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Copy of Why they won - full details of the Housing Heroes Awards 2018 winners

The Housing Heroes winners’ achievements and what can be learned from them.  Photography by Guzelian

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Introduction LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN HOUSING TENANT LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION BY A CIH MEMBER CIH/INSIDE HOUSING RISING STAR APPRENTICE of the year Tenant innovator of the year MENTORS OF THE YEAR INSPIRATIONAL LEADER of the year INSPIRATIONAL COLLEAGUE OF THE YEAR (OVER 15,000 HOMES) INSPIRATIONAL COLLEAGUE of the year (UNDER 15,000 HOMES) CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AWARD COMMUNICATIONS TEAM of the year FRONTLINE TEAM OF THE YEAR (OVER 12,000 HOMES) FRONTLINE TEAM of the year (UNDER 12,000 HOMES) DEVELOPMENT OR MAINTENANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR (OVER 15,000 HOMES) DEVELOPMENT OR MAINTENANCE TEAM of the year (UNDER 15,000 HOMES) INCLUSIVE TEAM OF THE YEAR CENTRAL SERVICE team OF THE year SUPPORT AND CARE TEAM OF THE YEAR (OVER 7,000 HOMES) SUPPORT AND CARE TEAM of the year (UNDER 7,000 HOMES)

Welcome to this special feature, which celebrates the winners of the Housing Heroes Awards 2018, organised jointly by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing.

With housing firmly in the political spotlight for the first time in a generation and the sector facing a period of challenge and opportunity, the teams and individuals who won or were highly commended this year continue to inspire, to lead and to change lives with their passion, energy and commitment.

Communities across the country are better places to live thanks to their efforts. It’s crucial that we recognise and champion the hard work and dedication of those – housing professionals and tenants alike – who form the backbone of our sector.

As ever, the quantity and quality of entries this year was extremely high. Each submission was carefully scrutinised by a panel of experts to ensure that those who had made the greatest impact in their field were recognised and rewarded.

We would like to thank our judges, who so generously gave up their time to consider the entries, as well as to our sponsors for making the awards possible.

And, of course, congratulations to all our finalists – and especially the winners and those who were highly commended. They really are the very best the sector has to offer and they should be extremely proud of their achievements.

Emma Maier, editor, Inside Housing, and Terrie Alafat, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Housing

IAN MUNRO, NEW CHARTER GROUP (NOW JIGSAW GROUP)

  • Ian Munro is one of the housing sector’s true pioneers
  • He created and led the first-ever whole stock transfer housing association
  • Drove the establishment of four new academies for local children

Ian Munro has played a leading role in the delivery of social housing in Tameside for 25 years. His vision, drive and leadership created New Charter Group – the first whole stock transfer from a metropolitan authority to a housing association. This enabled investment in Tameside’s housing stock, which during the past 15 years has exceeded £500m.

The model he created was not only based on a viable organisation, but one that has customers at its heart – as demonstrated by large-scale community regeneration programmes that have helped to transform the area.

While successfully delivering the promises made to tenants at the point of transfer, Mr Munro also ensured that New Charter Group was central to the community. New Charter, through the Great Academies Education Trust, sponsors four academies educating children in the borough.

Mr Munro’s vision in initially creating and then leading an organisation that has facilitated the development of sustainable communities was ground-breaking and innovative, and has been used as a blueprint elsewhere. Without his sustained input for a long period it is not unreasonable to suggest that the housing association sector as a whole may not have had the same impact.

The judges said

"Ian’s career spans 25 years of transformational and pioneering leadership – including the establishment of four academies to improve the lives of young people in housing estates.”

Highly commended

Rob Young, Torus

This category was judged by

Brian Cronin, group chief executive, Your Housing Group

Geraldine Howley, group chief executive, Incommunities

Amina Graham, executive director of corporate services, RHP

Sponsored by

JOAN GOODWIN

  • A tireless champion of Birmingham’s council tenants for more than 25 years
  • She fought the council for the retention of the city’s Housing Liaison Boards (HLBs) – and won
  • She has “real influence”, says Melanie Checkley, regional community partner at Fortem

Joan Goodwin has worked tirelessly to give tenants in Birmingham a voice for a quarter of a century.

In 1993, she was a founding member of Birmingham’s Housing Liaison Boards and was elected the city-wide HLBs’ first chair; in 2012, she led tenants as they made their successful case to Birmingham City Council for the retention of HLBs.

