Annual Report to Tenants 1st April 2014 to 31st March How are we doing and what s next?

Transcription

1 Annual Report to Tenants 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015 How are we doing and what s next?

2 2 Annual Report to Tenants Contents Welcome from the Chair and 3 Chief Executive 4 Linc s Board of Management 4 What about the risks? 5 How are we doing? 6 Where are our properties? 7 Listening to you 8 Tenants make a difference 9 Our Tenant Panel 10 Asking and listening 11 Income and how it s spent 12 Managing rent and rent arrears 13 Value for money 14 Building new homes 15 Understanding you better 16 In the community 17 Health, well-being and support 18 Working with our partners 20 Complaints and compliments 21 Adapting your home 22 Letting homes 23 Anti-social Behaviour 24 Repairing your home 26 Our planned maintenance 27 What s next? 30 Selling homes 31 Celebrating our achievements 32 Your feedback The draft of this report was presented to the Linc Tenant Panel prior to publication and they fully endorsed the format, ease of reading and accessibility of information. They also made some useful suggestions for information to be included in future updates. Each page has something different Brian Thomas - Chair of the Tenant Panel An enjoyable report to read John Beynon - Tenant Panel Member

3 Annual Report to Tenants 3 Welcome from the Chair and Chief Executive This is our report to tenants on how we have performed over the financial year 2014/15 and what s next. The year has involved embracing a whole new range of challenges, some of which we talk about in this report. But as you will see there have been many successes too. We are building more new homes, our tenants are more involved than ever in scrutinising and shaping our services and as a result of our tenant profiling work, we are better able to tailor services to meet individual circumstances. With over 4,000 properties to manage, Linc needs to have the right people in the right place with the right skills and knowledge in order to provide an excellent service to our tenants. We have robust processes and procedures in place to enable us to recruit and retain the best candidates for all roles across the organisation. We encourage our front line teams to talk to our tenants to help us to make sure their satisfaction is at the heart of everything we do. We place great emphasis on the learning and development of our employees so that they keep up to date with changes in legislation and modern approaches. We have a great record of promoting from within as well as supporting people to always work to the best of their abilities. We are very proud of the fact that everyone who works for us has the opportunity to make a real contribution to our success. We continually check how well we are doing. This is called our self-evaluation. We consider risks, the way we are run, how we manage our money and how we perform. In this report, we summarise our self-evaluation and as part of this, we highlight how tenants being involved has made a difference. We very much hope that you enjoy reading this report. Should you like to discuss how you might contribute to our work then please contact Karen Jeffreys our Tenant Participation Officer on freephone or Karen at karen.jeffreys@linc-cymru.co.uk Peter Green Chair of the Linc Board Robert Smith Chief Executive

4 4 Annual Report to Tenants Linc's Board of Management We have a Management Board made up of very highly skilled and dedicated members of the public and Linc tenants. Board Members come from a variety of backgrounds and bring different life experiences, educational achievements, knowledge and skills to deliver what matters to tenants. They offer their time and expertise on a voluntary unpaid basis. Words like governance, financial integrity and performance management are often used to describe the Board s work. The Board has ultimate responsibility for setting the strategic direction of our organisation, making sure we do things lawfully, listening to and acting upon tenants views, making sure we are run properly, overseeing finances, approving business plans and budgets and monitoring performance and improvement. Board Members also contribute to four main Committees which complement the Board s work. These are the Linc Homes Committee, Linc Care Committee, Audit Committee and HR Committee. Find further information on these Committees on our website The Board delegates delivery of our plans, policy and day-to-day management of activities to the Chief Executive who is supported by Executive Directors to lead on this work. What about the risks? Managing Risk The Welsh Government expects all housing associations in Wales to consider and manage risk well. Specifically, the Welsh Government is looking for assurance that risks in relation to governance, finance and landlord services are being managed effectively. One of the major threats to the long term success of any association would be having a Board and/or senior staff with inappropriate or inadequate skills trying to manage risks they did not fully understand. At Linc, we have robust risk management processes in place. The Risk Management Group, the Executive Team and the Board review quarterly the corporate risk register which is supported by departmental operational risk registers. Our internal auditors review the control measures in the risk registers and report on their effectiveness to the Audit Committee. In preparing the annual business plan, budget and forward indicators the key business risks are documented and fully discussed between the Executive Team and the Board. An example of a typical risk we face is provided below. Managing a Housing Development The Welsh Government will want to know that an association is managing its development programme effectively including associated financial management and that organisations understand the risks associated with individual schemes and also the total impact of a whole programme. We manage this risk by ensuring our Annual Development Programmes are approved by the Board as part of the Business Planning process. Programmes are reviewed quarterly and all new projects are considered by the Board. No start onsite is authorised until all funding is in place.

5 Annual Report to Tenants 5 How are we doing? Linc is in a good position. We think this because we have been running the organisation well, we have a great balance of skills (amongst tenant groups, Board Members and staff), we are in a strong financial position and our performance across our services is generally in line with or slightly above the national average for housing associations in Wales. On 30th June 2015, the Welsh Government issued its fifth Financial Viability Judgments (FVJ) for all Registered Housing Associations in Wales. The categories of judgments are Pass, Pass for closer monitoring and Fail. We received a Pass from the Welsh Government for our Financial Viability Judgement (We have received a Pass in each of our past four Financial Viability Judgements). You can read the full FVJ at Our very first Housing Association Regulatory Assessment (HARA) was published in December HARAs set out the Welsh Government s assessment and is designed to provide a Housing Association, its tenants, service users and other stakeholders with an understanding of how well it is performing against the Delivery Outcomes (as set out in the Regulatory Framework for Housing Associations Registered in Wales) relating to landlord services, governance and financial management. In common with the vast majority of other HARAs published to date, Linc is assessed as requiring a medium level of regulatory engagement in future. You can read the full HARA and categories of regulatory engagement set by the Welsh Government at STAR Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey The STAR Survey shows that 82.6% (124 out of 150 Linc tenants) are satisfied with the overall service we provide. Linc s STAR Survey satisfaction rate compares well to the overall average of 83.7% however there is room for improvement. See page 7 for further details of the Wales Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey

