Williamsburgh Housing Association Ltd.

Transcription

Williamsburgh Housing Association Ltd.
Williamsburgh Charter Report 2014:Williamsburgh Annual Report 04
23/10/14
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Housing Association Limited
Report on progress
in relation to
The Scottish
Social Housing
Charter
Incorporating our Annual Report 2013/14
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Contents
Williamsburgh Housing Association:
•
Mission Statement
1
•
Business Strategy
1
•
Business Objectives
1
Introduction
2
Chairperson’s Foreword
3
Charter Outcomes:
The Customer/Landlord Relationship
•
Equalities
6
•
Communication
8
•
Participation
10
Housing Quality and Maintenance
•
Quality of Housing
11
•
Repairs, Maintenance and Improvements
13
Neighbourhood and Community
•
Estate Management, Anti-Social Behaviour,
Neighbour Nuisance and Tenancy Disputes
16
Access to Housing and Support
•
Housing Options
19
•
Access to Housing
20
•
Tenancy Sustainment
21
Getting Good Value for Rents and Service Charges
•
Value for Money
22
•
Rents and Service Charges
24
Charter Review and Evaluation
25
Feedback
30
Committee and Staff Details
31
Cover story:
McKerrell Street has intricate carvings under most oriel windows, each part of a story. Our cover shows images from some of the buildings, which
show a baby growing in to a boy, then a man and on to maturity and old age.
Also, the image of two doves caring for their offspring in the nest, which is a featured part in the design of Williamsburgh’s logo.
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Williamsburgh Housing Association’s
Mission Statement
“Williamsburgh Housing Association’s aim is the ongoing provision of high quality, affordable homes
for those in housing need, meeting the expectations of our residents, through our commitment to
continuous improvement, both in our service delivery and the regeneration of our communities.”
Our Business Strategy
The agreed business strategy aimed at implementing our vision is one of:
• Consolidation:
concentrating on doing well what we are doing currently, strengthening our
current position and building upon our performance.
• Service Improvement:
improving the quality of the services we provide to our residents.
Our Objectives
• to retain our development expertise and that of our clerks of work in the servicing of W.H.A. initiatives and
through the provision of our project management and maintenance roles to our client organisations,
• to promote the regeneration and sustainability of those communities we serve,
• to review our business processes to pro-actively manage all debt due to the Association,
• to implement our action plan, in response to the changes to welfare reform,
• to implement our action plan, in respect of our latest comprehensive resident satisfaction survey,
• to respond to the challenges emerging from the Scottish Government policy agenda and the requirements of the
Scottish Housing Regulator,
• to increase business efficiency and the quality of service delivery, by maximising the benefits to be derived from
our new housing management and finance IT system, and
• to promote a number of operational matters, including the adoption of our new charitable model rules and to
monitor the operation of our new Complaints Handling Procedure, to meet the requirements of the Scottish Public
Services Ombudsman.
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Introduction
The main purpose of this Report is to highlight the Association’s progress towards meeting the Scottish Social Housing
Charter and to provide additional information about our performance in a format agreed with our residents.
The Scottish Social Housing Charter (Charter)
The Scottish Social Housing Charter, having been approved by the Scottish Parliament, became effective in April 2012. The
Charter requires all social landlords operating in Scotland to produce a report each year outlining their performance in
relation to the Charter outcomes. The Charter contains 16 outcomes and standards, 14 of which are relevant to
Williamsburgh Housing Association and these are described in this Report, along with our progress in achieving them.
Charter Heading
Related Outcomes
The Customer/Landlord relationship
1.
Equalities
2.
Communication
3.
Participation
4.
Quality of housing
5.
Repairs, maintenance and improvements
6.
Estate management, anti-social behaviour, neighbour nuisance
Housing quality and maintenance
Neighbourhood and community
and tenancy disputes
Access to housing and support
Getting good value from rents and
service charges
7. 8. 9. Housing Options
10.
Access to social housing
11.
Tenancy sustainment
12.
Homeless People*
13.
Value for money
14. 15. Rents and service charges
16.
Gypsies/Travellers*
* Outcomes 12. (Homeless People) and 16. (Gypsies/Travellers) apply specifically to the statutory duties of local authorities
and have, therefore, been excluded as they are not directly relevant to Williamsburgh Housing Association.
