First Anniversary Report

First Anniversary Report

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PEOPLE . HOMES . COMMUNITIES

IntroductionWelcome message from the ChairBackgroundMission and aimsSmile and Pride

A year of achievementsThree stars and excellent prospects for improvementsLeading the way

Our BoardManagement Team

Customer accessCustomer involvementMaking the most of our money in order to do moreManaging tenancies and neighbourhoods

Anti - Social BehaviourEstate ManagementLeaseholder services

PerformanceProviding quality homes

Decent HomesGas servicingProviding a Quality Repairs ServiceStockport Homes Investment Programme

Providing support to the most vulnerableHousing optionsOlder persons’ servicesResettlement service

Looking to the futureAllocation servicesAsset management, maintenance and investmentChartermarkCustomer involvementHomelessness and housing options servicesHousing managementInvestor in People accreditationOlder persons’ services and concierge servicesResettlement servicesValue for moneyConclusion

Cover picture: Russell Gardens.Below: Views of Stockport.

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To deliver a customer-driven service, providing quality homes where people want to live

Welcome message from the ChairWelcome to Stockport Homes’ first anniversary report. StockportHomes was one year old on the 1 October 2006 and what adifference a year makes. Stockport Homes was established todeliver quality services. Our initial goal was to receive a minimum oftwo stars in the Audit Commission inspection in June 2006. Wenot only achieved the two stars, but got three, and so convincinglythat the Audit Commission believes that the prospects for furtherimprovements are excellent; the maximum possible, documentinghow far we have come in such a short space of time.

You may ask how we did it? What makes a three star ALMO? Well,this anniversary report will continue by providing the background tothe establishment of Stockport Homes and more importantly, whatwe have achieved for customers in the first 12 months of operation.But just because we have achieved three stars and excellentprospects for improvement, doesn’t mean we don’t have furthergoals and service improvements to be delivered to our customers.This will be documented later in the report highlighting that we arenot complacent nor intending to sit back on our past achievements.

Now we have this exceptional result, it’s all systems go! TheDepartment of Communities and Local Government will release theALMO funding of £40.36 million for 2006/07 to 2007/08. We canthen begin the journey of improving all the properties to reach theDecent Homes Standard by December 2010. A further £60 millionALMO funding is subject to negotiation after 2007/08.

We would like to personally thank everyone who helped StockportHomes achieve this fantastic result. The staff took their responsibilityto deliver this funding, very seriously, and we hope you are aspleased about the good news as the Council, the Board and all ofStockport Homes’ staff are.

Roger PhillipsChairStockport Homes Board

Introduction

Helen McHale

Roger Phillips

Helen McHaleChief ExecutiveStockport Homes


BackgroundAfter extensive consultation and an option appraisal process,Stockport Council, in partnership with tenants andleaseholders, agreed the creation of Stockport Homes.Stockport Homes became an Arms Length ManagementOrganisation (ALMO) on 1 October 2005 following asuccessful application for funding in Round 5 of the Office ofthe Deputy Prime Minister’s (ODPM’s) Arms LengthManagement Programme in January 2005. Approval to ‘golive’ was received from the Secretary of State aftersubmission of the Section 27 Application in July 2005.Stockport Homes is responsible for managing andmaintaining 12,086 properties broken down into 11,806tenanted properties (both sheltered and general needs) and284 leasehold properties (as at April 2006). The stock ispredominantly of traditional construction, with a largeproportion of flats and maisonettes (45%) including 22 highrise blocks. We are also responsible for maintaining allHousing Revenue Account land (this includes grassed areasand unadopted footpaths) and other buildings, includinggarages (1,370), shops (71) and three temporaryaccommodation schemes for people who are homeless.

Housing management is spread across three districts knownas the East, West and Central Districts. Stockport Homes isalso responsible for services to people who are homeless,supported housing for both general needs (resettlement) andolder people and the asylum seekers’ service. The Councilhas retained the “strategic role” and certain services,including Supporting People and private sector housing.Stockport Homes and the Council are working closelytogether to ensure the provision of a comprehensive andseamless Housing Service for Stockport’s residents.

The creation of Stockport Homes is a step change for theCouncil and it has led to an improved and focused service forall Stockport Council tenants and leaseholders, andsignificant improvements to their homes.




