Download our Tenants' Annual Report 2010-11

Tenants Annual Report2010/2011

NEW CHARTER HOMES LTD

Alan Alcock New Charter Homes Ltd Tenant Board Member Alan joined the Board in 2006 and is the Board’s Homelessness Champion. He has knowledge of the local area and the needs of tenants having lived in Tameside for many years. He also has experience in Health & Safety in the workplace and is a Trade Union leader.

Desmond (Taff) Jeffery New Charter Homes Ltd Tenant Board Member Taff is very active within his community and is committed to resident involvement. He is Chair of Central Residents Action Group in Dukinfield, a member of Tameside Voice and Dukinfield Forum and the co-ordinator of the local Home Watch. Whilst on the Board Taff has completed a Governance Programme through the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Thomas (Tom) Daly New Charter Homes Ltd Tenant Board Member Tom lives in Stalybridge and was elected to the Board in September 2010. He has a background in construction and a good understanding of management and health and safety issues. Tom is committed to assisting New Charter’s efforts in delivering the best possible services for tenants and developing communities and neighbourhoods that people are proud to call home.

Jacqui Fendall New Charter Homes Ltd Independent Board Member Jacqui is a qualified Accountant and has an extensive background in housing having previously worked for Manchester Methodist Housing Association, Portico Housing Association and Tung Sing Housing Association. She is currently employed by St Peters’ Partnership.

NEW CHARTER HOMES LTD

Alan Alcock New Charter Homes Ltd Tenant Board Member Alan joined the Board in 2006 and is the Board’s Homelessness Champion. He has knowledge of the local area and the needs of tenants having lived in Tameside for many years. He also has experience in Health & Safety in the workplace and is a Trade Union leader.

Desmond (Taff) Jeffery New Charter Homes Ltd Tenant Board Member Taff is very active within his community and is committed to resident involvement. He is Chair of Central Residents Action Group in Dukinfield, a member of Tameside Voice and Dukinfield Forum and the co-ordinator of the local Home Watch. Whilst on the Board Taff has completed a Governance Programme through the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Thomas (Tom) Daly New Charter Homes Ltd Tenant Board Member Tom lives in Stalybridge and was elected to the Board in September 2010. He has a background in construction and a good understanding of management and health and safety issues. Tom is committed to assisting New Charter’s efforts in delivering the best possible services for tenants and developing communities and neighbourhoods that people are proud to call home.

Jacqui Fendall New Charter Homes Ltd Independent Board Member Jacqui is a qualified Accountant and has an extensive background in housing having previously worked for Manchester Methodist Housing Association, Portico Housing Association and Tung Sing Housing Association. She is currently employed by St Peters’ Partnership.

Cavendish 249, Cavendish Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7ATTel: 0161 331 2000 Fax: 0161 331 2001 Email: [email protected] www.newcharter.co.uk

HOMES LIMITED

Part of the New Charter Housing Trust Group

HOMES LIMITED

This Annual Report is written by residents, for residents. To write the report, we reformed the X-tra factor team, a group consisting primarily of residents, and we consulted with you to find out what you wanted the report to contain.

To prepare for writing the report we studied annual reports taken from other organisations and highlighted aspects we found interesting and easy to read. We have used much of the information to provide a report we are proud of.

To write the report we initially decided the areas to be covered, choose the staff and residents we wanted to interview and then wrote questions for each. All our information has been gathered from these interviews.

We do hope you find the information included to be informative and interesting.

The X-tra Factor Team

The X-tra Factor Team

Ann DalySue CoxBelinda JefferyVera AndertonChristine BurgessFred Warburton

Chief Executive - Ian Munro

Who lives in our homes?

Local Offers

Resident Involvement

Getting Involved

Resident Involvement Monitoring Panel

Brushes Estate Management Board

Scrutiny – The Tenant Management Team

Neighbourhood Management

Anti-Social Behaviour

Regeneration

Academy

Lettings

Your Home

Organisational Transformation

Show me the money – Finances

Governance

Contents

Conversations with residents showed that we needed to include:

Feedback on the six National Standards from the Tenant Services Authority, how New Charter Homes are progressing in these areas and plans for the forthcoming year

New Charter Homes challenges within the year for each service area

New Charter Homes promise to improve

A celebration of achievements

A personal touch to the organisation, getting to know Senior Management

If you want to know more about the X-tra factor team please contact: Sue Cox,Resident Involvement Manager on 0161 331 2416, email: [email protected]

If you would like any further information on getting involved at New Charter please contact: the Resident Involvement Team on 0161 331 2400, email: [email protected]

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WED FRI

Who lives in our homes?2010/11 was expected to be a difficult year for New Charter. Due to financial constraints we lost a number of staff in March/April 2010 and had the challenge of bringing the Building Company together with our Property Services department. This transition however went better than expected, staff have coped well with the changes, and our general performance has been good.

We face a number of challenges for the forthcoming year. The first will be to absorb the public spending cuts. Although New Charter are not directly affected by the cuts we will be affected by the consequences. There will be less Council services, less Police on the streets, youth services are nearly non-existent and we will need to spend and provide additional services to compensate for these cuts.

We also need to deliver our promise to build 300 new homes in the next three years. New Charter have secured £20million from the Homes and Community Agency to deliver the “affordable rents” programme, but will also need to borrow further to fulfil this promise. Bringing in the new “Connect” telephone system in 2012 will be challenging, rearranging staff, bringing teams together and ensuring this new system is successful in improving services. Recruiting the right person to Head the Academy following the resignation of George Lloyd and making changes to the Grounds Maintenance service will also be difficult.

