“Our staff are the key to our ability to deliver excellent services to members”.

Catherine Wilmot, Executive Director (Operations & Finance), Northern Housing Consortium talks about why empowering staff through training and development is so important to the NHC and how we strive to support staff wellbeing.

Having worked most of my professional career within services organisations I am a passionate believer in the importance of a happy, healthy and motivated workforce in an organisation’s ability to be cohesive and deliver the best services it can.  Furthermore, through study towards a Masters degree in Organisational and Business Psychology, I have academically cemented my experience that one size does not fit all when it comes to managing your workforce or promoting the many different facets of health and wellbeing to individuals. Health and wellbeing not only covers physical and mental health, but also the environment staff work in, the opportunities to develop or train, and to work as a team, work-life flexibility, and organisational leadership and overarching values.

“We believe in empowering staff at all levels”

Our personalised training and development plans support our staff to become subject matter experts in their field. I believe that staff members should feel encouraged to complement their sector and role knowledge through study and through affiliation to the professional member body related to their role. We are currently supporting 26% of our staff body in their studies towards recognised academic or professional qualifications and many staff are members of professional member bodies, ensuring authenticity in the specialist and sector support we provide to our members.

We believe in empowering staff at all levels. Each individual has a unique insight into what works in their roles and involving them in the strategy shaping process is a powerful way to give staff some autonomy over the processes they know best.

This year our staff at all levels were actively engaged in the development of our new corporate plan, encouraging them to use their individual areas of expertise to best effect. Using key corporate objectives and ambitions developed from a recent member perception survey and agreed by our Board, we developed a refreshed plan that will help us to continue to succeed and to achieve our objectives through to 2022 and beyond.

We have a strong staff culture at the NHC, and this year we asked a volunteer staff working group to support a modernisation of our corporate values, the glue to our ability to deliver the new corporate plan. Our member focussed, collaborative, innovative and supportive values relate to us as teams, as an organisation and as a membership body.

“We are passionate about the wellbeing of our staff”

We are passionate about the wellbeing of our staff in order to facilitate the best support to our member organisations. We have established a staff-led wellbeing working group to discuss and promote initiatives to sustain and improve physical and mental health and wellbeing amongst staff.  We recently undertook a full staff wellbeing survey which generated very positive results – but we are striving to do more.

“Our flexible working policy, allows staff to be fully agile”

We now have nearly 80% of our staff signed up on our remote working programme, which, together with our flexible working policy, allows staff to be fully agile and choose an optimal time and location to deliver their workplan effectively. 100% of our staff are now fully equipped with the communication tools and IT infrastructure to be able to work remotely if required, minimising any risk of downtime.

“We have held several events in recent months on mental wellness”

We are all very aware of the impact housing has on mental health. Staff working in housing organisations are particularly susceptible due to the nature of the vulnerable residents and complex issues they deal with on a day-to-day basis. The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has launched a guide to help housing organisations improve their approach to mental health and here at the NHC we have held several events in recent months on mental wellness: including a mental health and housing conference and training courses covering individual, team and tenants’ mental health. We will continue to bring members together to discuss approaches to mental health – look out for a seminar for HR and People Directors later this year.

Overall, we believe our noteworthy recent sickness record, of only 1.8 days per employee for the full year, is testament to the success of our remote working programme and other staff wellbeing measures put in place. We hope that these measures and ongoing actions will help to sustain this excellent performance within the organisation, and further develop our staff as role models and ambassadors for the sector in general.

 

Smart Energy GB in Communities

National Energy Action (NEA) is pleased to announce that the 2020 Smart Energy GB in Communities programme is now live, with grant funding and support being targeted to organisations reaching people aged over 65 who are unaware of smart meters. This group will have a very limited knowledge and understanding of smart meters and will not have engaged with the rollout so far. Insight from Smart Energy GB tells us that this year’s target group are also more likely to have no personal internet access and/or be on a low income.

The Smart Energy GB in Communities programme aims to engage and work with trusted partners supporting people aged over 65 who are unaware of smart meters, to ensure people in the target group understand how smart meters can benefit them.

Large grants fund

Grants of up to £25,000 are available for organisations that can deliver support to people in this year’s target group: people aged over 65 who are unaware of smart meters.

We are seeking applications from regionally based organisations. Ideally with local networks and substantial face-to-face reach that can deliver direct support to people in the target group. Previous applicants are eligible to apply. Housing associations and local authorities are also welcome to apply.

We are looking for applicants that have a trusted voice in their community and can provide support to people in our target group.

Full details are included in our Guidance Document on the NEA website. Please read this before completing an online application form and Project Plan. If you have any queries please contact us.