Mission and aimsOur mission is:

‘To deliver a customer-driven service, providing qualityhomes where people want to live’

There are six aims, which outline how Stockport Homes willachieve its mission. These are to:

Provide an inclusive service, which values its diverse communities, empowers its staff and makes effectiveuse of its resources

Ensure all homes meet the Decent Homes Standard by 2010 and are then maintained at that standard, asa minimum

Deliver a high quality housing service that continues toimprove and meet customers’ needs and aspirations

Deliver consistent, clear and well publicised services to tenants and leaseholders and proactively seek to improve estates in partnership with customers

Provide appropriate accommodation (temporary and permanent) and support for the most vulnerable and socially excluded

Make a real contribution to the Council’s wider strategic and housing objectives through helping to build social inclusion and safer sustainable neighbourhoods.




‘SMILE’ and ‘PRIDE’Stockport Homes has a culture of openness, ambition,continual learning and mutual respect. The core values andthe culture are described by the acronyms ‘SMILE’ and‘PRIDE’:

SMILE (Values):

upport Listen, respond and support each other in all ofour diversity

otivated Be motivated to act in the best interest ofStockport Homes at all times

nnovate Be ambitious, encourage innovation, take calculatedrisks and learn from experience

earnGive and take challenge constructively and developindividual talents

njoyBehave with integrity at all times while making workenjoyable wherever possible.



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PRIDE (Culture):

erformance Orientated Professional performance driven organisation where peopleenjoy their work

isk TakingSupportive environment where people feel able to try new things, sometimes byleading and being first and other times learning from other organisations

nfluentialStaff, customers and stakeholders respect each other and influencewhat is done and how people behave

evelopingCustomer driven, flexible, constantly learning and movingforward

fficientWorks efficiently to deliver significant results in the simplestway possible.



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A year ofachievementsThree stars andexcellent prospectsfor improvementUndoubtedly, Stockport Homes’ greatest key achievement isreflected in the recent Audit Commission’s HousingInspectorate announcement:-

“We have assessed Stockport Homes as providing an‘excellent’ three star service that has ‘excellent’ prospects forimprovement”

The successful inspection result means that StockportHomes will be awarded £40.36m of Government funds forthe period 2006 to 2008 and a further £60 million for theperiod 2008 to 2010 to assist in meeting the Decent HomesStandard by December 2010. Stockport Homes will carryout a major repairs and improvement programme thatincludes bathrooms, kitchens, central heating and insulation,




rewiring and roofing. In addition, Stockport Homes will alsospend up to an estimated £5.14 million by 2010 on schemesthat assist in creating sustainable housing estates inStockport.

Here are some interesting facts that demonstrate what amagnificent achievement this result is: -

Stockport Homes is currently the only ALMO in the North West to achieve three stars and excellent prospects for improvement.

Only six other ALMOs (out of a total of 60 nationally) have achieved three stars and excellent prospects for improvement. Of these five, two were inspected in 2002. This puts Stockport Homes in the top 10%of ALMOs nationally and in the top 1% of all social housing landlords in the country.



The house below shows how the extra £40.36 million will bespent on homes.


Leading the way…

Our BoardThe Board is responsible for the strategic direction ofStockport Homes, and since their appointment, they havebeen an intrinsic part of the organisation’s leadership. TheAudit Commission found that Stockport Homes’ Board iscommitted, challenging and the decision making process iseffective.

The Board consists of 13 members. Tenants form themajority group with five members. In addition there are fourindependent and four Council Board Members.




The Board has delegated responsibility on specific matters tothree sub-groups, which all have plain English terms ofreference. The Chair of each sub-group reports to the Boardon progress in their area of work.

The Board have approved a Governance Improvement Planwhich identifies areas of focus for the Board and StockportHomes in order to develop and sustain strong governance.This approach ensures that the Board continues to have thecapacity to develop and lead Stockport Homes forward.



BoardTenant Board Independent Board Council BoardMembers Member Members

Bernard Bradbury (Vice Chair) Roger Phillips (Chair) Cllr Christine CorrisAline Cleary Robert Ashworth Cllr Anne GrahamJohn Henshall Hilda Kaponda Cllr Paul PorgessDavid Kirwan Sharon McCambridge- Cllr Chris BakerAlex Todhunter Ackers

PerformanceSub-Group

Value for moneySub-Group

Human ResourcesSub-Group

Sharon McCambridge-Ackers (Chair)John HenshallDavid KirwanPaul Porgess

Hilda Kaponda (Chair)Bernard BradburyJohn HenshallDavid KirwanCllr Christine CorrisAline Cleary

David Kirwan (Chair)Roger PhillipsCllr Christine Corris


Management TeamThe operational management of Stockport Homes is led byHelen McHale, as the Chief Executive and five Directors.Their responsibilities are briefly outlined below:

Michael Clements, (Director of Finance) – responsible forproviding all financial and IT services for the organisation.

