corporate plan a partnership to build sustainable communities

meres & mosseshousing association

south shropshirehousing association

shropshireh o u s i n g g r o u p

shropshirehousing

totalresponse

welcome to our new corporate plan

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The Boards of Shropshire Housing Group undertook thisreview against a background of tumbling house prices,severe economic difficulties and a banking system in somedistress.

On the national scene, the creation of the "Homes andCommunities Agency" has been designed to give a majornew emphasis to the focus on successful neighbourhoodsand the role which housing plays in underpinning that success. We also have a new regulator in the Tenants

Services Authority.

At the regional level new housing and planning strategies, designed to meet a very diverse setof housing markets, will have an increasing

influence and indeed dominance over local activities inShropshire.

Finally, in our own county, the local government map hasbeen re-drawn and a single unitary authority, ShropshireCouncil has replaced the two tier arrangements.

“Our customers and future customers willbe at the heart of all we do.”

I am delighted to introduce to you

our updated Corporate Plan. We

are now almost two years beyond

the formation of Shropshire Housing

Group and in a very different and

far more unpredictable environment.

We see these changes as opportunities and the formation of "Shropshire Housing Group" is a demonstration of our confidence. We shall develop our partnership of equals and will have a major impact on our communities both inShropshire and the Marches and the areas immediately surrounding.

This Corporate Plan sets out how the group will respond tothe opportunities we have identified. It signals the part wecan play in addressing the serious shortage of affordablehomes. Alongside this we shall strive to provide excellenthousing and support services. Our customers and futurecustomers will be at the heart of all we do.

shropshire h o u s i n g g r o u p

SHENA LATTO,CHAIR OF SHROPSHIRE HOUSING GROUP

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shropshire housing group

shropshire housing

south shropshire housing association

meres and mosseshousing association

total response limited

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Shropshire Housing Group is a partnership of organisations with a commitmentto providing first class housing and related services, including the provision ofnew homes across Shropshire, Herefordshire and the Marches.

MMHA is a new organisation.Formed by North ShropshireDistrict Council in 2005, theAssociation is now delivering arange of promises to the 2300tenants who transferred fromthe Council in July 2007.

The Group Parent, Shropshire Housing, has overall strategic and regulatory control of the Group. Its roleis to develop the business, forge new opportunities and strengthen existing relationships. It will set targets for the housing service and develop creative policies to ensure that the Group is recognised as "the" housing group in the region. Shropshire Housing also provides central support services to all group members.

Further details, including Board Members, Executive Directors and Corporate Structures can be obtained from theCompany Secretary.

TRL provides repairs, maintenance andother property services to all membersof the Group. TRL is expanding its business to provide a maintenanceservice to the private sector and thiswill be on a "for profit" basis, with allprofits being retained in the Group.

Formed in 1990, SSHAcompleted a full stock transferof the Council’s housing stockin 1994. SSHA now has a totalstock of more than 2000 homesacross South Shropshire,Shrewsbury and Herefordshire.

meres & mosseshousing association

south shropshirehousing association

shropshirehousing

totalresponse

SHROPSHIRE HOUSING GROUP EXECUTIVE TEAM

We care about the people and communities in this area. Weshall put them at the heart of all we do and encourage them toinfluence our work.

We shall maintain our commitment to a core business whichdelivers decent homes, excellent services, affordable rentsand improved quality of life for our customers.

Our physical environment is unique, we shall seek to protect itand enhance it wherever we can, with quality at the top of ouragenda.

We shall try to be innovative, creative and forward thinking,finding new and better ways to meet our ambitions.

We wish to grow our business and provide more homes and services to support sustainable communities.

We shall provide value for money and look to be efficient,effective and economical.

With a commitment to transparency, openness and probity.We shall treat everyone fairly.

We will always look for ways to work in partnership with otherlocal groups and agencies.

We will be a responsible employer and invest in the trainingand development of one of our most important assets – ourpeople.

We shall deliver this vision and measureour success through six ambitions.

Specific targets for each ambition areset out in the following pages.

Further detail will be found in theBusiness Plan for each subsidiary andin the Operational Plan for eachdepartment.

To provide excellent services to ourcustomers.

Create new housing opportunities.

Contribute to the regeneration ofrural communities.

Provide community leadership andbe excellent governors.

Continually improve our performanceand provide value for money.

Create new business opportunities.

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We have worked hard to set out a clear vision for the Group which is based on a set of values andprinciples which we hold dear. We do not have a single ‘mission’ statement but we hope that ourcustomers, our staff and our partners will recognise and embrace these commitments.

a vision for shropshire housing groupand the values which support it.

