A yeAr in the life of your lAndlord - Corby Tenants Annual Rep… · identifies not only areas where performance is good but must identify areas of challenge and detail how the landlord

Building a bigger, better, brighter corby...email: [email protected] website: www.corby.gov.ukBorough Council

A yeAr in the life of your lAndlord

Tenants annual report 2009/2010

02/03introduction Welcome to your annual report, in this report you will find: • Informationabouthowweperform• Informationabouthowwearedoingagainststandardssetbyourregulator,theTenantServicesAuthority(TSA)

• Planswehaveforimprovingtheservicesyougetandourlocalofferstoyou,whichwecallservicepromises

• Informationabouthowyoucangetinvolved.the purpose of this 1st annual report is to inform you of our positionandprogressasyourlandlord.Weproducedannualreportsyearsagobut,likemostlandlords,droppedtheidea,recognisingtenantsdidn’treadthem.Perhapstheydidn’tcontainanyusefulorinterestinginformation,werewrittenbyofficersforofficers,containednothingaboutjudginghowgoodtheirlandlordwascomparedwithothers,butthisoneisgoingtobehonestandstraightforward,fullofinformationwehopeyouwillwanttoread.Youcanexpectyourannualreporttobeproducedonorbefore1stOctober2010thenannuallythereaftereachOctober.ThereisaregulatoryrequirementoftheTenantServicesAuthority(TSA)toproduceanannualreportthattenantswanttoread,havebeenconsultedabout,andwhichidentifiesnotonlyareaswhereperformanceisgoodbutmustidentifyareasofchallengeanddetailhowthelandlordintendsmeetingthosechallenges.Sohere’syourreport,“WartsandAll”.

AngelaWarburton CllrBobEylesAssistantChiefExecutive LeadMember,Housing

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COnTEnTSWhatisthereportabout? 3

TheTSAStandards–whatarethey? 4

InvolvementandEmpowerment–Gettinginvolvedandmakingadifference 5

YourHome–repairsandimprovements 10

FindingaHome–yourTenancywithus 12

neighbourhoodandCommunity 15

ValueforMoney–Howwespendyour rent money 18

ArewePerforming? 21

Aboutus–HowCBC’slandlordserviceoperates 24

Feedback–telluswhatyouthink 32

Borough Council

Your roleWehavebeenconductingone-to-oneconsultationsand used the recent tenant talkabouteventtoaskyouaboutwhatitshouldcontain,howyouwouldlikeit presented and produced and what would stop you readingit.

What’s the point?Thescepticsamongstyouwantedustotellyouthewholestory,ensureitwasjargonfreeandcontainrelevantinformationwithnumbersnotpercentages.Theyalsowantedtoensuretherewasno“spin”.Werecognisethattheannualreporthastoallowtenantstofindoutiftheservicestheyreceiveareuptoscratchandcomparewellwiththoseprovidedbyotherlandlords,soweaskedhowweshouldpresentperformanceinformation.

What Will it look like and What Will it contain? Weaskedhowlongitshouldbe,shoulditbeinareportformat,booklet,inblackandwhite,incolour,shouldwehaveadesignbasedonthetalkback magazine,whichweknowsomeofyouread.Weaskedhowthefinancialinformationshouldbepresented.Thesimpleanswerthatcamebackwasthatthecontenthadtobehonest,shortandtothe

point.Youtoldusyouwouldbemostinterestedinfindingoutmoreaboutourrepairsservice,ourfutureimprovementplans,howmanyhomeswehaveandtherelevantrentscharged,youtoldusyoualsowantedtoknowwhatwearedoingtocombatanti-socialactivitieswhereyoulive.Itwasagreedthatitcouldbesentwiththenexttalkbackmagazinetokeeppostagecostslow.Youtoldustogiveyounumbersandsimplegraphsratherthancomplicatedtablescontainingabbreviationsandpercentages.Youaskedittocontainevidenceofhowwesavemoneytoploughbackintothefrontlineservicesyoureceive,thingslikerepairs,rentcollectionandrecoveringarrearsfromthosewhodon’tpayontime.Youaskedustobehonestabouthowmuchthereport cost to print and how much officer time was used.Youtoldustoavoidobscureabbreviationsatallcosts.

WHAT IS THE REPORT ABOUT?

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1 tenant involvement and empowerment standard – it covers:

• Customerservice,choiceandcomplaints

• Involvementandempowerment

• Understandinganddoingsomethingdifferenttomeet thediverseneedsoftenants.

2 home standard – it covers:

• Thequality of your home

• repairs andmaintenance.

3 tenancy standard – it covers:

• Allocatinghomes

• Managingtenancies

• Rentsandbenefitsadvice

• tenure.

