the country to trial aboiler that is 90 per cent more energy efficient and dramatically reduces carbon emissions; plus installing a wind turbine at itshead office

A1 HousingBassetlaw

'Partnerships in safety' - gasindustry safety group decadeof excellence awards

Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) won this award thanks to the hard work of theKirklees Carbon Monoxide Awareness Group,a pioneering safety group led by KNH staff.The group was set up to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide and toencourage people to have their appliancesregularly serviced

KirkleesNeighbourhoodHousing

'Achieving' - equalityframework for social housing

South Tyneside Homes became one of the firstcompanies in the country to be awarded the'achieving' level of the social housing equalityframework accreditation, following an externalassessment in which the ALMO's approach toequality and diversity was highly commended

South TynesideHomes

ALMO awards and achievements - round-up

'Premium Member' - TelecareServices Association (TSA)

Stockport Homes was awarded thisaccreditation for the quality of its Carecallservice, a telemonitoring and mobile wardenresponse system for older and vulnerablepeople in the Stockport area. As a result of thissuccess, Carecall was also invited to run aworkshop 'Pathway to Accreditation' to supportand advise other providers in gaining the TSAaccreditation

StockportHomes

ASB championResident engagement

Alice Burke is both a member of the Hackney Homes board and is one of thefounders of the Nightingale Tenants and Residents’ Association. This enables herto speak to residents about trouble on their estates and take their issues directlyto organisations who can work to resolve it.

She has been instrumental in shaping the ALMO’s ASB policies and practicesthrough feedback from planning meetings, resident forums, and focus groups.She also participated in devising Hackney Homes’ ASB service improvement planfor 2010-2013, provides support to ASB victims attending court, and acts as anadvocate for residents approaching the police about ASB incidents.

As a result of this work, she has helped to reduce crime in the local area. Aswell as being described as the ALMO’s ‘ASB champion’, she has been a tenantrepresentative for the ALMO at national housing events such as the CharteredInstitute of Housing Conference.

Her efforts have earned her an achievement accolade at the 2009 HackneyHomes Residents’ Awards and she has appeared regularly in the local press.

Fellow resident Noreen Kearney said: “Alice never takes no for an answer andgets things done by effort and determination.”

6 | ALMOs in Action

Sheffield Homes, Your HomesNewcastle and Barnet Homeshave all consulted with theirresidents on communityinitiatives and services thatmatter to them and in somecases given them control over thedistribution of funds.

Sheffield Homes, in partnershipwith the city council and the ALMO’sarea boards, has launched ‘YourCommunity, Your Choice’, an initiativewhich invites anyone living or workingon council estates in Sheffield to bidfor half a million pounds of funding,as long as their project benefits thecommunity.

Last year’s successful bidsincluded a football trainingprogramme, advice for teenageparents, a new playground and amusic project. Bids are permittedfrom individual tenants andcommunity and voluntary groups,residents’ associations and statutoryagencies such as the police andschools.

Customers of Your HomesNewcastle have similarly workedalongside their ALMO to decide how

to spend a community funding pot of£90,000. Residents selected sixinitiatives the money would be bestspent on, including a communityclean-up venture, a victim supportproject, as well as a range ofinnovative schemes to helpcustomers gain employment andlearn new skills.

Meanwhile, more than 50 BarnetHomes residents recently attended a‘Dragon’s Den’-style consultationevent to discuss which services theymost wanted to invest in as the ALMOseeks to make £1 million of savingsnext year on its current £28 millionannual budget. The most popularservices were repairs andmaintenance, supported andsheltered housing, residentparticipation and training, and anti-social behaviour.

Residents at all of the 15,000properties managed by Barnet Homeshave also been able to have their sayon their 2011-12 budget prioritiesthrough a survey sent out with thelast issue of the ALMO’s ‘athome’newsletter and on its website.

Community purse stringsArm’s length management organisations (ALMOs) areincreasingly engaging with tenants to decide how theirmoney is best spent and managed.

Hackney Homes has recognised one of its residents forover 25 years of dedication to tackling anti-socialbehaviour (ASB) in her area and working with theALMO and fellow residents to make a difference.