Sandra Coleing, (Director of Quality) – responsible forcontinuous improvement, customer involvement, marketingand communications, organisational development,performance management, Council liaison and governance.

Elaine Dishong, (Director of Housing Needs and Support) –responsible for services to people who are homeless, choicebased lettings, temporary accommodation, resettlement andasylum seeker services, older persons’ services and Carecall(24 hour emergency alarm service).

Mark Hudson, (Director of Technical Services) – responsiblefor Stockport Homes’ asset management, maintenance andinvestment programmes and services.

April Higson, (Director of Housing Management) –responsible for income collection, anti-social behaviour,tenancy and estate management and empty propertymanagement.




Customer accessStockport Homes has a well embedded Customer AccessStrategy combining the results of extensive customerconsultation with good practice from other organisations.The strategy aims to ensure all customers can contactStockport Homes easily regardless of disability, language orother potential barriers to communication. For example, textmessaging has been successfully introduced forHomechoice bids, to report repairs, to offer properties and tocommunicate speedily with prospective tenants regardingaccompanied viewings and arranging sign ups. Access toreporting repairs is offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Free phones for repairs are not only available in all housingoffices, but in a large number of other locations across theborough (e.g. libraries, community centres etc). We also offerhome visits to any customer on request and proactivelycontact all known non-English customers on a bi-monthlybasis via the interpreter service to address any issues thatthey may have.




Customerinvolvement Stockport Homes’ Customer Involvement Strategy sets outkey outcomes and targets to be achieved for customerinvolvement. To deliver these key outcomes a three-wayagreement between customers, Stockport Homes andStockport Council was launched in November 2005 calledthe Partnership Agreement. See www.stockporthomes.orgfor further information.

A critical element of delivering the agreement was thedevelopment of nine Customer Action Groups (CAGs) ondifferent service areas which were established in 2005. Theyhave been very effective in ensuring customers influenceservice improvements on an on-going basis. A wide rangeof other involvement methods have also been implemented.These include:

Annual customer conference

District Forums

Gardening competition

Mystery shopping completed by customers

Customer readers’ group

Editorial panel for quarterly newsletter

Hot topics meetings.

In order to ensure that barriers to participation are minimised,Stockport Homes have a new Customer ExpensesReimbursement Procedure, which includes a low incomefriendly policy. Additional support has been provided to theBoard and Tenants’ Federation members through theprovision of computers and internet access.




Making the most ofour money in orderto do more

Stockport Homes has made considerable progress inits approach to Value for Money (VFM). To develop thisfurther, a clear VFM Strategy is in place for 2006/07,which includes a VFM Action Plan that identifies keypriorities and which was adopted by the Board in April2006. This will be regularly monitored by the Board,predominately through its VFM sub-group. Thedevelopment of the strategy was facilitated by HousingQuality Network (HQN) and compliments the work wehave done on our Annual Efficiency Statement (AES)for 2006/07. Key areas within the strategy wereassessed in HQN’s Value for Money and EfficiencyReview of Stockport Homes in March 2006.

Stockport Homes provides a Value for Money serviceas demonstrated in the Audit Commission inspection.A clear VFM Strategy and action plan is in place thatidentifies key priorities and is regularly monitored by theBoard, predominately through its VFM sub-group.

The following are recent VFM improvements made byStockport Homes:




The introduction of incentives to maintain a clear rent account.

Stockport Homes has market tested day-to-day void repairs and for the past two years an external contractor (Mears) has delivered the service in two of the three districts. This arrangement has enabled the comparison of cost and quality with the in-house provider, Property Maintenance Solutions (PMS).

One third of the borough’s repairs were undertaken by the Council and transferred to Stockport Homes in February 2006, turning a loss making situation into a profitable one.

A move away from legally qualified staff to housing staff for routine legal services e.g. writing and serving notices.

Improved financial indicators e.g. rent collection.