6 6 Annual Report to Tenants Where are our properties? Below is a breakdown by area of Linc properties, which includes a mix of houses, apartments and bungalows. Powys 1 Property Blaenau Gwent 588 Properties Neath Port Talbot Swansea 3 Properties 426 Properties Rhondda Cynon Taff 22 Properties Caerphilly 744 Properties Torfaen 152 Properties 445 Properties Newport Linc owns and manages 4,042 properties providing homes and services to around 9,700 people Bridgend 434 Properties M4 1,227 Properties Cardiff

7 Annual Report to Tenants 7 Listening to you We believe that listening to you is very important. For this reason, we take your feedback seriously. In this report we use some of our own ongoing Linc surveys and feedback to measure how we are doing. Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Satisfaction Surveys Repairs & Maintenance Surveys New Home Satisfaction Surveys Money Advice Surveys This survey is sent to all tenants who have received the service. Two independent surveys by Beaufort Research, together with ongoing surveys with our appointed contractors Liberty Gas and R&M Williams. New Home Satisfaction Surveys are given to tenants shortly after they move into their new home. Feedback is sought from tenants to find out how happy they are with the advice they have received. We ve received the results of the Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey (STAR Survey) organised by Community Housing Cymru (CHC) and the Welsh Government. The survey was carried out during August and November This survey asked Tenants across Wales to share their views and opinions on the homes they live in and the services they receive from their Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). STAR Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey 41,447 questionnaires were sent out to tenants across Wales. 6,018 questionnaires from across Wales were returned. 1,000 Linc tenants were invited to participate and 158 Linc tenants returned questionnaires. We have included some of the STAR Survey results in this report as well as our own survey data and feedback. The STAR response rate of 158 Linc tenants is quite small however these results provide some interesting contrasts with our own data. Keep a look out for the star!

8 8 Annual Report to Tenants Tenants make a difference Our Tenant Service Testers (TSTs) are a group of tenants who check we are meeting our service standards. In the last two years the TSTs have completed two tests. The first on our Money Advice service and the second on Lettable standards. Ultimately the TSTs found that the service measured up to the standards set but that there were several improvements to be made, such as removing rubbish from a property before the next tenant moves in, considering the role of financial incentives and more. This gave us valuable feedback for improvement. The tests were reported to the Linc Board and a number of recommendations made by the TSTs were endorsed. They are looking forward to their next test of the Anti-Social Behaviour Standards. In 2014, Linc Tenant Service Testers won a Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS Cymru) award for the contribution they have made towards improving services at Linc. In 2015, they won a TPAS award for Tenant Scrutiny. You ve made a difference There are many ways for tenants to have their say. We regularly consult our 134 Club (find out more about the 134 Club on page 10) on a range of matters including Policy. We want to get things right. Tenants agree that information should be easy to understand therefore we have re-written a lot of our information and taken out the jargon. An example of this is our new easier to understand Constitution (set of rules) for tenants groups. The Tenant Panel in a training session Steve Waite, Tenant Panel Member with Leslie Griffiths AM at the 2015 Bridgend Communities First Anti-Poverty Conference Jill, St Mellons Community Garden Volunteer with Vaughan Gethin AM Brian Thomas, Chair of the Tenant Panel I ve learned so much about Linc since getting involved. I ve been able to comment on the way they work and help improve things for tenants. Getting involved in selecting contractors, including interviewing them was a great experience and one that I trust we will all benefit from.

9 Annual Report to Tenants 9 Our Tenant Panel The Tenant Panel Our tenants have taken part in setting priorities for Tenant Participation. We invited the Tenant Panel to review our Local Tenant Participation Strategy and they agreed the following priorities: 1. Tenant influence is increased in all service areas. 2. Increased number of tenants involved from under represented groups. 3. Increased skills and confidence of tenants. 4. More people actively involved in their community. We present a report to the Tenant Panel throughout the year so that they are able to check how we are doing against these priorities. We think we are doing well and the Panel tells us we are doing well. The Panel have completed training to help build their knowledge and skills. Last year, some members returned from a workshop held at the Welsh Tenants Conference on Gender-based Violence and recommended that this was extended to all Panel members. We did this and the Panel are now more aware of domestic abuse and who it You ve made a difference affects. The Panel then told us that we need to keep the momentum going with the campaign against domestic abuse and they even checked that we still had the Live Fear Free posters up at our Linc offices! The Tenant Panel have made a difference and their interest in this issue is helping to strengthen the campaign. We recognise that we can do more to involve tenants. The Tenant Panel think that people from Black and Minority Ethnic Communities, young people and working people are not represented on the Panel. We share this opinion and next year we will work with the Panel to renew our approach to seeking new members from these groups. There are many areas where tenants have influenced services. One example is where the Tenant Panel said they would like to visit newly built homes. We organised a visit to Coity in Bridgend where new homes were being built. The Tenant Panel visited a newly built home in Coity

10 10 Annual Report to Tenants Asking and listening Our 134 Club (a group of over 500 tenants who have told us they want to get involved) continue to give us their opinions and have their say over Policy documents and the Grapevine newsletter. Every newsletter we have issued this year has been approved by the Grapevine Reading Group and has their stamp of approval on it. Grapevine Reading Group Tenants have been very positive about the information we publish. They tell us it is easy to understand which is great news. But they also guide us towards improving it too, for instance they have said that they would like us to include more articles from tenants in the Grapevine, which we are eager to do. In early 2015, we wanted to find out the level of digital awareness including how our tenants use the internet. We sent surveys to the 134 Club and over 100 people responded. We have listened. We recognise the benefits that being online brings including shopping, swapping utility suppliers, finding health advice and much more. We have employed an additional Tenant Participation Officer who will have responsibility for supporting tenants to improve their computer skills. You ve made a difference Pauline, a tenant at Llys Yr Efail having a computer lesson with Alpha, a Computer Tutor from Communities 2.0