Welwyn Hatfield CommunityHousing Trust has announced anew tenant scrutiny initiative toimprove its services.

The newest ALMO is launchingan area-based review panel to lookat local service delivery, bring anyissues to the attention of theexecutive team, carry out estateaudits, recommend serviceimprovements and generallyrepresent the interests of tenantsand leaseholders.

The panel builds on the successof the pre-existing Welwyn HatfieldTenants Panel, set up in 1994.

Welwyn Hatfield CommunityHousing Trust aims to develop across-partner approach with thecouncil and other social landlordsand organisations to pilot its newpanel and empower tenants todirectly influence local services.

Chair of the Trust’smanagement board Paul Wren, whois also a tenant, said: “We feel thisinitiative fits in perfectly with thegovernment’s localism agenda. Thisnew area-based approach can onlyimprove how we plan for and workto meet the local housing need.”

New era

ASB champion Alice Burke

Homes for Islington (HFI) residentshave become actively involved inchoosing new contractors to carryout a range of services to theirproperties.

HFI set up a panel to ensureresidents’ views and priorities are builtinto contracts. The ALMO also relies onfeedback from these sessions to help itchoose contractors for repairs,maintenance, gas checking, electrical

testing and security. Training wasprovided for panel members who hadnot experienced this kind of processbefore.

Residents’ priorities included theavailability of evening and weekendappointments, improved textreminders, simplified repair responsetimes, apprenticeships for local people,and an improvement in how contractsare monitored.

Shaping the future

Your Homes Newcastle residents have their say

Resident engagement

ALMOs in Action | 7

Thanks to the panel, which was launched in January 2010, the ALMO has madea number of changes, including making it easier for tenants to move home to aproperty that suits their needs.

It has also increased opportunities for resident participation and involvedresidents in the creation of its annual report, enabling them to see first-hand howthe organisation is performing and how it plans to improve.

The panel is made up of nine community-spirited tenants from all walks of lifewho share a common passion for delivering excellent service to Wolverhamptontenants and making a difference to the wider community.

Margaret Wright, director of performance and customer services atWolverhampton Homes, said: “Our review panel is instrumental to our overalltenant involvement strategy. Ultimately, it means we can create a greater tenantinfluence into all major decisions in order to improve processes and betterservices for everyone.”

Bank of Berneslai

Wolverhampton Homes has celebrated the one-year anniversary of a successful and pioneering tenant review panel to scrutinise and improve its services.

Berneslai Homes, Barnsley’s ALMO, has actively involved customers inshaping budgets for 2011 and put regular funding for youth projects highon its agenda.

Following the comprehensive spending review last year, Berneslai Homes askeda panel of customers for their views on how to save money, with the feedback useddirectly to influence budgets.

Comments included reducing the frequency of grass cutting, lowering decoration

allowance for new tenants and reducing the size of property ads in the local press.Meanwhile, the ALMO has released more than £7,000 of funding for 16 local

young people’s groups.These grants are given as part of the annual young persons’ funding pot and are

designed to benefit the borough by improving engagement with young people. Youthgroups are given the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £500, with the moneyto be spent on trips, equipment, activities and community benefit projects.

Keeping promisesTenant review panel gets to the heart of the issue

Sheffield Homes has taken an innovativeapproach to educating young adults about theresponsibilities of parenthood and childbirth.

The ‘Baby think it over’ project is run by a localcommunity forum, and uses ‘virtual babies’ pre-programmed with a wide range of behaviour patternsbased on that of a real-life baby. These are then givento 13-16 year olds and are left with their new ‘mum’ or‘dad’ for the day or even the night.

Funded by the ALMO’s Your Communities, YourChoice initiative, the project is designed to‘deglamourise’ teenage pregnancy, teach young peopleabout the pressures of caring for a child, and providethem with information about their future options.

Family planning

A Northwards Housing funding and tenantempowerment scheme has helped a new urbandance class for children get on its feet.

Supported by the Eric Hobin CommunitySponsorship Fund, the Blackley Street Dance Crewaims to teach five to 16 year-olds new skills andimprove their confidence.

