CIH Eastern Region Annual Review 2010

Eastern

Annual Review 2010

Chartered Institute of Housing

Eastern Region

www.cih.org your work is our business

Chair’s report

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Where do I start? This has been a momentous

year. With a new coalition government and

major spending cuts and other reforms

underway the future for our sector looks

interesting to say the least! The Bonfire of the

Quangos will merge the TSA back into the

HCA in a slimmed down body. Most regional

bodies, along with the Audit Commission and

the GO-East, will be abolished. Housing organisations will need to rise

to these challenges and consider how best they can meet the “Big

Society” ambitions of the new government.

With major spending cuts and other reforms underway the future for our sector looks interesting to say the least!

EastERn REgIon AnnuAl REvIEW 2010

It has been another busy and

successful year for the CIH in the

eastern region. Since last year’s annual

conference we have run numerous

events, including lunch and learn

sessions, the Regulation Game policy

event in June with Peter Marsh, and

a chief officers’ event in September

with David Orr and James Tickell, as

well as a diversity event in October. The

Committee (or rather our respected

vice Chair Gill Cook) organised a

successful study trip to Holland in May

where twenty CIH members visited

some interesting and unusual locations.

Because of our growing reputation we

have managed to obtain significant

sums from private sponsors to help

support our events. On the education

front we have been working with

Anglia Ruskin to set up a new housing

degree course in Cambridge.

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During the year we also modernised

our communications, by switching

from a hard newsletter to an e-zine.

Finally, on a wider stage, the CIH has

embarked upon a major programme

of membership and governance reform

and the eastern region played an active

part in this process.

This review, which replaces the

traditional annual report, is being

launched at our annual conference at

Stansted. This is a new location for us

and was chosen because it is larger

and can accommodate more delegates

than Cambourne.

I would like to thank all of the

members of the Committee for their

voluntary enthusiasm and effort,

particularly Gill Cook and all of the

officers of the Committee, and our

national Council representative John

Morris. Thanks also to Jayne Anderson,

our cheerful branch support officer

from Coventry, who is always on hand

to assist us and Denise Osborne and

her conference team at Coventry. I

hope that this review tells you all you

need to know about the activities of

the CIH in the eastern region.

Colin Wiles Chair

CIH Eastern Region

Contents2 Chair’sreport

4 Conferencereport

5 Lunchandlearnbranchesout

6 2010StudyTrip

8 PolicyandPracticeReview2010

9AllchangeatCIHNationalCouncil

10MoneyMatters

10CIHEasternRegionEventSchedule2010-2011

11CIHEasternRegionAccountsasat31stDecember2009

12EqualityandDiversityReviewof2009/10

13 Educationeducationeducation

14Membership–whatdoesitmeanforyou?

15 Messageinabottle...

16 ChiefOfficers’Event

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Conference report 2009 was our 21st birthday and we celebrated in style, pulling out all the stops to put on a lively programme of debate and discussion; a selection of master classes to challenge delegates and evening entertainment, which reflected our birthday status.

In 2009 the conference theme concentrated on ‘building for success’ in light of the current economic climate and asked the question of speakers and delegates how can we deliver housing services during and beyond the recession? We reflected upon changes within the housing sector – the slump in the housing market, the current economic climate and the progress of the HCA and TSA. Each day again had a different focus, ensuring that there was something at the conference for you, whether you are a frontline officer working in housing management, development, supported housing or the Chief Executive of rural or urban registered social landlord or a tenant or board member – we are keen to ensure the conference allows anyone to access this prestigious regional event.

Delegates were challenged by headline speakers – Richard Capie gave a CIH perspective of delivering housing in a recession and beyond; Rod liddle from the Sunday Times covered the wider economic picture, feedback from

consultation covering HCA and TSA and day 1 ended with ‘you the superhero’, from Dr Jez Rose (I remember he was very loud and kept people listening at the end of a full day!). new for 2009 we introduced keynote debates for days 2 and 3 – ‘putting tenants first’, ‘older people’s services – floating vs resident’, and ‘legal eagles’ – these all led to interesting cases put forward by a range of speakers and then the opportunity for a longer session of questions and comments from the delegates and for speakers to respond. They were all successful, so look out for more of these in 2010.

