Our Annual Report and Report on Progress in Relation to the Scottish Social Housing Charter

Transcription

1 Our Annual Report and Report on Progress in Relation to the Scottish Social Housing Charter

2 PAGE 2 Annual Report / Report on progress

3 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 3 CONTENTS Knowes Core Values... Page 4 Our Strategy... Page 4 Introduction... Page 5 What is the Scottish Social Housing Charter?... Page 5 Chairperson s Report... Page 6 The Customer / Landlord Relationship...Pages 7-8 Complaints...Pages 9 Communication Targets & Performances... Page 10 Housing quality and maintenance... Pages Neighbourhood and Community... Page 14 Landscape Services... Page 15 Anti-Social Behaviour...Pages 16 Access to Housing and Support... Pages Getting good value for money from rents and service charges... Page 21 Rent Arrears Performance in Page 22 Financial Review 2014/15... Pages Wider Action Review... Pages Our Management Committee and Staff Team... Pages 30-31

4 PAGE 4 Annual Report / Report on progress KNOWES CORE VALUES Respect and Equality of Opportunity We treat everyone with respect and recognise and respond to their individual needs. Customer Focussed We ensure that our customers are at the core of everything we do. Communication We communicate effectively with our customers and colleagues. Continuous Improvement We are committed to review, develop and improve all of our services and processes. Honesty & Professionalism We behave in a professional manner displaying honesty and integrity at all times. OUR STRATEGY IS TO: Strengthen - Our current position within the marketplace and continue to build upon our performance Diversify - Through getting involved in wider action projects and involvement with new client groups Grow - By increasing the quality, choice and number of houses available. This will be achieved by meeting our objectives. SHORT TERM - OBJECTIVES Complete the implementation of the new IT system including additional modules Work with staff and IiP to adopt the new IiP framework Prepare for impact of Universal Credit Attract new Committee / share members Ensure Committee has necessary skills to carry out their duties and continue to comply with the nine year rule Take forward the Bowling Club development if viable Produce Annual Return on the Charter Continue to access funding for energy improvement initiatives Maintain the Scottish Housing Quality Standard Prepare for and report on the Scottish Government Energy Standard (EESSH) LONG TERM - OBJECTIVES Identify and pursue development / expansion opportunities Address issues of demand and supply within our area of operation Work with partners to promote the social and economic regeneration in our area of operation Work toward reducing incidences of crime and anti-social behaviour Investigate sustainable and renewable energy initiatives Improve financial viability in order to deal with future contingencies Develop the QL IT system to fully meet our needs

5 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 5 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to highlight the Association s progress towards meeting the Scottish Social Housing Charter and also to provide additional information about our performance in the financial year 2015/16 in a format agreed with our tenants. WHAT IS THE SCOTTISH SOCIAL HOUSING CHARTER? The Charter was approved by the Scottish Parliament in March 2012 and became effective on 1st April The Charter requires all Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) operating in Scotland to produce a report each year outlining their performance in relation to the Charter outcomes. There are 15 outcomes detailed in the Charter which are relevant to Knowes, and these are described in this report along with our progress in achieving them. CHARTER HEADING The Customer/Landlord relationship Housing quality and maintenance Neighbourhood and community Access to housing and support Getting good value from rents and service charges OUTCOMES AND STANDARDS 1: Equalities 2: Communication 3: Participation 4: Quality of housing 5: Repairs, maintenance and improvements 6: Estate management, anti-social behaviour, neighbour nuisance and tenancy disputes 7, 8 and 9: Housing options 10: Access to social housing 11: Tenancy sustainment 12: Homeless people 13: Value for money 14 and 15: Rents and service charges This report where possible shows trends in performance over a number of years, and also comparisons with national statistics collected by the Scottish Housing Regulator.