Managing tenanciesand neighbourhoods

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)The ASB service at Stockport Homes is delivered within theborough’s clear overall Crime and Disorder Strategy. This isoverseen by the Safer Stockport Partnership of whichStockport Homes is a key member. There is a good workingrelationship with the Local Authority which is reflected inshared ownership of the delivery of key outcomes from theImprovement Plan rising from the recently completed BestValue Review of this service. There is a clear andcomprehensive policy and procedure in relation to the ASBservice which was produced following extensive customerconsultation in November 2004.

Stockport Homes makes use of the full range of legal actionsavailable to address and prevent ASB, including injunctionswith the power of arrest and an out of hours response tofacilitate this. Other remedies are used including AcceptableBehaviour Contracts (ABCs) and use of professionalmediators. During the first year of operation, StockportHomes has issued nine notices of seeking possession andevicted four households for ASB. In addition, six ABCs, 35ASBOs and nine injunctions were issued whichdemonstrates how seriously Stockport Homes’ treats ASB.

Stockport Homes is committed to continue to improve thisservice and during the summer one phone number to reportASB from 8 am to 10 pm seven days a week was introduced.Key performance targets to monitor this service have beenintroduced following consultation with customers and acustomer satisfaction questionnaire has been introduced andoutcomes are acted upon.




Estate managementThere are clear service standards in place for estatemanagement and there is an estate inspection framework inplace which links to staff appraisal, performancemanagement and customer involvement. This plannedmonthly estate inspection regime with customers, membersand key service providers enables standards to be monitoredand maintained. The approach includes the ‘Eyes WideOpen’ policy, which requires all staff to respond to problemsthey see when out on estates using mobile phones.

Stockport Homes recognises that the standard of groundsmaintenance is a highly visible and important service forcustomers. A thorough Best Value Review of groundsmaintenance was carried out. Following the review, adecision has been taken to re-tender the service with a newcontract in place from April 2007. In the meantime, to ensurethat the service does not stand still, monthly meetings withStockport Direct Services (the current service provider) havebeen established. These meetings, together with monthlyestate inspections with customers, are used to monitorperformance and to find ways of improving the servicedelivered to customers. A ‘winter tidy’ was instigated with theaim of bringing all estates up to standard by April 2006.During the summer, the annual gardening competition waslaunched to encourage pride and improved standards and inthe Autumn a new assisted gardening scheme wasintroduced for the vulnerable or people over 70 years of age.

The Estate Improvement Budget provides customers withthe opportunity to identify projects in their area whichimprove the appearance, safety, security or address localproblems to improve the quality of life for customers. Thebudget allocation for 2005/2006 was £400,000 and this wasdivided between each of the three District Housing Teams. Avariety of projects have been undertaken during 2005/06, atotal of 49 across the borough. These projects have dealtwith a number of ‘hot spot’ issues and have ranged fromimprovements to communal patios and gardens, communalflooring, front gates, fencing, car parking, landscaping,internal lighting and benches. Matched funding has beenattracted for a number of schemes.




Leaseholder servicesStarting from a low base much has been done to improveleaseholder services. A leaseholder customer action grouphas been established, a Best Value Review of the service hasbeen completed and key outcomes include the production ofa leaseholder handbook and the decision to appoint adedicated leaseholder officer.




Performance

A Balanced Scorecard approach to performancemanagement has been established for Stockport Homes,based on IDeA Performance Management Measurement andInformation Project. Performance management is embeddedfrom the top through the Balanced Scorecard, Delivery Planand Service Improvement Plan; to the frontline throughindividual and team targets. This ‘golden thread’ wasevidenced in the Audit Commission Inspection and thisallows Stockport Homes to focus on areas that are essentialto the success of the entire organisation, recommendingcorrective action when required. Performance managementis owned by the Management Team through monthlyreviews, by the Board at the Performance Sub Group and bycustomers at the CAG; one specifically focusing onPerformance.

A selection of our performance indicators as at finanical yearend (2005/2006) has been provided below. The indicatorsare compared with performance in the previous year(2004/2005).



Repairs

Key

2004/05

2005/06

Percentage of responsive (not emergency) repairswhere appointment made and kept.

Compared to target

Compared to previous year

Below

Above

Compared to target


Above

Above

Average time (calendar days) for non-urgent repairs.

If you would like further information on the full range ofindicators please contact Gemma Edghill on0161 474 2856 or email [email protected]




Energy efficiency

Rent collection

Empty properties

Temporary accommodation

Compared to target


Below

Above

Proportion of rent collection as a % of total rent. Average length of stay (weeks) in hostel accommodation.