We closed the conference in 2009 and welcomed with pleasure to our stage Terry Waite CBE, it was certainly for me one of the main highlights of the three day event and I’m sure those of you in the audience felt as privileged and pleased as I did that he gave up his time to share his experiences with us.

I can’t end without mentioning this was our 21st birthday and we celebrated in style by holding our conference dinner at Duxford Airspace Museum, attended by over 200 housing professionals, businesses in the region and invited guests – a truly magical evening!

tracey CassidyConference Lead CIH Eastern Region

Building for success – Eastern Region Conference 2009


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Lunch and Learn branches out the name says it all. these are our free lunchtime sessions held three times a year with each one taking place in three or four different locations. the popular format is a speaker on a topic of practical interest to members followed by questions/discussion and a sandwich lunch. this year we have held successful sessions including the always popular legal update (over subscribed and standing room only at a new venue in norwich) and the implications of the digital switchover to housing organisations.

A new venture this year was “lunch and learn extra.” This was a major session on “the new government, new politics, new challenges.” Abi Davies, Head of Policy CIH, gave an excellent

presentation on current government thinking and our audience of around 100 was very appreciative and learnt a great deal. We now even have some idea of what localism and the big society means and were introduced to the concept of armchair audit. Discussion followed and we were left in no doubt of the serious challenges facing both us and especially our tenants based on both financial challenges and ideology. It is clear that business as usual is no longer possible and fundamental change is necessary to continue to deliver.

Another new venture is our organisation based sessions. The idea is that a housing organisation doing innovative and interesting work will host a session where we can see the work in practice and discuss it with managers. Many thanks to Flagship

Housing Group for our first session visiting and discussing their 24/7 contact centre.

Please let me know if you have any ideas for future topics for lunch and learn sessions or if your organisation would like to host a session to look at a particular aspect of your work.

John Wheeldon Lunch and Learn organiser CIH Eastern Region

2010 study trip

In May 2010, twenty Eastern region CIH members visited amsterdam and Rotterdam on a four-day study trip.

We visited vestia, a large housing organisation in Rotterdam involved in major regeneration projects on the edge of the city and visited two co-housing schemes with communal gardens and music facilities.

On day two we visited the SS Rotterdam, a cruise ship bought by Woonbron, a large Dutch housing organisation. It was planned to turn the ship into a homeless facility, but money problems led to the regulator forcing them to sell a share of the ship, which ins now used as a hotel and conference centre. We also visited the famous Cube Houses in Rotterdam, designed by Piet Blom to put the fun back into architecture. Built in 1984, the idea is that they look like a forest with the cubes at the top and the pole-like structures. Most of us agreed that they would be horrible to actually live in.

Day three was spent in Amsterdam where we first enjoyed a walking tour of the city, looking at some historic and modern housing projects. In the afternoon, we visited various attractions individually or as small groups including a canal boat trip, IJburg (man-made

islands to the east of Amsterdam created to accommodate the expanding city), Anne Frank’s house, Ajax F.C.’s stadium and more.

The fourth day was officially free time but the group chose to visit housing or architecture related projects, with most of us going to the netherlands Architecture Institute. This included the Sonneveld House, a hypermodern house built in the 1930s for a very wealthy family. Two of the group visited an older persons’ sheltered scheme, Humanitas Foundation, which included many facilities such as a restaurant, games area, IT room, hairdresser’s, bar, meeting area, physiotherapy unit and doctors’ surgery. Because of the extensive facilities, residents are able to return to their home directly after any hospital stay without having to move into a rehabilitation unit.

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Almshouses in Amsterdam

By gill Cook, vice Chair CIH Eastern Region and study trip organiser


The trip was very successful and it is hoped we can organise another in the future. The preferred location would be Belfast but suggestions from members would be welcome.

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Sonneveld House Cube Houses

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Policy and Practice Review 2010 Whilst the tsa was flexing its regulatory muscles in its first year of operation and landlords were attempting to ‘mop up’ among the so-called ‘green shoots of recovery’ (no talk of double dips then!), local authorities were chewing over the possible outcomes of John Healey’s self-financing offer following the government’s review of the Housing Revenue account and the nation’s gaze was fixed on the one of the most exciting election contests for years.

