A very model of a modern ALMO

There is much to debate around the subject of arms length management organisations (ALMOs), particularly as the Decent Homes programme winds down and the future of social housing delivery comes under the spotlight, but one of the country’s biggest regional housing organisations is flying the flag for ALMOs

Having secured a three-star rating in its latest Audit Commission inspection, whilst also pulling in a number of awards recognising its good work, Sandwell Homes is proving itself a standard bear for the ALMO movement, but the organisation is not intending to rest on its laurels.

The awards that the ALMO has won this year come from across the sector and include recognition as the country’s regionally based ‘Social Landlord of the Year’ and a place on the Sunday Times’ Best Green Companies List 2010. However, Sandwell Homes’ interim chief executive Paul Field isn’t letting this success go to anybody’s head; he wants to continue building on these successes with emphasis on customer engagement and a continued first-class service for its 29,000 tenants.

To put the company’s achievements into context, Sandwell Homes is based in the 14th most deprived borough in the country with approximately 60 per cent of its population currently economically active. However, working in association with funding partner Sandwell Council it is helping to address this with hundreds of work experience placements, work-based learning opportunities and its apprenticeships programme, which stipulates that three per cent of the workforce must consist of apprentices.

Around 30 per cent of the borough’s population have no educational qualifications at all, but Sandwell Homes is working to plug this ‘qualifications gap’. The ALMO enables employees to gain valuable skills with a post-entry training programme, which means employees can apply for work related courses at degree and diploma level. All new employees are also encouraged to gain basic GCSE qualifications if they don’t have them when they join the company.

By making this contribution to developing skills and improving work prospects for residents, the organisation is demonstrating a commitment that extends beyond the delivery of its £425 million Decent Homes programme and repairs and maintenance service. Corporate social responsibility is high on the company’s agenda, particularly in reducing its impact on the environment and helping to nurture a community spirit.

“This year alone the Sandwell Decent Homes Partnership has invested thousands of pounds into various community projects, improving facilities at schools, community centres and sports clubs. In addition, Sandwell Homes is one of only two housing groups in the country to have its environmental performance certified at the highest possible standard, having achieved validation by the Eco-Management Audit Scheme (EMAS),” Field said.

To achieve this accreditation, the company enthusiastically pursued initiatives including the use of green tariffs for electricity, procurement of recycled paper, and environmental training for its employees. The company has also held regular meetings for tenants interested in living more environmentally friendly lifestyles, and the delivery of environmental improvements to homes through its Decent Homes programme. All of these things helped Sandwell Homes climb to number 21 on the Sunday Times’ Best Green Companies List for 2010, placing it higher than household brand-names like Coca Cola, B&Q, BT and HSBC.

Sandwell Homes’ 18 strong board of non-executive directors helps to set the agenda and direction of the company. Over the last few years being more environmentally friendly was a clear priority for them, as was putting the onus on the Sandwell Decent Homes Partnership to fulfil its corporate social responsibility (CSR) obligation.

Field is conscious of the opportunity Sandwell Homes has to empower tenants. He said: “We want to take advantage of the skills that exist within the company to help tenants. For instance, Sandwell Homes has been passing on practical life skills such as budgeting, cleaning and housekeeping in order to encourage more sustainable tenancies.”

To this end the company recently provided DIY training to tenants so that they are better equipped to carry out general repairs and decoration within their home. Tenants aged between 18 and 21 recently took part in a ‘Home Maintenance Skills for Young Tenants’ scheme, under which seven special training sessions were delivered over a four-week period by in-house multi-skill trainers. The scheme has taught the tenants a range of skills, which will now stay with them for life.

As well as leading the field in the delivery of housing services, Sandwell Homes is constantly exploring new ways to engage with customers. In 2008 the company won a National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) award for its use of innovative board games when consulting with tenants and stakeholders.

More recently the company has started to embrace technology to give its customers more choice when deciding how they want to make enquiries, pay their rent, report repairs, and bid for properties.

Field explained: “Last year we launched our own interactive Digital TV channel through Looking Local. This means tenants can access all of our services without having to leave their living rooms. Basically, any tenant with a Sky or Virgin subscription has access to the same content they would find on our website, which has enabled us to be inclusive of customers who don’t have an internet connection. We will soon be launching our Choice Based Lettings application on DigiTV too, so tenants can browse for their ideal home via the television.”

The repairs and maintenance section is embracing technology, now using SMS text messages to inform customers of repairs appointments. With research showing that around 92 per cent of the British population now owns a mobile phone, it was an obvious step to take. SMS is also being used by the company to promote services and initiatives like Direct Debit and home contents insurance.

‘Web 2.0’ is increasingly central to the company’s communications strategy as it uses Twitter to engage tenants by posting useful content and links to relevant websites and newswires, whilst keeping track of conversations between tenants. The Sandwell Homes website is also undergoing a refresh and will be the culmination of months of consultation with tenants and officers. When it launches later this year the company hopes to increase traffic to the site by making it more interactive, more inclusive by meeting disability and translation requirements, and ultimately more pleasing to the eye.

“Sandwell Homes is constantly evolving in order to meet the expectations of customers,” Field said. “The awards and accreditations we have achieved are indicative of the progress we’re making as a company. However, we don’t just want to sit back and congratulate ourselves on a job well done, we want to use the recognition as a benchmark for the way our services are delivered in the future.”