This Report, where possible, compares Williamsburgh Housing Association’s performance with those of Renfrewshire Council,
the Federation of Local Housing Associations in Renfrewshire (FLAIR) group and the Scottish averages, as per the national
statistics collected by the Scottish Housing Regulator.
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Chairperson’s Foreword
Introduction
Welcome to
Williamsburgh
Housing
Association’s first
Performance Report
outlining our
progress in meeting
the requirements of
We have developed this Report in consultation with our Focus
Group. We have also asked tenants and other customers to
comment on what information they want and who we should
benchmark ourselves against. Feedback has informed the
content, format and layout of this Report. We are accountable
to our tenants and other customers, in respect of our
performance in relation to the standards and outcomes. We
hope that the Report clearly identifies where we are
performing well but, more importantly, highlights areas where
we need to focus our efforts on improving.
the Scottish Social
Housing Charter. In
Review
previous years, we
Reflecting on the last year, I can present a favourable report
have published an annual report. For this year, in order to
on the Association’s activity. It has, however, been a period of
avoid duplication, we are producing only one report and,
change and we have faced a variety of challenges. While
while it focuses on the Charter information, we have included
some relate to internal arrangements, some relate to the
details from our traditional annual report, such as our financial
external environment in which we operate.
performance, which we feel is important to bring to the
attention of our residents.
We submitted our first return on the Charter to the Scottish
The most significant issues which we have had to contend
with, over the past year, include:
I
Housing Regulator in May 2014. The Regulator issued the
first Landlord Report for every Scottish social landlord in
implementation of our new computer system,
I
August 2014, at the same time making available a national
online comparison tool, which gives both tenants and
landlords a wide range of easily accessible performance
information www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk
the demands placed on staff resources, through the
the challenges presented by both the Scottish and UK
Governments, in areas such as welfare reform,
I
staff turnover, in particular maternity leave and retirement,
I
the financial challenges presented by:
The purpose of the Charter is to help improve the quality and
▪ our planned maintenance programme,
value of the services landlords provide. It is designed to
▪ improvements to the energy efficiency of our stock,
support the Scottish Government’s long term aim of creating a
▪ the costs associated with pension provision, and
safer and stronger Scotland and to:
▪ rent arrears,
I
state clearly what tenants and other customers can expect
from their landlord, so as to hold them to account,
I
I
I
anti-social behaviour.
Given the Management Committee’s governance
focus landlords’ efforts on achieving outcomes that matter
responsibilities, it has fallen to us, with the support of our
to their customers, and
senior staff, to provide leadership, ensure compliance with
to allow the Scottish Housing Regulator to assess and
regulatory requirements, to promote the highest standards and
report on how well landlords are performing. This will
monitor performance.
help identify areas of strong performance and areas
In the main, the Association has been successful in rising to
needing improvement.
the challenges presented. Much of our focus has been
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
responding to the welfare reform changes, working hard with
training and the promotion of the Big Lottery funded
those affected, to help them through these difficult times.
community garden, the Garden of Dreams, in Broadloan
Renfrew,
We have also been able to:
I
initiate a new build development at Seedhill Road, Paisley,
I
rights officers and promote access to money advice staff,
homes and our development partner, Renfrewshire
who offer a range of services to help mitigate the impact
Council, with 24 amenity flats, designed to accommodate
of welfare reform,
I
I
I
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tap into sources of grant funding, including the Green
invest £2m in improvements to our stock, primarily the
Homes Cashback and the Energy Company Obligation, to
replacement of kitchens, bathrooms, windows and heating
allow us to undertake work to improve the energy
systems,
efficiency of our tenants’ homes, comprising primarily of
new central heating systems with highly efficient boilers
carry out medical adaptations in 48 properties to make
and increased insulation,
them more appropriate to the needs of our tenants,
I
access Big Lottery funding to employ additional welfare
which will provide the Association with 23 new family
older people,
I
I
continue to provide development and clerk of works
I
successfully receive re-accreditation from Investors in
services to client organisations, who are offering positive
People which, following our re-assessment, confirmed our
feedback on the benefits obtained through this expertise,
silver award, and
lead on a joint procurement project involving a group of
I
restructure the housing management section, in order to
local associations who have benefitted through a
devote additional resources towards tackling anti-social
framework arrangement, which not only simplifies the
behaviour and estate management issues and to improve
process but has led to cost savings through the combined
tenant liaison.
purchasing power, in respect of planned maintenance,
I am pleased to be able to report that, despite all the
undertake our commitment to those communities we serve
challenges and uncertainty faced, Williamsburgh Housing
through generating social, economic and environmental
Association, as an organisation, has maintained a strong
benefits, through for example, the provision of computer
balance sheet and a healthy surplus.