Now in her mid-80s, Ms Goodwin remains as committed as ever, and she continues to hold the local authority to account. John Bibby, chief executive of the Association of Retained Council Housing, recalls one particular occasion: “Joan is very articulate at representing tenants’ views — and she’s not afraid to do so. I remember one session where she challenged an official from the housing ministry on a piece of
housing legislation.”

Ms Goodwin has told her fellow HLB board members that this will be her last term as chair. “We’ve got her for the next 18 months,” says member Eric Shipton, who hopes her fellow tenants will be able to persuade her to stay for one more term. “Who will possibly take her place?”

The judges said

“Joan has shown a huge commitment to the tenants of Birmingham for many years; she is always determined to ensure tenants [from] the whole city have a voice.”

This category was judged by

Jenny Osbourne, chief executive, Tpas

Ruth Cooke, group chief executive, Clarion Housing Group

Tony Hall, chief executive, Freebridge Community Housing

Sponsored by

TREVOR HEALY, YOUR HOMES NEWCASTLE

  • Mr Healy has improved lives and communities in Newcastle during a career of more than 40 years
  • He has overseen the turnaround of once-notorious estates into proud communities
  • Instrumental in persuading Newcastle tenants to vote for the ALMO model

Trevor Healy, area tenancy and estate manager at Your Homes Newcastle, is one of those people whom everyone likes to deal with.

His positive demeanour and can-do attitude have facilitated substantial change at significant times for Newcastle City Council’s tenants since his career began in 1974.

“I drifted into housing, but I soon realised it was my vocation,” says Mr Healy.

“I grew up in the west end of Newcastle and I quickly realised I was one of the lucky ones… All around me there was poverty and deprivation, crime and violence [and] I wanted to make a difference.

“I am so lucky that I do a job I love and I can do what I set out to do – improve the quality of life for people of this great city.”


He remains a fully supportive manager of many staff who see in him the drive and compassion that others inspired in him as a teenager at the start of his career.

Despite intending to retire this year, Mr Healy continues to battle daily for those in need. He is the ultimate champion for the people he believes he serves.

The judges said

“Trevor Healy has been at the forefront of changes to housing in his area. As a professional, he has demonstrated clear evidence of innovative thinking and looking at new ways of working.”

This category was judged by

Vanessa Howell, governing board member, Chartered Institute of Housing

Gordon Perry, head of professional standards, Chartered Institute of Housing

Judy Waugh, executive director of membership services and education, Chartered Institute of Housing

OLIVER HARLING, IRWELL VALLEY HOUSING ASSOCIATION

  • One of the competition’s youngest-ever finalists
  • His career progression from apprentice to trainee surveyor is evidence of his drive and commitment
  • The judges were impressed with his passion, fresh perspective and creativity

The Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing have run the Rising Stars competition for many years and we have consistently seen our Rising Stars going on to great things. This year we changed the model to celebrate even more up-and-coming housing professionals during the competition. We named 10 people on our Rising Stars list in the spring. And they really are all stars.

Over several weeks, we tested and challenged them, allowing new skills to develop, allowing new networks to blossom and giving our stars valuable profile. We whittled them down to five finalists, who came face to face with today’s sector leaders, to challenge them on homelessness, regeneration and diversity. It was a tough-fought battle and there was much debate in the judging room.

But in the end one candidate stood out. Our Rising Star this year, Oliver Harling, is one of the competition’s youngest finalists to date. During the selection process he showed himself to possess an impressive combination of strong values, a commitment to focusing on tenants and an optimistic outlook for the future.

The judges said

“Our 2018 Rising Stars winner showed impressive passion and commitment, as well as fresh perspectives and ideas. Having started out as an apprentice, this star rose quickly, grasping opportunities to turn a job into a career.”

This category was judged by

Emma Maier, editor-in-chief, Inside Housing

Vanessa Howell, governing board member, Chartered Institute of Housing

SAM RICKEARD, PORTSMOUTH CITY COUNCIL

  • Made the most of his apprenticeship by embracing every opportunity it offered
  • Has become an apprentice ambassador for the council, encouraging others to follow his path
  • Promoted to manager just four years after beginning his apprenticeship

Sam Rickeard joined Portsmouth City Council in August 2014 as a level 2 housing officer apprentice; within 12 months, he had successfully applied for a permanent post.

Ordinarily an apprentice would complete their level 2 qualification alongside their housing officer role – but Mr Rickeard did much more. He took every opportunity available to him to develop his skills and knowledge, helping and supporting his colleagues along the way.