4 neighbourhood and community standard – it covers:

• neighbourhoodmanagement

• Communalareamanagement

• Localareaagreements

• Anti-socialbehaviour

• Safeandsecure

5 Value for money – it covers:

• how we spend your rent money

• Partneringtoachievebettervalue.

We believe our services meet some of these standards but recognise that in some areas further work is needed.

TheTenantServiceAuthority(TSA)regulatesusand,followingconsultationbythem,theyhavesetstandardsforustomeet.Weareexpectedtomeetorbeworkingtowardsmeetingthosestandardsfrom1stApril2011.

the tsa standards – What are theY?

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THE TSA STANDARD –

INvOlvEmENT AND EmPOWERmENTcustomer serVice – We believe we meet some of the standards.WehaveaOneStopShopforyoutomakepayments,reportrepairsandenquireabouttenancymatters.Wealsohavededicatedpatch-basedhousingofficerswhoareyournamedpointofcontact.Wehavemadeaconsciousdecisionnottohavehousingofficersperformingdifferentrolesaswebelieveafterspeakingwithyouthatgettingtotalktojustonepersonaboutawiderangeofissuesisabetteruseofyourtimeandtheirs.Youcanmakeenquiriesonline,reportrepairs,sendusanemail,bookaprivateinterviewwithusintheOneStopShop,talktousonthetelephoneandrequesthomevisitsatatimethatsuitsyou.

choice oF home – We believe we meet some of the standards. Weofferchoiceinthehomesyouhave,yourapplicationforaccommodationisconsideredinlinewiththeallocationpolicyandwebaseoffersforhomesonwhatyouneedandwhereyouwanttolive.OurChoiceBasedLettingSchemewillgofurtherwhenweintroduceittoyouinnovember2010.Itwillallowyoutobidforindividualproperties,considerpropertiesinanareayoumayhavediscountedbeforeandseewhyyourbidwasnotsuccessful.WealsoofferchoicetosecuretenantswhowishtomovethroughourHomeSwapperservice,whichwasintroducedinApril2010.Wehavetomatchthehomeswehaveleftwithpeoples’needs,soweallocateonfamilysizeanddesiredareas.Thisensuresweusethelimitedstockwehavewisely.Weofferpriorityifsomeoneneedstomoveurgentlyformedicalreasonsandencouragethosewhonolongerneedalargefamilyhometodownsizetosmalleraccommodationbygivingpriority.

CHOICE BASED LETTINGS CORBY BOROUGH COUNCIL

PerformanceHow Well Are We Doing?


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choice oF paYment – We believe we meet some of the standards. Weofferyouarangeofwaystopayyourrentandservicecharges,inpersonwithatraditionalrentpaymentcardattheOneStopShop,usingcashordebitcard,byweeklyor2differentmonthlydirectdebitdates,viatelephoneorinternetbanking,orbypostwithacheque.

inForming and communicating With You – We believe we meet some of the standards. • Weprovidearangeofinformationabouttheservicesyoucanexpectfromusinavarietyofways;

i.e.websiteinformation,talkbackquarterlymagazine,translationservicesonrequest,informationleafletsintheOneStopShop.

• We organiseandtakepartinquarterlyestateandvillageinspectionswithyourlocalneighbourhoodWardens,PoliceCommunitySupportOfficers,TenantInvolvementOfficers, WardCouncillorsandinvitealltenantstoattend.

• Wesupportneighbourhoodassociationmeetingsascommunityissuesaffectyouwhetheryouownyourhomeorrentit.

EUROCARD

Tenants’ & Residents’Association Meetings

Community Walkabouts


complaints – We believe we meet some of the standards.

• WehaveaclearcomplaintspolicyaccessiblebothintheOneStopShopandonourwebsite.it outlines how we deal with complaints, the timescale you can expect a response in and what to do if you are still notsatisfied.

Where there are gaps – What do We intend to do about them? our plans to improve include service promises to:

• Improveandreviewtheinformationweproduce,includingyourtenanthandbook,your talkbackmagazine,thewebsiteandtherangeofformsandleafletswemakeavailabletoyou.

• Improvethewaywecommunicateandinvolveyouindecisionswhichaffecttheservicesyougetandtheinformationprovided.

• Lookatwaystousecomplaintinformationtochangethewayweoperatesoitdoesn’thappenagain.


inVolVement and empoWerment – We recognise that we need to increase the number of ways you can get involved and believe we have to focus more attention to achieve this standard. Wehaveinplaceadocumentwhichoutlineshowwewillinvolveandempoweryou,calledthe“InvolvementBusiness”.Wealsohavealargenumberoftenantswhobelongtoour“armchair”involvementgroups,(weknowalotofyouaretoobusytoattendformalmeetingsbecausethisiswhatyoutoldus).Armchair Annual talkaboutEvent

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• CreateaPerformanceImprovementPanel(PIP)madeupoftenantsandofficerstolookathowandwhyourperformanceandservicepromisesaremeasuredandtochallengeuswhenwehaveproblems.