Although I am predominately office based, I do visit estates as often as possible. When this isn’t possible I trust employees and residents to feedback concerns about our homes. I’m aware there are areas for improvement. The standard of relets could be better, properties should be let clean, tidy and presentable, however we have approximately 8,000 people on the waiting list for these properties so turnaround time is also important.

Involvement from Residents is vital to the organisation, it is important that residents are involved because they want to be and that they have a vested interest in their community. This involvement means we are able to respond to your needs and that the services provided are still the right ones for you. I would like to thank you for the part you have played so far and look forward to working together on the next stage of our journey.

A message from the Chief Executive

Percentages from a Total of 27,224 residents

Female Male Under 16’s 16-24 25-44 45-64 65+

55% 45% 16% 27% 24% 18%

WED FRI

Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Black Minority Religion other and Ethnic than Christian (non white British)

0.46% 4.4% 13.45%

Involvement fromResidents is vital tothe organisation, it is important thatresidents are involved because they want to be and that they have a vested interest in their community.

15%

Ian Munro - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: Cycling, gardening, DIY

Favourite Book:‘Twenty years of growing’ by Maurice O’Sullivan

Favourite Record: Van Morrison -‘Tupelo Honey’

Food: Curry, puddings with custard

Personal Achievement: Dad to two successful children

Work Achievement: Getting the “yes” vote in the Big Switch campaign – done what we said we would do plus more.

Work History: Ian has moved around the Country,working in public health & housing before settling at TMBC almost 20 years ago & being with New Charter since transfer.

If you would like any further information about New Charter Homes please contact:www.newcharter.co.uk or telephone 0161 331 2000

Ian MunroChief Executive

This information is linked to the profiling information gathered from new tenants.

If you would like any further information on our customer information please contact: Louise Heenan,Head of Communications and Insight on 0161 331 2072, email: [email protected]

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HOMES LIMITEDLOCAL OFFERS

New Charter Housing Trust GroupCavendish 249, Cavendish StreetAshton-under-Lyne OL6 7AT

Tel: 0161 331 2400 Fax: 0161 331 2401

www.newcharter.co.uk

Throughout the document we have illustrated our ten Local Offers, which were put into place in April 2011. The offers are a direct response to what you told us needed improving and our performance against these is constantly being monitored by residents.

What are we going to do next? We will constantly keep you up to date on our performance against the Local Offers via our newsletters. Before April 2012 we will consult with you further to find out your priorities to extend and improve the offers for the forthcoming year. This consultation will be your opportunity to make sure that New Charter know what you want and to get the services you need.

Sue Cox Resident Involvement Manager

Belinda Jeffery was part of the Local Offers Consultation team “ the X-tra factor team”. This is her view on the initial consultation leading to producing the ten Local Offers.

“The consultation exercise was a real chance for the team to get out there and get peoples’ views first hand. We had a lot of positive comments but also a few negative ones. We tried our best to get all points of view into the way we shaped the Local Offers and we feel we mirrored the needs of tenants. There is still some work to be done and we will strive to shape the Local Offers further to suit everyone and make something GREAT EVEN GREATER!”

Belinda Jeffery

What is a Local Offer?

A Local Offer is our promise to you toimprove a servicearea and tailor it to meet your needs.

If you want to know more about the Local Offers please contact:Sue Cox, Resident Involvement Manager on 0161 331 2416, email: [email protected]

If you want to know more about the Local Offers please contact:Sue Cox, Resident Involvement Manager on 0161 331 2416, email: [email protected]

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Hobbies: Fishing, gardening, DIY

Favourite Book:‘The Confession’ by John Grimsham

Favourite Record: Billy Joel- ‘Scenes from an Italian Restaurant’

Food: Fish

Personal Achievement: proud of children

Work Achievement: proud of the joint work with young people completed for the Tatton flower show and seeing the improvements within our neighbourhoods.

Work History: Started working at 16 at Stockport Town Hall. Held numerous jobs at Stockport before being appointed within the Housing department at TMBC where he progressed to his current position.

Tony Powell - Personal Fact File:

Resident Involvement

New Charter has a vision of ‘GreatHomes, GreatNeighbourhoods, Great People’. The key to achieving this aim is effectiveResident Involvement.

It is vital to the organisation to have active residents who want to be involved, who take ownership in their communities and who help us create places which people have pride in, want to live and want to stay.

We are proud of the work completed with residents this year. In addition to the fantastic work completed on estates by Resident Associations and Estate Forums, we have seen the introduction of the Local Offers, the completion of scrutiny projects and we have met all the Tenant Services Authority requirements.

Although the Tenant Services Authority, the Governing body for Registered providers, announced its’ closure in 2010, New Charter believe the six National standards they put into place are still relevant. New Charter Homes has therefore made a promise to our tenants to continue to meet these standards, to continue our work on the Local Offers and to continue to produce the Tenants Annual report. We will also continue to ask our residents to feedback on our services and make recommendations for us to improve.

There are major challenges for New Charter in the forthcoming year, primarilyin responding to the Welfare reforms, which will inevitably impact on both individuals and our communities. We need to work with residents to ensure the reforms don’t have negative consequences for residents. We also see challenges in working towards “The Big Society” and the Localism bill which, to its’ full potential, could be an opportunity for New Charter to assist residents in the community work already being done on our estates.