Compared to target

Compared to previous year Above

On target

Compared to target

Compared to previous year Above

On target

Energy efficiency - average SAP rating of dwelling. Average time taken to re-let dwellings (calendar days).

Compared to target


Above

Below


Providing qualityhomes

Decent HomesThe Government has set all local authorities and housingassociations a target to bring all their housing up to the‘Decent Homes Standard’ by 2010. The standard covers arange of factors including kitchens, bathrooms, roofs,windows and energy efficiency. Significant investment in thestock is required in the short to medium term, to bring thestock up to a modern and decent standard. The most recentsurvey update identified 4,437 properties (37.4% of thestock) as non-decent (April 2006). The Standard AssessmentProcedure (SAP) rating has also been updated. It shows thepositive results of partnerships with energy providers, and aconcentration in recent years on the external fabric, insulationand thermal comfort initiatives, producing an upper quartileSAP rating of 72.7% in Stockport.

The successful inspection result means that StockportHomes will have access to approximately £40 million tospend on capital works over the next two years and a totalof over £100 million up to 2010. With this additional fundingStockport Homes is confident of meeting the Government’sdeadline for achieving Decent Homes Standard for all LocalAuthority Housing in Stockport by December 2010.




Stockport Homes’ approach to procurement is exemplary. Itis a key partner in ‘GM Procure’, driving its developmentsince its inception and has worked on its commencementbusiness plan collaboratively with ten other organisations. Itis the largest social housing buying consortium in the countryand has been given ‘trailblazer’ status and two grants by theODPM of £237,000 and £107,000.

Stockport Homes is represented on the shadow board ofGM Procure and is leading in many areas of itsimplementation including chairing the main procurement subgroup. GM Procure is assisting small to medium sizedenterprises to develop and to enable them to participate inthe delivery of decent homes and is supporting theemployment of apprentices and also the development of in-house training assessors for nationally recognisedqualifications. It is also enabling partner organisations to takeadvantage of a wider and improved supply chain. Theefficiency savings are projected to be significant and allaction plans are on target for works that have already begun.




Gas servicingClear standards and robust operating procedures are inplace for annual gas servicing and safety checks, which haverecently been audited by Zurich Insurance and found tocomply fully with gas safety regulations. The annual gasservicing programme is delivered over a 10 month period toallow two months to revisit any properties where access hasnot been gained. Stockport Homes also make use of eveningand weekend appointments to ensure maximum flexibility forcustomers and to give them every opportunity to allowaccess.

Current performance of gas servicing is at 99% (March2006). This performance compares well to other housingorganisations. To strive for excellence, Stockport Homes hasprioritised gas servicing and is committed to ensuring that100% of properties have a current gas safety certificate inplace.




Providing a quality repairsserviceResponsive repairs are delivered through a range ofcontractors. Two thirds of day to day repairs are deliveredthrough Mears PLC and one third by Stockport Homesthrough Property Maintenance Solutions (PMS), the in-house repairs service which was transferred from StockportCouncil to Stockport Homes in February 2006. Bothcontractors use a range of good practice methods todeliver the service which have resulted in improvements inperformance. The majority of repairs are done byappointments. Operatives make use of interpretation cardsin order to ensure that any language difficulties can beeasily overcome. Codes of conduct are in place. Operativesare multi-skilled and there is continuous training in place tosupport this. Handheld technology will be introduced in thenear future to improve productivity, and imprest stock isheld on vans in order to improve the amount of jobs thatcan be completed on the first visit.

Customer satisfaction is high within the service (94%satisfied) and the involvement of customers in the last yearhas been significant in all areas of policy, procedure andface to face decision making with our contractors.

Repairs are reported by telephone on a dedicated RepairsHotline through a Contact Centre, using a low cost localrate number. This number is available for out of hoursrepairs reporting – 24hr/365 days. Repairs can also bereported by minicom, text, by free phone from DistrictHousing Offices and via the website. In ShelteredSchemes, a hotline telephone number has been introducedso that residents and Scheme Managers can access therepairs team directly, which improves access to the servicefor vulnerable customers.