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The following pages indicate Williamsburgh Housing
In conclusion, I would express the hope that you find this new
Association’s performance against the Charter indicators.
Report both interesting and informative. While we have
While pleased with our performance in general, there are
worked with our Focus Group to develop the Report, we
areas which we have highlighted where our performance is
would welcome further feedback. For example, does it provide
not up to that which we would expect and which our
customers deserve. This underscores our recent resident
satisfaction survey and offers a clear indication of where our
efforts, as identified in the resulting action plan, should be
directed over the next year.
information in a way that it is readily understood? If you care
to offer your comments, we would be delighted to hear from
you.
Margaret Symons Chairperson
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Charter Outcomes
The Customer/Landlord Relationship
Outcome 1: Equalities
We perform all aspects of our housing service so that every tenant and other customer has their individual needs
recognised, is treated fairly and with respect and receives fair access to housing and housing services.
We have a comprehensive equality and diversity policy which recognises that Williamsburgh Housing Association has the power to
assist in reducing the disadvantages that people experience, by making our services more responsive to the communities we serve
and the individuals therein. The Association values the diversity of our communities and wants our services, facilities and resources
to be accessible. As such:
I
our office is wheelchair accessible and has induction loop
technology,
I
we offer interpreting and translation services,
I
we can provide information in a range of different formats, to
suit our customers’ needs,
I
we aim to make the process of applying for housing with
Williamsburgh Housing Association as easy and accessible as
possible,
I
we provide wheelchair accessible and amenity housing,
I
we will make adaptations to our existing tenants’ homes, to
allow them to remain within the community, near friends and family as their needs change through age or infirmity.
48 adaptations were carried out in 2013/14, taking on average 32 days to complete from the work being actioned.
I
we work with specialist agencies and social work to provide the appropriate support to our customers,
I
we record the demographics of current tenants, new tenants and housing applicants, in order to proactively provide services to
meet the diverse needs of our communities.
Ethnicity: Equal Opportunities Monitoring Statistics
Ethnic Groups
Black, Black Scottish
or Black British
Other British
Irish
Polish
Any other White
Background
Mixed
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Chinese
Any other Asian
Background
Caribbean
African
Any other Black
Background
Gypsy/Traveller
Other Ethnic
Background
(New Lets & Re-lets)
143
5
1
13
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
4
0
0
0
1
169
33
Housing List
527 103
3
21
11
1
0
2
0
1
2
0
21
0
0
6
168
866
125
Existing Tenants 1,579 36
1
33
21
3
4
2
0
3
0
0
20
6
0
0
99 1,807
326
Total
Scottish
Unknown/Refused
Asian, Asian Scottish or
Asian British
White
Disability
Allocations
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Percentage of Tenants satisfied with the
order to offer residents some context, in which to rate the
overall service provided by Williamsburgh
Association’s performance, we would try, where possible, to
Housing Association
illustrate Williamsburgh Housing Association’s service levels, or
The bar chart below shows the response to the question in
our resident satisfaction survey in relation to the
resident satisfaction against that of Renfrewshire Council and
FLAIR. FLAIR is the Federation of Local Housing Associations
operating in Renfrewshire and comprises of the five locally
customer/landlord relationship:
based associations (Bridgewater H.A., Ferguslie Park H.A.,
Linstone H.A., Paisley South H.A., Williamsburgh H.A.) and
Barrhead H.A. We have, for many years, worked collectively
providing mutual support, undertaking joint activities and
100
90
Scottish
Average
87.8%
80
70
promoting the highest standards possible for local residents.
In addition, we present Williamsburgh Housing Association’s
performance and rate it against the Scottish average (which
60
50
encompasses all Scottish housing associations and local
40
authorities).