Irene from Micklehurst Estate, Mossley, tells us why she got involved.

“I got involved with my Residents Association to help improve my estate and change peoples’ views about it. The work I’ve done with the Residents Association has dramatically changed my life, giving me more confidence to speak in public and giving me the confidence to join other committees.

The Association meet regularly, the numbers getting involved in both the committee and our events are growing and we even have a waiting list for the committee. We have made major differences to our estate this year, improving the youth base by securingFairshare money, holding a ‘grow to eat’ project which brings in young people and teaches them to respect the area they live in and we hold a regular bingo session for the over 50’s.

I would encourage anyone to get involved with their local Residents Association to help improve their estates.”

Irene Raddings Micklehurst Estate Residents Association

As at March 2011 there were 25 active Resident Associations affiliated to the company, all workingwith New Charter to improve life on their estates. In addition to this there were 25Estate Forum groups meeting on an ad-hoc basis to deal with issues on their estates.

Getting Involved

if you want to know more about Resident Involvement please contact:Sue Cox, Resident Involvement Manager on 0161 331 2416, email: [email protected]

if you want to know more about Resident Involvement please contact:Sue Cox, Resident Involvement Manager on 0161 331 2416, email: [email protected]

Tony PowellExecutive Directorof Neighbourhoods

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The Resident Involvement Monitoring Panel (RIMP) meet with New Charter staff on a monthly basis to monitor the outcomes of the services that New Charter provide, to ensure tenants play a real part in shaping our services. Tenants monitor impact assessment forms, offer recommendations for improvements, as well as recognising good working practices.

The panel have assisted in reviewing the Resident Involvement Strategy to make sure that it continues to reflect residents’ priorities and is exploring innovative good practice in resident involvement. The RIMP can also report any concerns they come across to the Tenant Management Team.

This year the panel have rewritten the impact assessment form, have assisted in training staff on completing this form and have read through and made recommendations on 82 impact assessments. The challenge for the panel in the forthcoming year is to continue to ensure impact assessment are completed for every qualifying activity.

Resident Involvement Monitoring Panel

If you want to know more about the Resident Involvement Monitoring Panel please contact:Sue Cox, Resident Involvement Manager on 0161 331 2416, email: [email protected]

Brushes Estate Management BoardBrushes Estate has approx 250 family homes and is based in Stalybridge. Unlike any other New Charter estate, Brushes is run by an Estate Management Board which was formed in 2003 by residents who wanted more direct involvement in running their own estate. The Board is a legal independent company registered with Companies house, which means that whilst New Charter still own the houses, there are dedicated seconded staff employed by the Board based on the estate. The Board run the estate in partnership with New Charter and are responsible for allocations, rent arrears, managing their own budget, regeneration and resident involvement activities and all housing management issues.

Becoming an Estate Management Board has enabled work to be done which has tackled problems of crime and anti-social behaviour on the estate.

Over the past year, as well as the day-to-day running of the estate, the Board have contributed to the InBloom project receiving a Green Flag for Communities, the running of the Bailey’s Back play area, cleaning days, hanging basket planting days, the weekly lottery, the community orchard consultation day, Father Christmas visit to the estate, the OAP’S Christmas party, the Easter Fun day, the Summer Fun day and the development of the estate office garden.

Elaine RawlingsBoard member, Brushes Estate Management Board

Fred WarburtonResident Involvement Monitoring Panel member

If you’d like to know more about Brushes Estate Management Board, please contact: Emma Quinn, Brushes Estate Office, 10 Poplars Road, Brushes, Stalybridge, SK15 3EN. Tel: 0161 331 2462, email: [email protected] or visit www.brushesemb.webs.com

LOCAL OFFERCOMMITMENTS

Tenant Involvement and Empowerment • We will take the Resident Involvement service out into our communities • We will utilise skills of existing tenants and staff to translate/interpret for tenants where English isn’t their first/ preferred language• We will provide feedback to customers following all events within ten working days

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The Tenant Management Team Scrutiny Panel

What is scrutiny?

Scrutiny started at New Charter in 2010 when the Tenant Management Team (TMT) were introduced. The group are all tenant volunteers who undertake ‘audits’ of service areas, researching the area and making recommendations for improvements.

The team aim to complete up to four scrutiny topics per year and choose their subjects based on what you have told us is important. They have completed scrutiny topics this year on the Grounds Maintenance Service and Responsive Repairs.

The process used to gather information for the scrutiny topics is vast andinvolves a process where they research, interview residents and staff, usemystery shopping and resident inspection techniques, as well as researching what other organisations are doing.

TMT have become a leader in the field of Scrutiny and Co-regulation and have been recognised Nationally. In January 2011 the team were chosen by the Tenant Services Authority to be one of ten Co-regulatory Champions who give advice and assistance to other organisations starting up scrutiny. In addition to this they have contributed to publications for Housemark and the Chartered Institute of Housing and have run a workshop at the Tenant Participation Advisory Service annual conference. Their challenge for the forthcoming year is to continue their hard work and to produce three scrutiny reports.

If you would like to know more about the Tenant Management Team, please visit their website: www.tenantmanagementteam.org.uk or contact Stephen Fanshawe on 0161 331 2579, email: [email protected]

The team have madea total of 97recommendations from their scrutiny topics, 82 have been accepted by New Charter, who are working towardsimplementing them.