• Createagrouptolookathowwedealwithcomplaintsandscrutinisethewaywedeliverservicesleadingtocomplaints.

• CreateabankofMysteryShoppers.

• CreateabankofTenantInspectors.

• CreateabankofTenantEstateSpotters.

involvementtakeslesstime,canbeindividualtoyou,canbedonebyphone,emailorhomevisit.OurTenantInvolvementTeamspendalotoftimearrangingfocusgroupsonspecificsubjectsthatyouareinterestedin.Wealsotelephoneindividualstogaugeresponsesforimprovingservicesandgettingopinionsonthedecisionweneedtomake.SomeotherexamplesofhowwemeettheTSAstandardoninvolvementinclude:

• QuarterlyEstateandVillageWalkabouts.

• SupportingmonthlyneighbourhoodAssociationmeetings.

• Annual talkaboutEvent.

• PullingtogetherServiceImprovementGroups(SIG)tolookatspecificproblemsandhelpusresolvethemonadip-in,dip-outmenubasis.


equalitY – understanding everyone is different and some may need more help than others. We aim to treat all tenants with fairness and respect and our service promises outline our approach to this.Someotherexamplesofhowweworktomeetthediverseneedsofourtenantsinclude:

• Offeringarangeofaccommodationspecificallydesignedforelderlyoccupationanddesigningasupportservicewhichmeetsthechangingsupportneedsofourelderlytenants.

• Adaptinghomestosuitmobilityneedswhenmedicalproblemsmeanstayinginitwouldbedifficult.WedothisinpartnershipwiththeOccupationalTherapist.

• Weofferatranslationandinterpretingservicetotenantswhosefirstlanguage isnotEnglish.

• Weoffertoproducetalkingnewslettersfortenantswithsightimpairment,aswellaslargeprintnewsletters,formsandinformationleaflets.WealsohaveinductionloopsinourOneStopShopandusetalktypefortenantswithhearingdifficulties.

• WehaveaServiceImprovementGroupmadeupofpeoplewithdisabilities.


• Updateourcomputerisedrecordstorecordinformationonethnicorigin,preferredmeansofcontact,disabilityandvulnerability.

• Ensureourstaffaretrainedinmeetingtheneedsofourdiversetenants.

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YOUR HOmE – REPAIRS & ImPROvEmENTS


qualitY – Your home is our business and we believe we provide good quality homes that meet the tsa standard for homes. 87.77% of our homes meet the decent homes standard and our plans are to ensure 100% do by the deadline we have been given of december 2010.• Wehaveinvested£24.3millioninourhomesinthelast3yearsandundertakenworkstorenewandupgradekitchens,bathrooms,renewsecuritydoors,replacefrontdoors,improvethermalefficiency,renewoldinefficientheatingsystemsandrewirehomes.During09/10£7.1millionwasspentonmajorworksandworkondaytodayrepairscostus£4.2million.

• OurinvestmenthasincludedpilotprojectstoimproveheatingandefficiencysuchassolarpanelsinoneofourshelteredschemesandenvelopingflatsinArgyllStreetwithaspecialistproducttokeephomeswarmerandyourenergybillslower.

• Weencourageindividualchoiceinkitchenandbathroomreplacementprojectsandstylesofreplacementfrontdoorssothatyoucanhavearealsayinwhatwedoforyouaslandlord.

• Wearebuildingnewhomesinpartnershipwithdeveloperswiththeaimofthembeingsecurebydesign.Thosepropertieswillhavemodernefficientfacilitiesandservices.

Where there are gaps – What do We intend to do about them? our plans to improve include service promises to: • Completeworktoensureallhomesmeetthedecenthomesstandard.• Developacapitalmajorworksimprovementplanandpublishit.• SetupaRepairsImprovementGroup(RIG).• Developanimprovementplanforourstairwellcaretakingservice.• Considerhowtouseredundantsitesfornewhousingprojects.


repairs and maintenance – We believe we meet some of the standards.

• Wehaveanin-houserepairsandmaintenanceserviceforallday-to-dayrepairsrelyingonlyonspecialistcontractorsformajorprojectsorforrepairsrequiringspecialistequipmentorskills. Thiskeepscostsdownandmeanswecanuseanysavingstoreinvestinimprovingyourhome.

• Wecarryoutmostofourday-to-dayrepairsintargettime.

