Leaving a lasting legacy

Almost two years since it was created, North Lincolnshire Homes is storming ahead with its improvement programme and while the results certainly do the talking, chief executive Jane Duncan is keen to point out that the organisation’s focus is not just on homes but also providing a long-lasting legacy for tenants

NLHomes took over the ownership and management of some 10,000 properties from North Lincolnshire Council in February 2007, embarking on a five-year £125 million improvement programme to bring its homes up to the Government’s Decent Homes Standard.

Duncan says: “It was a tremendously busy first year for North Lincolnshire Homes but one which brought us huge satisfaction. We delivered on our promises and, as far as the improvement programme goes, exceeded our targets. Each day we get messages of support from our tenants.”

NLHomes has so far invested more than £24 million into improving people’s homes and is well ahead of schedule, having installed 1,011 new bathrooms and replaced 898 kitchens, improving layouts and design to create a modern, high quality look. Now in its second year, it plans to spend up to £30 million in 2008/09.

During its first full year of operation NLHomes rewired 730 properties, fitted 1,830 double-glazing units and 3,736 modern secure doors and installed 789 central heating systems and focal point fires.

Empty homes have been another priority for the organisation and it has cut the re-let time for them from 80 to 24 days. “This is a major achievement which would be envied by many and puts us in the top quartile of performers,” says Duncan. “Also fewer homes are sitting empty as the number has been cut from 245 on transfer to 146 - another major achievement.”

While the organisation has plenty to shout about it is not just about delivering homes, it is about involving tenants in its work and improving
neighbourhoods.

“The important thing is that we continue to deliver and we have a dedicated team which is determined to do this,” says Duncan. “We aim to put our customers into the heart of our business and this year has seen increased involvement and consultation with tenants and residents in our work and service. We are proud to have established our partner resident involvement group, Community Voice, as well as growing the numbers of tenant and resident associations to 27.”

NLHomes is also looking to make positive changes to its neighbourhoods and aims to get to the hearts of the communities and “get them beating again”.

This is why it has a commitment to joining with other agencies to form partnerships working to improve neighbourhoods and bringing its staff and the people who live and work in the communities together for everyone’s benefit.

“We are focused on playing an active role in our area, which involves working with our partners, such as North Lincolnshire Council, the Local Strategic Partnership and Safer Neighbourhoods to look at ways to formulate positive action, whether it is through clean ups or tackling antisocial behaviour, “ says Duncan.

The housing association has introduced its first local lettings policies in the Kingsway area of Scunthorpe as part of a multi-agency approach to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour and has formed an anti-social behaviour team to tackle the issue of nuisance behaviour head-on and to improve the quality of life for its tenants.

In Scunthorpe’s Albert Marson Court NLHomes is working with Humberside Probation Trust by providing a former shop as a base for offenders, who are cleaning up the area as part of community sentences.

On the same estate it has worked with North Lincolnshire Council to provide a base for Sure Start and it is also working with the police on events such as Respect Week, combating anti-social behaviour. “Multi-agency work is proven to bring reductions in crime and disorder and also introduce that ‘feel good factor’ back into our neighbourhoods,” says Duncan.

Investing in people is important to NLHomes and the housing association has expanded its workforce in the areas where they are most in need, introducing 88 new appointments in its first year. Around half of those were taken up by existing staff, enabling them to gain more experience and skills and it will continue to have a recruitment strategy which identifies and develops experienced staff to help it deliver top performing services.

The organisation is also concentrating its resources in investing in the future and has introduced 26 ‘Train to Gain’ and NVQ level two courses, and has supported nine employees in achieving professional qualifications. NLHomes, along with its partners Mears Group and Bullock Construction, has also taken on six new apprentices in areas such as joinery and painting and decorating, aiming to give them the expertise to enhance the company’s work in the future. It has celebrated the achievements of its employees at staff conferences and in its first 12 months invested in 670 training events. “It has been a very busy year but our commitment to training and developing our staff remains a high priority,” says Duncan.

Plenty has been achieved in NLHomes’ first year of operation and it is showing no signs of slowing down as it looks to the future. Around £30 million will have been spent on improvement works during its second year - and an increased commitment to new builds.

“There is a lot to look forward to in the coming months,” says Duncan. “We continue full steam ahead with our improvement programme and we have our very first new housing development schemes in the pipeline to increase our numbers of rural homes.”

NLHomes has been working with people living in its neighbourhoods to find the answers to a wide range of issues, including health, safety, crime, transport, youth and training opportunities and with this in mind is looking for people to join its board as “ordinary members”.

NLHomes will continue to learn from listening to its tenants through customer feedback, which is being done through a customer access review, allowing it to look comprehensively at every service it provides in detail and make the improvements that matter for the future.

The organisation will check how it is meeting the needs of all of its customers, including the elderly, the young, people with disabilities, people from black and minority communities; and people with special needs.

It is also planning to develop a detailed sheltered housing strategy to further identify priorities for improvements and investment needs to ensure it is providing the homes that older people choose to live in now and in the future.

And NLHomes is asking its tenants to help form the basis of future action through a status survey, featuring questions ranging from how satisfied tenants are with a service, to highlighting problems in their neighbourhoods.

“At all times, NLHomes strives to meet and hopefully exceed our performance targets,” says Duncan. “It can do this by ensuring it brings down the number of empty properties, collects tenants’ rent on time and meets targets and promises when it comes to bringing its properties up to Decent Homes Standard.

“With vacant properties at an all time low, rent arrears down to 2.8 per cent and exceeding targets on our five-year improvement programme, our results are doing the talking.

“Allied to this, our commitment to customer feedback is ongoing and we will continue to monitor the complaints and compliments we receive and our response to them, so that it can keep improving. This way, crucially, more people are satisfied.

“Continuing to do this will drive us into the future and I am excited about the future of North Lincolnshire Homes. I am also proud of our achievements so far. Each day, bit-by-bit, neighbourhoods are improved, whether it is through improvements to homes, by environmental works on areas around our properties or improving the services we offer. I am very optimistic of a bright future for everyone.”