11 Annual Report to Tenants 11 Income and how it's spent Rent & Service 21.3m Charges Routine Maintenance Management Costs Costs Service 4.9m Charge 4.6m Costs Revenue Grants Received Interest Received 0.3m 0.2m Other Income 3.3m Loan & Mortgage Interest Planned Maintenance Depreciation Costs 0.7m 0.4m 3.9m 2.0m Expenditure Income Total income 22.2m 2014/15 Total expenditure 19.4m Surplus 2.8m Income Expenditure Rent and Service Charges Routine Maintenance Costs These are the costs of the day to day repairs that we have made to your properties in the year, including the cost of the staff we employ in our maintenance department. This is the total of the rents and service charges that tenants paid to us in the year ended 31st March Revenue Grants Some of our tenants may require a stair lift or a walk in shower and Linc can apply for grants on behalf of tenants to meet the cost of these works. This income includes the grants received in the year. Interest Received Linc has money on deposit in the bank and this is the interest that we received from the bank during the year. Other Income This is a number of items including monies we receive when we sell any of our properties. Service Charges We provide a range of services which are charged to our tenants ranging from catering and cleaning services at our extra care schemes to communal grass cutting on some of our larger estates. These costs include the salaries of the staff working at all of our sheltered and extracare schemes. Management Costs This is the amount it cost us over the year to provide the services set out in this report to tenants and also includes a proportion of our central overhead costs which we spend in running Linc. The central overheads include running our head office providing all the support services such as finance, HR and ICT. Planned Maintenance Costs Some of the maintenance works we undertake are planned in advance. These costs relate to planned repairs undertaken in the year and include such items as replacing garden fences which we undertake on a rolling programme. Depreciation We own the houses and schemes which we rent to our tenants and accounting rules mean that we have to write off the cost of the properties over the estimated life of the property. Our houses have cost Linc 287 million in total to build and the 2 million is the amount we have written off the cost in the current year. Loan and Mortgage Interest Linc has borrowed 100 million to develop the houses and schemes in which our tenants live. We have to pay the Banks and the Building Societies which lend us this money interest and this is the amount we paid in the year. Surplus - All of the surpluses that we make are retained and invested for the benefit of tenants and the services we provide. We do not distribute any money to shareholders. We need to generate more income than we spend in order to generate cash to repay our loans and mortgages which currently amounts to 102 million. We also use the cash surpluses to invest in developing and building new homes.

12 12 Annual Report to Tenants Managing rent and rent arrears Our Tenant Panel agree that paying rent and service charges is very important. Paying rent is not a matter of choice and tenants need to pay on time to prevent future problems. The rent that we charge goes towards carrying out repairs and improvements, managing tenancies and homes, and helping to provide services and support for our tenants. If people did not pay their rent we would be unable to provide these services. Tenants have a legal obligation under their tenancy agreement to pay their rent and Linc has a duty to collect all rent and service charges due to the Association. The vast majority of our tenants pay their rent on time and we would like to thank those who do so. We recognise that some tenants may find their circumstances change and this can cause financial difficulties. We have experienced staff who can offer advice and support to those who need it. Our Money Advice Team check that our tenants are claiming all the benefits and grants they are entitled to, advise on how bills for gas, electricity, water and other household costs can be reduced, help with household budgeting, give advice on obtaining loans with the cheapest providers available and lots more. Our Money Advice Team can be contacted on or money_advice_team@linc-cymru.co.uk I would rate the Money Advice visit 10/10. It was fantastic and very helpful - thank you! Linc Tenant During 2014/15 we collected 21.3 million in rent and service charges from our tenants. This represented 99.7% of the rent due for 2014/15 and 96.1% of the total due including the arrears brought forward at 1st April Our rent arrears at 31st March 2015 of 799,000 represented 3.7% of the rent due for 2014/15 and was made up of arrears due from tenants and amounts of Housing Benefit due from Local Authorities. During 2014/15 we wrote off rent arrears of 65,000 from tenants who did not pay their rent and who either abandoned 2014/15 Rent Collection their properties or Rent arrears brought forward at 1st April ,000 were evicted by the Rent and Service Charges due for 2014/15 21,372,000 Association for nonpayment of Total amount to collect in 2014/15 22,177,000 rent. Amount of rent and services charges we collected in 2014/15 ( 21,313,000) Sometimes things Amount of uncollected rent (bad debts) we were unable to ( 65,000) don t go as planned. collect and which was written off In some cases where Amount of rent arrears carried forward at 31st March ,000 tenants do not pay their rent and go into arrears, fail to keep us informed and do not keep to a repayment plan we may have to take legal action to recover money owed. As a last resort they may be evicted from their home.we aim to give tenants as much support as possible to manage their tenancy. Eviction is always a last resort, we prefer to work with our tenants to keep them in their homes. We evicted 13 people in 2014/15 for not paying their rent or reducing rent arrears. You ve made a difference Our Rent Arrears Policy - We consulted the 134 Club and they were happy our policy includes early intervention to support tenants to pay their rent. Our Rent Arrears Policy has the Tenants Stamp of Approval.

13 Annual Report to Tenants 13 Value for money Tenant feedback helps us to understand where we can make improvements. We set up a task and finish group to look at value for money. We invited tenants to join staff and Board Members to work out the best steps forward. Two tenants accepted this invitation. You ve made a difference STAR Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey Along with tenants, we believe that value for money is not just about the lowest price, it s about making the most of what we have, doing things well and continuously asking ourselves how things can be done better. Sometimes, this actually means spending more, sometimes spending less, and much depends upon what outcome is wanted. Tenants involved in the task and finish group developed their skills by attending training sessions. The Tenant Panel have been involved in defining what value for money means, and have highlighted examples of what they feel are value for money, such as community days. They have reported their findings back to us. 81.7% (121 out of 148 Linc tenants) think the rent they pay provides good value for money. 4.8% (7 tenants) were dissatisfied and the remaining 13.5% (20 tenants) were neither satisfied or dissatisfied. It s great that the majority of tenants feel their rent provides value for money. Last year, we invited tenants to join our value for money group. We involved our Tenant Panel and 134 Club in training and consultation for the development of our Value for Money Strategy. Karen Jeffreys - Tenant Participation Officer Tenant Panel at Value for Money workshop I think involving us in how you get value for money is a very good, worthwhile thing. We attended the training and it was very useful. We understand it more and can have more of a say. You now have our ideas on how to measure value for money. Linc Tenant

