Rooted in Our Community

Transcription

1 Boston Mayflower Limited Welcome - Chair s Introduction Rooted in Our Community Increasing Local Housing Affordable Warmth Financial Capability Excellent Services Living Independently Resources Money and Assets Risk Management

2 Welcome - Chair s Introduction Welcome to the Boston Mayflower Corporate Plan. Here we set out our ambitions for the coming years and outline how we intend to maintain and improve the excellent services we provide. There is no doubt that the recent economic turbulence and the government s welfare reform programme have had a far reaching impact on Boston Mayflower and the needs of the community. We are rooted in the community and so must adapt to continue to meet the changing needs of the individuals, families and neighbourhoods we support. Whilst it is clear that the challenges ahead are serious, this Corporate Plan also clearly demonstrates that as an independent organisation we have the ability and passion to respond effectively and find local solutions.

3 The Way Ahead Our Corporate Plan builds from our roots in our local communities and identifies our core priority to deliver high quality housing services that our customers value. There are four key service issues we must address to ensure excellence: Increasing the number of homes available locally, Working with individuals to build financial capability, Creating and supporting a framework that enables people to live well independently; and, Ensuring our homes are energy efficient and educating our tenants on how to maximise the benefit of this. By keeping our focus local we will ensure that Boston Mayflower remains a vibrant, independent provider of high quality services to the community. We hope this Corporate Plan gives you an insight into how we will tackle these challenges. For more information, contact us. Steve Harriott Chair of the Board

4 Rooted in Our Communities Created through the actions of our customers in 1999, Boston Mayflower has always played a key role in the communities it serves, not simply as a provider of services but also as a major local employer, as a delivery partner with local community services, police and health agencies, and as a strong and vocal advocate for the people who live in our communities. Since our earliest days Boston Mayflower has been committed to working with tenants and the wider community, listening and responding to the needs of local people. Over the years, our ability to listen to our customers has directly shaped the services we deliver and the manner with which we do it.today this passion is still as strong as ever and is embodied by our: local community offices and drop in sessions, keeping us visible and accessible extensive programme of neighbourhood walkabouts at which community members identify estate improvements local staff providing responsive services strong focus on Customer Scrutiny ensuring we are always accountable to our customer Most recently we have been working in partnership with Boston Citizens Advice Bureau in response to the local need for accessible help. The partnership has created a unique community resource available to assist people with a wide range of housing, debt and benefit issues. This one stop shop right in the heart of the community enables anyone to walk in and be seen by a specialist advisor.

5 Increasing Local Housing The slump in house building over the past few years combined with the lack of available mortgages has profoundly altered the housing market across England. Many people have moved away from home ownership into private rental resulting in a rise in costs for private rented accommodation. This has led to a significant increase in the numbers of people who cannot afford suitable accommodation and therefore a surge in homelessness and overcrowding, as well as a growing problem with sub-standard accommodation. As a housing association our first duty must be to provide good quality homes for people in need of accommodation. For a number of years this has been met through government grant funding that has enabled us to build new affordable homes. However, the government s austerity measures have introduced the affordable rent regime linked to market rent and reduced grant funding. At the same time the re-vitalisation of Right to Buy has further reduced the amount of property that we have available to offer those in need.

6 Increasing Local Housing Boston Mayflower will address housing need by providing more accommodation of the right size in the right locations for those families and individuals in need. As the number of people in need of accommodation rises so must the flexibility and innovation we bring to finding the right solutions for our communities. we know we must also grow in order to generate financial capacity and reduce overheads, whether this be through traditional grant funding, low cost home ownership, high quality intermediate rent or institutional investment led development. We will work with the financial institutions to ensure that we maximise our asset base to increase our ability to provide homes for as many people as possible. Our measures of success (by 2016/17): 125 additional homes within 3 years 500 additional homes within the next 5 years

7 Affordable Warmth One of the main concerns for people running a home has become the cost of keeping warm as oil, gas and electricity become less affordable. For many people living on low wages or benefits these costs have become unsustainable leaving them with little choice other than to switch off the heating despite the resulting damage to their health and their home. To address the issue of affordable warmth, we will: Maximise insulation in all properties Fit the most efficient boiler Work with tenants to understand how best to use the technology Over the next three pages we will go into further detail.

8 Insulation Boston Mayflower will invest in the fabric of each property to make sure it is insulated as far as is efficiently achievable. We will assess all our properties and consider all options, including selective disposal, for those that cannot be brought up to an adequate standard. All new property we build or purchase will be insulated to a modern standard. Our measures of success (by 2016/17): Minimum Energy Performance certificate C within 3 years Average SAP of general needs properties of 71 within 3 years

9 Boilers As a rural housing provider we are aware that gas is not universally available leaving some tenants with only the expensive options of oil or electricity. However with alternative energy such as bio-mass, solar, wind and ground source becoming increasingly reliable the options available have expanded alongside opportunities to finance replacements through schemes such as the government s Green Deal. Boston Mayflower will work with manufacturers and academic institutions to assess the most effective solutions for each stock type and fund an investment programme to install new equipment in those properties that would benefit. Our measures of success (by 2016/17): 85% of boilers are rated energy efficiency A