30
The Report identifies, against each performance measure,
20
whether Williamsburgh H.A. is close to or better than the
10
86%
82%
90.1%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Scottish average
or is falling considerably short
.
While readers will see the Association’s strong performance in
a number of areas, the report will also highlight those areas
where improvements could be made. It is these areas
In discussion with our Focus Group, it was determined that the
primarily, which feature within the action plan which we have
Association should select social landlords with which to
developed, in order to address any shortcomings and to meet
benchmark our performance. It was decided, therefore, that in
the expectations of both the Association and our customers.
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Outcome 2: Communication
We must manage our business so that tenants and other customers find it easy to communicate with us and get the
information they need about us, on how and why we make decisions and the services we provide.
Many problems can be traced back to poor communications.
As such, we believe that good communication is essential.
This can involve:
I
local, accessible office, with notice boards and information
screen/reception media,
I
letter or e-mail,
I
telephone and text,
I
home visits,
I
annual report, quarterly newsletter, leaflets and flyers,
I
website,
I
readily accessible staff,
I
the availability of alternative formats, translators and
Communication, however, is a two way process and we will
consider the means by which residents can provide feedback
to us in the next Section (Outcome 3: Participation).
Learning from Complaints:
interpreters, and
I
The Association believes we can learn and improve from the
customer care charter, residents handbook.
complaints we receive. We have adopted a complaints
handling procedure which meets the requirements of the
Percentage of Tenants who felt
Williamsburgh Housing Association was
good at keeping them informed of
services/decisions
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).
Customers are encouraged to use this procedure when they
are dissatisfied with our standard of service or in relation to
The bar chart below shows the response to the question in
action which the Association has or has not taken. Details of
complaints received are reported to the Scottish Housing
our resident satisfaction survey in relation to the
Regulator annually and we publish our performance in dealing
customer/landlord relationship:
with complaints, in our newsletters and on our website. The
Association will also report on how we have made any
adjustments to our service in response to complaints received.
100
Scottish
Average
88.9%
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
90.3%
79.2%
94.1%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
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Service Complaints: 2013/14
Complaint by category
Frontline
(5 days)
Frontline plus
5 day
extension
(10 days)
Investigation
(20 days)
Frontline to
Investigation
(maximum
30 days)
Total
WHA Service Issue
7
0
18
1
26
WHA Staff Member
2
0
3
0
5
WHA Committee
Member
0
0
0
0
0
Contractor Issue
8
0
2
0
10
Allocations Issue
0
0
0
0
0
Rent Account Issue
0
0
0
0
0
W.P.S Service
0
0
0
0
0
Total
17
0
23
1
41
Timescales by complaint type
Frontline
(5 days)
Frontline
plus 5 day
extension
(10 days)
Investigation
(20 days)
Frontline to
Investigation
(maximum
30 days)
Total
Resolved in timescales
14
0
18
0
32
Ongoing at year end and currently
within timescales
0
0
0
2
2
Resolved outwith timescales
3
0
4
0
7
Outstanding at year end and outwith
timescales
0
0
0
0
0
Total
17
0
22
2
41
Status
Complaints acknowledged
within 3 day timescale
No
2
5%
Yes
39
95%
Total
41
100%
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Outcome 3: Participation
We manage our business so that tenants and other customers find it easy to participate in and influence our decisions at
a level they feel comfortable with.
Williamsburgh Housing Association believes it is important to
be as inclusive as possible and to offer our residents the
opportunity, should they so wish, to become involved. While
some means to promote participation have been less effective,
for example, attempts to establish Registered Tenant
Organisations have been unsuccessful, we continue to
promote and support a range of opportunities to get involved
in the Association’s work. Our tenant participation policy
states that effective participation is about tenants being
informed, consulted and taking part in decision-making
processes, so as to influence those aspects of the services
provided, which affect them. For us this involves:
Percentage of Tenants satisfied with the
opportunities given to them to participate
in the Association’s decision making process
The bar chart below shows the response to the question in
our resident satisfaction survey in relation to the
customer/landlord relationship:
100
90
80
Scottish
Average
78%
70
I
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promoting participation on Williamsburgh Housing
Association’s Management Committee,
I
promoting shareholding membership,
I
promoting involvement in our Focus Group,
I
undertaking a comprehensive resident satisfaction survey
every three years,
I
employing mystery shopping techniques,
I
offering continuous opportunities to feedback on our
repairs service and our response to complaints (including
service performance, anti-social behaviour, neighbour
disputes and estate management),
60
50
40
30
20
10
71.9%
69.0%
67.55%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
In light of this response, the Association will be reviewing the
effectiveness of the measures, as outlined on this page, and as
part of our action plan, will be revisiting our Tenant
I
rent consultation,
Participation policy, with a view to enhancing the
I
ad-hoc and focussed questionnaires and surveys,
opportunities for customers to get involved.
