It was down but not out; after hitting rock bottom, this organisation was determined the only way was going to be up

In July 2005, Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) had hit rock bottom, with the Audit Commission giving it an unedifying zero star rating with uncertain prospects. The verdict proved a turning point, with the organisation determined to turn itself around under the leadership of new chief executive John Denny.

Instead of dwelling on the negativity, however, CDHT, embarked on the challenging mission to turn itself around. By March 2007 it had pulled itself out of the doldrums to stand proud as a two-star organisation with excellent prospects for improvement.

“That was a big achievement because we were one of the first organisations to achieve such an improvement in such a short period of time,” said David Soothill, technical and asset manager. Even so, as before, CDHT didn’t let the verdict go to its head, no resting on its laurels here, but instead it continued to focus on improving services.

To cap it all, the hard work not only scooped CDHT the two-star plaudits from the Audit Commission, the company also won a place in The Times Top 100 amongst computer firms and city banks for the best company to work for. Understandably, the organisation is proud to have secured both accolades. They provide a testament to just
how far the organisation has come since its 2005 nadir.

The Audit Commission noted that the organisation had put residents at the centre of work it carried out to improve services, and that it had succeeded in making changes that not only benefited customers, but also achieved major savings. These were key aspects of the strategy that turned the organisation around.

Repairs were among the aspects singled out for attention. The inspectors cited the service was customer focused and increasingly met tenants’ needs, this was confirmed by excellent customer satisfaction results in their 2007 status survey results.

CDHT also demonstrated the importance of dealing with diverse needs, with the performance on meeting these needs measured and reported to help it constantly improve performance. It was also making use of modern methods of procurement, as well as introducing better methods of achieving value for money, which had contributed to its overall performance in reducing overall running costs.

At the time of the report’s publication, the Audit Commission’s lead inspector for housing in the northern region, Paul Clarke, commented: “Chester & District have succeeded in turning around their services in the two years since our last inspection. By focusing on the needs of the customer, they have made services much easier to reach and are increasingly delivering services which meet people’s individual requirements.

“They really listen to their customers and give everyone the opportunity to get involved. They have also kept their promises to repair and improve homes, and every home will meet the Government’s Decent Homes Standard within three years.”

Overall, to date some four per cent of its 6,100 homes remain below the Decent Homes standard, but it is well on course towards bringing them all up to scratch by 2010. Indeed, since the two star verdict in March last year, CDHT has been working on addressing the recommendations of the Audit inspection. One of these was the production of a three year investment plan to take the organisation forward. This was implemented in April this year after consultation with residents.

The repairs and maintenance work is carried out by CDHT’s in-house labour force called TrustWorks, which handles kitchen and bathroom installations and rewiring work among others. It is placed at the heart of some significant partnering operations fostered within the supply chain, together with a partnering contractor PH Jones that handles the installation, repair and servicing of heating appliances. Otis, meanwhile handles its lift installations, Bagnalls fulfil the cyclical painting programme and Grosvenor Telecom provides door entry systems and communal aerial repairs and maintenance. More recently, CDHT has appointed Buildbase as its partner for the provision of its in-house stores to ensure continuing value for money and savings from their supply chain.

Through its involvement in the Plus Harvest Development Partnership, CDHT has also been working on creating more affordable housing in its area. The first families are due to move into new homes in Treborth Road, Blacon, a £5.2 million development to provide 200 new homes for both rent and sale.

CDHT provided £3.6 million of the funding to invest in the new development, with a further £1.6 million made up in grant from the Housing Corporation. It was the organisation’s involvement with Plus Harvest that helped CDHT to put the successful application together. The first few families are now reaping the fruits of that harvest, as they move into their new homes.

Meanwhile, it is looking ahead to activities beyond bricks and mortar. One of these is to promote greater involvement of its residents in the form of a resident board, and also to explore a greater activity in social enterprise.

These are early days yet for such schemes, but it’s about the organisation striving to be more than just a landlord, but a more involved and active hub of the community itself. As Soothill said: “We are trying to be more than just a housing provider. We are interested in other aspects of the communities; the sustainability of our estates is key to our vision and mission statements. We have developed a ‘growth and regeneration strategy’ which contains, for instance, targets for the amount of people we employ from our communities.”

In that way, and many others, CDHT is looking to do its bit to raise the standards of life not just for itself - but for the wider community. It has come a long way from that low point and is doubtless looking forward to reaching new peaks of progress.