For our sector there was generally a disappointment that housing did not get the high profile we all agree it deserved, in any of the main parties’ election campaigns. The Regional Committee brought a special ‘On the Soap Box’ feature to members in the Spring edition of Eastern Outlook, to outline how the landscape may look post-election. The current picture however, has certainly got us all talking!

Firstly, there was the Housing Pact, presented to Housing Minister, Grant Shapps in June by CIH and setting out key areas of priority for the sector. Your Regional Committee is working with CIH to work out how best to involve

our members in the Eastern Region – so please watch this space!

Even the biggest ‘policy phobes’ could not fail to miss the impact of public spending cuts on the regulatory and inspection regime, with the toasting of the TSA and the announcement that the Audit Commission is to go. With such change in the air, our Policy Conference ‘the Regulation Game’ in June could now almost be described

as ‘historic’ – was it the last time that Peter Marsh, the TSA’s Chief Executive would be sharing a speaking platform with Martin Palmer, the

Audit Commission’s Head of Housing Inspections for the Central Region? With other great speakers, including Abigail Davies (Head of Policy, CIH), Barbara Mclellan (the TSA’s Diversity Advisor), Jon Warnock, TPAS and local Standards pilots from across the country, our 95 delegates were not to be disappointed!

And who thought housing policy was dull?

simone Russell Policy and Practice Officer CIH Eastern Region


This has certainly not been a dull year for

housing policy!

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all change at CIH national Council Following my election to CIH national Council in June 2009 I attended my first Council meeting in september 2009. I am pleased to say I have not just met middle aged men in grey suits and I have been truly inspired by the level of knowledge, skills, friendship and humour that the other 31 members have displayed in my first 12 months mixing with the great and the good from England, northern Ireland, scotland, Wales and Hong Kong. Paul Kingston had served the Eastern region well for the previous 6 years and he certainly left me with big boots to fill.

I found myself engaged first in the Governance Review and the Membership Review, the former of which will not be concluded until 2011. However what we do know is that the Governing body will reduce from 32 to no more than 15 and this change, which I am fully in favour of, will bring the CIH in line with many Housing Associations and private sector businesses. The new Governing Body will be having up to two non CIH members on it but only if the required skills can not be identified within the existing CIH membership.

The good news is that any Grade of CIH member can throw their hat into the ring and compete for a seat in much the

same way that anyone can apply for a job. The cream should come to the top.

Your Eastern Regional Committee will become a formally recognised committee as a delegated board with new powers and greater influence – not exactly localism but I see this move as a big step in the right direction allowing the wider membership to have a greater voice in influencing how your CIH can provide the best possible value for money services for you as a member. This has never been more important during these times of austerity. With more and more members having to pay their own subscriptions the CIH will only thrive if it is responsive to the needs of members and delivers outstanding customer service.

There has been a massive debate on the issue of selection versus election for the Governing Body. Selection won the day and I firmly believe this is the best way forward. It will be open to all on the basis of skills and experience. The details are still being worked up as to how this will work in practice but the aim is to have if all done and dusted and approved by Council in February 2011.

John MorrisCouncil MemberCIH Eastern Region

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Date Event Location

7 Dec 2010 Committee meeting 3.30- 7.00pm South Cambs DC, Cambourne

8 Feb 2011 Committee meeting 3.30-7.00pm Colchester Borough Homes, Colchester

March 2011 (tbc) lunch & learn legal sessions 3 locations around the region

May 2011 (tbc) lunch & learn sessions 3 locations around the region

May 2011 Tenant Event Trinity Centre, Cambridge

15 June 2011 One day Policy Conference with Trinity Centre, Committee meeting to follow Cambridge

6 Sept 2011 Committee meeting 3.30-7.00pm Cross Keys Homes, Peterborough

September 2011 Chief Officers’ event tbc

September 2011 (tbc) lunch & learn sessions 3 locations around the region

October 2011 Equality & Diversity Conference tbc

8/9/10 november 2011 Regional Conference including tbc AGM on the 8th at 4.35pm

Money Matters

CIH Eastern Region Event schedule 2010 – 2011

The CIH allocates an annual budget to all uK committees. Each regional committee budget has two elements the first based on membership (£10 per member), and secondly as an administrative allowance. Each regional committee is able to supplement this sum by raising additional income during the year (sponsorship, charges etc). The allowance for 2009 was set at £17,317.