Mr Rickeard has recently become an apprentice ambassador, compering a large event in which he shared his journey and experiences with aspiring apprentices. He has worked hard with the management team to recruit new apprentices to the council and has become a mentor to those coming through the service.

In four years, he has risen from housing apprentice to housing officer, and is the green and clean manager. He is responsible for managing more than 40 operatives overseeing the green and clean service for the city’s Somerstown area on behalf of Portsmouth City Council.

Nothing is too much for him; he is flexible enough to meet not only the needs of the business but the needs of his colleagues and residents.

The judges said

“Sam’s journey tells a story of a motivated and independent thinker who is also a strong advocate for apprenticeships – he shows an enthusiastic and committed approach to his career and supports others going through the same process.”

Highly commended

Claire Davies, Home Group

This category was judged by

Vanessa Howell, governing board member, Chartered Institute of Housing

Gordon Perry, head of professional standards, Chartered Institute of Housing

Judy Waugh, executive director of membership services and education, Chartered Institute of Housing

Sponsored by

SARAH HARDY, STOCKPORT HOMES GROUP

  • Sarah Hardy has logged more than 600 volunteer hours running a community cafe
  • Recruited and trained 25 local volunteers, some of whom have gone on to find paid employment
  • Ran intergenerational cooking classes for children with their parents or grandparents

For the past three years Sarah Hardy has successfully managed a bustling, twice-weekly community cafe. She has developed a popular menu, recruited, trained and retained 25 volunteers, and has even won a national Tpas award.

By nurturing the cafe’s volunteers, Ms Hardy has been able to support local people, helping them to improve their quality of life through training, with some finding paid employment. Making sure volunteers feel valued and continue to enjoy their time at the cafe is hugely important and requires subtle skills that some professionals find challenging, let alone volunteers. Ms Hardy gets the balance just right.

She has also started her own intergenerational cooking class during school holidays, where she teaches children to cook with their parents or grandparents.

Ms Hardy is modest and will probably never truly appreciate how many people she has inspired or the number of lives she has improved. Volunteers, their families, and countless customers young and old have benefited from her hard work and dedication.

It is safe to say that without her, Offerton Community Cafe would not have been possible.

The judges said

“Sarah is a powerhouse. She has shown real innovation by using her idea of setting up a cafe to make an impact on her community in many different ways.”

Highly commended

Janet Mulcock, Rhondda Housing Association, and Joyce Ward, Sovereign

This category was judged by

Bronwen Rapley, chief executive, Onward Homes

Simon Clark, group director – housing, Sanctuary Group

Maura Jackson, chief executive, Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme

Carl Brown, assistant editor, – digital and strategy, Inside Housing (chair)

Michael Bennett (second left), and Harpreet Rayet (right) accepting the award on behalf of Karen Armitage

MICHAEL BENNETT, COASTLINE HOUSING, AND KAREN ARMITAGE, STAFFORD AND RURAL HOMES

  • Mr Bennett is a committed mentor, demonstrated by glowing testimonials from colleagues
  • Puts Coastline’s customers at the heart of all he does
  • An inspiration not only to his own team but also to his fellow managers

During his four years at Coastline Housing, Michael Bennett has become widely known as an extremely approachable and well-respected member of the team. His mentoring has led to individuals under his tutelage gaining confidence, learning new skills and taking qualifications.

“I have open conversations with Michael – an excellent line manager in whom I can confide and know that my views will be given fair consideration,” says his colleague Ralph Retallack, Coastline’s energy efficiency project manager. “I feel completely valued as part of Michael’s team.”

The judges said

“Mentoring is a way of life for him; it underpins everything he does, and has made an outstanding difference to people around him.”

  • Ms Armitage has transformed her business into a high-performing organisation
  • Mentors women across the sector, whose testimonials show the impact she has
  • Clearly valued by her staff as much as they feel valued and respected by her

Since joining Stafford and Rural Homes as chief executive in 2006, Karen Armitage has been the driving force behind taking what was a poorly performing business with low morale and no clear direction to the highest-placed housing association in the 2018 Sunday Times 100 Best Not-for-Profit Companies to work for, and second in the list overall.

She offers mentoring sessions to women across the sector. “Karen has been my mentor for one year,” says Elly Hoult, business improvement director at Notting Hill Genesis. “Her input into my personal development has been invaluable.”