14 14 Annual Report to Tenants Building new homes You ve made a difference Porthcawl During the financial year 2014/15, we completed 49 new attractive and affordable homes in Porthcawl and Coity, near Bridgend. Our Tenant Panel visited several new homes in Coity and commented favourably on the high levels of insulation, energy efficient boilers, patio doors, attractive kitchens and the amount of storage space in the apartments. These are points we will be including in our future designs. The homes in Porthcawl were built by a national house builder as part of a larger development of private homes for sale on the open market. Coity near Bridgend We are so pleased with our new home and are surprised at how spacious it feels. We ve added small personal touches to the decoration which makes it feel really homely.the location is great as it s close to my work and my son s school. We feel really settled already! Linc Tenant STAR Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey 82% (9 out of 11 Linc tenants) who have moved into a new home say they are very or fairly satisfied with the internal and external design of their new home. Linc s STAR survey satisfaction rate is higher than the overall average of 48.8%. Since April this year, we have completed 13 new homes in Ebbw Vale and another 11 are underway. We have completed 26 more homes at Coity with a further 43 under construction. We are also building 38 apartments at Bronte House in Cardiff, completion is due in the Autumn. Two other national house builders will complete 20 new homes for us at Lisvane in Cardiff and at Pyle near Bridgend. We are on track to begin an apartment development at Jubilee Park in Rogerstone on the site of the former Alcan factory. Gwaun Helyg, Ebbw Vale

15 Annual Report to Tenants 15 Understanding you better Our ongoing tenant profiling helps us to gain a greater understanding of our tenants circumstances and needs. We ve been getting to know our tenants better. Big changes have been happening to welfare benefits and last year we worked even harder to support tenants affected by the changes. We recognised that we would be affected by the UK Government changes in Welfare Reform. To help us manage the risks associated with this, we decided to re-allocate and focus our staff on delivering money advice. You can see if this has made a difference by checking our arrears levels on page 12. During , our Money Advice Team visited 619 tenants Total savings made to tenants budgets 103,373 That s an average saving of 167 per tenant You ve made a difference Our Tenant Service Testers tested the Money Advice Service Standards. Lots of recommendations to improve the service were made and adopted by Linc. Testers said we should increase the focus on personal budgeting, make sure there is good online information, and tell more people about the service. The money advice booklet was seen by tenants as containing a lot of useful information, but it needed updating. This was done, reprinted and is available for tenants who need it. We believe the improvements made are reflected in the good feedback we have been getting about the service. The Testers were also able to look at feedback from our tenants. They could see the great things that were being said about the service and they concluded that the service meets the standards. The Money Advice service is important and it is a high quality service. Tenants can save a lot of money. The home visits make it unique. It s clear the standards are being met and we hope our recommendations will make a difference. Tenant Service Tester STAR Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey 92.7% (37 out of 40 of Linc tenants) were very or fairly satisfied with advice from the Money Advice Service. Linc s STAR survey satisfaction rate is higher than the overall average of 81.6%. Whilst the service has seen great results, the impact of reorganising our teams has meant that less people have been involved in delivering wider community initiatives. Last year, the Tenant Panel got together to decide priorities for the Tenant Participation Strategy and they felt that enabling more people to become actively involved in their community should become a priority. We listened to this and have employed an additional Tenant Participation Officer who will be responsible for engaging more tenants in their communities.

16 16 Annual Report to Tenants In the community We work across many local authority areas. This can be demanding but we make sure that our Housing Officers are on-site to support our tenants. We put a lot of emphasis on Housing Officers spending time in the communities they serve. STAR Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey 33.8% (51 out of 151 Linc tenants) felt their neighbourhood has either improved or greatly improved. 20.5% (31 Linc tenants) felt their neighbourhood had declined. 45.7% (69 Linc tenants) said it had neither improved or declined. This is good news. During the year, we completed over 100 estate inspections and invited tenants to join us in their area. We wrote to tenants and included information on inspections in the Grapevine newsletter. Several tenants joined us but we expected a lot more. We are keen to hear if improvements need to be made in our tenants neighbourhoods or if improvements have made a difference. You ve made a difference During 2014/15, we joined a number of community events and held our own. They were great fun! We were joined by Tenant Panel Members, Board Members and staff. Our Easter event at Lysaght Institute went down a treat! It brought a range of people from different communities together with the purpose of engaging tenants during what can be a stressful time for parents the school holidays! Nearly 200 people from the surrounding Newport community turned up. We also got some interest from people wanting to get more involved. We post details of our events on our website Tenants at a Community Day R&M Williams at the Foodbank in Neath Port Talbot The increased demand of Foodbanks is a concern for the tenants we work with. Tenants say it s a difficult issue and commented on how they can make many people feel. They welcomed the opportunity for us to talk to our contractors who were keen to give something back to the community. In early 2015, our contractors R&M Williams helped to paint and decorate the walls at the Foodbank in Neath Port Talbot. The Foodbank volunteers were extremely pleased with the results. They feel it helps people feel positive about using the Foodbank which is now a light and airy venue.

17 Annual Report to Tenants 17 Health, well-being and support Locally, we supported several groups to do and run things for themselves. Successes in this area include: The Fruit and Veg Co-op in St Mellons, Cardiff who are now keen to form a community group. Volunteer John at the St Mellons Food Co-op Tenants enjoying the garden at Willowbrook extra care scheme in Newport The Active Aspirations Project in Willowbrook Bettws, Newport which is helping to improve the health and wellbeing through doing the things that tenants want to do. The project has involved using creative therapies, singing, art, dance, visiting places and much more. Brackla Live in Brackla, Bridgend who are now running the group and their activities by themselves supporting young people to keep active in a fun way. We held and supported many social events during 2014/15 for our tenants, helping to bring together The Brackla Events Committee communities. These included yoga mobility classes, tea dances, film nights, concerts, coffee mornings, and jobs and training events. We have encouraged our older tenants to get online, supporting IT classes delivered by the Communities 2.0 programme, a Welsh Government funded project to get people online. It goes without saying that these groups are bringing positive improvements to peoples health and wellbeing. Tenants tell us that there would be a real gap if these initiatives were not taking place. They enjoy managing the projects in their communities which are giving them lots of skills and knowledge. Plus, it s supporting people who otherwise may become lonely, isolated or inactive. You ve made a difference

