Annual Report 2015-16

Celebrating a successful yearAt NCHA we never stop being ambitious for our communities and for every single person who’s a part of them. We’re here to open doors. Not just to new homes, where people can put down roots, make memories and feel safe, but to new friendships, directions and opportunities too.

This year we’ve built 286 new homes and welcomed 675 new tenants. We’re proud to be growing, improving and offering more local people even better

places to live. Whether you’ve joined us this year, or you’ve been with us for decades, we’re here to give you the support and any care you might need. That means chances to get involved in your community, have your say here at NCHA, get practical advice and training and even cut your bills.

Our teams are hard at work on your estate making a real difference, and helping you do the same. It’s one of the reasons so many of you say you’re

satisfied with our services – 91% in fact – and it’s something we’re committed to continuing, whatever the future brings. So, take a look at everything we’ve achieved together this year and tell us what you want to see in the months ahead. If there’s a new door we can open, we’d love to help.

Mike AndrewsChief Executive

85%satisfaction

with services

satisfaction with neighbourhoods

85%

satisfaction with homes

91%

1Figures in the balloons from 657 tenant responses to NCHA 2016 STAR survey.

69 new homes43 care home places1 day centrenow part of the NCHA family,since we joined with LeicesterQuaker Housing Association.

We provide housing with care and support for 3,168 vulnerable people

3,168

675

35286 12

Awards2Rent to HomeBuy homes sold helpingnew households into low-cost home ownership, plus 34 new shared owners too!

homes built for rent or shared ownership across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire

dementia-friendly bungalowsin Broxtowe designed by Pelham Architectsleading to more local commissions

new supported-living properties24 for people with learning disabilities11 for people with mental health problems

Happy new homesThis year we’ve helped hundreds of new people settle into our homes and communities. In brand-new builds, refurbished almshouses, newly vacant houses and supported-living settings, we’ve been working hard to make all our new tenants feel welcome.

13NCHA’s own Pelham Architects were finalists for best social or affordable new housing development in the LABC regional architectural awards

You’ve played a bigger part in your communityCommunity Voices launched in January 2016, giving you more ways to make a difference where you live – updating noticeboards, organising events, supporting your neighbours, welcoming new tenants or giving us feedback. So far we’ve recruited 125 people, and we’re hoping for 160 by the end of September 2016. Email residentinvolvement@ncha.org.uk if you’d like to get involved.

This year, we’ve been making sure everyone, no matter what their circumstances, can roll up their sleeves and get involved with our great communities. Hundreds of you have come along to our events, had your say and taken on new roles on your estates.

You’ve been to great events on your doorstepWe’ve bought a brand new community vehicle so we can bring great workshops and roadshows to your estate. In fact, this year we ran 40 events, attended by 580 of you, covering everything from welfare reform awareness and universal credit to IT training. Thanks for coming!

You’ve had your say about the big thingsYou’ve been making a real difference to services and policies too, attending our feedback sessions and customer advisory panels (CAPs). The CAPs cover things like technical services, disability and tenancy – and the recommendations you make there help us change policies, set standards and lead to improvements.

Getting stuck in

Over the next five years we’ll invest £150m in building new affordable homes – more than double the amount we’ve spent over the past five years. This work will also provide nearly 480 jobs and boost the local economy by over £100m!

1,500 more homes coming soon

2 3

Lambley almshousesflats restored and ready for new tenants, joining 148 more across our region

We’ve given 675 new tenants a home, including 327 families with children and 127 people under 25.

Working hard

Spick and span

Pounds and penceOur maintenance team works hard to keep our homes at their very best all year round. This year we managed to cut £500,000 from our maintenance budget without cutting corners on service or quality. These savings were made through efficiency drives and mean we can build an extra 10 homes.