The judges said

“Karen demonstrated a strong rewarding initiative, using her own personal experiences to mentor others. ”

This category was judged by

Bronwen Rapley, chief executive, Onward Homes

Simon Clark, group director – housing, Sanctuary Group

Maura Jackson, chief executive, Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme

Lisa Collen, director of people, Flagship Group

Mark Henderson, chief executive, Home Group

Paula Kennedy, chief executive, Melin Homes

Carl Brown, assistant editor – digital and strategy, Inside Housing (chair)

Sponsored by

FAISAL BUTT, BARNET COUNCIL

  • Mr Butt’s career has been distinguished by selfless commitment, motivation and hard work
  • Working in senior roles at several local authorities, he has made real and positive changes to lives
  • UK Housing Fast project, co-founded by Mr Butt, has achieved huge donations for UK food banks

In the eyes of his staff, Barnet Council’s lead commissioner for housing, Faisal Butt, has always been collegiate, inclusive, motivated and hard-working.

His career includes many examples, including a scheme between 2005 and 2007 to promote black and minority ethnic staff on to trainee schemes in housing, which succeeded in hundreds of BME staff taking up key housing roles in Rochdale. Mr Butt helped to write Tower Hamlets’ first overcrowding strategy, which helped to alleviate the issue in one of the most overcrowded local authority areas in the UK.

More recently Mr Butt has poured his energy and commitment into UK Housing Fast, a project he co-founded. This has harnessed the power of social media and volunteers to help people connect and share their stories through blogs about food poverty, valuing diversity and fasting. It has raised thousands of pounds and tonnes of food donations for The Trussell Trust, and has reached more than a million people on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, as well as generating extensive coverage in both the trade and national press.

Through his professional and voluntary roles in the sector, Mr Butt has shown relentless commitment and has inspired many others in the sector to embrace equality and diversity.

The judges said

“This winner does more than just their day job; Mr Butt is well-connected and involved in several volunteering roles, and demonstrates a continuous dedication to doing the right thing.”

Highly commended

Ravi Govindia, Wandsworth Council

This category was judged by

Lisa Collen, director of people, Flagship Group

Mark Henderson, chief executive, Home Group

Paula Kennedy, chief executive, Melin Homes

Sponsored by

LISA HOPKINS, BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL

  • Always ready to help colleagues on top of her own caseload
  • Ms Hopkins works tirelessly to improve the lives of residents and to support those around her
  • “A model housing officer,” according to a senior manager

Discussing Lisa Hopkins’ own cases would be far too easy. Instead, this award recognises cases led by others where she has taken the time to empower her colleagues. It cannot be stressed how important a skill this is, and how time-consuming it is to effectively train a colleague on the job while maintaining your own caseload.

As an example, one of Ms Hopkins’ colleagues was struggling to deal with an extremely aggressive tenant at one of the council’s sheltered housing schemes, because of their lack of knowledge of current legislation. Rather than simply give instructions, Ms Hopkins became actively involved with the case to support her colleague, which resulted in the unacceptable behaviour being resolved by a court injunction. Ms Hopkins then visited all the older residents to personally reassure them that action was being taken.

This makes a massive difference to the lives of those affected by anti-social behaviour in their local vicinity. Ms Hopkins epitomises the unsung hero; it is a phrase bandied around all too often, but she truly lives and breathes her job without ever seeking praise.

The judges said

“Ms Hopkins has acted as a catalyst for peer improvement. She took the time and showed patience to help colleagues develop skills and confidence, working tirelessly in a challenging location.”

This category was judged by

Jenny Osbourne, chief executive, Tpas

Ruth Cooke, group chief executive, Clarion Housing Group

Tony Hall, chief executive, Freebridge Community Housing

MARGARET WADDELL, GRAMPIAN HOUSING ASSOCIATION

  • A career defined by a commitment to improving lives, tackling poverty and reducing inequality
  • A focus on financial inclusion has improved the lives of many
    in north-east Scotland
  • Many testimonials from colleagues shows the esteem in which Ms Waddell is held

As business development manager at Grampian Housing Association, Margaret Waddell has worked across many different areas of the organisation, as well as with external stakeholders during her 33-year career. The large number of testimonials from both her colleagues and staff she has worked with in other housing providers and agencies demonstrates Ms Waddell’s range of impact and her commitment to improving the life chances of the less advantaged, particularly through financial inclusion.

“Margaret is committed to social inclusion and has a real understanding of the impact of inequality and disadvantage on people’s lives,” says Eleanor McEwan, community development manager at Sanctuary Scotland. “She has a particular interest in financial inclusion, recognising that financial resilience and access to financial services are key to people’s well-being and security.”