• WehaveavarietyofwaystoreportrepairsincludinginpersonattheOneStopShop,telephone,inwritingandonlinereporting.

• Weoffera24hour,allyearroundemergencycontactandresponseserviceifyouhavea genuineemergencyoutofnormalofficehours.

• Wehaveaservicingprogrammeinplacetoensureyourcentralheatingsystemisserviced andcheckedannually.

• Werepairemptyhomestoabasicre-letstandard.

• WehaveaprogrammeinplaceforPropertyInspectionsandTenancyReviews.


• Revisethetimeframeforpropertyinspectionsandtenancyauditstocheckifhomesandgardensareingoodcondition.

• Developanappointmentsystemofferingtenants“slots”tobookrepairworks.

• Completemorerepairsatthefirstvisitandintargettime.

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Your tenancY – letting our homes to You – We believe we meet some of the standards.Webelievethewayweletourhomesisfair.Ourhomesareallocatedusingtheapprovedallocationpolicyand,fromnovember2010,theChoiceBasedLettingssystem(knownasKeyways)willallowprospectivetenantstoseewhatisavailableand,moreimportantly,detailsaboutthesuccessfulapplicationtoallowyoutoseewhytheywereofferedaproperty.


• Ensurebiddingfornewhomescanbedonewithease.

• Ensureanadvocacyserviceisinplacetoensurebidsareplacedforthoseunabletodosoforthemselves.

• Considerincentivesfortenantstodownsizetosmallerhomesandfreeupmuchneededfamilyaccommodationforfamiliesinovercrowdedorunsuitablehomes.

• PromotetheuseofHomeSwapper,whichhelpsmatchpotentialtenantswhowishtomovewithintheboroughormoveouttoanothertown.

• Reviewwiththehelpofyouourreletstandardforemptyhomes.


rents – We believe we meet some of the tsa standards. (although this standard does not apply to us, you told us it was important.)

• rentsaresetinlinewithingovernmentrules.Thecostofrentingintheboroughisnohigherthanourlocalcompetitors.

• Wehaveclearproceduresandpoliciesthatexplainwhatwewilldoiftenantsmisspayingtheirrentandconsiderevictionfornonpaymentofrentasalastresortmeasure.Weofferassistance tomakebenefitclaims,agreeaffordablerepaymentplansincasesoffinancialhardshipandencouragetenantstocontacttheirhousingofficerassoonastheyknowtheymayexperienceproblemswithpayment.

• Weofferarangeofpaymentmethodstogiveyouchoice.

• Wecontinuetocollectcurrentrentsandrecoverarrearsathigherlevelsthaninthepast.Thisensureswecanthendelivertheservicestoyouthatyouexpect.

• WesignpostandmakereferralsfortenantswhoareexperiencingfinancialhardshiptootheragenciessuchasAccommodation Concern,WelfareRights,theHomelessPreventionTeamand theDepartmentofWorksandPensions(DWP)tomaximise theirincomeandpreventdebtescalatingandpossible homelessnesssituationsarising..


• WeplantoreviewourServiceCharges.

• WeplantorecovermoreFormerTenantdebt.

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tenure – We believe we meet some of the tsa standards.

• Ourtenancyagreementisclearabouttenants’obligationsandresponsibilitiesaswellasours.

• WeofferallnewtenantsIntroductorytenancies,whichchangetoSecuretenanciesafteraminimumofoneyearqualifyingperiodinmostcases.

• OurHousingOfficersmeetallnewtenantsatthepropertyandundertakeaccompaniedviewings,followedbyagoodqualitysignupprocesswherenewtenantsareabletomakesuretheyunderstandwhatexpectationswehaveandwhatobligationswehave.ThispersonalserviceisthefirststepinbuildingupalongandgoodrelationshipwiththeHousingOfficerforthearea.

• Weundertakevisitstonewtenantswithin6weeksofmovingintoensuretheyaresettledandironoutanyproblems.

• Weprovideguidanceandsupporttohelptenantsstayintheirhomes.

• Weofferagoodqualitysupportserviceforourelderlytenantslivinginshelteredhousing.


• Revisethetenancyagreement.

• Revisethepropertyinspectionandtenancyreviewtimeframe.

• Introducemoresettlinginvisitsinthefirstyearofnewtenancies.

• Introducepre-tenancycounsellingsessionstoensuretenantsbecomethe“besttenants”.


NEIgHBOURHOOD AND COmmUNITY


Your neighbourhood – We believe we meet some of the standards the tsa has set. • Wewantourtenantstobehappyintheirhomesandsettledintheareatheyhavechosentolivein.WiththehelpoftheneighbourhoodManagementTeam,yourHousingOfficerand theTenantInvolvementTeamwebelievewedoagoodjobtomaketheareayouliveinsafe, cleanandwellmaintained.