All applications should be completed using the online application form and Project Plan. The closing date to apply is Friday 21 February 2020. We aim to appoint successful projects in mid-March, with delivery running until 9 December 2020.

Last month around 100 of the region’s engaged residents returned to The Principal York for the Northern Housing Consortium and Tenant Advisor’s 9^th Annual Tenant Panel conference. The theme of the day was ‘influencing services and decision makers’ and with a General Election on the horizon, delegates used the day to produce their own ‘Resident’s Housing Manifesto’.

With the election now having taken place and the Conservatives in No.10 – attention will turn again to the long-awaited next stages of the Social Housing Green Paper and Action Plan. In the meantime, however, we are happy to give our Government a nudge in the right direction with our own review of what would make a difference to residents and communities.

 

A Housing Manifesto for Residents

This Manifesto was produced directly by social housing residents at the National Tenant Panels Conference 2019, York.

Government should work with Landlords to build on their duty to:

Undertake community development in partnership with residents;

Landlords should drive creative partnerships and initiatives with tenants – ensuring the important resource of local knowledge is drawn on to maximise both impact and trust.

These innovative ‘community panels’ would be made up of all residents (including owner occupiers) and facilitate not just scrutiny but facilitate communication with local institutions whether the emergency services or local government.

Engage residents in solutions for their own safety;

Again, resources for meaningful engagement and partnership should be established to talk effectively about safety with individual tenants – post-Grenfell, tenants should be asked about their perception of safety and “what would make them feel safe”. This would include developing  ‘see it, say it, report it’ culture amongst tenants for raising concerns backed up by a ‘listen, record, and do it’ culture for landlords themselves.

Provide support to vulnerable tenants;

Landlords should go out of their way to fully understand their customers and households, to establish what their vulnerable people want and what actually is needed – taking into account many factors such as physical & mental health, substance misuse, loneliness, domestic abuse, poverty, fuel, anti-social behaviour, protected characteristics.

Allocation policies should provide suitable accommodation for vulnerable people and all landlords should have business continuity plans and emergency plans that ensure vulnerable people remain housed.

Engage residents in how they invest for social purpose;

Tenant’s Charter’s should include involvement in investment choices and decisions on Social Purpose. To this end, well trained and supported engaged residents should work to develop plans with internal structures and teams such as a Community Investment Team.

Incorporate resident views into the Corporate Plan and strategic direction.

Resident’s should be involved from the inception of all plans and strategic direction and supported to learn, engage and participate fully. Engagement should be made through a string of communication channels and not just digitally – efforts should be made to capture the ‘forgotten tenant’.

• Gas safety Service-user’s Focus Groups involved for example in digital scheduling of services to improve efficiency
• Pilot projects on FD30 fire doors, ledges & handles.

 

3. A Duty on Landlords to Provide Support to Vulnerable Tenants

Residents would like to see their landlords:

• clearly defining “vulnerability” and vulnerability categories, taking account of many factors including physical & mental health, substance misuse, loneliness, domestic abuse, poverty, fuel, anti-social behaviour, protected characteristics, etc.;
• conducting profiling to fully understand their customers and households, to establish what their vulnerable people want and what actually is needed from their customers;
• staff and residents training to increase their awareness of vulnerability;
• ensure their allocation policies provide suitable accommodation for vulnerable people;
• have business continuity plans & emergency plans that cover vulnerable people;
• introduce Personal Evacuation Plans for vulnerable tenants in lower level flats;
• linked to Local Authorities introduce an emergency crisis team who are fully trained and resourced;
• identify key partners e.g. Statutory, 3rd Sector & volunteers. Part of their work will be to develop community cohesion, so people can help others with their self-care;
• feedback to customers “you said we did” to ensure they are providing and delivering on the correct priorities.

In general, isolation and vulnerability would be reduced by commitments to social care becoming a reality, reversing cuts to health & social care, removing bedroom tax as vulnerable people may need a “spare” room for carers and giving more support for carers.

 

4. A Duty on Landlords to Engage Residents in how they Invest for Social Purpose

Residents would like to see their landlords:

• have a Tenant’s Charter setting out fundamental rights including involvement in investment choices and decisions on Social Purpose shaped by directors and employees;
• train and support effective tenant board members;
• enable every tenant to be a shareholder with a the right to vote at the AGM;
• to develop plans, internal structures and teams such as a Community Investment Team or Social Enterprises like community bakeries, which will be subject to effective scrutiny and due diligence from tenant board members and groups. These will increase transparency and accountability to tenants on investment issues;
• create opportunities within organisation for management/board to listen to tenants;
• provide more face to face communication and regular updates e.g. on staff changes;
  • arrange funding for different events: o Community events i.e. coffee mornings, drop in events
  • Neighbourhood events inviting housing officer
  • Vulnerable tenants events
  • Health and Wellbeing Team Mental Health etc. either phone or Community Base