Where does our income come from? £

Rents paid by tenants 36,272,000

Total income received for care and support services 23,436,000

Sales of properties 10,531,000

Service charges paid by tenants 1,315,000

Other income 1,963,000

Income received for development and design services 444,000

Surplus on investment sales 34,000

Total 73,995,000

How do we spend the income we receive? £

Direct cost of care and support services 23,976,000

Maintaining homes 13,686,000

Mortgage interest 11,178,000

Management of operations 8,496,000

Cost of properties sold 7,810,000

Property services 2,056,000

Development and design services 639,000

Income lost through bad debts 121,000

Other expenditure 29,000

Total 67,991,000

full and partial bathroom

replacements£100,000

spent on adaptations such

as grab rails and accessible

showers to support 147

tenants.

electrical tests, including rewiring

and upgrades

850

heating systems / boilers replaced. We also provide support to help

tenants use their heating

cost-efficiently

628142

properties have had repaired or replaced

windows and external doors

roofs fixed233 223

fire-risk assessments and repairs

711,562

asbestos surveys and inspections

200full and partial kitchen

replacements

4 5

We’re a not-for-profit organisation, committed to delivering value for money. Here you can see where we spent our money this year. Surplus funds are reinvested back into NCHA to improve our properties and services.The average amount of

time, in days, it takes us to get a home ready for relet. That’s 3.1 days faster than 2014-15, saving money we can reinvest in our communities.

Read our value for money assessment in full www.ncha.org.uk/corporateaccountability

18.9 Saving £££s

Bags of energyOur energy services team have been busy making 409 energy saving measures and giving out lots of eco-friendly advice, bringing down fuel costs and helping everyone get a little greener. They’ve also commissioned 687 energy-efficient repairs and upgrades and they’re using innovative energy saving equipment to tackle fuel poverty.

100%of our homes

had their gas serviced and certificated by March 2016.

That’s all thanks to our maintenance team

6 7

We’re not just here to provide homes, we’re here to build communities, create opportunities and make lives better – in lots of different ways.

Making our communities safer places for everyoneThis year, we’ve worked harder than ever to tackle anti-social behaviour, resolving cases within an average of 28 days (down from 31 days in 2014-15) and boosting satisfaction levels to 92% (up from 79% in 2014-15).

Giving 150 people great new skillsOur training sessions are all about having more influence in your community and better prospects too. In fact, three of the tenants we trained this year now have jobs at NCHA.

Helping 3,900 people stay on top of their financesFor the eighth year in a row, we’ve reduced the number of tenants falling behind on rent. We’ve also given 141 people debt advice and helped 578 people claim a total of £126,000 more in benefits they didn’t know they were entitled

to. We’ve even tapped into £51,000 of grant funding that’s gone straight to our tenants. One of the ways we achieved this is by investing in a bigger Tenancy Support team.

Laying foundations

We’ve cut our communities’

carbon footprint by

68.3 tonnes

That’s got to be good for everyone

We’ve helped

you save

£28,261on your energy bills

That’s the total saving for all tenants

in 2015-16

Rent arrears have fallen for the 8th consecutive year

6 7

6.13% in 2008 5.97% in 20095.06% in 20104.78% in 20114.43% in 20123.76% in 20133.49% in 20143.25% in 2015 3.12% in 2016

feel the support makes a positive

difference to their lives

89.4%feel they have the support they need

98.4%

This year, our Housing with Care and Support service helped 3,168 people and provided over 734,000 hours of support.

We offer a wide variety of services that enable people to stay safe and independent in their own homes, from simple things like filling out forms and building life skills, to technological aids such

as pendant alarms. Those we help include the elderly, young homeless people and people with learning difficulties.

As you can see from the survey figures floating above, we provide a vital service that many people really value.

We will make every effort to provide copies of this report in another language or format, so please call 0800 013 8555 are tell us what you need. An electronic version of this report can be found on our website www.ncha.org.uk

Nottingham Community Housing Association Limited is a charitable communitybenefit society, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under number 7104. Published September 2016.

A little extra help

Supportive and caring

feel safe in their homes

96.9%

97%satisfied with the service

Our door’s always openNottingham Community Housing Association12/14 Pelham RoadSherwood RiseNottingham NG5 1AP

T: 0800 013 8555 or 0115 844 3150info@ncha.org.ukwww.ncha.org.uk

@NottsCommHA

/NottinghamCommunityHousingAssociation

8 Figures in the balloons from 723 service user responses to NCHA 2016 Housing with Care and Support service user satisfaction survey.