6 PAGE 6 Annual Report / Report on progress CHAIRPERSON S REPORT I would like to invite you to read our third Annual Report on The Charter which incorporates our Annual Report was another year of achievement and challenges. Our main concern remains the changes to the welfare system, and we will wait and see how the Scotland Act impacts on this, however we are preparing in particular for the impact of Universal Credit and direct payment of the housing element to our tenants. During it was necessary for the association to replace the IT system which manages pretty much all of our business, this was due to the closing of the company from whom we have procured our IT software over the last 18 years. This was a significant task which consumed staff resources over a 9 month period, however we hope that going forward the new system will have benefits to both customers and staff. On a positive side was a very successful year for the Association as we continued to meet our challenging targets. Details of our performance are contained within the various sections of the report. We assessed our properties against the new Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) and we now have plans to bring all of our properties up to this standard by We were successful in applying for continuation funding which allows us to continue to provide finance and advice services throughout West Dunbartonshire via our partners. Over the course of the year, we have been in discussion with West Dunbartonshire Council over a site in Abbeylands Road, which we hope we will be able to acquire to build some much needed new housing in Faifley. I am happy to report that the Association remains in a financially sound position, which will allow us to continue our programme of property improvements whilst keeping rent increases to a minimum. We have had a number of changes of staff over the last year, and I would like to welcome the new staff to the association. We have also had some new additions to our Committee and I would also like to welcome the new Committee members to the Association. We are however always looking for additional Committee Members, and I would like to invite anyone with an interest in the work of the Association to put themselves forward as potential Committee Members either at the AGM or at any time during the year. I trust that you will find this report useful and informative, and to help us design the report to best meet your needs in the future, we would welcome any feedback on the format of the report. John Lafferty John Lafferty Chairperson

7 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 7 THE CUSTOMER / LANDLORD RELATIONSHIP OUTCOMES AND STANDARDS OUTCOME 1 EQUALITIES: We must perform all aspects of our housing services so that every tenant and other customer has their individual needs recognised, is treated fairly and with respect, and receives access to housing and housing services. OUTCOME 2 COMMUNICATION: We must manage our business so that tenants and other customers find it easy to communicate with their landlord and get the information they need about their landlord, how and why it makes decisions and the services it provides. OUTCOME 3 PARTICIPATION: We must manage our business so that tenants and other customers find it easy to participate in and influence their landlord s decisions at a level they feel comfortable with. The table below shows the response to questions in our survey carried out in 2013 in relation to these outcomes and standards. Percentage of tenants satisfied with the overall service provided by their landlord (Indicator 1) Total number of tenants who were surveyed 1021 Total number of tenants who responded 308 Very Satisfied 182 Fairly Satisfied 102 Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied 12 Fairly Dissatisfied 6 Very Dissatisfied 3 No Opinion 3 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the overall service provided by their landlord 92.21%

8 PAGE 8 Annual Report / Report on progress THE CUSTOMER / LANDLORD RELATIONSHIP (CONTINUED) Percentage of tenants who feel their landlord is good at keeping them informed about their services and decisions (indicator 3) Total number of tenants who were surveyed 1021 Total number of tenants who responded 309 Feel KHA is very good at keeping them informed 198 Feel KHA is fairly good at keeping them informed 85 Feel KHA is neither good nor poor at keeping them informed 19 Feel KHA is fairly poor at keeping them informed 4 Feel KHA is very poor at keeping them informed 3 Percentage of tenants who feel their landlord is good at keeping them informed about their services and decisions 91.59% Percentage of tenants satisfied with the opportunities given to them to participate in their landlord s decision making processes (indicator 6) Total number of tenants who were surveyed 1021 Total number of tenants who responded 271 Very Satisfied 134 Fairly Satisfied 87 Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied 41 Fairly Dissatisfied 4 Very Dissatisfied 5 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the opportunities given to them to participate in their landlord s decision making processes 81.55% ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION We realise that it is not always easy for everyone to access information about the services we provide; therefore we aim to provide it in a variety of formats. Our newsletters, policies and letters are all available on request in large print, audio and Braille. We can provide translation services where necessary. We have a mobile hearing loop system in our office to help those with a hearing impairment and we ensure that this is available at all times. If you feel that any of these services would help you or if there is anything else that we can provide in order to make your communication with us easier please do not hesitate to contact Sandra Love on (option 5), by ing slove@knowes. org or by calling into the office at 10 Field Road.