• Wehaveacontractforgroundsmaintenanceincludinggrasscuttingandshrubpruning.• Wecarryoutquarterlyestateandvillagewalkaboutsandfocusonhotspotsidentifiedbyindividuals.• Weinvolvecommunitiesinclean-updays,weprovideskipsforamnestydays,weofferasubsidisedbulkywastecollectionservice.

• Wehaveadedicatedstairwellcaretakingserviceforflatswhereaservicechargeiscollected.

• Wehaveadedicatedshelteredhousingcaretaker.


• ReviewourcontractwithKierStreetServiceswhenitexpires.• Developatenantestatespottersgroupandintroduceaclearerreportingmethodwhenissueshavebeenidentified.

• Agreewithtenantsaclearservicestandardfortheappearanceoftheareatheylivein.

BEfORE

AfTER

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Your communitY inVolVing all – We believe we meet some of the standards the tsa has set.

• Ourapproachtotenancymanagementandneighbourhoodmanagementisjoinedup,helpingusprovideabetterserviceforboththetenantswholiveinourhomesandotherslivinginthearea.

• Weworkcloselywiththeneighbourhoodwardensandcaretakers,thepoliceandyourlocalneighbourhoodassociationstoensureyougetthebestservicepossiblefromus.

• WeholdeventsincludingjAG on your street, jAG for all and community action days to show how workingtogethergetsagoodoutcomeforall.

• Weworkwithaspecificgroupofelectedshelteredaccommodationrepresentativestoensurethattheygetagoodoutcomeandinfluencewhatwedo.

• Weworkcloselywithotherpartnersincluding:TheMidlandsCommunityFinanceOrganisation,TheSunflowerCentre,CAnCommunityHousing,ProbationandCatch22,SupportingPeople,MidlandHeart,FamilyInterventionProject,AccommodationConcern.


• WewillusetheInvolvementBusinesstocontinuetoconsultwithandbuildnewgatewaysforconsultationtoensurewegetabalancedviewandbalanceddecisionmaking.

• Weneedtenantstohelpusidentifyanygapintheservicesweprovidesowillbepromotinga “yousaid,wedid”approachtoletthemknowhowinvolvementhasmadeadifference.


anti-social behaViour – We work effectively to prevent and deal with anti-social behaviour and anti-social activities and therefore feel we meet some of the standards set by the tsa.

• WehaveapolicywhichsetsoutourapproachtoAnti-SocialBehaviour(ASB).

• WeusearangeofmeasurestodealwithASBincludingintensivetenancymanagement,mediation,parentingsupport,familyinterventiontenanciesandlegalactiontoendtenancies.

• WeworkcloselywithourcolleaguesintheneighbourhoodManagementTeamtoshareinformationandcollectevidencetosupportouractions.

• WeuseCCTVandnoisemonitoringequipmentandrelyontheexpertiseofourcolleaguesinEnvironmentalQualitytodealwithnoiseissuesandabatementnotices.

• Weareinvolvedinthelocalanti-socialbehaviourforum,whichbringscasestolightandensuresacoordinatedapproachtotacklingASB.


• IntroduceacomputerisedsoftwarepackagethatcanbeaccessedbyHousingOfficersandneighbourhoodManagersandbeusedtomanagecasesmoreeffectively,keepyouupdatedmoreregularlyandprovideperformanceinformation.

• MonitorresponsetimestoallegationsofASBmorecloselytoensureyougetthequickestresponsefromus.

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vAlUE fOR mONEY


Value For moneY – We believe we meet some of the tsa standards but know we need to do better and that there is room for improvement.

We know we get value for your money in the following areas:

• Repairsandmaintenance–byusingourin-houseteamwecutoutthecostofthemiddleman.

• Weuselocalsuppliersandbuyservicesandsuppliestoensurebestvalue.

• Wereviewmanpowercostsonaregularbasis,lookingathowamoreefficientservicesavestimeandmoney.

• SeniorManagersreviewallspendingofover£500.

• DepartmentalManagersholdtheirbudgetsandareaccountableforeverypennytheyspend.

• Wehavebargainedabetterdealfromanewenergysupplier,whichensurednoservicechargeincreaseforheatinginourshelteredhousingin2010.

• Staffareencouragedtoidentifyopportunitiestosaveourlimitedbudgets,whichhaveincludedmatchingourtalkbackmagazinedateswiththerentstatementproduction;thishasresultedinsharedandreducedpostagecosts.

• Welookathoweffectivelyweprovideservicesbycomparingourserviceswithothercouncils,thishasledtousfindingmoreefficientwaysofdoingthings,suchaslettingemptyhomesquickerandrecoveringmoredebtowedtous.