“As well as commitment and vision, Margaret brings compassion and energy to her work, consistently going ‘above and beyond’,” says Dave Simmers, chief executive of Community Food Initiatives North East, who has worked on projects with Ms Waddell for the past 23 years. “Margaret
is very much deserving of recognition for this long, distinguished career, always underpinned by her commitment to tackling poverty and promoting inclusion.”

The judges said

“Margaret has a clearly demonstrated ability to work with external stakeholders to get things done, and the testimonials from colleagues and others show huge respect from her peers.”

Highly commended

Jenny Mauger-Garry, Bournemouth Borough Council

This category was judged by

Jenny Osbourne, chief executive, Tpas

Ruth Cooke, group chief executive, Clarion Housing Group

Tony Hall, chief executive, Freebridge Community Housing

HOUSING MANAGEMENT TEAM, MIDLAND HEART

  • The team’s drive for improvement has been reflected in great performance gains
  • Revamped processes and training resulted in many more satisfied customers
  • Increased staff satisfaction has also been key to improving customers’ experiences

Midland Heart’s housing management team has been instrumental in delivering a truly excellent customer service experience to this organisation’s residents and service users.

The team’s drive for continuous improvement has been based on feedback gained directly from both customers and staff to improve the organisation’s service offer.

Improvements pioneered included targeted interventions for customers, which the team has identified as those most often dissatisfied with its services. It used data on their contacts to understand the root cause for their dissatisfaction – resulting in the successful resolution of deep-rooted issues experienced by about 90 customers and in doing so reducing their contact by 75%.

Through intensive training and implementing clear processes, the team has empowered Midland Heart’s customer hub to resolve problems more quickly; the hub now resolves 94% of issues at a customer’s first contact. Customer satisfaction is at 86.5% – ahead of Midland Heart’s target of 85% – and customer complaints have dropped from 90 per 1,000 homes in 2015/16 to just 19 per 1,000 homes this year.

Additionally the organisation has seen a significant improvement in its staff satisfaction figures from 44% in 2015/16 to 85% this year.

The judges said

“There have been positive outcomes for customers across several areas, including a good use of digital services to deliver better, faster and cheaper services. A first contact resolution rate of 94% is impressive.”

This category was judged by

Brian Cronin, group chief executive, Your Housing Group

Geraldine Howley, group chief executive, Incommunities

Amina Graham, executive director of corporate services, RHP

Sponsored by

COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, TOWER HAMLETS HOMES

  • A focus on diversity and reaching customers has delivered fantastic results
  • New channels include a radio show for Bangladeshi residents and a relaunched customer-led magazine
  • Attention to LGBT rights and issues such as hate crime and domestic abuse have also borne fruit

The Bangladeshi community makes up 39% of Tower Hamlets Homes’ (THH) residents. They are more likely to have significant rent arrears, live in overcrowded conditions and be dissatisfied with housing services.

To reach them, THH’s communications team launched a monthly Homes and Communities Show on the Bengali-language Betar Bangla radio station that includes topics such as Universal Credit, leasehold charges and anti-social behaviour, as well as community issues like domestic abuse and hate crime.

The team also relaunched its customer magazine, Open Door, with a resident-led editorial board and customer-led content that reflects their diversity.

Feedback from Bangladeshi community leaders suggested the most important communication channels were Twitter and WhatsApp – so the team targeted these avenues with video content to direct people to THH’s services.

The team’s LGBT campaign, meanwhile, has been another success. The team wrote the case studies that enabled THH caretaker David Ali to become a Stonewall role model, while in 2016 and 2017 THH was the highest-ranked housing organisation in the Stonewall diversity index.

“This team takes a proactive approach to diversity with outstanding results,” says Raj Patel, chief executive of the Housing Diversity Network.

The judges said

“The team has taken a proactive approach to tackling diversity, leading to impressive performance. Bangladeshi resident satisfaction is now at 94% thanks to an excellent multi-channel approach.”

Highly commended

Communications team, Barnet Group

This category was judged by

Brian Cronin, group chief executive, Your Housing Group

Geraldine Howley, group chief executive, Incommunities

Amina Graham, executive director of corporate services, RHP

NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES - SOUTH BIRMINGHAM, BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL

  • The team has pulled together to reassure and protect residents in the aftermath of Grenfell
  • Staff have prioritised tenant safety while performing their usual duties to a high standard
  • The team is a first point of contact for many residents and tenants are well known to staff

The devastating tragedy at Grenfell Tower has affected communities around the country. The neighbourhood services team for south Birmingham has achieved its job of making the council’s estates clean, while also focusing on putting the safety of tenants first every day.