18 18 Annual Report to Tenants Working with our partners Across Linc we work with a variety of partners. This helps us enhance the work we do to engage tenants. To name but a few we have worked with Newport MIND, Bridgend CAB, Communities 2.0, Communities First Teams across South East Wales, The Tenant Participation Advisory Service, Welsh Tenants, Keep Wales Tidy, and the LIFT programme with a view to supporting the groups and helping them to achieve what matters to them. We are aware of the risk of whole communities falling into decline. Getting back to work is an important step towards creating a more prosperous community. Because of this we have involved our Housing Officers in supporting wider community initiatives. Our enhanced tenant profiling enables our Housing Officers to know who best to approach. In St Mellons, over 30 people have been referred by their Housing Officer to the LIFT programme. We have also referred many tenants living in other areas to job fayres and events where tenants can explore opportunities to seek employment. From our point of view, it s certainly a start and we would love to hear from tenants if they have been successful in getting a job or volunteering work or are on the road to building their confidence. The LIFT Programme supports tenants who have spent more than six months out of work or training, and are living in a home where nobody works and who face the greatest barriers getting back to work. Hazel from St Mellons in Cardiff was referred to the LIFT Programme by her Housing Officer at Linc. Here s what Hazel has to say... I ve been out of work for a long time and whilst I'm eager to find work again, I've lost my confidence. I found out about the local Fruit and Veg Co-op in St Mellons through Justine, my Housing Officer, and she encouraged me to start volunteering. I ve been doing this for a few months now and it has really helped me to gain back my confidence. Justine told me about the LIFT programme as she knew I was struggling to find work. I have since seen a Mentor and she has been brilliant, offering me lots of useful advice and information. I m attending an Employability Course which is accredited, along with an Intermediate IT Course. I m looking forward to learning more. My Mentor has taken the time to listen to my needs and I am so pleased with the progress so far.

19 Annual Report to Tenants 19 Tenant Involvement in the St Mellons Compact You ve made a difference Three years ago, we didn t have any tenants involved in our St Mellons Compact (an agreement between partner Registered Social landlords RSLs to work together and provide a similar level of service). This meant that we didn t have tenants views about what we should do to improve the community. When our Tenant Panel said they wanted to see more active communities, we used their help to persuade tenants in St Mellons to become involved. Vaughan Gething AM with Pat and John from the St Mellons Fruit & Veg Co-op In St Mellons, some of our tenants told us they wanted to give something back to the community. We listened and supported them to set up their own Fruit and Veg Co-operative. As time has gone on they have become more involved in wider community initiatives organised by Communities First and other organisations. Some have joined the Tenant Panel, extending their involvement and attended training which has helped to strengthen their knowledge and build on skills they already have. One of the highlights of the year, was when Vaughan Gethin AM visited the Co-op. It was a great day and lots of tenants turned up to help out as well as to collect their fresh fruit and veg. Vaughan stayed for over an hour chatting to tenants about community spirit and much more. I m very pleased to support the work of the St Mellons Food Co-op. We know that many people find it difficult to get fresh affordable food locally. None of this would be possible without the local volunteers team. I look forward to seeing the food co-op serve its local community over the coming year. Vaughan Gething AM Improving IT skills Across some of our Independent Living Schemes in Newport and Bridgend, tenants requested assistance with basic IT skills, initially on an informal basis. We listened and set up a series of digital inclusion sessions in partnership with the Communities 2.0 programme. We delivered sessions in three of our independent living schemes for older people; Wellwood and Capel Court in Newport and Cwrt Gwalia in Bridgend plus a wider community programme at Lysaght Institute in Newport. One tenant improved her skills and found employment as a result. Another has successfully set themselves up on social media enabling them to keep in touch with their distant relatives. Others have set up accounts, now pay their bills online and we even have one group of tenants on Twitter, tweeting on behalf of their tenants group. We now know that we need a more formal approach to digital inclusion and getting people online. This will focus in our Let s Get Digital programme, Raymond, Linc tenant completed the digital inclusion session which will involve more accurate recording of tenants and communities that take part in and receive assistance and training for getting online, including assessing how attendees have benefited from delivered sessions and events. We will also create a digital inclusion policy.

20 20 Annual Report to Tenants Complaints and compliments We always strive to offer the best possible service to our customers however, we recognise that sometimes we do get it wrong. Listening to our tenants is very important. We believe that complaints can help us to improve the way we do things. Letting us know that somebody or something has let you down allows us to find out what is going wrong and we always do our best to put it right! We want to make sure that tenants find it easy to complain should they need to. Whilst we received 129 complaints, we also received over 235 compliments. Below are some examples. Complaint Tenant was dissatisfied with the installation of a new boiler. Tenant was dissatisfied with our repairs service i.e. missed appointments and incomplete repairs. Outcome A fault was identified due to air in the system. We now ensure our contractor checks all new installations. Tenant received compensation for additional electricity used whilst boiler was being repaired. Our contractors have a clear target regarding attendance of appointments and we monitor this monthly. I would like to thank the electrician who came out on boxing day to fix the front sensor light. Although he could not fix it at the time, he organised the work temporarily until it could be fixed permanently. He was polite and friendly. Compliments A big thank you to Liberty Gas who visited on a same day call out to fix my heating. It ended up being something very simple to fix and he did it with a huge smile on his face. He also explained fully what was wrong and showed me how to sort it myself if it happens again. Thank you so much for your efforts in getting the tree s cut back. On a sunny day it s lovely to see a blue sky and white clouds from my window. Learning from you in the future We have looked at the way we deal with complaints and believe there is room for improvement. We want to make sure the same complaints are not coming in on a regular basis. If this happens, we want to find out what will stop this from happening. We will be working with the 134 Club to check if our complaints system is up to scratch.