9 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 9 COMPLAINTS In October 2012 the Association adopted the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) new model complaints handling procedure. The purpose of the procedure is to provide a standardised and consistent approach to customer complaints across the housing sector in Scotland. This is used for complaints related to dissatisfaction with our standard of service or action which the Association has or has not taken. The model involves a two stage process. All complaints are reported to the Scottish Housing Regulator annually. We also publish our performance in dealing with complaints in our newsletter and on our website. The Association values complaints and will report on how we have improved our service as a result of complaints made. The table below details all complaints received in 2015/16, there were no complaints received regarding equality issues. Percentage of 1st and 2nd stage complaints resolved by the landlord (indicators 4&5) Complaints regarding all other issues 1st Stage Complaints 2nd Stage Complaints Number Percentage Number Percentage Received in the reporting year 49 N/A 10 N/A Complaints responded to in full by the landlord in the reporting year Complaints upheld by the landlord in the reporting year Complaints responded to in full within the timescales set out in the SPSO Model CHP

10 PAGE 10 Annual Report / Report on progress COMMUNICATION TARGETS AND PERFORMANCE We have agreed timescales to ensure that we answer all forms of communication from our customers in a timely manner. These are set out below in a table showing our performance in these areas over the last three years to allow a comparison. Area Target Actual 2015/16 Actual 2014/15 Actual 2013/14 Time taken to respond to letters, and fax Time taken to respond to letters, and fax where a follow up is required 3 Working Days 5 Working Days 2 Working Days 3 Working Days 2 Working Days 1 Working Day 1 Working Day 1 Working Day Time taken to answer telephones 2 Rings 2 Rings 2 Rings 2 Rings

11 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 11 HOUSING QUALITY AND MAINTENANCE OUTCOMES OUTCOME 4 - QUALITY OF HOUSING: We must manage our business so that tenant s homes as a minimum, met the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by April 2015 and continue to meet it thereafter, and when they are allocated, are always clean, tidy and in a good state of repair. OUTCOME 5 - REPAIRS, MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS: We must manage our business so that tenant s homes are well maintained, with repairs and improvements carried out when required, and tenants are given reasonable choices about when work is done. Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in Scotland were required to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by April This standard was introduced by the Scottish Government in 2004 and requires every property owned by RSLs to meet 35 quality criteria. In some instances it will not be possible to meet the standard, for example where there is no controlled entry system in a close, and owner occupiers decide that they don t want to share the cost of installing such a system. In such cases these are classed as abeyances. There are other situations where failure to meet the standard is acceptable and that is where tenants have refused access to carry out work. All of our properties meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard as at 31st March Throughout the financial year 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2016 the Association completed a number of projects which included the following upgrades: Description of Work Number of Properties Area Window Renewal 178 Orbiston Drive & Place, Swallow Rd, Lawmuir Cres, Auchnacraig Rd Gas Central Heating Replacement 32 Various locations Bathroom Renewal - Cottage type properties 46 Douglasmuir Rd, Field Rd, Swallow Rd Balcony Replacement 71 Lawmuir Crescent External Wall Insulation 17 Middleward St, Abbeylands Rd Description of Work Number of Properties Close and External Painting 17 Closes and 92 tenanted Cottages Gas Servicing 991 Medical Adaptations 21

12 PAGE 12 Annual Report / Report on progress HOUSING QUALITY AND MAINTENANCE (CONTINUED) REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE SPEND 2015/2016 Planned Maintenance 124,937 (6%) Medical Adaptations 23,804 (1%) Reactive Maintenance 745,398 (36%) Component Replacement 794,716 (38%) Major Repairs 160,761 (8%) Gas Maintenance 106,843 (5%) Landscape maintenance 58,656 (3%) Close Cleaning Contract 75,704 (3%) The table below highlights the level of satisfaction tenants have for their home and the repairs we carry out. Percentage of tenants satisfied with the standard of their home when moving in (indicator 9) Total number of tenants who moved into their property in the last year who responded 7 Very Satisfied 5 Fairly Satisfied 2 Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied 0 Fairly Dissatisfied 0 Very Dissatisfied 0 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the standard of their home when moving in 100%