• Wehaveavalueformoneyreviewprojectinplace.

We want to know what you think! So we’ll be out and about asking you questions...


• Involvetenantsinourreviewsofservicesandfocusspecificallyonthequestionof“doesthatserviceoffervalueformoneynowandhowtodealwithitifitdoesn’t”.

• Surveycustomersregularlyabouttheirviewsoftheservicestheyget–doeswhatwethinkweknowactuallyhappeninreality?

• Involvetenantsindecisionsaboutwhatweshouldbespendingmoneyon,ensuringcostsarekeptlowandservicesareofanacceptablequality.

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OUR PERfORmANCE –

ARE WE PERfORmINg? Wealreadytellyouhowweperformwhenwepublishquarterlyourcurrentperformanceintalkback,includingwherewedowellandnotsowell.Weneedyourinvolvementtoensurethattheinformationwegiveiswhatyouwanttobetoldabout.Currentlywereporttoyouonthesubjectslistedbelow.Youwillfindouryearend2009/2010performanceinformationbelow.

PERfORmINg – ARE WE?

Subject Why it’s important How well did we do in 09/10?

How we rated our performance

What do we intend to do now?

Howlongittakesustore-letemptyhomes.

Ifweleftthememptywearefailingthosewhoneedahomeandlosing

valuablerentincome,whichweneedtoprovideserviceslikerepairs.

27.1 days. Ourtargetwas 28daysorless.

Reduceouttargettimeandkeeponturningthepropertiesaroundquickly.

the % of repairs not completed in

targettime.

Ifwefailtorepairinthetarget timewehaveletyoudown. 9%

Ourtargetwas less than 7%.

Analyse the reasons why wefailedtomeetthetargetandensurewekeepthis

percentagelow.

how much we lose bynothavingempty

propertieslet.

Rentlossequalslessmoneytospendonservicesfor

currenttenants.3.81% Ourtargetwas

less than 3.5%.

Keeplettingpropertiesquicklytoclosethegap

onrentloss.

The%ofannualgassafetycheckswedo.

Thislegalrequirementensures wekeepyousafeandyourgas safetycheckassuresyouthe

centralheatingisworkingwell.

100%Ourtargetwas100%.

ensure we complete 100%everyyear.

Thenumberofemptyhomesandgarages.

Themorehomesandgarages wehaveemptyreducesour abilitytoplanspending.

30 emptylettablehomes

1177garages

Ourtargetwastohave30orless.

Ourtargetwastohaveless than 1073empty.

Keepdoingwhatwearedoingtokeepnumberslow.

implement an action plan to increaselettings.

Thenumberoftenantswho opt into our home contents

insurancescheme.

Lettingtenantsknowwehavea weeklypayableschemewhich givescustomerspeaceofmind.

329 Ourtarget was 300.

Setourselvesachallengingtargetandensureall

tenantsknowwhatagoodopportunitythisisforthem.

Satisfactionwiththesupportservice

providedtotheelderlytenantsintheborough.

We need to ensure the support wegivetoourelderlyisgood. 97% Ourtarget

was 98%.

Undertakequarterly surveystoestablishany

patterns of why the elderly arenottotallysatisfied.

numberofemergencyalarm calls from our elderlywhohavetheequipmentinstalledansweredquickly.

Wehaveagreatemergency responsecentreand,intheevent ofanemergency,weneedto ensurewearethereforyou.

99.6% Ourtarget was 98%.

Keepdoingwhat wearedoing.

Arrearsoutstanding onbothgarages andhouses.

Wecouldusethatincometoprovidebetterqualityoradditionalservices.

£253,863houses

£2,359Garages

Ourtargetwastohaveless than £295,000.

Ourtargetwastohave

less than £3,700.

Keepfocusingon collectingasmuch

incomeandrecovering as much arrears as possibleforthe

benefitofalltenants.

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how many tenants owe us more than

7weeksrentarrears.

Wewantyoutobeconfidentinourabilitytocollectrentandarrears. 3.48% Ourtargetwas

less than 4.75%.

Focusonensuringthosewithhigharrearsdon’t fallfurtherbehindbyintensivemonitoring of their accounts and preventothersfrom gettingtothisstage.

how many people we evictforrentarrears.

Likeyou,wedon’twantanybodyevicted,buttakeactionagainst

thosewhojustdon’tpay.14 Ourtargetwastoevict

no more than 12.

Weonlyevictthosewhowon’ttakepayingtheirrent

seriouslyandwhohaveveryhighlevelsofarrears.Wegetthemessageacross

early that this option is takenwhenitisnecessary.

numbersattendingneighbourhood

associationmeetings.