• New Charter have responded to all these recommendations and, as a result, have brought the monitoring of the contract in-house. The specification for grounds maintenance has been looked at and the standard of contractors work is now constantly being monitored by both New Charter and residents. The feasibility study on collecting grass cuttings has been requested.

• Following the TMT scrutiny on the Grounds Maintenance service, a case has been made to bring the service in-house. If approved by the Board this will be a major challenge to the Neighbourhood Management team.

Key priorities of the Grounds Maintenance report

1To be more cost conscious by completing the monitoring of the Grounds Maintenance contract in-house rather than employing an Associate company

2 To complete a feasibility study on the possibility of collecting grass cuttings

3 To ensure the contractors are doing the work stated in their contract to a high standard

4 To improve the standard of grass cutting

If you would like to know more about the Tenant Management Team, please visit their website: www.tenantmanagementteam.org.uk or contact Stephen Fanshawe on 0161 331 2579,email: [email protected]

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Sue Hird - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: Golf, bird watching & cycling

Favourite Book: ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte

Artist: Elbow

Food: Curry

Personal Achievement: Overcoming my fear of heights and spiders!

Work Achievement: Involved in creating an anti-social behaviour service that is nationally recognised.

Work History: Worked in public service, starting in the civil service, moving to Special Branch in Hong Kong before returning to Tameside as a rent collector in 1981. She has experienced working in most of the neighbourhood services before taking on the challenge of anti-social behaviour 15 years ago and has never looked back!

Sue HirdDirector of Tenancyand Support

Emma Marsh - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: fitness, running, exercise

Favourite Book: ‘Divorcing Jack’ by Colin Bateman

Favourite Record: The Killers –‘Mr Brightside’

Food: Mexican

Personal Achievement: Running the 2010 Dublin Marathon

Work Achievement: Getting the Director of Communities role at New Charter.

Work History: Progressed quickly through ranks with Chester Council,worked on the stock transfer project to become Chester & District Housing Trust. Assisted Macclesfield Council with LSVT to Cheshire Peaks & Plains. Joined NCHT in 2010 as Director of Communities.

Neighbourhood ManagementThe last year has been a whirlwind in Neighbourhood Management. Being new to the organisation I have had to get to know our people, our partners and the business. I have spent time listening to both staff and residents and gauging what is needed to improve services and to make working practices more efficient. I am keen to be seen in your neighbourhoods and to be accessible to both residents and staff.

Apart from my personal challenges as a new team member, there have been many challenges for the neighbourhood team this year. We have seen a change in the way we monitor performance with the introduction of the Local Offers and monitoring their effectiveness. Implementing the recommendations made by the scrutiny panel on the Grounds Maintenance service and implementing the recommendations made on the caretaking review. We also need to successfully deliver our contract to manage the HousingOptions service for Knowsley MBC, to continue to deliver the Housing Options contract for Tameside MBC with a new structure and we are ambitious and aim to grow further and bid for further external contracts.

If you would like to know more about the Neighbourhood Management Team, please contact: Emma Marsh on 0161 331 2396, email: [email protected]

Anti-Social Behaviour

If you would like to know more about the Tenancy and Support Services team, please contact: Sue Hird on 0161 331 2144, email: [email protected]

Stopping nuisance, anti-social behaviour and harassment are a vital part of our work to make your neighbourhood a good place to live.

The Neighbourhood Management team deal with 90% of nuisance cases, those in the earlier stages and those which can be resolved without legal action. The work of the Neighbourhood Management team is vital to capture cases earlier and prevent escalation.Our dedicated Tenancy and Support team’s Tenancy Enforcement Officers and our Group Legal service deal with the other 10% of ASB cases, those which are more severe.

The year ahead brings with it a huge change tosocial housing in that we are implementing the affordable rents programme anddelivering a different type of tenancy to customers.

Making our communities safe is a top priority for New Charter.

Our major challenge for the forthcoming year is to develop a witness advocate service, scheduled to be launched in August 2011. This will consist of volunteers who have been witnesses, have been through the court process and perhaps had to receive some form of support themselves. These residents will be allocated a current witness and act as their friend should the witness feel the need to relate to someone who has been through what they are going through.

We also aim to promote our work further by participating again in the extremely successful BBC One series “Neighbourhood Watched”.


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ASB Incidents for April To March 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

Incidents

April May June July August September October November December January February March

CARETAKING REVIEW VALUE FOR MONEY

In our 2009/10 Tenants Annual Report we advised you of our proposal to complete a review of the caretaking service. This has now been completed and clear recommendations have been made to improve the service. Caretaking rounds have been amended, equipment has been improved and savings have been made of £87,000 by cutting fuel costs, reducing the number of vehicles and ending the contract with the Council for the street sweeper, all improving resident satisfaction.

New Charter are keen to ensure that we receive Value for Money in all our services. In the last year the Neighbourhood Management team has collated a list of savings. These include reducing transport in caretaking, cancelling the contract with external Grounds Maintenance monitors, recycling locks and staffing restructure. The savings made will be used in the forthcoming year to employ a full time handyperson and toimprove the standard of empty properties.


Local Offer commitments - Neighbourhood and Community Customers to monitor performance standards in caretaking and grounds maintenance to make recommendations for improvement.

Neighbourhood and Community We will introduce designated Champions to support customers dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour and complaints, to compliment your tenant advocate service.