The Contact Centre received 58,168 calls during normalworking hours in the last year – equating to 230 a day. 67%of those calls were answered within 20 seconds. CurrentlyStockport Homes is achieving 83% appointments on timeand although this is in the upper quartile for Metropolitanauthorities (75% in 2004/05), there is a need to improve thisfurther and a target for 2006/07 of 85% has been set. Whereappointments are made, they are generally being kept (99%)and the incidence of no access is low. In order to improvethis further, collaborative working between Mears and PMShas been introduced, so that the alternative contractor canbe used to fulfil appointments which might otherwise bemissed, for example through staff sickness.




Stockport Homes InvestmentProgramme (SHIP)The investment programme was extremely successful in2005/06 with over 100% of the budget committed with thevast majority of projects being completed on time and to thedesired quality. These works have improved many elementsof the stock in all areas of the borough and the improvementin the number of homes made decent has been better thanforecasted.

The programme continues to concentrate on works thatboth improve the Decent Homes Standard of properties andthe external fabric of the buildings in general.

The total spend for the programme was £12.7 million, withinwhich the main area of work was the installation of newwindows and doors to 1,224 properties which included prepaint repairs and communal painting. The replacementprogramme is now nearing its end and all Council propertiesin the borough should see full replacement of windows anddoors where necessary in 2006/07.

The structural over-cladding to the three multi-storey blocksin Brinnington has not only seen a great improvement toboth the visual impact of the towers in the locality but also tothe thermal insulation qualities of the structure. There hasbeen an excellent response from customers to this scheme.Customers were involved fully in the selection of colours and




they will all now benefit substantially from the reduction inheating costs due to the improved levels of insulation. Theseworks are set to continue across the other blocks in the areaover the next year.

A key aspect of the programme has also been to improveand update old, inefficient heating and electrical systems.Expenditure in the region of £1.4 million was directed tothese areas further improving the energy efficiency rating ofthe stock which is currently achieving a very high level ofperformance.

Others areas of work included roof replacements, propertyconversions, lift replacements, fire precaution works tosheltered schemes, disabled facilities and adaptation worksand asbestos removal works.

The chart below describes in more detail the spread ofexpenditure across various areas of work in 2005/06:




Providing support tothe most vulnerable

Housing optionsIn the last year Stockport Homes has seen even furtherdevelopments within the homelessness service in the drive toachieve excellence. This has included re-branding the publicface of the service to Housing Options, reflecting the drive toprevent homelessness and explore alternative housingopportunities.

2005/06 also saw the development of a dedicated HousingOptions Outreach Worker with a focus on homelessnessprevention and housing options, which is majority funded bythe Department for Communities and Local Government(DCLG) who recognised the improved outcomes beingdelivered.

The service has a strong supporting ethos and effectivemulti-agency working, particularly in respect of the temporaryaccommodation services. The service won a number ofawards for the dedicated drugs worker, with funding securedvia the Drug Action Team.

The “safety net” of temporary accommodation continued toimprove and this was reflected in responses to the 2005satisfaction survey of 140 customers with around 96% ratingthe service provided as either good or excellent.




The improved focus on prevention saw a decrease inhomelessness acceptances from 561 in 2004/05 to 378 in2005/06. This equates to a drop of 33%, which is remarkablewhen set against the 732 cases that were assessed and theadditional 908 housing options cases undertaken. Theannual customer base has also increased, which is now at1640 customers.



Bramhall 17 7Marple 22 6Werneth 24 20Cheadle Heath 36 25Tame Valley 119 133Stepping Hill 121 80Four Heatons 38 25Victoria 89 52out of Borough 95 30Boroughwide 561 378

Total decisions (or people presenting) 1077 732 - Homeless908 - Housing options

1640 - Total

Area Committee Eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need (a duty to re-house under legislation).

March 2005 March 2006

Number of people accepted for re-housing 2005/6.


Older persons’ servicesStockport Homes manages 12 Sheltered AccommodationSchemes supported by 11 Scheme Managers and around1,000 age restricted 60+ properties supported by theCarecall Monitoring and Mobile Warden Telecare ResponseService. Carecall also provides support to around 4,500customers living in the Stockport Borough in a range ofaccommodation and via a range of services including:

432 ‘Rehab at Home’ customers paid for by Social Services

40 ‘Safe at Home’ scheme customers paid for by Social Services

2,000 ‘private’ customers

1,900 customers living in Housing Association Sheltered Schemes

30 customers per annum via the ‘Accident & Emergency Discharge’ scheme to enable hospitals todischarge clients with additional support to prevent bed blocking.