 

5. A Duty on Landlords to Incorporate Resident Views into the Corporate Plan and Strategic Direction

Residents would like to see their landlords:

• involve residents from inception (a duty to involve tenants in value for money) in all policies;
• supporting them to learn, engage and participate fully;
• to prioritise the work of the landlord;
• carry out customer profiling which is service specific to ensure communications channels work, both ways;
• improve communication, through human contact and not just digitally. Use of phone and face to face contact means you get so much more information from tenant (communication is more than just social media – one size does not fit all);
• involve all groups and voices. They will capture the forgotten tenant voice, to spend money fairly not just on those that shout loudest!;
• attract younger people while maybe accepting that they might not want to be involved in the same way;
• ensure outcomes are fed back;
• enable consistency across sector, agreed standards and enshrine for tenants & residents;
• set up Tenant Panel’s to scrutinise services so they report both to Board and the community;
• enable resident engagement in procurement;
• communicate landlord service testing with Partners and contractors;
• deliver this for all social tenants to ensure upkeep of houses, so they are fit for purpose, safe and repairs are done to agreed timescales;
• spend more money on ASB and communicate more effectively about it.

As attention turns to the year ahead, we take a look back at some of the work our members helped us to achieve in the year 2019. Our work programme has been busy, covering a new corporate plan, a focused influencing agenda and an exciting new collaboration to launch Consortium Procurement Construction, offering our members a variety of new construction based frameworks.

We held a busy events programme with our flagship Northern Housing Summit attracting record numbers of attendees and a fantastic line up of speakers. As we neared the end of the year we launched our online member portal: MyNHC – to help give you more visibility of the ways your organisation uses its NHC membership and in recent weeks we announced a new bursary scheme offering awards of £500 to tenants to support learning opportunities.

Earlier this month our Chief Executive, Tracy Harrison wrote for Inside Housing on climate change, exploring the unique challenges facing the North, and the importance of retrofitting the region’s existing housing stock to make it fit for the future. The NHC team is now stepping up engagement with members at all levels to understand your priorities within this agenda.

Universal Credit Revisited Report is published in April

Earlier this year we published the report: ‘Impact of Universal Credit – Revisited’ which builds on evidence collected in the NHC’s year-long longitudinal study of its membership across the North, collecting evidence on their tenants, their organisation and their experience of dealing with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The report also reflects on other studies throughout the roll out and anecdotal evidence from member consultation events.

The report was praised by Steve Moseley, group director of governance, strategy & communications, L&Q and editorial panel member, Thinkhouse (Inside Housing) stating: “the NHC’s focus on this important area is pleasing to see. It’s also a particularly good report – short, focused and well written… it is the human element that has the most impact and the various case studies included throughout the report make sobering reading.”

Read the full article from April and download the report here.

 

The NHC appointed a new executive team in May

In May 2019, our Deputy Chief Executive, Tracy Harrison was appointed to the role of Chief Executive, and we welcomed a new Executive Director (Policy & Public Affairs), Brian Robson who joined us from Homes England. The new executive team also includes Executive Director (Operations & Finance), Catherine Wilmot, who joined the NHC last year on a permanent basis following two previous periods covering maternity leave to direct the commercial and operational support areas of the organisation.

Read the full article about the executive team from May here.

 

The launch of our new collaboration: Consortium Procurement Construction at the Consortium Procurement Village, CIH

The Village is Consortium Procurement’s largest exhibition of the year. Held in Manchester over three days within the CIH Housing exhibition hall, it proves to be an excellent networking opportunity for all involved. This year was a great success with nine of our supply partners choosing to exhibit alongside us on our stand.

This year we also launched Consortium Procurement Construction, a collaboration between Consortium Procurement and LHC, expanding our offering to members to include a full suite of frameworks to support construction, refurbishment and maintenance of social housing and public buildings, providing Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) solutions and other construction-based frameworks to members.

Since launching the CPC brand, we have already provided the solution for the expansion of a primary school: Northumberland County Council’s first ever MMC building project.

Read more about it on the website.

 

#OurNorth launched in July with fantastic support from our members

In July, we launched #OurNorth, the banner of our influencing activity which is our bid to tell the positive story about the ambition and opportunity we see in the North every day. It highlights our key asks of government:

• Expand the affordable homes programme and ensure it continues to create great homes and places right across the North
• Create capacity in our councils to deliver on their housing ambitions
• Boost standards in the North’s private rented sector through a flexible regeneration fund.