Emma MarshDirector ofCommunities

The top three types of nuisance this year were noise (50%), harassment (30%) and animal issues (10%).

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Regeneration

If you would like more information about Regeneration, please contact: Adele Robinson, Regeneration Manager on 0161 331 2397, email: [email protected]

This passed year has been a fantastic one, achieving so much in so many diverse projects. Many projects are undertaken in conjunction with external partners such as Greater Manchester Police, Primary Care Trust, Tameside Sports Development, (‘Great Sports’ initiative), Tameside Schools, Childrens Centres and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Services. We have reacheda vast amount of residents of all ages with our work.

A major challenge this year was holding an exhibition at the Tatton flower show for the first time. This took months of planning, working with young volunteers to create a fantastic showpiece. Another major challenge was introducing a new youth work team, writing job roles and employing the right people to make this a success. This introduction has been timely with the reduction of the LocalAuthority youth service and has saved New Charter £75,000 per year by bringing this invaluable service in-house.

The work completed by the Regeneration team can not be done without the assistance of the committed volunteers we have on our estates. We have volunteers of all ages, who are dedicated to improving their communities. Many young people take part in our volunteering ‘Dreamscheme’ initiatives, such as assisting with their local InBloom entries, for which they gain points which are then used as credits for trips and experiences.

The Regeneration team is the heart behind the ‘more than just housing’ value. Covering thefive themes of theenvironment, social inclusion, jobs & lifelong learning, healthy living and community safety, we invest in thecommunity aspect of housing.

Environment InBloom, Tatton Park flower show, Recycling projects, Eco projects

Social Exclusion Bringing people together, learning events, community safety events, Dreamscheme

Jobs & Lifelong Learning

In-house and external learning opportunities, assisting young people with job and college applications and CV writing, we have staff trained on signposting to relevant agencies to assist with job searches

Healthy Living Advice on weight, smoking, cooking, child protection awareness, preventing fires

Community Safety Burglary awareness, work with tenancy enforcement officers and Greater Manchester Police


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Young persons ‘Lifeskills’ programme in conjunction with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue

Regeneration Areas

The Regeneration team concentrates on the more deprived areas in Tameside and currently work in the following areas:

Smallshaw/Hurst - Ashton, Newton – Hyde, Ridgehill - Stalybridge, East Audenshaw, Central Estate - Dukinfield, Haughton Green – Denton, Yew Tree – Denton, Crowswood - Stalybridge, Micklehurst - Mossley, Waterton Lane - Mossley, Copley - Stalybridge St Peters - Ashton.

Advice and assistance is given to any other areas on request.



Adele Robinson - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: Gym, sketching

Favourite Book: ‘Time Travellers Wife’ by Audrey Niffenegger

Favourite Record: Madonna –’Ray of light’

Food: Mashed potato

Drink: Red wine

Personal Achievement: Helping her children get on right path for life.

Work Achievement: Setting up the Regeneration team & helping the Big Switch programme.

Work History: Almost 30 years at TMBC and New Charter, working in a number of departments including Neighbourhood, Allocations, Resident Involvement, Empty properties & the Right to Buy section.

Adele RobinsonRegeneration Manager

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The focus of this year has been the construction of the new building for New Charter Academy. Based in the Smallshaw area of Ashton the £43million building is due to be completed in August 2011. The Academy combines two Ashton schools, Hartshead and Stamford High and it is expected to be attended by around 1500 students in 2011/12.

Apart from the obvious challenge of completing a multi million pound construction on time and in budget, the forthcoming challenge for 2011/12 is to be there tosupport the teachers and students as they adjust to their new surroundings and ways of working. The new building has large open-plan areas and teaching styles will be different from the traditional closed classroom method.

It is the clear intention of all involved to ensure that the new building will be used to its’ full potential. We intend to offer opportunities to both the students and the wider community to make full use of the magnificent facilities.

The Academy is funded like every school, from Central Government, with money allocated per student. New Charter have made a financial contribution of £2million to the project when we were selected as an Academy sponsor but the school is self sufficient and does not require any additional funding from the Housing part of our business.

New Charter Academy

If you would like more information about the Academy, please contact Sean Stafford, Director of Development & Investment on 0161 331 2146, email: [email protected]

YEAR 5A*-C 5A*-C inc English/ Maths

Predecessor schools 2008 43% 26.5%

Academy Yr1 2009 67% 34%

Academy Yr2 2010 77% 36%

Academy Yr3 2011 83% 46%

Student Attendance

Year 09/10 93.65%Year 10/11 94.22%

Permanent Exclusions

Year 09/10 5Year 10/11 4

New Charter support the Academy as part of our “more than just housing” value. We want to invest in and shape, the environment around our homes.

If you would like more information about the Academy, please contact Sean Stafford, Director of Development & Investment on 0161 331 2146, email: [email protected]

Sean Stafford - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: Triathlons

Favourite Book: ‘Girl with a dragon tattoo’ by Stieg Larsson

Favourite Artist: Paul Weller

Food: Italian

Personal Achievement: Recently completing the Frankfurt Ironman triathlon (2.5 mile swim 112 mile bike ride and a marathon) in 13hrs 31mins.

Work Achievement: Role in creating the Cavendish 249 building, helping remodel Gedling House and role in the Academy.

Work History: Worked for the Inland Revenue, as a Chartered Accountant and an estate agent before joining TMBC and then onto New Charter.