The accounts for 2009 are presented here. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions regarding the operation of the regional committee accounts I would be pleased to hear from you and will try to answer your query.

Kim Best TreasurerCIH Eastern Region

CIH Eastern Region Accounts at 31st December 2009

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Meetings & Events for Members

Income 2,000

Expenditure (8,539)

Surplus (Deficit) (6,539)

newsletters

Expenditure (5,577)


Research

Income

Expenditure (2,000)


Dinners, Visits & social Events

Income 323

Expenditure (2,059)


Publicity & Communication

Income 141

Expenditure (710)

Surplus (Deficit) (569)

Committee Meetings & governance

Expenditure (11,217)


Conference/annual Meeting 2007

Income 117,385

Expenditure (115,368)

Surplus (Deficit) 2,017

Previous years charges (2,608)

Allocation Reserve 3,980

total surplus (Deficit) (24,249) Approved (out-turn) Budget (17,317) les newnham Memorial Fund £4,413

(information from CIH audited accounts)

Equality and Diversity Review of 2009/10 2010 E&D Conference: this took place on the 8th october at the goEast offices in Cambridge under the heading “Excellence in E&D: Can Housing Providers Improve their service?”. the topic was chosen because large parts of the Equality act 2010 came into effect in october and the Housing Inspectorate have identified E&D as a weakness in most housing organisations.

Additionally, the TSA’s new Regulatory Framework (which the Government intends to adopt) has Equality & Diversity as one of its main themes. This was a highly successful event with over 70 delegates attending.

The acute shortage of sites for Gypsy and Travellers Community (G&TC): The CIH worked with the HCA, nFH and GOEast to encourage lAs and HAs to identify land and take advantage of the £19m of grant for the provision of new sites. Although progress was slow, plans for sites were beginning to come forward. The initiative ended abruptly when the new government withdrew

the grant and relaxed obligations placed on lAs to tackle the problem in their areas.

Despite this setback, there is a continuing role for the CIH to draw attention to the crisis facing the G&TC and their urgent need for new sites.

With the disappearance of the Audit Commission and the TSA greater responsibility will fall upon Senior

Managers, Councillors and Board members to ensure that their organisations achieve the highest standards of fairness and equality.

The branch E&D Strategy: This was written in 2004 and is in need of an

update. This can be found on the CIH website at: www.cih.org/branches/east/diversity.htm. We will be rewriting the strategy during the next 12 months and people wishing to be involved will be very welcome.

David Poole Equality and Diversity Officer CIH Eastern Region

The Housing Inspectorate have

identified E&D as a weakness

in most housing organisations

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Education Education Education We have maintained good contacts with anglia Ruskin University Chelmsford campus. this has mainly been through providing presentations to new students on the benefits of belonging to the CIH.

ARu at Cambridge is launching a new Foundation Degree in management of social and affordable housing. The first intake is expected in January 2011. Students have the opportunity of completing this new degree over a period of two years. This will be a blend of distance learning, an online community, the student’s own workplace experience and workshops. This allows students flexibility in their ability to have a full time job whilst studying for the degree.

ARu consulted approximately a dozen housing associations around the country to find out what they wanted for a new degree. It was realised that a move away from the traditional housing degree was needed to one that emphasised practical

skills that are important in a constantly evolving sector. From the results of the consultation, ARu has ensured that the degree provides relevant course content, which focuses on leadership and management skills. ARu is currently in discussions with CIH to get the degree accredited.

The move away from the traditional model of housing courses as provided by ARu Chelmsford since 1979 reflects the need from employers and housing providers in tailoring a degree that meets the changing needs and requirements of the housing sector.

ARu Chelmsford will continue providing some courses for the interim period.

Lynne Davis Education Officer CIH Eastern Region

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Membership – What does it mean for you? In august 2010, CIH Eastern had 1558 members, only one less than november 2009 – and four members more than at the same time last year. this shows members staying with CIH Eastern (after a 4% drop the year before), whilst membership nationally has fallen over the last two years after a twenty year increase.