13 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 13 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the quality of their home (indicator 10) Total number of tenants who responded 306 Very Satisfied 126 Fairly Satisfied 144 Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied 18 Fairly Dissatisfied 10 Very Dissatisfied 8 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the quality of their home 88.24% Percentage of tenants who have had repairs or maintenance carried out in the last 12 months satisfied with the repairs and maintenance service (indicator 16) Total number of tenants who have had a repair carried out in the last 12 months who responded Very Satisfied 18 Fairly Satisfied 4 Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied 1 Fairly Dissatisfied 1 Very Dissatisfied 1 Percentage of tenants who have had repairs or maintenance carried out in last 12 months satisfied with the repairs and maintenance service 25 88% The table below highlights our repairs performance during the year. Description Knowes HA Scottish RSL Average Length of time taken to complete emergency repairs 3.2 Hours 5 Hours Length of time taken to complete non-emergency repairs 5.4 days 6 Days Percentage of appointments kept 97.9% 92.7% Proportion of repairs completed right first time 98.9% 89.6% Proportion of repairs completed within our agreed response time 98.6% N/A Percentage of properties with a valid gas safety certificate 100% 98.8%

14 PAGE 14 Annual Report / Report on progress NEIGHBOURHOOD AND COMMUNITY OUTCOMES OUTCOME 6 - ESTATE MANAGEMENT, ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, NEIGHBOUR NUISANCE AND TENANCY DISPUTES: Working in partnership with other agencies we will help to ensure that tenants and other customers live in well-maintained neighbourhoods where they feel safe. Percentage of tenants satisfied with the management of the neighbourhood they live in Total number of tenants who responded 292 Very Satisfied 126 Fairly Satisfied 105 Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied 38 Fairly Dissatisfied 13 Very Dissatisfied 10 Percentage of tenants satisfied with the management of the neighbourhood they live in 79.11% Housing Officers inspect closes and communal areas quarterly (as a minimum) and this generates a considerable number of actions ranging from issuing stair-cleaning rotas to identifying and reporting repairs in and around the Associations properties. The Association has completed another successful year of the close cleaning service and has increased the total number of closes from 85 to 90 closes. Knowes strive to bring value for money to our tenants and as the close cleaning contract was due for renewal it was put out to tender. The contract was awarded to Sercon as they offered the most competitive tender which is currently being monitored.

15 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 15 LANDSCAPE SERVICES The landscape maintenance services are carried out by our contractor. The works comprise the upkeep and regular maintenance of open space areas, backcourts and the common shrub areas. The regular maintenance work includes monthly grass cutting in amenity areas, rough grassed areas, areas of woodland, maintenance and inspection of mature trees, weed killing and common hedge maintenance. Following a procurement process we appointed a new contractor, Continental, to carry out this service over the next 5 years.

16 PAGE 16 Annual Report / Report on progress ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND NEIGHBOUR NUISANCE In the last year the Association has continued to work in partnership with other local RSLs and West Dunbartonshire Council s Anti-Social Investigation Team (ASIST), however we no longer use ASIST for investigating cases due to the excessive charging for this service at a rate of per hour. The Anti-Social Behaviour Operational Forum which comprises of RSLs and WDC has been an excellent tool in the past in terms of proactively tackling Anti-Social behaviour and accessing information and resources, however due to shortages in Council resources this forum has now ceased to exist. The following services are still available to residents within Knowes area of operation:- Noise Enforcement Team Out-of-Hours Helpline Mediation Service Environmental Health Department The Dog Warden Service Bulk Uplift Service Noise Monitoring Equipment The number of neighbour disputes received has decreased in the past 7 years but increased slightly in the last financial year. The number of anti-social behaviour cases reported went from 128 in 2008/09 to 80 last year. Of these 80 disputes, there were no Category A s (extreme cases), 12 were Category B (serious cases) and 68 were the more minor disputes at Category C. NUMBER OF NEIGHBOUR DISPUTES 140 Number Of Neighbour Disputes / / / / / / /15 Year

17 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 17 West Dunbartonshire Council s Cleansing Department introduced changes to its waste uplift services in February of last year. General waste is now uplifted fortnightly as the council try to promote recycling throughout the West Dunbartonshire area. Residents are provided with blue recycling bins in most of the tenemental back courts which are also uplifted fortnightly on alternate weeks from the general refuse uplifts. Brown food bins have also been provided which are uplifted weekly. Whilst these changes are not ideal it is outwith the control of the Association. PROGRESS IN 2016/17 In 2016/17 the Association will continue to work with WDC and the other local RSLs through the delivery of our common ASB Policy & Procedure which is due to be updated in June In addition we will continue to try and re-establish the ASB Operational Forum which is a key group in problem solving and allows us to reap the benefits of partnership and multi-agency working. This forthcoming year will also consist of monitoring current systems and initiatives and establishing new ones to improve the service we deliver to our residents. Essentially we will be delivering and monitoring the following:- Partnership working with WDC, Police Scotland and other local agencies Continue to monitor our locally agreed targets and report on them through the Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) Estate management service Monitoring and managing our close cleaning service, currently being delivered by Sercon and retender this service if the current contractor cannot deliver the service to Knowes satisfaction levels Introduce the new I.T. module to monitor all ASB cases Tenancy Management Policies and Procedures