Sean StaffordDirector of Development& Investment

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Shonna Hildersley - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: Watching football at any level

Favourite Book:‘The smell of football’ by Mick Rathbone

Favourite Record: Luther Vandross -

‘Dance with my Father’

Food: Sunday Lunch

Personal Achievement: My 3 children

Work Achievement: Getting my current Job

Work History: Various Local Authorities across the North West for 13 years, Development Corporation in Fife - 6 months, Housing Association in Fife – 3 years. Joined TMBC in 1997 and transferred to New Charter Housing Trust.

We allocate properties based on a priority points system, and the stream the property is offered to is dictated by an

automated report.

Allocations go to

ReletsThis year has been both good and bad for the relets team. Early in the year we lost four members of staff through voluntary early retirement meaning team members have had to adjust to the additional workload this has created, but on a positive note we ended the year with less empty homes than ever before.

There will be major challenges for the relets team this year due to the forthcoming Welfare reforms. We don’t yet know what impact this will have, especially in regards to the reduction in Housing Benefit payments for people under occupying their homes but we are constantly working to ensure the reforms have minimal impact for both customers and staff.

We will also be changing the way we advertise our properties, to make it easier and more convenient for you. From 2011/12 we will be introducing “looking local”, an interactive service accessed through your TV set via Sky, Virgin Media, Nintendo Wii as well as via Smart phones. This round the clock service will enable you to see what is available to rent from the comfort of your own home. The bidding system will remain the same and we will continue to advertise only available properties and not those offered from Local Authority nominations or management moves.

We will be changingthe way we advertise our properties, tomake it easy and moreconvenient for you. From 2011/12 we will be introducing “looking local

60%GeneralWaiting

List

20% Local

AuthorityNominations

15%Transfers

5% Links List

If you would like more information about Relets, please contact Shonna Hildersley, Allocations Manager on 0161 331 2532, email: [email protected] or Janet Oconnor, Operational Manager on 0161 331 2346, email: [email protected]

Janet O’connor - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: Cooking

Favourite Book: ‘Chart Throb’ by Ben Elton

Favourite Record: Ronan Keating -‘Somebody Else’

Food: Italian

Personal Achievement: My daughter

Work Achievement: Implementation of the Choice Based Lettings scheme.

Work History: Started in housing taking repairs in a busy inner city housing office following my degree course. Promoted to an Estate Management Officer managing challenging high rise & deck access housing. Started in Lettings for TMBC in 1987, before taking current position in project and policy development.

Who is on our waiting list?

Throughout the year we had an average of 7942 people on our waiting list with a turnaround total of 1,400 per year

The majority of our waiting list consists of families looking for family housing and young single people, with an annual average of 3015 single people under 55

Advertising our properties.

We advertise our properties so they are available to as many people as possible including:• On the New Charter website• In our shops• In the Tameside Advertiser

Priority need.

Our definition of priority need is taken from the 1996 Housing Act. We must give reasonable preference to those who are homeless or owed a housing priority by the Local Authority, those occupying insanitary orovercrowded housing, people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds and those who need to move for hardship reasons

Neighbourhood and Community We will produce quality information to new customers on how to access housing with New Charter Homes, pre-bid and post letWe will ensure that 100% of all new lets meet the lettable standard

Quality of Home and Repairs We will provide a range of decoration options for customers on tenancy sign up such as the offer of a voucher, the decoration of a room or part voucher : part decoration


Throughout the year we had an average of 7942 people on our waiting list

Shonna HildersleyAllocations Manager

If you would like more information about Relets, please contact Shonna Hildersley, Allocations Manager on 0161 331 2532, email: [email protected] or Janet Oconnor, Operational Manager on 0161 331 2346, email: [email protected]

Janet O’connorOperational Manager -Policies and procedures

22 23

Your HomeThe last year has seen many changes for Homes. Previously working separately, the Building Company and Property Services team joined together and are now working under one Executive Director. The results of this merger have been very positive and has seen an improved joined up working culture delivering a one goal approach. Staff have enthusiastically adapted to meeting challenging targets, delivering on budget and having clear direction.

‘Homes’ faces a number of challenges for the forthcoming year. We want to pursue the “green agenda” by introducing support for fuel poverty (subject to legal and funders authorisation) Photovoltaic Electricity panels on all our homes. We need to comply with the Corporate Plan to build more homes, we aim to extend our external contract work and we want to increase our appointment system to further improve customer service and busy lifestyles.

Although satisfaction with the repairs & investment service is very high we do receive comments regarding the speed in which we complete work on Investment work on bathrooms and kitchens. We believe that quality comes with time. We presently work on a twelve day turnaround to renew a bathroom or fifteen day turnaround on kitchens. This allows us time to ensure plaster is dry before painting, that tiles are fixed properly before grouting takes place, so the finished job meets lifecycle times. It is for these reasons that we spend time in your homes, but when things don’t go to plan we welcome your input andrecommendations to change our service.

Resident feedback is extremely important to the team and we welcome your views. This year the TMT scrutiny panel completed a review of the responsive repairs service. They found only seven recommendations across the group for improvement and praised the department scoring it near excellent. We believe this to be the highest accolade for our work.