During the election, we wrote to selected Parliamentary Candidates and shared with them the Building #OurNorth publication. This booklet sets out a range of case studies illustrating the importance of the Affordable Homes Programme to the North of England, and lends our backing to the sector-wide call for an ambitious expansion of this programme, and for it to continue to support homes in all areas of England, including right across the North.

The #OurNorth campaign will run up until the spending review and you can still get involved by sending us your case studies. Go to our website for further details about the #OurNorth campaign or download the Building #OurNorth Publication and read the case studies on our website here.

 

Our Executive Director Brian Robson gives evidence at the House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

The evening of Monday 21st October saw our Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Brian Robson, give evidence at the second session of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee regarding the long-term delivery of social and affordable rented housing (view the call for evidence here). The NHC was invited to give evidence following our detailed response to the Committee’s call for evidence on the subject.

Read the full write up from October here.

 

Our new Corporate Plan launched in October

We were excited to launch our new Corporate Plan in October, bringing together our vision to drive and deliver five clear and ambitious objectives over the next three years.

Created using the results from a recent member perception survey, developed with staff at all levels and agreed by our Board, the NHC’s Corporate Plan delivers a strong message to members of our commitment to serving them and to achieving housing policy that really works for the North.

Read more about our Corporate Plan and download it here.

 

Northern Housing Summit

The Northern Housing Summit took place in November and was attended by over 180 representatives from housing associations and local authorities. The day had three main themes running throughout – future vision and ambition, quality and place, and capacity, delivery and regulation.

One of the event highlights was the morning session which asked: ‘what can we expect for the housing sector in the North?’ Delegates heard from Chair, Steve Douglas, Group Chief Executive, Aquila who set the scene of what was a thought provoking session with Gavin Barwell, Chief of Staff to the British Prime Minister (from 2017-2019), Polly Mackenzie, Chief Executive of DEMOS and Director of Policy to the Deputy Prime Minister (from 2010-2015) and Director of the Smith Institute, Paul Hackett.

Read the full event summary here and the event write up in 24housing here.

 

The launch of our online member portal: MyNHC

We launched MyNHC at the Northern Housing Summit last month – MyNHC is an online portal to help give you more visibility of the ways your organisation uses its NHC membership. MyNHC will give you better oversight of how your organisation works with us, with the ability to book and manage events, access documentation, view procurement information and much more.

You will be able to see details of the Consortium Procurement solutions your organisation is currently accessing; this includes information on your current contracts. All NHC event bookings will now be made using MyNHC.

Sign up to MyNHC here or read our blog MyNHC – putting members at the heart of NHC services by Kate Maughan, Director of Member Engagement.

 

The NHC Unlocking Success Bursary Scheme launched earlier this month offering awards of £500 to tenants to support learning opportunities

The Unlocking Success Bursary Scheme, funded through the Northern Housing Consortium Charitable Trust, will award bursaries of £500 to help tenants develop their learning and skills to support their future employment.

The bursary covers a study period of up to a year and can support your tenants with the cost of the learning itself, or if they are already involved in an area of learning it can help to fund books, equipment, travel costs, childcare or other living costs that will help them to complete a period of learning.

To be eligible to apply for the bursary, tenants must be aged 16 or over and housed by a social landlord. They must be using the bursary to enhance their skills to further their development. This can be at any level. Applications are via the social landlord.

Read more about it on the website here.

 

 The Northern housing sector is ready to lead the fight against climate change

Our Chief Executive, Tracy Harrison has written for Inside Housing earlier this month on climate change, exploring the unique challenges facing the North and the importance of retrofitting the region’s existing housing stock to make it fit for the future.

The NHC’s member-led board have agreed to develop a programme of work intended to secure the resources and policy changes we need to make large-scale, carbon-focused renewal of the North’s housing stock a reality. The NHC team is now stepping up engagement with members at all levels to understand your priorities within this agenda.

Please contact our Executive Director, Brian Robson to help us shape our activity around this core policy objective.

Read the full article here.

We have learnt through our roundtable events that housing providers and local authorities are increasingly having to take up the slack and are investing increasing resources to ensure the smooth running of the Universal Credit system for the benefits of claimants and to maintain sustainable tenancies.

In order to quantify the extent to which members are having to invest in services to make UC work as efficiently as possible for their customers, the NHC is undertaking a survey of members. To maximise the response rate, the deadline to submit your evidence has been extended to Friday 6^th December. Please click here to take part in the survey or feel free to share the link to someone more appropriate in your organisation.

This latest piece of research builds on the publication of our previous research into the Impact of Universal Credit. The NHC are continuing to monitor how our members and their customers are affected by UC and if you would like any more information or any queries regarding this research please contact Barry Turnbull, Business Intelligence Officer at barry.turnbull@nhc.org.uk