I
invitations to comment on policy reviews,
I
input to newsletter articles, and
I
the ability to communicate via our website.
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Housing Quality and Maintenance
Outcome 4: Quality of Housing
We manage our business so that tenants’ homes as a minimum, meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by April
2015 and continue to meet it thereafter, ensuring that when they are allocated, they are always clean, tidy and in a good
state of repair.
It is clear to us that, one of the most important aspects of
The bar charts below indicate the Association’s performance,
being a housing provider, is to meet tenants’ expectations. We
in relation to those measures relating to the quality of our
know, from feedback, that residents’ priorities relate to the
homes.
quality of their homes, the provision of an efficient repairs
New Tenancies:
service and the upkeep of our properties, through a
programme of cyclical, planned maintenance and reinvestment. We are totally committed to meeting these
objectives through:
I
the production of quality houses to the highest standards,
through comprehensive tenement improvement or new
build,
I
a regular programme of stock condition surveys,
I
ensuring our properties meet the Scottish Housing Quality
Standard (SHQS),
I
undertaking an annual gas safety check on all of our
We have a procedure to ensure that each new tenant receives
a home, which is safe, clean, tidy and in a good state of repair.
This process ensures that statutory gas and electrical safety
checks are undertaken and a condition survey identifies
required repairs or planned maintenance. The property is
cleared, professionally cleaned and let in a reasonable
decorative order. Where appropriate, we provide a voucher for
decorating materials to new tenants.
Percentage of Tenants satisfied
when moved in
properties,
I
maintaining and improving the condition of our tenants’
homes,
100
90
Scottish
Average
83.4%
80
I
providing an effective factoring service, and
I
ongoing re-investment in our housing stock, in areas such
60
as improved energy efficiency.
50
70
40
30
20
10
78.0%
61.0%
77.0%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Given this response, the Association is undertaking a review of
the standards we are setting for our accommodation, prior to
relet. For example, an enhanced specification has been
developed and will be monitored, with regard to the services
provided by our cleaning contractor. The opportunity to discuss
any outstanding matters is provided at the settling in visit, to
ensure that the tenant is satisfied with their new home.
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Stock meeting the Scottish Housing
Quality Standard
Introduced in 2004, all social landlords in Scotland are
required to ensure that any property owned, meets the
requirements of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. The
table below shows Williamsburgh H.A.’s compliance with
these standards:
100
90
Scottish
Average
85.4%
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
100%
62.1%
90.3%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Percentage of properties with Gas Safety
Record by anniversary date
Landlords are required, by law, to ensure that a gas safety
check is undertaken, on an annual basis, and that they have a
continuous certificate throughout the year:
100
Scottish
Average
98.1%
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
100%
99.9%
98.94%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
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Outcome 5: Repairs, Maintenance and Improvements
We manage our business so that tenants’ homes are well maintained, with repairs and improvements carried out when
reported and tenants are given reasonable choices about when work is done.
The Association gives a high priority to the repair, maintenance and improvement of our tenants’ homes because we know how
important this is to our customers.
During 2013/14, Williamsburgh Housing Association completed 5,938 repairs, 95.3% of which were completed within agreed
response times.
It is interesting to compare Williamsburgh Housing Association’s performance in this important area to that of other social
landlords in Scotland.
Average length of time to complete an
emergency repair
Average length of time to complete a
non-emergency repair
The average length of time taken to complete an emergency
repair was 1.6 hours (compared to the Scottish Average of 6.9
hours).
The average length of time taken to complete a nonemergency repair was 3.5 days (compared to
the Scottish Average of 8.2 days).