The team has worked in close partnership with colleagues to ensure that inspections and on-going work to install sprinkler systems is as straightforward as possible, while keeping tenants updated. In response to industrial action in Birmingham by the waste management team, meanwhile, the team worked around the clock to protect local residents, dealing for example with blocked rubbish chutes and rubbish bags piling up at properties.

There have been several fires that have emerged in south Birmingham’s tower blocks since the Grenfell Tower fire, and the estates-based staff are always quickly on the scene to offer assistance. They know the tenants well and make it their business to be their first point of contact for accessing council services.

“They have been absolutely marvellous during this past year and there is a constant stream of compliments from tenants about the members of this superb team,” says the council.

The judges said

“An outstanding example of service above and beyond the call of duty, using the resources available, as well as creative approaches to achieve a positive impact in the community.”

This category was judged by

Bronwen Rapley, chief executive, Onward Homes

Simon Clark, group director – housing, Sanctuary Group

Maura Jackson, chief executive, Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme

Carl Brown, assistant editor – digital and strategy, Inside Housing (chair)

Sponsored by

HOUSING OPTIONS TEAM, STOCKPORT HOMES GROUP

  • This is an ambitious and holistic plan to tackle homelessness
  • Achieved a measurable reduction in homelessness in Stockport
  • The team has successfully put several approaches into action

Stockport Homes’ housing options team has put into action an ambitious plan to tackle homelessness in the area and its efforts have borne fruit.

Homelessness in Stockport is decreasing. There are 310 households registered as homeless in 2017/18, compared with 365 at the same time last year. This is supported by low levels of rough sleeping that buck both regional and national trends. The key to this success is prevention. At this point in 2016/17, 525 households were prevented from becoming homeless; this year, the figure is 704.

This has been achieved through collaborative working across the group and with external partners to grow the options available to homeless people, such as expanding the private rented sector using a social lettings scheme and deposit guarantees.

Other services developed by the team include: a dedicated officer to support 20 care leavers and 10 customers with severe mental health or learning disabilities to move on to independent living each year; mediation officers who work collaboratively with customers and families to solve relationship breakdowns, which prevented 150 people from becoming homeless last year; and a hospital discharge project to ensure homeless patients are given the support they need after being discharged from hospital.

The judges said

“Stockport Homes’ housing options team has developed a holistic approach, which has helped to buck the national trend and reduce homelessness.”

Highly commended

Environmental services team, Cube Housing Association

This category was judged by

Bronwen Rapley, chief executive, Onward Homes

Simon Clark, group director – housing, Sanctuary Group

Maura Jackson, chief executive, Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme

Carl Brown, assistant editor – digital and strategy, Inside Housing (chair)

Sponsored by

REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE TEAM, SOUTH TYNESIDE HOMES

  • The team brought the number and cost of repairs below the targets set
  • Increased customer satisfaction created significant efficiencies
  • Working group made up of team members was key to its success

This year, South Tyneside Homes challenged its repairs and maintenance team to reduce the number of repairs carried out annually from 102,000 to 85,000 – while maintaining the average cost of repairs and customer satisfaction levels.

The team surpassed its target, bringing the number of repairs down to 83,000 and reducing the cost of each repair as well. This cut the organisation’s repairs spend from £8.05m to £5.98m, while achieving an increase in customer satisfaction to 91.5%.

How did the team manage this? It set up a working group comprised of members from all parts of the team, which then agreed on three areas for improvement: first, to ensure tenants were adhering to their responsibilities to reduce unnecessary repairs, using a new repairs and maintenance policy that states tenants’ responsibilities and manages expectations; second, to introduce planned maintenance programmes based on real estate and property information; and third, to complete more repairs on the first visit.

The savings generated, says South Tyneside Homes, will enable more planned schemes to be put into action to improve the quality of housing and the look of its estates.

The judges said

“The team increased its customer satisfaction rating to 91.5%, made impressive efficiency savings, achieved high quality at lower cost and increased its fix-first rate.”