If you would like more information about Repairs & Investment, please contact Andy Stafford, Executive Director of Homes on 0161 331 2753, email: [email protected]

Improvements

• Attendance of staff has increased • 100% of properties have a current gas safety certificate• The budget spend is on target• Empty property turnaround is our best ever• Average repair completion times have reduced• Income from external business has increased

Decent Homes

The standard imposed on New Charter under “decent homes” is that properties should be in a reasonable state of repair, have reasonable bathroom and kitchen facilities and have reasonable thermal comfort.

New Charter use this definition as a base line but we aim to improve on this and provide excellent homes.

In 2010/2011 we had only 7 properties which didn’t meet the standard which is our highest achievement to date. As always we embrace continual improvement aiming to improve this to zero properties in the forthcoming year.

Our repairs line is currently open from 8am until 6pm. Volume of calls: 8am – 1pm = 62% of calls received. 1pm – 6pm = 38% of calls received. Our highest call volume is between 10am and 11am and our lowest is between 5pm – 6pm.

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

Heating / Boiler Swaps

Bathrooms

Kitchens

Rewires

Roofing

Brickwork/Lintel repairs

Chimney Rebuilds

Renewal Entrance Doors

Aids & Adaptions Review

A review was completed on aids and adaptations last year leading us to increase our financial contribution resulting in improvements to the service. New Charter work closely with TMBC on all New Charter Homes and have completed in excess of 50 properties with an average spend of £240 over the last year.

ImprovementsPlanned for the Next

Three Years

These are main headliners and other great work is going on. It is our intention to spend OVER £30M on your

homes over the next 3 years.

It is vital that tenants play their part inassisting our work,telling us when you change your mobile number or telling us where we can collect a key are so helpful and help us ensure weprovide you with the best service possible.

Best time to

call?


If you would like more information about Repairs & Investment, please contact Andy Stafford, Executive Director of Homes on 0161 331 2753, email: [email protected]

Number of improvements

Andy Stafford - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: Manchester City, gardening, walking

Favourite Book: ‘Shantaram’ by Gregory David Roberts

Favourite Record: Any Northern soul

Food: Italian

Personal Achievement: Happily married for 30 years - just had anniversary, with 2 great kids.

Work Achievement: Ability to change peoples’ lives. Seeing the difference in Tameside that New Charter have made.

Work History: Started as an apprentice joiner and worked way up through the ranks which I feel has allowed me to walk in their shoes and have a good understanding of trades. Started at New Charter 11 years ago and hopefully have made a difference.

Local Offer commitments - Quality of Home and Repairs • We will provide a two hour appointment slot for new customers to uncap and commission their boiler• We will deliver a pilot handyperson scheme

Andy StaffordExecutive Directorof Homes

24 25

Organisational Transformation &the Customer Experience Team

If you would like more information about Organisational Transformation or Customer Experience, please contact Chris Amyes, Executive Director – Peopleon 0161 331 2173, email: [email protected]

This year has been extremely busy for the Organisational Transformation team. We deal with all people in the organisation and we have implemented some major changes this year.

In March/April 2010 a number of staff took voluntary early retirement. This enabled us to restructure and to align New Charter more closely to our vision of Great Homes, Great Neighbourhoods and Great People. Each of these themes now has an Executive Director and our people at Cavendish 249 have moved to ensure everyone sits on the same floor as their relevant Executive Director.

For the third year running we featured in the Sunday Times Best Companies list achieving sixteenth position with a 3 star “extraordinary” rating. We also achieved the special award for Best Training and Development.

If you would like more information about Revenues, please contact Julie Vickers,Director of Business Support on 0161 331 2020, email: [email protected]

It has been a frustrating and challenging year financially. New Charter have been endeavoring to deliver the same high level of service to you as in previous years, whilst going through the difficult credit crunch and global recession. Banks have been reluctant to lend money and borrowing is expensive, but this is slowly improving.

A major challenge for the forthcoming year for the finance team is to adapt to providing ‘Affordable rents’. This is a Government concept which enables landlords such as New Charter to charge market rent for a proportion of their homes which will give us the ability to borrow more and ultimately build more homes. Rents will be converted on empty properties and this won’t affect existing tenancies.

The year has been good for the Revenues team, who have maintained 100% collection rates in rents, and with our advisory work have helped to identify £524,672 worth of benefits for you which wouldn’t have been claimed otherwise. The forthcoming year will however prove more challenging due to the Welfare reforms, especially in regards to the reduction in Housing Benefit for spare bedrooms and stopping the option for tenants to have their Housing Benefit paid directly to New Charter. The team are working to ensure we have the processes in place to help individuals pay their rent and adjust to the changes proposed.

Show me the money

COMMUNICATION CONNECT

This year we have introduced the new Customer Experience Team. The team has been set up to find out what our customers need from us, what they think about the services we provide and to improve our communication with them.

The team are looking at new ways to reach our customers and are working to introduce social networking, to use interactive television “Looking Local” and to revamp the website to make it more user friendly.

A major challenge for the forthcoming year is to launch the “Connect” telephone service. “Connect” is a “one stop” service which will enable queries to be answered “at the first point of contact.” Ownership for resolution of queries will lie with the person answering the phone and will aim to stop customers having to repeat themselves to different staff members. Getting the organisation ready for this new system, updating our systems and processes, ensuring our IT systems are compatible and that staff are fully trained, is well underway.

RECRUITMENT

At New Charter we strive to ensure that residents are at the heart of our business. To maintain this promise we ask residents to be involved in the recruitment of all front line and senior staff. Trained residents therefore sit on the short-listing and interviewing panel for vacancies and have an equal say on who is recruited.