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
9
Scottish
Average
8.2
days
8
7
Scottish
Average
6.9
hours
6
5
4
3
2
1.6
11.5
1
1.62
3.5
8.5
4.33
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Percentage of repairs completed first time
Percentage of repair appointments kept
The percentage of repairs completed first time was 95.5%
(compared to the Scottish Average of 87.2%).
The percentage of repair appointments kept was 99.6%
(compared to the Scottish Average of 92.9%).
100
100
90
Scottish
Average
87.2%
80
80
70
70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
95.5%
87.8%
87.83%
0
Scottish
Average
92.9%
90
10
99.6%
95.0%
95.2%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Maintenance Expenditure 2013/14:
The chart below shows details of the £3.12 million spent on
property maintenance in the year.
£68,604
£714,086
£1,985,000
£357,164
Medical Adaptations – 2.2%
Percentage of Tenants who have had a
repair or maintenance carried out in last 12
months who were satisfied with the service
The bar chart below shows the response to the question in
our resident satisfaction survey in relation to repairs,
maintenance and improvements:
100
90
Scottish
Average
87.6%
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
84.2%
78.0%
84.3%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
In response to these findings, the Association is reviewing how
we deliver our reactive repair service, including the systems we
use to process repairs and the contractors employed. We
intend to investigate why the results of the resident survey
appear to show satisfaction levels well below the feedback we
are receiving, on a day to day basis, relating to the
page 14
Association’s repairs and maintenance service.
Reactive Maintenance – 22.8%
Cyclical Maintenance – 11.4%
Major Component Replacement – 63.5%
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Th e S c o t t i s h S o c i a l H o u s i n g C h a r t e r R e p o r t a n d A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 4
Maintenance Projects:
During 2013/14, the Association undertook a number of projects to improve our existing housing stock, including:
Number of
properties
Expenditure
Window renewal
23
£73,000
Gas heating /
boiler replacement
293
£1,100,000
Clarence Street / Dunn Street / Seedhill Road
Caledonia Street, Paisley
Buchanan Street, Johnstone
Bathroom replacement (including
shower installation)
147
£266,000
McKerrell Street, Paisley
Miller Street / Broomward Drive, Johnstone
Kitchen unit replacement
265
£546,000
McKerrell Street / Clarence Street / Unsted Place
Love Street / Caledonia Street, Paisley
Miller Street / Broomward Drive, Johnstone
Internal wall insulation
395
Description of work
Total
Addresses
Miller Street / Broomward Drive, Johnstone
Grant Funded Various locations within Paisley East & North,
Renfrew & Johnstone
1,123
£1,985,000
Percentage of Tenants satisfied with the
quality of their home
The bar chart below shows the response to the question in
our resident survey in relation to repairs, maintenance and
improvements.
100
90
Scottish
Average
85.3%
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
89.0%
82.0%
88.0%
0
All of this activity was possible, through prudent financial
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
control, which allowed us to set aside funding to invest in this
work, in the main through self-financing. Although not
entirely dependent on external bodies, to allow this significant
investment in our tenants’ homes, we are grateful for the
grant support received from the Green Homes Cash Back and
the Energy Company Obligation schemes, which assisted us in
undertaking improvements to the insulation and heating
systems, within our tenants’ homes.
As can be seen from the foregoing, the Association has
reinvested considerable sums over the last year on repairs,
maintenance and improvements, to ensure that our tenants’
homes are safe, secure and in a good condition.
page 15
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Neighbourhood and Community
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 wellmaintained neighbourhoods where they feel safe.
We recognise that providing an attractive, well-maintained
neighbourhood where people feel safe is important, if tenants
are to be happy in their homes and want to stay in our
communities. When it comes to neighbourhood management,
however, the Association cannot achieve this objective by
working in isolation. We will, therefore, in partnership with
other agencies, seek to ensure that our tenants and factored
owners are able to live in safe, attractive and popular
communities. We will seek to achieve this objective through
measures, such as:
I
the regular inspection of closes and communal areas by
housing management staff,
I
employing an external contractor to regularly survey
backcourts and uplift waste materials,
I
promoting our close cleaning service,
I
promoting our grass cutting and backcourt maintenance
service,
I
employing a contractor to maintain open spaces, trees and
planters,
I
displaying hanging baskets in our properties during the
spring and summer months,
I
promoting our annual good close and best garden
competitions, in each of our areas,
I
continuing to work in partnership with Renfrewshire
Council’s Anti-Social Investigation Team (ASIST) and the
I
The bar chart below shows the response to the question in
our resident satisfaction survey in relation to estate
management, anti-social behaviour, neighbour nuisance and
tenancy disputes:
100
90
70
60
behaviour and neighbour disputes, which can severely
50
affect residents peaceful enjoyment of their homes, and
40
continuing the good working relationship we have with
20
the Noise Enforcement Team, Environmental Health
10
Service.