21 Annual Report to Tenants 21 Adapting your home We adapt homes for those who need support with mobility. Such adaptations improve the quality of peoples lives and enables them to be as independent as possible in their own homes. We apply to the Welsh Government for Physical Adaptation Grant (PAG) funding for these works. During the year we made 60 adaptations to a total value of 228,087. What we do Once a referral is received, our Occupational Therapist (OT) visits the tenant to undertake an individual assessment. They may have difficulty moving around or getting upstairs. Sometimes getting to the front door may be difficult for someone. Solutions are worked up between the tenant and the OT and may involve installing a stair lift, level access shower, door entry system, or specially designed kitchens with rise and fall sinks, cupboards and worktops for wheelchair users. Our Maintenance Team will apply for the PAG funding. Depending on the complexity of the work and the overall cost, some jobs, such as stairlifts can be done straight away (we have a target of 8 weeks after assessment) whilst others, such as adapted kitchens may take several months. Some have to be individually approved by the Welsh Government. Case Study A tenant living in a sheltered housing scheme with mobility issues and sight loss was having difficulty manoeuvring around her bathroom. Linc s OT visited, where she assessed and designed the bathroom around the tenant s personal needs. Lack of space was a concern within her previous bathroom, so planning included utilising the area in the best way possible. The door was adjusted to open outwards, a walk in shower with a non-slip floor was fitted, hand rails and a shower seat were fitted to support the tenant with her mobility whilst showering, as well as fitting a raised toilet and sink with arm rails providing additional assistance and support. Work was completed within a week and the tenant was very pleased with the outcome. It s great to see what a difference an adaptation can make to a persons life. Currently, we are installing decking and ramps to support a tenant who has mobility issues to access his garden something which he loves. Sheltered housing is about supporting people to live independently within their own home, and having certain adaptations and improvements completed allows them to do just that. Jade Newton, Scheme Manager, Ty Canol, Cwmbran I feel so much safer since I had a walk in shower fitted. I had to step up to get into the old one which caused me a great amount of difficulty. The new shower makes things a lot easier for me. Linc Tenant

22 22 Annual Report to Tenants Letting homes We are proud of our performance in relation to the time we take to re-let homes. During 2014/15 we re-let 390 homes, this includes 119 properties in our sheltered, supported housing and extra care schemes, as well as 248 houses and apartments, and 23 market rent properties. On average, it took us 11 days to re-let houses and apartments. This includes 3 properties that took an exceptionally long time due to refurbishment works and particular letting issues. Taking these 3 properties out of the average, we relet homes within 9 days. It took us an average of 18 days to re-let properties in our sheltered, supported housing and extra care schemes. There were 6 properties that took an exceptionally long time to re-let due to anticipated refurbishment or other letting difficulties. Taking these 6 properties out of the average, we re-let these homes within 10 days. People who move into our sheltered, supported or extra care schemes often need to have a support package or a package of care arranged to ensure that they will have the right help and support to live happily and as independently as possible in their new home. This involves liaising with a number of different agencies in order to ensure that any services provided are centred around the individual who will be receiving them. Getting it right is crucial and can take time. We are able to achieve these low figures because our Housing, Care and Maintenance Teams work together to ensure that as soon as we receive notice that a property is vacant or due to become vacant they notify the contractor to carry out any necessary works quickly. Our Housing Officers contact prospective tenants and the administrative teams communicate information to external agencies such as water, gas and electric companies as well as providing information to Linc staff. It takes our contractors less than 5 days to undertake any repairs and get a property ready for occupation. This will include all minor repairs and general cleaning of the property. Should major works such as the renewal of a kitchen or bathroom be needed, we delay these if possible until after the new tenant has moved in so that they can be part of the upgrading of their home by choosing things like kitchen units, tiles and flooring. By turning these homes around quickly we reduce any lost rent, we enable tenants to obtain a home quickly and we reduce the chance of any vandalism or damage to the properties. On average, it took us 35 days to re-let our market rent properties. This is considered better than the general re-letting times in Cardiff of around 43 days, given that new tenants have to provide references, verify that they can afford the rent, and generally have to give one month s notice on their current property. We do not keep a waiting list for these properties as we advertise any vacancies on Zoopla or Right Move along with other private rental agents. STAR Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey 100% (13 out of 13 Linc tenants) think it was easy to understand and access the allocations scheme when they applied for housing. Linc s STAR survey satisfaction rate is higher than the overall average of 81.5%.

23 Annual Report to Tenants 23 Anti-social Behaviour We recognise that anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a concern for our communities. We have a dedicated Community Safety Team who work with the wider housing team to address matters swiftly and effectively. ASB is complex. Social and environmental factors such as alcohol & drug misuse, support needs, living arrangements can all play a huge part. Therefore there is often no quick fix solution that can be applied to every case as a multi-faceted approach with a number of partner agencies e.g. police, social services, noise pollution and support providers may be required. Linc forms close working relationships with the relevant agencies on a case by case basis and the support of our communities plays a significant role. In 2014/15, we dealt with 470 cases of anti-social behaviour. The most frequently reported type remains as noise nuisance. As a result, the team are looking into additional new technologies to help to tackle this issue. The Anti-social Behaviour Crime & Policing Act 2014 commenced on 20th October The Act was introduced to consolidate numerous different legal interventions that existed to tackle anti-social behaviour into a smaller pool of usable interventions. The introduction of the Act also sees the end of the ASBO era (anti-social behaviour order). As well as the change in the legal interventions, the Act brought in a Community Trigger. The trigger gives the community the right to demand persistent antisocial behaviour is dealt with. If a case meets a locally determined threshold and the trigger is activated, agencies including registered social landlords must carry out a case review and adopt a problem solving approach to agree actions if appropriate. You ve made a difference Some time ago our ongoing feedback from tenants told us that they were unhappy with how we kept them updated on the progress of their cases. As a result we decided that we required greater administrative support and expanded the Community Safety Team. Our research shows that satisfaction rates have increased in this area; from 62% in 2011/12 to 78% in 2013/14 to 92% in 2014/15. 92% of survey respondents who accessed Linc s ASB service in 2014/15 said they were fairly satisfied or very satisfied with being kept updated/informed on the progress of their case. 88% of survey respondents were happy with the outcome of their complaint. The star survey results below are not representative of our own survey results and we will do some further research to find out why. STAR Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey 41.6% (10 out of 24 Linc tenants) were very or fairly satisfied with how well they were being kept updated/informed on the progress of their case. 44% (11 out of 25 Linc tenants) were very or fairly satisfied with the outcome of their complaint.