10 Using Technology In response to rising energy costs people across Britain must adapt their behaviours to maximise the benefits of new technology and conserve energy. Boston Mayflower will work with tenants and communities to provide advice and assistance to ensure that people understand the consequences of their behaviours and have the skills to effectively use the sustainable technology. Our measures of success (by 2016/17): 20% of tenants receiving a visit from our affordable warmth officer

11 Financial Capability The introduction of Universal Credit will gradually move the majority of full and partial benefit claimants to a single monthly allocation paid into a bank account. For many this will be a straight forward shift, however for a significant number of tenants this will be a difficult process with the potential to quickly spiral out of control with devastating consequences. Boston Mayflower currently provides accommodation for over 3,000 people on full or partial benefits, including working tax credits, many with dependant families. It is critical to those families, and our company, that those tenants are prepared for the new monthly benefit system. Each tenant will need a combination of financial products (bank or credit union account, direct debit, debit card) along with the knowledge of how to use these products efficiently. For some tenants the barriers will be the availability of financial products from high street banks which if not addressed can lead people towards costly payday loans. For others it will be limited knowledge of how to use banking facilities.

12 Financial Capability Working with the Lincolnshire Credit Union we will help tenants access suitable savings and loan products and with the Citizens Advice Bureau we will signpost those with multiple debts to appropriate partner agencies. Over the next three years Boston Mayflower will identify those tenants who are most in need of support and provide access to one-to-one advice through a team of dedicated financial advisors. Our measures of success (by 2016/17): 100% of new tenants recieve a financial capability assessment prior to sign up 95% of tenants will recieve the appropriate financial capability support

13 Excellent Services The results of Let s Talk 2 revealed that the vast majority of customers identified one simple expectation easy to access, responsive and reliable housing services. Tenants also told us that they are highly satisfied with the current services but that we must continue to prioritise these as our core focus. Boston Mayflower customers receive great services across three main areas: Customer service/complaint handling Repairs and maintenance Anti social behaviour

14 Customer Services/Complaint Handling The Let s Talk results identified that ease of access, a person centred approach and consistency are all highly valued by our customers. The ability to access services locally is the key to Mayflower s high performance rating. We will further develop our customer service centre to encompass all communication channels so that the same high quality service is received whether you telephone, or drop us a line. We will review our use of new and social media and we will continue to review our neighbourhood access points to assess how we respond to need. Our measures of success: We will answer/resolve 90% of contacts at the first point of contact. 79% customers satisfied with the way their complaint was handled

15 Repairs For many tenants the repairs service is the main interaction they have with Boston Mayflower and they want a friendly, responsive service that delivers consistently high standards of work. We will continue to work with our delivery partners Kier, Aaron Services and Barthorpe to deliver quality work in a timely manner whether it is planned, cyclical or responsive. Our measures of success (by 2016/17): Average end to end time for all reactive repairs is 3.5 days 96.5% of repairs completed on first visit 98% of residents satisfied with their most recent repair

16 Anti-Social Behaviour A minority of tenants experience nuisance from others within the community. When this happens it can have a serious impact on the individual unless it is dealt with quickly and sympathetically. Our staff will continue to work with individuals to address problems at a low level whilst our specialist ASB team is available to take firm action in the most serious cases and pursue multi-agency led solutions. Our measures of success (by 2016/17): 98.5% of closed anti social behaviour cases that were resolved 87% of tenants satisfied with the way their anti social behaviour cases were handled

17 Living Independently Across our accommodation we have an increasing number of older and vulnerable adults choosing to live independently in their own homes. Whilst this in itself is a good thing it raises a number of complex issues for service provision and investment as the economic environment has placed increased pressure on the funding of support services. Like many providers we understand that to enable a person to live a fulfilling independent life requires the coordination of a number of service providers. Boston Mayflower has long played a key role in the supply of housing, including specialist sheltered and extra care accommodation for the elderly, but more recently has taken a leading role in the direct provision of support and monitoring for older and vulnerable adults. Utilising the latest technology Boston Mayflower currently provides specialist support in the form of a tele-monitoring and tele-health service for over 3,200 people across Lincolnshire.