This category was judged by

Brian Cronin, group chief executive, Your Housing Group

Geraldine Howley, group chief executive, Incommunities

Amina Graham, executive director of corporate services, RHP

Sponsored by

REPAIRS TEAM, PEAKS & PLAINS HOUSING TRUST

  • A modernised repairs service has saved time and money, as well as boosting customer satisfaction
  • The team has organised and benefited from a well-delivered roll-out of digital technology
  • Sustained sector-leading void performance

In a time when many housing associations are cutting back on their repairs costs, Peaks & Plains Housing Trust was looking for a way to do things differently and more efficiently to avoid any compromise on the care its customers expect. The repairs team has more than delivered, and it is the wider impact this has had that is recognised by this award.

The repairs team’s shift to digital ways of working means that all electrical and gas certificates are automated through individuals’ iPads, and staff receive instant feedback from customers while they are at the property. The creation of an online repairs booking service has increased efficiency, made life easier for customers and has unlocked resources for the customer services team.

The trust has reduced the number of people in the repairs team who work on voids through multi-skilling, working more efficiently and changing the way they deal with customers, enabling them to double the number of kitchen and bathroom improvements carried out in-house. The organisation has also brought emergency lighting, planned repairs and gas servicing in-house without increasing salary costs.

The judges said

“A modernised service and effective use of digital technology has saved time and increased efficiency. The team has an inclusive approach and a 97.5% customer satisfaction rating.”

Highly commended

Project delivery team, Ashford Borough Council

This category was judged by

Brian Cronin, group chief executive, Your Housing Group

Geraldine Howley, group chief executive, Incommunities

Amina Graham, executive director of corporate services, RHP

Sponsored by

Above: Stephen Humpage, head of recruitment at Inside Housing, who is leading on the Inside Housing Courses service, collects the award on behalf of Caritas Anchor House

CARITAS ANCHOR HOUSE

  • A comprehensive approach to inclusivity is embedded within the organisation
  • More than 26% of staff are either current or previous residents
  • This is an organisation truly welcoming to anyone regardless of their background

Of Caritas Anchor’s 42 staff members, 11 have been – or are – residents who overcame homelessness in Caritas Anchor House. This statistic shows that inclusivity and equal opportunities are predominant in this organisation’s values.

One example is Emin, who works full-time in Caritas Anchor’s maintenance team. Emin had been rough sleeping for six months – but after coming to terms with his need for help, he came to Caritas Anchor House in June 2014, and found motivation, trust and finally a job he loved.

Isolation is a crippling problem in homelessness, but Emin found friendship in Terry and John, who were members of the maintenance team with which he had been volunteering.

“They believed in me, they gave me a chance and never judged me – they just helped me learn,” says Emin.

Following 15 years of homelessness, Roseann arrived at Caritas Anchor in October 2015 and immediately began engaging with the organisation’s education, training and well-being services, and has grown into an exemplary, hard-working individual.

“The support I have received at Caritas Anchor House has given me my life back,” she says. “I am so happy that I can do for someone else what they did for me.”

The judges said

“Excellent practical examples given of impact made in a challenging area. This is clearly a joined-up service with great staff commitment.”

This category was judged by

Jenny Osbourne, chief executive, Tpas

Ruth Cooke, group chief executive, Clarion Housing Group

Tony Hall, chief executive, Freebridge Community Housing

Sponsored by

VOLUNTEERING, APPRENTICESHIPS AND STUDENT PLACEMENTS TEAM, ST MUNGO’S

  • Achieved fantastic return on investment with modest staffing levels
  • The team has become a valued internal consultant within the organisation
  • It is moving away from traditional volunteering models, with great success

With relatively modest staffing, the team’s vision and reach in enhancing the quality of the experience of St Mungo’s clients through the support offered to operational services has provided a phenomenal return on investment.

The work of the team has led to 200,000 hours of additional resource for the charity and is a vital part of its growth strategy. The feedback on the team’s support from internal colleagues, clients and external stakeholders has never been short of superlative.

In a radical departure from more traditional models, in which volunteers join teams led by paid staff, the volunteering, apprenticeships and student placements team has worked to enable some services to be volunteer-led – such as the Streetlink team, a vital lifeline for the public to report their concern about people they see sleeping rough and to link them into local services. This service has grown to involve nearly 100 volunteers, from about 15 a year ago. The team is now piloting the involvement of paramedic students.

St Mungo’s says the team’s unique and immense contribution has been a credit not only to its organisation but to the entire homelessness sector.

The judges said

“The team has posted impressive numbers on bringing additional resources into the company. It has also moved from a traditional approach to volunteering and is clearly valued by its organisation.”