24 24 Annual Report to Tenants Repairing your home We work closely with our appointed contractors to ensure our homes are maintained and repaired to a high standard. They provide a number of services such as general building works, electrical works, heating and plumbing works, landscaping, painting, kitchen design as well as fire alarm, lift and equipment service and maintenance. The Tenant Panel takes a real interest in what matters to tenants and repairs and maintenance is high on their list. In 2013, the Panel played a key role in tendering, interviewing and appointing our heating and plumbing contractors Liberty Gas. Working together is invaluable as it helps us to discuss and understand where our service is performing well and where it falls short. Tenants regularly monitor progress and performance at monthly Contractor Review Meetings and Quarterly Core Group meetings with the Directors of our contract companies R & M Williams and Liberty Gas. Feedback and discussions at such meetings enable us to identify clear goals and targets. You ve made a difference We focussed on two particular areas for improvement during 2014/15. These were appointments and the time taken to complete repairs. As a result we worked with our contractors on a right first time strategy and looked at ways to improve communication with the making and completion of appointments. Both contractors were set clear targets and steady progress has been achieved. R & M Williams has exceeded its Right First Time target and in doing so has acknowledged that efficiency of their organisation has improved as a result of getting it right on the first visit. Liberty Gas has exceeded its appointments target and continues to work towards achieving their Right First Time target. Their record of achieving 100% Gas Safety compliance for the last 6 months has been excellent. R & M Williams Target 2014/15 Right first time 95% 95% Appointments 93% 95% Achieved Liberty Gas Target Achieved 2014/15 Right first time 95% 96% Appointments 85% 83% Our Linc survey figures show that both R&M Williams and Liberty Gas have better results than those reflected in the star survey. Our Contractor Review Panel will be looking into the difference of figures. STAR Wales-Wide Tenant Satisfaction Survey The star survey showed that 78% (82 people out of 105 Linc tenants) were able to make an appointment that suited their needs.

25 Annual Report to Tenants % Gas Safety Compliance Record We take health and safety very seriously and are proud that we have a 100% Gas Safety Compliance record. We are legally bound to ensure that all gas boilers are serviced every year. 100% We are 100% compliant with the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (Introduced by the Welsh Government in These are minimum standards for rented property to ensure that all homes are in a good state of repair, safe and secure, adequately heated, fuel efficient and well insulated, contain up-to-date kitchens and bathrooms, well managed, located in attractive and safe environments and as far as possible suit the specific requirements of the household). Number of Repairs We carried out 20,521 repairs orders in 2014/15, at an average cost of 137. Many people write in about the repairs and maintenance service. Here are some examples of what they say... Contractor completed the works to a very high standard and the engineers were very accommodating. Nothing too much trouble for them. I was a bit disappointed that lots of leaves were left on my path, making it slippery. A very quick service, thank you very much. It is so much easier to use the stairs now that the handrail has been installed. Visit by R&M Williams, employees very helpful and incredibly kind. Repairs were temporary as new door is required, but their input was as an emergency. Very pleased with work.

26 26 Annual Report to Tenants Our planned maintenance Linc has a structured long term programme of works for all properties. Each year we carry out a number of planned replacements of bathrooms, kitchens, windows and boilers. All work is carried out to comply with the latest standards such as high efficiency boilers and LED lighting that makes living in Linc homes more affordable. The following planned maintenance was carried out during 2014/15. Bathrooms Kitchens External Doors Boiler Replacements Cyclical External Painting Works included: Replacement of kitchens and communal lighting and redecoration at Ty Canol Sheltered Scheme, Cwmbran Replacement of kitchens at Aberavon Court Sheltered Scheme, Port Talbot Communal ceilings and lighting at Llys Yr Efail Sheltered Scheme, Blaina Replacement of kitchens at Llandegfedd Way, Pontypool In March 2014 Linc commissioned Beaufort Research to evaluate levels of satisfaction with planned maintenance amongst tenants. 84% of tenants whose property underwent planned maintenance were more positive about their home. Overall opinions from tenants whose properties underwent planned maintenance have improved since our previous research in This graph compares the results.

27 Annual Report to Tenants 27 What's next? Next year (2015/16), we will invest just over 1.6 million in homes through replacement kitchens, bathrooms, boilers, windows, doors and other components as well as the external and internal redecoration of some buildings. We use our Stock Condition Survey system to work out when something needs replacing. Further surveys by our Maintenance Officers confirm if work is necessary. The Map below shows the locations of the main replacement schemes of windows, kitchens and bathrooms. Kitchens Bathrooms Key Windows Kitchens Bathrooms Neath Port Talbot Merthyr Tydfil Blaenau Gwent 20 8 Tredegar Ebbw Vale Blaina Abertillery 8 23 Pontypool Swansea 19 Port 15 Talbot 4 Seven Sisters Neath Ogmore Vale 30 2 Bridgend Rhondda Cynon Taff Pontypridd 1 M4 21 Blackwood 10 7 Hengoed Caerphilly Cardiff 1 Cwmbran Torfaen 3 Risca Newport Vale of Glamorgan You ve made a difference Replacing 201 Kitchens We have consulted the Tenant Panel about kitchen specifications and making them safer for people with visual impairments. New Kitchens As well as replacing 115 kitchens in individual homes, we are also fitting 30 at Cwrt Gwalia sheltered scheme in Ogmore Vale, 21 at Jerusalem Close in Pontypool, 19 at Caradog Close in Bridgend and 16 at Llys Groeswen in Port Talbot.

28 28 Annual Report to Tenants New Bathrooms Before After We are replacing 125 bathrooms. Tenants can choose the tiles and flooring for their new bathroom. The suites will be white. A contractor has been selected, surveys are underway and works are due to start during September New bathrooms will be fitted at locations such as Bill Harry Court sheltered housing scheme in Tredegar where there is a mixture of 20 standard bathrooms and walk-in showers according to the needs of our tenants; 23 at Glendower Close in Brackla and 12 at Cavendish Close in Cardiff. Coming Soon... New Windows for Llys Yr Efail Most windows in our properties have been put in during the last 25 years so we only do a small amount of work here. There are 10 homes that are having windows replaced as well as all 38 apartments at Llys Yr Efail Sheltered Scheme in Blaina.