Weneedbothtenantandcommunitysupportandourneighbourhood

associationsarethegroupbestplacedtotelluswhattheproblemsare.

134eachmonth.

Ourtargetwasto haveonaverage

216peopleattend.

Workwiththeneighbourhoodassociationstoencouragebetterlevels

ofattendance.

WeareamemberofHouseMark,thesocialhousingsector’sleadingproviderofperformanceimprovementservices.HouseMarkprovidesbenchmarking,goodpracticeandprocurementservicestomorethan750subscribingmemberhousingorganisationsintheUK,offeringitsexpertiseandhelpinglocalauthoritiesgivethebestservicetheycantotheirtenants.Whenwecomparedourserviceswithothersin2009/2010wewereabletotellwhichservicesweregood,whichservicesprovidedgoodvalueformoneyandwhichservicesweneedtoworkmoreontoensureyouwerebettersatisfied.Wewereabletoseereportsshowingusthatthecostsoftheestatemanagementservicesweprovidewasinthemiddlequartilebutoursatisfactionlevelswereinthemiddletoupper

quartile.Wewereabletoseethatourrepairsserviceofferedlowerquartilesatisfactionlevelsandwashighin cost and our relet times for empty properties was alsointhelowerquartile.Wewereabletoseethatourhousingmanagementservicewasinthemiddletoupperquartilewhilesatisfactionlevelsforhousingmanagementwasintheupperquartile.Ouraimistoensureourcostsarekeptlow,thequalityoftheserviceyougetiskepthighandthatsatisfactionlevelsarekepthigh.Bycomparingwithotherswecanshareideasandlearnfromothers.

Where we need to improve to ensure you get the service you deserve • Rentcollection–formertenantdebtandrecharges.

• Increasingsatisfactionlevels.

• Involvingyoumoreinthingsthatmattermost,liketheneighbourhoodsyoulivein.

• Increasingtakeupofourtenants’contentsinsurancescheme.

• Preventativeworktostopevictions.

• Decreasingthenumberofrepairsnotdoneintargettimeandincreasingthosecompleted rightfirsttime.

• Focussingonwhatyouwantustoreporttoyoubecauseitmatterstoyou.

What we do to measure how well or not we do with other landlords

upper GoodMiddle Averagelower Poor

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ABOUT US –

HOW CORBY BOROUgH COUNCIl’S lANDlORD SERvICE OPERATES

Who We areWeareyourLandlordwithmanagementservices beingoperatedfromDeeneHouse,customeraccessservicesbeingbasedintheOneStopShopandourin-houseteamoftradesmenbeingbasedatourdepotatFlemingRoad.WeformoneofthedepartmentswithintheumbrellaofneighbourhoodPride. AngelaWarburton,AssistantChiefExecutive, headsthedepartment,CathMaglonemanagestheLandlordServiceTeamandGusPatonistheRepairsandMaintenanceManager.

What We aim to doCreatehomesandneighbourhoodsyouwanttoliveinandserviceswhichofferqualityandvalueformoney.Wewanttoincreasesatisfactioninallservicesandinvolvemoretenantsonanindividualorgroupbasisinshapingtheserviceyouwantfromus.Longtermplansincludedevelopingatenant-focusedcustomerpanel.

HOW WE SPENT AN AvERAgE WEEKlY RENT IN 2009/2010

PropertyRunningCosts,£1.05

Repairs,£18.73

StaffCosts,£14.77

SupportServicesCosts,£6.51

BadDebtProvision,£1.48

PaymenttoGovernment,£5.11

CapitalMaintanenceoftheHousingStock,

£17.30

2bedroomhouses. 2/3bedroombungalows(generalneeds).

2ormorebedroom flats allocated to the

elderlyonly.

2bedroomflats/maisonettes.

3bedroomhouses.

1bedbungalowsallocated only to the

elderly.


4bedroomhouses. 2/3bedroombungalows/houses

allocated only to theelderly.


number oF homes managed bY us

Bedsits. 1bedroomhouses. 1bedroombungalows(generalneeds).

1bedroomflats allocated to the elderlyonly.


99

616

155

1

137

186

153

9

220

215

515

42

425

1879

19

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aVerage WeeklY rent

Bedsits. 1bedroomproperties.

2bedroomproperties.

3bedroomproperties.

4bedroomproperties.

5bedroomproperties.

5bedroomhouses. Purposebuiltaccommodation forthedisabled.

Bedsitsallocatedonlytotheelderly.

39 8 98

£49.71 £56.68 £63.76 £68.53 £72.38 £74.28

number oF homes managed bY us (continued)

hoW manY emptY properties did We let in 2009/2010 – Who did We let them to?