This category was judged by

Jenny Osbourne, chief executive, Tpas

Ruth Cooke, group chief executive, Clarion Housing Group

Tony Hall, chief executive, Freebridge Community Housing

MOTIV8, NEW CHARTER GROUP (NOW JIGSAW GROUP)

  • Already making a huge difference to vulnerable people’s lives just over a year after its foundation
  • With 2,000 referrals in the first year, this was clearly a much-needed service
  • Many testimonials from clients regarding how Motiv8 has helped turn their lives around

Since it began in 2017, Motiv8 has provided intensive support to vulnerable people aged over 25 across Greater Manchester who are not in employment or training.

In its first year, Motiv8 received almost 2,000 referrals. It is clearly a much-needed service that is already beginning to see positive outcomes and results for its clients.

But the statistics are not the reason the team can feel proud of its work. Rather, it is the difference it is making to the lives of the people with which it works.

Eric, aged 31, is just one example. When referred to Motiv8 he was drinking heavily, sometimes suicidal and occasionally homeless.

“Motiv8 has made such a huge difference to my life,” he says. “I was a complete mess. My key worker made me feel like a person again and not just some homeless drunk to be ignored on the street. I can’t thank the Motiv8 team enough for its support. It put me in touch with a network of organisations I didn’t know existed. These people have all given me strength, hope and confidence for the future.”

The judges said

“A great entry with lots of examples of positive impacts for the whole community. It is clearly a well-run, well-organised project that cares for each customer.”

This category was judged by

Lisa Collen, director of people, Flagship Group

Mark Henderson, chief executive, Home Group

Paula Kennedy, chief executive, Melin Homes

TY ENFYS TEAM, TAFF HOUSING ASSOCIATION

  • Ty Enfys offers support and accommodation to young homeless mums and mums-to-be
  • Runs a 10-week parent nurturing programme, as well as like mother and baby swimming lessons
  • The project’s caring atmosphere means that many past residents make a return visit

Ty Enfys (Rainbow House in Welsh), a supported project for 21 young women and their babies, is the only service of its kind in Wales. The project aims to give the new mums a sense of stability and safety, where they can learn how to become great parents.

The project is a 24/7 service, with both day and night staff.
The team aims to make it feel like ‘home’ rather than a hostel by creating engagement opportunities such as Christmas parties, quizzes, arts workshops and film nights; ‘normality’ is not something many of the residents have experienced in their young lives.

Staff at Ty Enfys work closely with parents and social services to support them to provide the caring, nurturing environment that a child needs to thrive and they have a great deal of success with this, with children frequently being removed from the child protection register.

Most parents, when they leave Ty Enfys, say they feel more confident in their ability to be a good mum, and have a strong bond with their child. That is something of which the team can be proud.

The judges said

“A good end-to-end service whose impact was demonstrated in this entry. One of the only services in the area.”

Highly commended

Care team, Langley House Trust

This category was judged by

Lisa Collen, director of people, Flagship Group

Mark Henderson, chief executive, Home Group

Paula Kennedy, chief executive, Melin Homes

Introduction LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN HOUSING TENANT LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION BY A CIH MEMBER CIH/INSIDE HOUSING RISING STAR APPRENTICE of the year Tenant innovator of the year MENTORS OF THE YEAR INSPIRATIONAL LEADER of the year INSPIRATIONAL COLLEAGUE OF THE YEAR (OVER 15,000 HOMES) INSPIRATIONAL COLLEAGUE of the year (UNDER 15,000 HOMES) CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AWARD COMMUNICATIONS TEAM of the year FRONTLINE TEAM OF THE YEAR (OVER 12,000 HOMES) FRONTLINE TEAM of the year (UNDER 12,000 HOMES) DEVELOPMENT OR MAINTENANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR (OVER 15,000 HOMES) DEVELOPMENT OR MAINTENANCE TEAM of the year (UNDER 15,000 HOMES) INCLUSIVE TEAM OF THE YEAR CENTRAL SERVICE team OF THE year SUPPORT AND CARE TEAM OF THE YEAR (OVER 7,000 HOMES) SUPPORT AND CARE TEAM of the year (UNDER 7,000 HOMES)

The Housing Heroes Awards launched in 2009 to celebrate the passion, hard work and commitment of the housing sector’s heroes – those who truly make a difference to the communities in which they live and work.

Now in its 10th year, the awards have gone from strength to strength. They recognise everyone from chief executives and frontline workers to tenants for their roles in shaping the sector.

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