29 Redecoration Annual Report to Tenants 29 Each year we paint and clean a proportion of our homes. Whilst painting them we also make repairs where needed. Painting tends to be every 6 years (as paint manufacturer s guarantees). But there are some homes that suffer high exposure to adverse weather so need more work. Glyn Anwen extra care scheme in Newport is an example as it is located in an elevated position. Together with Glyn Anwen we will be redecorating 299 homes across Linc as well as the exterior of Capel Court extra care scheme in Newport. We re also going to decorate some communal areas. Colour schemes will comply with Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) standards, making them safer for people with a visual impairment. Decorating Communal Areas: Richmond Road, Cardiff Wyncliffe Gardens Apartments, Cardiff Barrack Lane Apartments, Cardiff Danygraig Apartments, Neath Port Talbot Ty Canol Court Sheltered Scheme, Cwmbran Llys Glyncoed Extra Care, Ebbw Vale Willowbrook House Extra Care, Newport External Redecoration Internal Redecoration Our redecoration work will be done by Unicorn (Southern)Ltd. Merthyr Tydfil Llys Glyncoed Extra Care Blaenau Gwent Tredegar 1 Blaina Abertillery Ebbw Vale Swansea 5 Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot 8 Danygraig Neath Ogmore Vale 11 Bridgend Rhondda Cynon Taff M4 Bargoed 1 56 Hengoed 5 39 Cardiff Blackwood Caerphilly Llys Enfys Extra Care, Llanishen Newbridge 1 Torfaen 13 Richmond Road, Roath Willowbrook Extra Care, Bettws Newport Wyncliffe Gardens, Pontprennau Barrack Lane Ty Canol Court, Cwmbran Vale of Glamorgan

30 30 Annual Report to Tenants Selling homes Last year we sold one home to a family with the Right to Acquire, enabling tenants to buy the home they live in and enjoy. If you would like to find out more information about how you can buy your home please contact us on freephone or us at contact.centre@linc-cymru.co.uk Currently, Linc has 139 Shared Ownership properties, 1 Leasehold Property and 103 with Properties on Home Buy Option. In a leasehold property the tenant pays a service charge which covers the following services: Electricity, Grounds, Maintenance, Window Cleaning, Lift Contract, Fire Precautions, Door Entry System, Communal Cleaning, Communal Rubbish, General Repairs, and CCTV, this is on top of their rent. Linc helped us get on the property ladder With our Shared Ownership Properties, tenants can eventually own their property outright by buying the balance from Linc over a period of time. Linc provides buildings insurance on all Shared Ownership properties, but the tenants are responsible for their own repairs. Other services such as anti-social behaviour assistance and money advice are provided by Linc. There are two types of Homebuy Option (HBO), one funded by the Welsh Government (WG), the other by Linc. All HBO owners own 70% of their home. The owners do not pay Linc rent or service charge. When the owner wants to buy the remainder of their home they pay 30% of the current market value. This is then repaid to either Linc or WG. The Linc HBO is initially for a period of 5 years, after which time if the owner does not buy outright we charge interest on the amount outstanding at bank base rate.

31 Annual Report to Tenants 31 Celebrating our achievements Flying High - Top 3 Star Accreditation! Linc was awarded a top 3 star accreditation for services in extra care, sheltered housing and housing related support for older people. We were the first Housing Association in Wales to be awarded the Centre for Housing and Support (CHS) Service Excellence Standards. Three stars is the highest award possible. Pictured here (Left-Right): Anne Thomas, Executive Director Linc Care; Brian Thomas, Chair of the Tenant Panel; David Chinnick, Senior Extra Care Manager with tenants at Llys Enfys extra care scheme in Llanishen, Cardiff. What is the CHS service excellence standard? The CHS Service Excellence Standards is a prestigious award specifically designed to test and score the quality of services delivered to vulnerable people. A thorough review of Linc's services was carried out by an independent assessor. This involved speaking to staff, tenants and key stakeholders to gain a better understanding of the service and how this is viewed by the people that receive it. Some areas of the assessment included: Responsible service management Value for money That services are personalised That people are respected and involved That tenants are kept safe from abuse Financial inclusion and supporting independence This new Service Excellence Standard demonstrates our commitment to improving tenant services and experiences in Linc. We are delighted to be recognised by CHS for working with tenants, staff and commissioners to achieve this top award. Anne Thomas, Executive Director Linc Care It s great that Linc has been recognised in this way. My views along with other tenants were sought by the CHS assessor and I cannot fault where I live or the staff. There are opportunities for tenants to have their say and influence decision outcomes with Linc. The tenant panel has closely followed the journey of the new standards being achieved. I think existing and future tenants will benefit from the accreditation knowing that Linc do what they say they will do. Brian Thomas, Chair of the Tenant Panel

32 Annual Report to Tenants 32 Celebrating our achievements Extra Care Scoops National Award Llys Enfys extra care scheme in Llanishen and Llys Glyncoed extra care scheme in Ebbw Vale were recognised as examples of best practice in the Elderly Accommodation Council s (EAC) National Housing for Older People Awards 2014 held at Doncaster Race Course on 25th November. The EAC is a national charity that aims to help older people make informed choices about meeting their housing and care needs by providing advice and support to tenants, their families and carers as well as professionals and policy makers. Llys Enfys won a Bronze medal in the category for Housing with Care units and over and Llys Glyncoed won Highly Commended for Housing with Care units. More than 3,300 residents from nearly 300 specialist housing schemes helped choose the award winners in a unique process overseen by the EAC. The residents Pictured from left, the Linc Team receiving the awards: Dave Chinnick, Senior Extra Care Manager; Hannah Parker, Service Manager at Llys Enfys; Sheena Yellen, Service Manager at Plas Bryn; and Richard Sheahan, Supported Housing Manager (collecting the award on behalf of Jayne Williams, Service Manager, Llys Glyncoed) scored their housing scheme/care home on a variety of statements relating to both the quality of the property and the care, support and general sense of wellbeing they enjoy there. This is a fantastic achievement for Llys Enfys and Llys Glyncoed, made even more significant as they were the only two providers in Wales to scoop awards. Your Feedback We hope you have enjoyed reading our summary self-evaluation. Your views really make a difference so we d like to hear how well you think we are doing and would welcome your feedback on this document. If you would like it in larger print or a printed copy, or if you need help understanding any of the content or would like it in another language, please get in touch. Contact us on freephone or us at contact.centre@linc-cymru.co.uk