The Carecall Service was assessed as part of SupportingPeople Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) Lite Review1 inFebruary 2006. The outcome was the attainment of Level C,the highest level that could be achieved in a Lite Review. Thisdemonstrated the positive impact service improvementshave had on this service. At the same time, the ShelteredScheme Support Service, which is delivered on site to the 12dispersed sheltered schemes, was also inspected bySupporting People and also received an award of Level C,the best possible for a ‘lite’ inspection.



1 The QAF Lite Review is a set of compliance objectives and standards. It comprises of a series of assessmenttables for each of the compliance level objectives, appropriate to the type of service being assessed.




Resettlement serviceThe Resettlement service provides housing related supportto vulnerable households with the aim of enabling them tosustain tenancies, thereby reducing the level of tenancyturnover. There are service standards in place andimprovements are driven through the Supporting Peoplereview process and Quality Assessment Framework (QAF).Our current rating under the QAF framework is Grade B andis therefore recognised as a good quality service.

The service also has two contracts with the Home Office forthe provision of accommodation and support for asylumseekers and is responsible for the management of a range ofaccommodation for people with learning disabilities.




Looking to thefutureIn its first year of operation, Stockport Homes has seen greatsuccesses in getting the ‘Three Stars with excellentprospects for improvement’ status from the AuditCommission. However, looking ahead, Stockport Homes isnot complacent and will strive to deliver the best in socialhousing provision. The following sections outline some of thekey priorities for the year ahead.

Allocation servicesDuring the next year, we are undertaking with the Council, ajoint review of the Allocations Policy. The outcome willprovide an up-to-date, modern and innovative policy whichallocates properties to those in most housing need.

The Allocation service will work towards establishing greateruse of the Homechoice Choice Based Lettings scheme bythe partner housing associations. The service will alsocontribute to the development of the Greater ManchesterChoice Based Lettings scheme. These developments willprovide customers with more housing options in terms ofchoice for re-housing.




Asset management,maintenance andinvestmentWith the extra £40.36m of ALMO funding made availableover the next two years, Stockport Homes will meet thechallenge of making use of this money to improve homes tocustomers’ satisfaction with due regard to value for moneyand quality. The Decent Homes Programme has alreadybegun and over the next year, it is anticipated that over 9,000homes will benefit from improvement works in order to meetthe Decent Homes Standard.

The greatest challenge that faces the company willundoubtedly involve the management and organisation of theinvestment programme. This involves expenditure of some£30 million in 2006/07 which is approximately three times theexisting programme. The ability of Stockport Homes toinfluence both the costs of material and labour to fulfil theextensive programme has been greatly enhanced by itsinvolvement and leading position within GM Procure (thelargest social housing consortium in the country). This willenable significant savings to be sought from the smartprocurement methods used by this method of bulkpurchasing so that these can be redirected into customerhomes in the form of new investment projects. Thedevelopment of a skills and employment process is a keyelement to the projects for GM Procure and it will also ensurea sustainable and well trained workforce that will be sourcedfrom within Stockport to assist local economies andbusinesses.

The recent transfer of the repairs contracting arm from thecouncil direct services to the new in - house service (PropertyMaintenance Solutions) has brought with it a challenge toensure financial viability and continuing high levels ofperformance for the current year. Further innovativedevelopments and initiatives involve the collaborative ventureto bring together a number of external maintenancecontractors and internal service areas (Carecall/concierge)into one large office/depot arrangement. This project, whilst




being complicated and difficult, will deliver a newpartnership way of working for the company and itscontractors and many operating efficiencies that will bringgreater value for money and higher performance to manyservice areas.

ChartermarkIn line with its commitment to delivering a customer drivenservice, Stockport Homes has set a target to achieve theChartermark quality accreditation during 2007.Chartermark is a national scheme which recognisesexcellence in customer service. It covers issues such asservice standards, continuous improvement, access toservices and other issues in which Stockport Homes isalready performing well. A self assessment has beencompleted which indicates the organisation is alreadycompliant with the majority of the criteria, and with a fewminor improvements in place, intends to achieveaccreditation before the end of the financial year subject toChartermark assessment.




CustomerinvolvementOver the past two years, Stockport Homes has greatlyincreased the opportunities for customer involvement indecision making. Whilst the number of customers activelyinvolved has increased, the profile of these customers isgenerally from older age groups, with very few tenants under25 years old.