Dance group founder Angela Whiteley said: “Thefund has given us the opportunity to give local kidssomething to do so they’re not on the streets. The classmakes them feel like they have something to worktowards. That’s how I started out; I used to come to aclass like this and it made me want to become a danceteacher.”

Launched in memory of former Charlestowncouncillor Eric Hobin, who passed away in 2007, thefund provides up to £500 to community improvementprojects and activities that benefit the people of northManchester.

Getting agroove on

Young resident gets involved in ‘Baby think it over’ project

Stevenage Homes has been helping tenants tomaintain their own homes via a series of DIYworkshops run in association with keycontractors and suppliers.

Stevenage Homes worked with Decent Homescontractors Apollo, Breyer, Mitie and Wheldon’s andsupplier Buildbase to help tenants carry out repairs andmaintenance tasks that do not necessarily require aprofessional contractor, such as decorating, tiling, andbasic plumbing.

One participant, resident Abdul Mugalu, said: “Icame along as I really want to tile my bathroom but Iwas quoted £700 for the job by a professional firm.This workshop has given me the skills to do it myself.”

DIY essentials

Tenants get hands-on with straightforward DIY tasks

Tenant voices

For further information, please contact the NFA at: Rockingham House, St Maurice’s Road, York YO31 7JA

T: 0845 4747008 E: [email protected] Website: www.almos.org.uk

In this special resident engagement edition of ALMOs in Action, we focus on what tenants have to say about the ALMO in their area and the impact it has had on their lives.

Riffat Waheed on Barnet Homes adaptations that have helped her and husband Waheed look after their 11-year-old daughter Zoha, whose condition osteopetrosis has left her blind, unable to talk and needing to use a wheelchair:

“Some of the changes may seem like little things, but they have made a hugedifference to us and to Zoha’s happiness. The sliding doors from Zoha’s bedroom to the bathroom, in particular, means she can have showers, which has improved her quality of life.”

Barnet Homes

Residents Shirley and MelvynDalton, who have lived in theirhome for 38 years, talk about lifeafter 2010 Rotherham and BramallConstruction carried out a retrofitof their property to make it moreeco-friendly and energy efficient:

“We have already noticed a realdifference with the heating and level of noise. It’s almost like having a new home!”

2010 Rotherham

Angela Storey, a member of theEast North East Homes Leeds(ENEHL) outer east area panel,which received a cash boost fromthe ALMO to create an attractiveoutdoor community area forresidents at the Seacroft Gateflats:

“Thanks to the support of ENEHL,we have had the chance to improvethe environment of our block of flatsand bring all the neighbours together.It has made a real difference.”

East North EastHomes Leeds

Rachael Evans comments on being a member ofWolverhampton Homes’ review panel, which checks that theorganisation keeps its promises to tenants and makesrecommendations for improvement:

“This is a unique opportunity to have a real influence. I’ve alreadyachieved a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that my views have been listened to and changes have been made.I feel empowered as a tenant.”

Wolverhampton Homes

Neil Iron, atenant of theHaberdasherEstate, whichworked with itsALMO, HackneyHomes, totransform aconcrete car

park into a community garden:“This has helped local families

to grow sustainable food and bring the community together. Everyone has fresh food on their doorstep and can pick what they need.There is less waste and you can save money on shopping.”

Hackney Homes

Charlotte Grant, chair of the Moorway Court tenants’association in north Manchester, describes howNorthwards Housing has changed things for localresidents thanks to its efforts turning housing stockinto energy-efficient homes, with no charge totenants:

“It’s changed our life completely. Some of these tenantshave been here many years, so it’s a different world tothem. The flats are now cosier, the windows are sealed,there’s no more putting money in the meter and it goingout the window, they really are very, very pleased.

“They had a choice years ago whether to stay warm oreat. Now they can have both, because it runs a lot cheaper.We used to have a storage heater and the flats werefreezing and draughty. Now that the draughts are sealedand we've got gas central heating, our bills have droppedby £80 a quarter.”

Northwards Housing