18 PAGE 18 Annual Report / Report on progress ACCESS TO HOUSING AND SUPPORT OUTCOMES 7, 8 AND 9 - HOUSING OPTIONS: AS A SOCIAL LANDLORD WE WILL WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT: People looking for housing get information that helps them make informed choices and decisions about the range of housing options available to them Tenants and people on housing lists can review their housing options People at risk of losing their homes get advice on homelessness OUTCOME 10 - ACCESS TO SOCIAL HOUSING: We ensure that people looking for housing find it easy to apply for the widest choice of social housing available and get the information they need on how the landlord allocates homes and their prospects of being housed. Knowes Housing Association accepts housing applications from anyone aged 16 or over. Our Housing Application Pack includes a housing application form, information about Knowes leaflet, applying for a Knowes tenancy leaflet, a map of Faifley and the Association s stock profile. This helps to ensure that the applicant has as much information as possible regarding the local area and other housing providers within the West Dunbartonshire area. Any applicant who has not held their own tenancy or had their own home is interviewed by the Allocations Officer with a view to explaining the range of housing options and the responsibilities of having a Knowes tenancy. This enables the Association to identify any support needs and gives the applicant the opportunity to ask any questions in relation to their housing application, prospects, etc. Applicants who consider themselves to be

19 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 19 homeless or being threatened with homelessness are given the appropriate advice in relation to West Dunbartonshire Council s Homeless Service. We reviewed our Allocations policy and procedure which was completed in This was implemented after being approved by the Housing and Technical Services Sub-Committee in October 2014, however this is subject to further change. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 25th June 2014 and received Royal Assent on 1st August Our new Policy will therefore be subject to further changes once this Act is implemented and guidance issued. The main changes in the Allocations policy were as follows; New Group introduced for Management Transfer for applicants with management approval who have exceptional circumstances to move urgently. Single Persons Needs Group no longer exists, these applicants were placed on the Waiting List. Greater provision for applicants wishing to move due to underoccupation points now awarded to all applicants who have their own property, who are underoccupied. Points now awarded to applicants in tied accommodation, private lets coming to an end, armed forces personnel, separating spouses and to applicants currently in temporary homeless accommodation. Points now awarded to applicants living in sub-standard accommodation. We now have nomination agreements with West Dunbartonshire Council, Positive Action in Housing, East Dunbartonshire Council, and the Scottish Refugee Council predominately for our 3 / 4 apt tenemental stock which was agreed by Committee and implemented. There were 103 properties allocated during the last financial year. This is 5 more re-lets than last year and 7 less than the year before. Over the last 3 year period, our average turnover was 10%, and this was replicated in 2015/16 with an annual turnover of again 10%. The Nominations Agreement with West Dunbartonshire Council was reviewed in June 2013 (due to be reviewed again in Sept 2016) and is working in tandem with the Section 5 Homeless Protocol. In 2015/16 34% of the Associations lets were to WDC (32% to Section 5 homeless referrals and only 2% to nominations), although more properties were offered through the nominations process, these were subsequently refused. This is 2% more than the previous year. Due to the low acceptance rate through the nominations agreement it has been agreed we will continue to only ask for nominations as and when required which will be predominately for our 3 and 4apt tenemental type properties. Of the 103 re-lets the following groups received the following allocations; Needs Group Number of Lets % of Lets Management Transfer 0 0 Medical Nominations 2 2 Homeless (Section 5) Overcrowded Transfer 4 4 Underoccupied 6 6 Waiting List The above re-lets table demonstrates a focus on lets to homeless, overcrowding and the waiting list, and again demonstrates that the Association is meeting housing need and playing an active role in alleviating homelessness.