Stockport Homes is working together to increase the numberof younger tenants influencing Stockport Homes’ services. Aquestionnaire was sent to all tenants under the age of 25asking them a range of questions about both their views onwhere they live and how they’d like to be consulted. Ratherthan relying on traditional tenants’ meetings, options offeredincluded meetings at primary schools at home time,meetings in local community centres and the chance forthem to indicate what type of involvement they would prefersuch as meetings, coffee mornings, questionnaires, phonesurveys etc. These findings will be used to pilot new methodsof involvement to encourage younger people to participate.




Homelessness &housing optionsservicesIn conjunction with the Council, a review of homelessnesswithin the borough will be undertaken. A three yearHomelessness Strategy will then be produced to continueservice developments within the borough, continually strivingfor and practicing excellence.

The service will continue to build on partnership workinginitiatives to provide innovative and holistic solutions to theneeds of customers.




HousingmanagementFurther improvements to the anti-social behaviour service inconsultation with partners and customers to ensureadherence to the Respect Standard for HousingManagement.

Re-procurement of the grounds maintenance service with anew contractor on site from April 2007.

Further improvement of the caretaking service throughdelivery of the caretaking action plan from the Best ValueReview.

Discussion with customers to establish the strengths andweaknesses of the cleaning service at sheltered courts toenable this service to be improved through re-procurement.

Opening of new housing offices in the East and Westdistricts providing improved reception areas and staffworking accommodation, opportunity for joint working inshared premises with key partners in two key regenerationareas and the provision of reception services in partnershipwith the Council.




Investors in PeopleaccreditationInvestors in People (IIP), is a national framework whichorganisations are assessed against to measure how muchthey invest in their workforce. It also helps an organisation toidentify strengths and weaknesses to contribute towardscontinuous improvement. The key areas of assessment arebroken down into three areas – Plan, Do and Review. ‘Plan’relates to organisation, training and people managementstrategies. ‘Do’, identifies organisational processes whichcontribute to improving performance and ‘Review’ measuresthe methods by which improvement and processes areevaluated.

An initial in-house assessment will be undertaken in order todetermine a detailed timescale for accreditation, which isanticipated to be Autumn 2007. The final IIP assessmentcomprises of a variety of interviews and discussions with across section of staff within the organisation, by an appointedIIP assessor.




Older persons’services & conciergeservicesThe Carecall and concierge services will be relocated to asingle site combined control centre to reduce the overall costof service delivery and enable a wide range of identifiedimprovements to be implemented.

The service will develop, in partnership with other agencies,the telecare and extra care schemes in line with governmentobjectives to enable people to remain independent and avoidthe need to move to residential or nursing care wherepossible.




Resettlementservices

The Resettlement service will manage and develop, on behalfof Stockport Council, an innovative Learning DisabilitiesAccommodation project, ensuring Value for Money isachieved whilst increasing efficiency and working inpartnership with colleagues from Adults & Communities,Strategic Housing and partner Registered Social Landlordsthroughout the borough.

The terms and conditions of the Induction Contract with theHome Office, for the short-term accommodation andsupport of newly arrived or newly presenting asylum seekerswill be re-negotiated.




Value for moneyIn order to maximise value for money withoutcompromising the quality of service, Stockport Homesis reviewing all Service Contracts with the Council. Thereview process will be monitored by and reported to theBoard’s Value for Money Sub Group. Under thedirection of the Director of Finance, each ServiceContract will be reviewed separately by its StockportHomes lead manager. The company’s Business Planwill also be updated, exploring all options to maximiseincome and the measures designed to achieve value formoney identified in the VFM Strategy. Stockport Homeswill evaluate the opportunities potentially offered by theALMO Freedoms & Flexibilities initiative, monitoringclosely the outcome of the pilot study.

Stockport Homes will implement and keep underreview its IT Strategy, ensuring the benefits to servicesand customers offered by modern, fit for purpose andfully utilised IT systems, are fully exploited.




ConclusionStockport Homes hopes to build on its first year and live up to itsAudit Commission rating of ‘having excellent prospects forimprovement’. This will be driven by customers’ performancemanagement systems, the Board and the commitment of all staffto provide an excellent service.



If you would like a copy of this report in large print, Braille, or on CD, please contact Phil Rhodes(Service Improvement Officer) on 0161 474 2860 or email: [email protected]

Diversity and accessibility


Documents

First Anniversary Report