Scottish
Average
84.2%
80
police, to address the problems associated with anti-social
Department, the Dog Warden Service and the Mediation
page 16
Percentage of Tenants satisfied with the
way their neighbourhood is managed
30
76.23%
81.0%
88.0%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
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Th e S c o t t i s h S o c i a l H o u s i n g C h a r t e r R e p o r t a n d A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 4
The main areas of dissatisfaction regarding the management
of our neighbourhoods relate to neighbour complaints,
especially noise, dog fouling, rubbish/litter and car parking.
The measures we have introduced to improve our
performance in these areas are:
I
enhanced estate management services,
I
increased inspections of closes, backcourts and common
areas, additional surveys and more regular uplifts of
discarded household materials,
I
additional staff employed to focus on anti-social
behaviour, neighbour disputes and mediation services,
I
revised complaint handling procedures,
I
promotion of litter pick-ups,
I
bi-ennial gala day,
I
good close and best garden competitions, and
I
adopting a more proactive approach in monitoring the
performance of those contractors employed to undertake
close cleaning and open space maintenance.
All these measures are aimed at instilling a pride in our
neighbourhoods and an understanding that their ongoing
effectiveness requires a joint commitment from the
Association, residents and other agencies which support our
endeavours.
The Association is committed to the well-being of the
communities we serve. As such, we devote staff time to
promote job creation, work experience, computer training and
we received a massive boost when, on 14th June 2014, we
saw the opening of ‘The Garden of Dreams’, a community
garden at Broadloan, Renfrew, were people, schools and
community groups are given the opportunity to learn about
gardening and to grow their own fruit, vegetables and
flowers.
page 17
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
The bar charts below illustrates the level of anti-social
behaviour currently within our neighbourhoods and why we
are setting this as our number one target in addressing the
output from our latest resident satisfaction survey. This is
identified within the action plan described in the Charter
Review and Evaluation (page 25).
Cases of Anti-Social Behaviour in last year
(for every 100 of landlords homes)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
38.6
17.5
13.8
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
In response to the number of anti-social behaviour complaints
received, the Association is developing a strategy, which
encompasses:
I
I
page 18
Number of Anti-Social Behaviour cases
resolved within locally agreed targets, in
last year
100
90
80
60
the recruitment of additional staff, to specifically respond
to the level of anti-social behaviour within our
communities,
50
promotion of the message that anti-social behaviour is
unacceptable,
20
I
closer partnership working with the police and other
agencies, with meetings taking place on a weekly basis,
I
the promotion of a variety of initiatives encouraging
community cohesion,
I
while accepting that the neighbourhoods in which we
operate have a variety of economic, social and
environmental problems, we firmly believe that these
communities are no worse than most and better than
many. As such, we will be:
I
reviewing our procedures for logging incidents of antisocial behaviour,
I
visiting other social landlords to learn from them with
regard to how they record such issues and the measures
employed to address anti-social behaviour, and
I
analysing incidents of anti-social behaviour, to identify
particular problems or areas and to develop our
strategy, in response.
Scottish
Average
75.9%
70
40
30
10
43.7%
93.6%
63.63%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
While this may seem like a poor performance, and it is one we
are determined to improve, anti-social behaviour complaints,
by their very nature, can take time to resolve, particularly if the
problem is recurring or if other agencies such as ASIST, the
police or social work need to be involved.
Given our performance in this area, the Association intends to
review our targets with our Focus Group, in order to ensure
that they bear comparison with other similar social landlords
and that we are using a similar definition for ‘resolved’. We
are, however, confident that, with the measures already
employed, such as additional resources devoted to this area,
the apparent problem of anti-social behaviour will be
addressed. We will, however, be looking for evidence of this
anticipated improvement, in both our statistics and in the
findings of our customer survey planned for next year.