20 PAGE 20 Annual Report / Report on progress ACCESS TO HOUSING AND SUPPORT (CONTINUED) The average days taken to re-let for 2015/16 was 6.8 calendar days and 4.4 working days, compared to 5.9 calendar days and 3.9 working days reported in 2014/15. Our target was 7 calendar days and 5 working days respectively, therefore the Association surpassed target. The void loss for 2015/16 was 8, which means 0.2% of the annual debit was lost through void properties, this was slightly more than last year when we out turned 5, which was 0.1%. Our internal target of 0.2% has therefore been achieved and our void loss compares well with other housing associations. Throughout the year, Application & Allocation Satisfaction Surveys have been undertaken and two reports have been presented to the Sub Committee detailing results. The targets of 90% who were satisfied with the condition of their property and 98% who were satisfied with the overall service are measured through these surveys. 100% reported the condition of their property as being Excellent Fair. Cognisance should also be taken of the low response to these surveys only 7 respondents across both surveys. All respondents reported complete satisfaction with the overall process, and this resulted in an outturn figure of 100%. OUTCOMES 11 - TENANCY SUSTAINMENT: We ensure that tenants get the information they need on how to obtain support to remain in their home; and ensure suitable support is available, including services provided directly by the landlord and by other organisations. In the year we re-let 103 properties Knowes Scottish Average Number of calendar days taken to let Rent lost due to voids 0.2% 1.2% % tenancies beginning in sustained by more than 12 months 86.5% 88.3%

21 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 21 GETTING GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY FROM RENTS AND SERVICE CHARGES OUTCOMES OUTCOME 13 - VALUE FOR MONEY: We must manage all aspects of our business so that tenants, owners and other customers receive services that provide continually improving value for the rent and other charges they pay. OUTCOMES 14 & 15 - RENTS & SERVICE CHARGES: We must set rents and service charges in consultation with our tenants and other customers so that: A balance is struck between the level of service provided, the cost of the services, and how far current and prospective tenants and other customers can afford them Tenants get clear information on how rent and other money is spent, including any details of individual items of expenditure above thresholds agreed between landlords and tenants. The table below shows the percentage of tenants who believe that their rent represents good value for money taken from our 2013 Tenant Satisfaction Survey. Percentage of tenants who feel that the rent for their property represents good value for money (indicator 29) Total number of tenants who responded 286 Very Good Value for Money 90 Fairly Good Value for Money 142 Neither Good nor Poor Value for Money 40 Fairly Poor Value for Money 4 Very Poor Value for Money 10 Percentage of tenants who feel that the rent for their property represents good value for 81.12% money Percentage of factored owners satisfied with the factoring service they receive (indicator 33) Total number of tenants who responded 49 Very Satisfied 11 Fairly Satisfied 22 Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied 11 Fairly Dissatisfied 1 Very Dissatisfied 4 Percentage of factored owners satisfied with the factoring service they receive 67.35%

22 PAGE 22 Annual Report / Report on progress RENT ARREARS PERFORMANCE IN The rent arrears report for the end of March 2016 demonstrates another very successful year with the team yet again surpassing target and maintaining the low level of non- technical arrears at the current level of 18, (0.5%). The total arrears figure (technical + nontechnical) for year ending March 2016 is 75, which is 1.9% of the annual debit which is slightly higher than last year. The total arrears figure does not include former tenant arrears, or garage site/lock-up arrears. The technical arrears for the Association are reported at 56, (1.5%) which has increased slightly from last year s 1.2%. As housing benefit payments change year on year, there is an expectation that technical arrears will increase until such times as the 13th benefit payment is paid up to 31st March, this is not scheduled for several years but in all probability will be superseded by Universal Credit. A summary of our performance is detailed below for comparison with the national median of all RSLs and the performance of our own LSVT Peer Group, both as reported by the Scottish Housing Regulator for 2014/2015. Key Performance Indicator Knowes Year End Performance March 2016 National Median 2014/15 Benchmarking Group Performance 2014/15 Total of Gross Arrears 1.15% 4.35% 4.32% % OF ACTUAL NON-TECHNICAL ARREARS 40,000 35, % 30,000 Percentage of Arrears 25,000 20,000 15,000 10, % 0.4% 0.3% 0.3% 0.5% Year