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ambition 1providing excellent services to our customers

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Develop our understanding of the needs of our existing andfuture customers through a range of surveys and researchprogrammes.

Monitor and improve levels of customer satisfaction with the customer access service and repairs service by 5% over theperiod of the plan.

Achieve the Decent Homes Standard by 2010.

Develop and introduce a Financial Inclusion Strategy alongside local partners.

Improve the environment of housing estates and introduce a general handyman scheme to complement the existing workof Total Response Limited and estate based caretakers.

Develop neighbourhood surgeries and estate walkabouts.

Achieve two star rating with excellent prospects from AuditCommission inspection.

Introduce a formal repairs appointment scheme andreassess responsive repairs targets.

Achieve grade A in the Quality Assessment Framework forSupporting People services.

Develop and introduce an Affordable Warmth programme.

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shropshire h o u s i n g g r o u p

ambition 2create new housing opportunities

Complete 500 new homes by 2012.

Implement Choice Based Lettings Schemes across the Group.

Develop a ‘Move On’ strategy with incentives for downsizing.

Create a land bank of housing sites across the county to facilitate new development beyond 2012 of up to 500 furtherhomes.

Introduce an intermediate rental tenure.

Investigate an opportunity to provide a ‘self build’ housing initiative.

Refine aids and adaptations plans to eliminate waiting lists by2012 through internal funding.

Maintain the current level of income from Supporting People contracts and consider development of at least one new service by 2010 with a continued contribution to central costs.

Develop an Asset Management Strategy to ensure 100% condition survey, identify all obsolete stock and establishreplacement plans.

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shropshire h o u s i n g g r o u p

ambition 3contribute to regeneration of rural communities

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Maintain a fund in each RSL for regeneration activity.

Implement an apprenticeship scheme across the Group.

Develop partnership status with more local companies.

Secure better recognition for regeneration work.

Complete housing surveys in six villages per annum.

Establish links with each area partnership and the voluntarysector assembly in Shropshire.

Create a programme for meeting with and presenting to sixvoluntary and community organisations each year.

Continue financial support to Marches Housing andCharitable Trust and seek to extend our work and influenceinto the North of the County.

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ambition 4excellent governance and community leadership

Expand annual training/development plans for new andexisting Board Members.

Establish a Succession Strategy for each Board.

Introduce an external evaluation of Board performance.

Refine our current appraisal process and develop a 360 degree approach for review.

Implement a programme of links with Parish Councils andlocal area Committees.

Complete a stakeholder review/social audit.

Seek representation on governing bodies of other localagencies.

Raise awareness of actions on diversity.

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ambition 5continually improve performance and deliver valuefor money

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Develop and implement a Value for Money Strategy with clear efficiency targets for each department of at least 2.5% per annum.

Review the suite of performance indicators which are monitoredand introduce a full range of reports.

Ensure all KPIs are externally validated.

Achieve reaccreditation under the Investors In People standard.

Provide a benchmark report against all KPIs annually.

Implement a Right First Time Strategy for repairs.

Ensure top quartile performance in all service areas.

Implement 100% of all agreed audit recommendations within six months of review.

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shropshire h o u s i n g g r o u p

ambition 6create new business opportunities

Increase Total Response Limited turnover year on year by 5%.

Secure 75% of all Group maintenance work for TotalResponse Limited.

Secure at least one new Supporting People service contract inShropshire.

Review Communications Action Plan.

Secure at least one contract to provide back office support forother agencies.

Expand Group membership through further stock transfer andour management contracts for other landlords.

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Sustainability is not always an easy concept to explain and itcan be interpreted in a variety of ways. For Shropshire HousingGroup it is a journey, it’s a thread which looks different in eachpart of our business. At one level we can demonstrate that ournew homes meet very high standards of energy efficiency,where the materials we use are sourced locally and assembledby local labour. At another level sustainability will involve howwe run our day to day business, developing a vision for carbonneutrality. This might involve running our vehicles on bio dieseland recycling all other materials we use. At a community level sustainability will mean the development of policies which support local communities helping them to thrive – not just "survive". This could mean local lettings policies, regenerationactivities, community development work and so on.

However it is defined, we shall champion the issue with all of our partners and seek to learn from them and other leadingpractitioners.

The Gateway The Auction Yard Craven Arms Shropshire SY7 9BWT: 01588 676200 E: enquiries@shropshirehousing.org.uk www.shropshirehousing.org.uk

Our ideal for a sustainablecommunity is one which is:

active, inclusive and safe

environmentally sensitive

well run

well designed and built

well connected

thriving

well served

fair for everyone

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shropshirehousing group

“Meeting the needs of presentand future generations.”

a sustainable business supportingsustainable communities