18 Living Independently Over the past few years Boston Mayflower has invested over 20 million in developing new or refurbishing existing accommodation to better serve those people who wish to remain independent. Working with older people, and people with learning difficulties and mental health issues requires building solutions that respond sensitively to the needs of each community whilst maintaining a high level of service delivery for all. Over the next three years we will work across the health, social services and housing sectors to ensure that we support the increasing number of people who wish to remain independent either through our direct provision or sign posting service users to the most appropriate support. We will use our experience to address the need for appropriate general needs stock whilst delivering specialist accommodation where it is required. Our measures of success (by 2016/17): 85% of tenants assessed as requiring support did receive the appropriate support

19 Money, Resources & Assets Boston Mayflower is in a strong financial position having responded well to the challenges of the economic climate and the current regulatory environment. This puts us in a good position to allocate our resources effectively to deliver the key objectives outlined in this corporate plan. With the publication of this plan we are shifting our resources to deliver the priorities we have identified as delivering social value to Boston Mayflower and our customers. In financial terms this means allocating our budgets and long term financial plans in line with those objectives. It also means ensuring we are operating in the most cost-effective way to deliver those outcomes. This is something we will continue to report on annually through our Value for Money self-assessment. We also need to ensure we are maximising our income so that we can continue to invest in those areas we have identified as important. Looking ahead the impact of welfare reform is set to fundamentally change our income management strategy and we will need to respond on a number of fronts to ensure our income streams are protected whilst continuing to support tenants. As well as managing our money in line with our priorities we must ensure we are making effective use of our assets i.e. our housing properties to ensure they are supporting us to deliver our objectives. We are reviewing our long term asset management strategy to ensure our assets are aligned as far as possible with our corporate objectives. For example; are our properties aligned with customer expectations? (Excellent Services). Are our properties affordable to heat? (Affordable Warmth).

20 Our people - Organisational Development Our customers say that one of the things that marks us out from the norm is the high quality of our staff and the dedication that they demonstrate every day. The Company has also recruited any number of dedicated, committed professionals and the underpinning of the culture of the business is our staff s continued commitment to go the extra mile. In order to maintain our ambition to continue to deliver excellent services through every aspect of the business, Boston Mayflower needs to attract and retain high quality talented individuals to join the business over the coming years and through an active programme of personal development to grow this talent into our leaders of the future. We will recruit people from our communities and develop them through the company by providing fulfilling, challenging and enjoyable employment that allows them to flourish and we will develop existing staff, growing their confidence, experience and abilities to enable them to take up progression opportunities within the business as they arise through our Organisational Development Strategy.

21 Risk Management At a time when Housing Associations are potentially exposed to a wider range of risks than ever before Boston Mayflower has strengthened its focus on risk management. The Corporate Plan is in itself a response to a number of risks we have identified. For example the impact of welfare reforms generates a risk not only to our income and therefore our financial stability but also to our tenants ability to sustain their tenancies. The corporate theme of financial capability recognises that not all our tenants have the right skills to manage their money effectively and aims to support them better in managing their money to reduce the risk both to them and us as a business. There remain risks that could prevent us from achieving our objectives and these are monitored closely to ensure that early intervention can be made to mitigate any emerging issues. Whilst we monitor a range of risks to delivering our objectives, the key risks in relation to our corporate themes are:

22 Excellent Services Risk Poor management of resident complaints leads to reputational and regulatory damage and a failure to learn from mistakes Service improvements demanded by customers are not delivered Contractual arrangements with repairs contractors are not fully effective leading to poor service and negative impact on reputation Mitigation Complaints procedure in place Specified Service Standards in place Dedicated officer to support the complaints process Working towards Housemark Complaints Accreditation Service Voices influence standards and delivery of key services Customer Scrutiny Panel set up to ensure that Company is held to account for the service that it provides Monthly meetings with repairs contractors Customer feedback is obtained Inspections of works are undertaken Open book partnering contract to mitigate financial risk Contractor is monitored against KPIs Contractors make appointments for repairs directly with customers Repairs recalls are monitored monthly Volumes of completed work monitored monthly

23 Increasing Local Housing Risk Availability of Finance either across the sector or Boston Mayflower specifically if credit rating adversely affected Mitigation Up to date Valuation of stock Long term business plan demonstrating liability Good relations with bank Long term treasury strategy Independent Advice

24 Financial Capability Risk Tenants with financial capability issues are not identified Mitigation All new tenants will receive a financial capability assessment at sign up Tenants in arrears or contacting Boston Mayflower with concerns about paying their rent will be referred for a financial capability assessment A rolling programme of tenancy audits will include a financial capability assessment to pick up existing vulnerable tenants who have not been identified previously

25 Affordable Warmth Risk Tenants do not know how to use their heating systems resulting in increased cost to tenants to heat their homes or tenants deciding not to heat their homes at all Mitigation All new tenants will receive a demonstration of how to operate their boiler effectively The affordable warmth officer will visit any tenant identified as having issues around operating their heating system and provide them with a demonstration of how to operate their boiler effectively

26 Living Independently Risk Mitigation Changes to Commissioning of Supporting People Contracts due to pressure on county council resources, personalised budgets government policy priority changes and in light of the Wellbeing Framework Vulnerable households are not identified or adequately supported Alternative ways of delivering support to vulnerable people are being explored Existing tenants will be signposted to appropriate agencies where required All new tenants will receive a vulnerability assessment at sign up A rolling programme of tenancy audits will include a vulnerability assessment to pick up existing vulnerable tenants who have not been identified previously

27 Contact us Boston Mayflower Ltd Chantry House 3 Lincoln Lane BOSTON Lincolnshire PE21 8RU Tel: Fax: mail@bostonmayflower.org.uk