23 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 23 FINANCIAL REVIEW 2015/16 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT Y.E. 31 MARCH MARCH 2015 INCOME Income from Rents and Service Charges 3,986,015 3,894,191 Income from Owners charges 25,961 26,335 Revenue grants 206, ,121 Gain on sale of housing properties 41,679 24,031 Interest Received 26,744 12,918 Wider action project income 211, ,118 4,498,407 4,435,714 EXPENDITURE Staff costs and overheads 1,043,687 1,000,877 Reactive Maintenance Costs 745, ,244 Planned Maintenance/Major repairs 1,345,420 1,317,420 Voids and bad debts 23,004 9,959 Cost of owner services 26,151 36,661 Interest Paid on loans 81, ,461 Wider action project costs 139, ,755 3,404,328 3,473,377 Surplus for the year 1,094, ,337 add back component expenditure capitalised 794, ,829 less depreciation of housing stock (900,539) (860,435) Total surplus for year as reported 988, ,731 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31 MARCH 2016 Assets Housing Properties (shown net of depreciation) 17,756,058 17,903,972 Other Assets (office premises and equipment) 528, ,320 Receivables - money owed to Knowes 368,522 96,091 Cash at Bank and in short term deposits 2,871,648 2,846,427 21,524,453 21,195,810 Liabilities Short term creditors 1,314,463 1,076,651 Long term creditors 5,772,568 6,488,345 Deferred income - property grants 5,344,589 5,526,242 Share Capital Revenue Reserves 9,092,699 8,104,443 21,524,453 21,195,810

24 PAGE 24 Annual Report / Report on progress FINANCIAL REVIEW 2015/16 (CONTINUED) REVENUE INCOME Y.E REVENUE EXPENDITURE Y.E Gain on sale of housing properties 1% Wider action project income 5% Interest Received 0.5% Income from Owners charges 0.5% Revenue Grants 4% Cost of owner services 1% Voids and bad debts 1% Wider action project costs 4% Interest Paid on loans 2% Reactive Maintenance Costs 22% Staff costs and overheads 31% Income from Rents and Service Charges 89% Planned Maintenance/ Major repairs 39%

25 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 25 Financial trends and ratios Knowes Housing Total across sector 2015/ /15 *2014/ /14 Operating costs 77.4% 72.6% 82.4% 84.5% Interest payable 1.1% 1.2% 10.3% 9.8% Surplus for year 22.3% 22.7% 8.7% 7.3% Staff costs 18.3% 18.4% 31.5% 30.6% The above figures show that Knowes operational costs are proportionately less that the average across the sector in Scotland Average rent per property 3,771 3,681 3,763 - Average rent increase 2.3% 2.7% 3% - The above figures show that Knowes average annual rent is less that the Scottish Average for the 2014/15 and Knowes rent increase is less than Scottish average for that year also. Bad debt loss as % of rental income due 0.4% 0.1% 0.7% - This ratio shows the amount of rent at the year end deemed to be uncollectable expressed as a percentage of total rent raised in the year. Bad debt write off has risen this year due to the introduction of Universal Credit. Knowes falls below the median quartile which again is a very good result * Comparative figures for the period are not yet available for

26 PAGE 26 Annual Report / Report on progress WIDER ACTION REVIEW SUPPORTING CHANGE IN WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE Supporting Change in West Dunbartonshire is a People and Communities Fund project that has been funded by the Scottish Government, and set up by Knowes to provide advice and support for tenants on a number of changes to the welfare system, including the introduction of universal credit throughout West Dunbartonshire. The project is a partnership between 12 organisations, with Knowes Housing Association being the lead organisation. The project includes seven housing associations, three credit unions and two advice agencies. The aim of the project is to mitigate the impact of welfare reform for local residents and address negative effects from the introduction of universal credit. As a response to these changes the Project aims to increase the provision of advice for tenants relating to debt and information on changes to benefits and how it may have affected them. This advice service will be provided by Clydebank Independent Resource Centre and West Dumbarton Citizens Advice Bureau. Providing the advice will aim to help with these changes by offering residents the following: Access to advice surgeries Help and support completing benefit forms Help with appeals against sanctions Benefit checks Income and expenditure assessment Access to a Credit Union budgeting account Advice around savings and loans Access to the credecard The above list is not exhaustive as other areas of advice will also be included. PROGRESS TO DATE The project has now been delivering the services for over 2 years and we are pleased to announce that we have exceeded all our targets. The project is expected to exceed the targets that have been predicted by some margin. In the past year over 1000 people have been seen in relation to money advice with 20% of these cases relating directly to Housing Benefit or Rent Arrears. There have been over 300 benefit checks carried out which will help people better manage their finances and the project has also generated over 750, 000 in benefits for clients. FUTURE The project is due to finish in March of next year; however an application will be made to the Scottish Government with a view of continuing this project.