Feedback suggests that some members hit by the recession opt not to renew. Within the region, we encourage members to think again: if you pay your own fees, what value do you get from access to information, good practice guidance, and low cost or free local training? If you are out of work for a short period, staying with CIH helps to keep you up to date whilst you seek your next career move.

However, recognising the pressures on members, we are always keen to hear more about what you want from the Region as members and as employers.

There have been changes in the pattern of membership types over recent years, so that now the largest category in the region is practitioner. The table below, shows only small changes in membership patterns over the past year.

new membership categories were agreed at the AGM, to be introduced in 2011. The current six grades will be replaced by two: CIH Member and CIH Chartered Member. Within the region, we will monitor the impact this has on our membership, and we want to hear from members about how the changes affect you, and whether new benefit packages meet your expectations.

As always, membership renewal bills go out in early winter (november/ December). If you know of members who are considering not renewing, or your organisation is affected by changes to membership categories, then please, let us know.

suzanne McBride Membership Officer and Secretary CIH Eastern Region


august 2009 august 2010

no of % of members no of % of members members by category members by category

Affiliate 328 21% 353 23%

Associate 16 1% 12 1%

Corporate 334 21% 350 22%

Fellow 175 11% 178 11%

Honorary 0 0 0 0

Practitioner 405 26% 384 25%

Student 296 19% 281 18%

totaL 1,554 1,558

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Message in a bottle... getting messages out to members is one of the most vital functions of the Regional Committees. 2010 has seen a number of changes in the ways in which we on the Eastern Region Committee communicates with our members.

I was elected to the position of Communications Officer on the Committee in March 2010, and in my “spare time” I am the Chair of South Essex Homes, an AlMO in the south-east of the region. One of the first things I did once in post was to begin the transformation of the newsletter from the traditional (and expensive) paper copy to a more user-friendly electronic version, the first of which came out at the end of August.

Throughout September every member was invited to take part in a survey informing the team of your opinions about the newsletter, on the format, content and style. While it’s fair to say we weren’t exactly overwhelmed by the responses that we received it did throw up some interesting comments and certainly has given the Communications Team some food for thought about future editions. The results of the survey will be published in more detail in our December newsletter.

What’s next? We are looking into setting up a Twitter account, and possibly even a Facebook page for the Eastern Region in an effort to reach more members and we’re always looking for ideas for articles in future editions of the newsletter. One of the answers from the survey suggests that members want to see more local news from organisations in the region so please send your ideas to the team at [email protected]

Phil Lyons Communications Officer CIH Eastern Region

“This is the first time I have seen it as an electronic version or paper and I enjoyed it thanks.”

“Hot news on new housing developments, like new innovative designs round the world like the Netherlands trip.”

“Sorry - I am a bit old fashioned. I like to get my hands on a paper copy... something I can dip in to when I wish, not when I am sitting in front of a computer screen.”

“The publication is excellent. Keep up the good work.”

What do you think of the new electronic version of Eastern outlook newsletter?

How likely are you to read the new electronic version ?

www.cih.org

Chief officers’ event Over 80 chief officers, chairs and portfolio holders attended this event on the 17th September. The speakers were David Orr of the nHF, James Tickell of Campbell Tickell and Roger de la Mare from the TSA. The audience was entertained, enthused and informed about government thinking and the future role of the sector in responding to the “Big Society”. James and David made it clear that housing associations, in particular, have a chance to work closely with the coalition government. Housing associations are non-profit making, non-public bodies with strong community roots. However, they need to shake off their “fat-cat” image if they are to find favour with ministers.

They also need to convince ministers that they are part of the solution and not part of the problem – there are still many who believe that social housing creates poverty and does not cure it.


ContaCt DEtaILs: Chartered Institute of Housing Octavia House Westwood Way Coventry Cv4 8JP Tel: 024 7685 1700 Fax: 024 7669 5110

Regional support team [email protected]

Eastern outlook team [email protected]

CIH Eastern Region Annual Review 2010

Documents

Transcript of CIH Eastern Region Annual Review 2010