We have seen the end of the 10 year investmentprogramme this year, which has createdmajor improvementsto our homes.

During the programmeNew Charter have spent £55m per year, £170,000 each day.

EVERY WORING DAY IN 2010/11

WE SPENT

£252,236

EVERY WORKING DAY IN 2010/11 WE BORROWED

£7,266

EVERY WORKING DAY IN 2010/11

WE RAISED

£244,971

0 50000 100000 150000 200000 250000

Employee Costs £57,505

Management Costs £28,579

Responsive Repairs £18,010

Empty property Repairs £13,855

Other Repairs £19,139

Investment & Improvement £37,909

New Build £19,665

Interest Payments £57,574

Net Rental Incomefrom our homes

£210,303Total Other Income £34,668

New Borrowing £7,266

How New Charter Spend the Money

£’s per day

Chris Amyes - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: walking, running & (watching!) football

Favourite Book:‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ by Stieg Larsson

Favourite Record: The Stylistics - ‘You Make me Feel Brand New’

Food: Roast Dinner & Curry

Personal Achievement: Having two grown up daughters who are confident and happy.

Work Achievement: Role in developing New Charter, Achieving Best Companies status.

Work History: Started as a civil servant with the DSS, specialising in training and development. Became OD Manager at New Charter in 2001 and Executive Director in 2010.

Chris AmyesExecutive Director – People

26 27

How to pay your rent


We always try to keep up with the latest technology to make it easy for you to pay your rent.


Rent Comparisons

WAYS TO PAY INCLUDE

• By cheque at the shops • Direct Debit• Standing Order• Credit or debit card• Paypoint• Cheque or cash at the post office• 24hour automated payment system to pay by debit/credit card

LOAN SHARKS

The use of loan sharks we believe is on the increase and we are training staff to be aware of the indicators that a tenant is using a loan shark. This illegal money lending is dangerous and we will endeavour to find alternative ways to assist people with money problems. If you do have problems with a loan shark please come forward and speak to us.

Money Information Network Tameside (MiNT)

Mint was created in 2004 by New Charter to give money information to residents. The scheme is now recognised nationally and we work with a number of partner organisations to provide money advice.

For more information on MiNT contact www.mintameside.org.uk

TOWN BASIC RENT RENT PLUS SERVICE CHARGES

Ashton-under-Lyne £80.09 £81.03

Audenshaw £79.14 £81.26

Denton £79.71 £82.04

Droylsden £79.43 £80.68

Dukinfield £79.82 £81.25

Hyde £79.27 £80.77

Longdendale £79.22 £80.85

Mossley £80.46 £83.35

Stalybridge £78.75 £81.84

PROPERTY TYPE BASIC RENT RENT PLUS SERVICE CHARGES

Bedsit £52.23 £57.44

1 bedroom £61.90 £70.43

2 bedroom £73.54 £76.26

3 bedroom £80.09 £81.30

4 bedroom £82.60 £83.79

Julie Vickers - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: Cinema and films

Favourite Book:‘Shutter Island’ by Dennis Lehane

Favourite Record: Take That - ‘Shine’

Food: Custard

Personal Achievement: Overcoming fear of speaking in public

Work Achievement: Becoming a Director last year

Work History: Started as an apprentice at Tameside MBC and has work her way up through the company, becoming ‘Head of Revenues’ before becoming a Director last year.

Martin Frost - Personal Fact File

Hobbies: Stockport County & Ashton cricket club

Favourite Book:‘The end of the party’ by Andrew Rawnsley

Favourite Record: Van Morrison - ‘Caravan’

Food: Curry

Personal Achievement: Completing the ‘high ropes’ challenge on a management away day.

Work Achievement: Role in creating New Charter, starting in 1996/7 with the original concept.

Work History: Joined TMBC as a post-grad trainee accountant 36 years ago. Moved to the Housing department to work with Ian Munro in 1992 and has been instrumental in the creating of New Charter.

Julie VickersDirector ofBusiness Support

AVERAGE RENTS FOR 3 BEDROOM PROPERTY

RENTS FOR PROPERTIES IN ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE

Martin FrostExecutive Directorof Corporate Services

28 29

Governance

If you would like more information about becoming a Tenant Director, please contact Ann-Marie Walker, Governance Assistant on 0161 331 2118, email: [email protected]

Board members at New Charter Homes Limited

Geoff Loughlin (Independent) (Chair)

Jim Middleton (Local Authority) (Vice Chair)

Alan Alcock (Tenant)

David Boyle (Local Authority)

Thomas Daly (Tenant)

Margaret Downs (Local Authority)

Jacqui Fendall (Independent)

Julie Hardman (Tenant)

(Desmond) Taff Jeffery (Tenant)

Tracey Jones (Local Authority)

Joan Ryan (Independent)

Jacqui McCann (Co-opted)

Tony Powell (Co-opted)

Gordon Tow (Co-opted)

Independent Board members are appointed by application and interview.Tenant Board members are appointed by self nomination, interview and election.Local Authority Board members are appointed by nomination.

If you would like any further information about New Charter Homes please contact:www.newcharter.co.uk or telephone 0161 3312000

0161 331 2400

0161 331 2400

0161 331 2400

0161 331 2400

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Documents

Download our Tenants' Annual Report 2010-11