27 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 27 DONATIONS The Association supported the following groups/organisations throughout the course of the year by providing donations of cash/gift vouchers. Faifley Art Group Faifley Community Allotment Society Goldenhill Boys Club The Wigbank Edinbarnet Parent Council Clydebank F C 1st Faifley Girl Guides Lennox Early Education & Childcare Centre If you are involved in a local group and would like to apply for a donation from the Association to help with a specific event or to develop the activities of your group, please put your request in writing and for the attention of our Director, Pierre De Fence. Kirsty Murray and Lynne McKenzie (former Senior Corporate Services Officer)

28 PAGE 28 Annual Report / Report on progress ANNUAL BUS TRIP Our bus trip was held on Thursday 9th July 2015 and we went to Edinburgh. We were very fortunate with the weather and enjoyed a lovely hot sunny day. The High Tea was arranged at The Cairn Hotel in Bathgate, and everyone enjoyed their meal. The trip was sponsored by The McDougall Group and was open to tenants and owners residing in Knowes properties. The day was enjoyed by all who attended.

29 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 29 ANNUAL GARDEN COMPETITION The winners of the annual garden competition were announced at the AGM in September and competition was once again kindly sponsored by the McDougall Group. After careful consideration it was agreed the winners would be: 1st Prize Mr Rodger, Lennox Drive 2nd Prize Mr McNeil, Lennox Drive 3rd Prize Mr Morrision, Middleward Street The winners each received B&Q gift vouchers and the Association would like to thank all participants for their efforts. We would encourage anyone who has a garden and is either a tenant of Knowes or has their property factored by us to enter as the more entrants we have the better.

30 PAGE 30 Annual Report / Report on progress OUR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND STAFF TEAM OUR MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE John Lafferty Chairperson Retired/Resigned Rhona Polak Vice Chairperson Ann McGowan Member Billy Stevenson Secretary Liam Gibson Member Sheila Cope Treasurer Ugonna Onyekwere Member Frank Newey Member Councillor Lawrence O Neill Member Yvonne McDonald Member Katie Devaney Member Lorraine Easton Member Janet Cassidy Member

31 Annual Report / Report on progress PAGE 31 OUR STAFF TEAM Senior Management Team Finance Team Pierre De Fence Director Maureen MacConnell Finance Officer Erica Davidson Head of Finance Ann Gaggini Finance Assistant Robert Murray Housing Manager Elaine McDonald Finance Assistant (P/T) Corporate Services Team Housing Management Team Sandra Love Senior Corporate Services Officer Jackie Ferrie Housing Officer Isabel Pringle Corporate Services Assistant Thomas Millar Housing Officer Wilma Scott Corporate Services Assistant Nicola Gerrard Housing Officer Jodie Keatings Corporate Services Assistant Karen Grainger Allocations Officer Property Services Team Support & Connect Team Kenny McGinty Senior Property Services Officer Kevin Smith Project Coordinator Roberta Russell Repairs Officer Allan McGarrity Maintenance Officer Cleaning Staff Joseph Mailley Assistant Maintenance Officer (P/T) Anne Allan Allison Rae Kirsty Murray Repairs Assistant Property Services Assistant (P/T) Helen Shanley

32 Registered Office: Knowes Housing Association, 10 Field Road, Faifley, Clydebank G81 5BX Tel: Office Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 9.00am-5.00pm Registered with the FCA under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 (No. 2518R(S)) and with The Scottish Housing Regulator No. HEP300 Knowes Housing Association Ltd is a charitable organisation registered under Scottish Charity No.SC Knowes Housing Association Ltd is a registered property factor (reg no.pf000201)