DisabledApplicants Servicemen other Applicants elderly Applicants

PriorityTransferApplicants

normal transfers Applicants

homeless

439

21

34

1

41

244

28

70

PerformanceHow Well Are We Doing?CORBY BOROUGH COUNCIL

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HOW mANY REPAIRS DID WE COmPlETE IN 2009/2010?

how many repairs were reported in

2009/2010?

how many of those wereemergencies?

how many were priority2jobs?

how many were priority3jobs?

how many were programmed

outside our normal priorities?

24203 4314 8170 7185 4534

how many of the repairs were

completed in targettime?

how many of those wereemergencies

completed in targettime?

how many were priority2jobscompleted in targettime?

how many were priority3jobscompleted in targettime?

how many were programmed

outside our normal priorities?

21857 4287 7597 6840 3133

how many repairs werecancelled?

how many were cancelled due to non-access?

how many were cancelledbecausethey were tenant responsibilityornolongerrequired?

how many were cancelledbecausetheywerenotCBC

properties?

how many were cancelledbecause

the tenant completedthejob?

1386 215 770 11 41

WHO OWED US mONEY AT THE END Of 2009/2010?

WHO? HOW mUCH?

NUmBER Of ACCOUNTS

Currenttenantsrents–homes £253,863 1011

Currenttenantsrents–garages £2,359 458

Formertenantsrents–homes £645,803 1578

Formertenantsrents–garages £15,759 180

Rechargeableaccounts £284,088 590

Courtcosts £69,271 375

Servicechargeaccounts–leaseholders £38,638 1026

total £1,309,781 5218

JUST THINK WHAT WE COUlD DO fOR YOU If All THIS WAS REPAID TO US – ADDITIONAl KITCHENS, BATHROOmS, SECURITY lIgHTS, fENCINg, THIS lIST IS ENDlESS…

With this money we could…Upgrade 100 kitchens £350,000Upgrade 350 front doors £210,000Upgrade 100 bathrooms £150,000Upgrade 200 heating systems £600,000Total: £1,310,000

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gET ON BOARD – gET INvOlvED Beheard,makeadifference…yourlandlordneedsyou!Themorevolunteerswehavethewiderviewswegetandthelesstimeyouwillneedtospendhelpingusindividuallyorinagroupsetting.Wewillofferyoutrainingandsupporttoundertakeanyoftherolesyouareinterestedin.

Anti-Social BehaviourHelpingustodecideonthemeasureswetaketopreventanddealwithAnti-SocialBehaviour.Time: 6 hours per year

CommunicationLookingathowwecommunicatewith you ie talkback–whatworks,whatdoesn’t.Time: 12 hours per year

Stairwell Caretaking InspectorsInspectingstairwellsthat havejustbeencleanedto ensurethejob’sdonewell.Time: 1-2 hours a week

Estate WalkaboutsAttendingacommunitywalkaboutandmakingdecisionsinagrouponwhatcanbedoneaboutissues.Time: 1 hour every 3 months

Performance ReviewsLookingathowandwhywereportonourperformanceagreeingwhatinformationaboutusshouldbereported.Time: 1 hour every 3 months

Allocating Empty HomesCheckingthatourallocationsgototherightpeopleinneedwiththelongestwaitingtime.Time: 6 hours per year

mystery ShoppingCheckingthatwhatwesaywedoweactuallydo.Time: 2 hours per month

Service Improvement ReviewsLookingatareaswheretheprocedurehasn’tworkedaswellasitcouldandreworkingitsoitdoesn’tfailagain.Time: 1 hour per month

ComplaintsScrutinizingreasonsforcomplaints and what we canlearnfromthem.Time: 1 hour per month

Equality and Diversityjoiningagroupandagreeingwhatweshoulddoaboutthedifficultiesfacedbyourdiversetenants.Time: 12 hours per year

Repairs• Checkingrepairscompleted• Helpingusdesignaservice

that you want• Agreeingtostandardsand

timeframes.Time: 1-2 hours per week

Tenant Estate SpottersWalkingaroundtheareayouliveandidentifyingflytipping,vandalismanddamage,reportingsuspectedabandonedcars/homes.Time: 30 minutes each month

Inspecting Empty HomesLookingatandinspectingempty properties across the boroughtoensuretheymeetthere-letstandard. Time: 1-2 hours a week

e-mail:[email protected]: www.corby.gov.uk

tel: 01536 464605Borough Council

Thanks for taking the time to read the Tenants Annual Report. To help us make sure it was of some interest and use to you please tell us what you think and we will enter you into a free prize draw for £50.

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Documents

A yeAr in the life of your lAndlord - Corby Tenants Annual Rep… · identifies not only areas where performance is good but must identify areas of challenge and detail how the landlord