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Access to Housing and Support
Outcomes 7, 8 and 9: Housing Options
Working in partnership with other social landlords, we will ensure that:
I
people looking for housing get information that helps them to make informed choices and decisions about the range of
housing options available to them,
I
tenants and people on housing lists can review their housing options, and
I
people at risk of losing their homes get advice on homelessness..
We aim to make it as easy as possible for applicants to receive
our housing stock, turnover, pre-tenancy advice leaflet,
the appropriate information with regard to accessing social
summary of allocations policy, etc.,
rented housing within Renfrewshire. We work closely with
I
Renfrewshire Council and the other FLAIR members, to put
offers advice to applicants who consider themselves to be
homeless or threatened with homelessness and refers
potential tenants in an informed position about the availability
them to Renfrewshire Council’s Homeless Service, and
and type of housing, the alternative housing providers and the
accessibility of properties. There are a variety of ways that
I
interviews applicants at point of allocation to explain the
applicants can access Williamsburgh H.A. properties (see next
obligations relating to holding a tenancy with
Section : Access to Social Housing).
Williamsburgh H.A. and to identify any support needs.
In order to meet these objectives, the Association:
During 2013/14, 169 properties were let. The Association’s
I
accepts housing applications from anyone aged 16 or
turnover rate was 11% in the year. Eight mutual exchanges
over,
were facilitated by the Association through the office-based
I
has harmonised both our application form and policy with
the other local social landlords, in order to make it easier
to access rehousing,
I
arrangements (notice board) or through the joint initiative,
supported by Renfrewshire Council, Williamsburgh H.A.,
Paisley South H.A. and Linstone H.A. This consists of a shop
located in Paisley town centre which offers housing options
provides a housing application pack which consists of
advice and identifies tenants, of the participating social
details of our stock profile, maps indicating the location of
landlords, who are seeking to exchange.
page 19
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
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 we allocate homes and their prospects of being housed.
As indicated in the previous Section, we try to put applicants
We also work with external agencies including Renfrewshire
in a position to make informed decisions by providing
Council’s Throughcare Team (providing accommodation for
information on the availability of social housing within
young people leaving care) and Renfrewshire Council for
Renfrewshire, from the various providers.
Alcohol (providing accommodation for adults who have
Williamsburgh H.A. operates an open housing list, accepting
maintained a support programme and are ready to manage
applications from all, regardless of ethnic origin, disability or
their own tenancies).
sexual orientation. All those applying directly to
Allocations 2013/2014
Williamsburgh H.A. are provided with an application pack,
The following table provide details of the allocations made
during 2013/14:
which contains details of our stock, including size, location
and turnover. Applicants can indicate on their housing
application form their preferred area(s) of choice, detailing
which street and type of property they wish to be considered
for. They can also highlight any particular requirements, such
as the need for amenity or wheelchair accessible properties.
During 2013/14, our allocation function remained active and
homes were let to a wide variety of people in need. In
Allocation Categories
Existing Tenants
23
13.6%
Housing List Applicants
102
60.4%
Renfrewshire Council
Nominations
8
4.7%
Section 5 Referrals
24
14.2%
Mobility
10
5.9%
Other
2
1.2%
Total
169
100%
addition to those on our housing and transfer lists, allocations
were made to Renfrewshire Council, assisting them with the
provision of housing for homeless people – Section 5 referrals.
During the year, we provided Renfrewshire Council with 58
property referrals which resulted in 32 successful allocations,
24 of which were through Section 5, and 8 through
nomination arrangements.
page 20
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Th e S c o t t i s h S o c i a l H o u s i n g C h a r t e r R e p o r t a n d A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 4
Outcome 11: Tenancy Sustainment
We ensure that tenants get the information they need on how to obtain support to remain in their home; and we ensure
suitable support is available, including services provided directly by us and by other organisations.
It is in everyone’s best interest to assist tenants to stay in their existing homes if they remain appropriate to their needs. As such,
we will help tenants to apply for benefits, adapt their homes, or liaise with support agencies, to ensure that the relevant assistance
is made available.
We undertake to ensure that our tenants receive the information they need on how to obtain support, to remain in their home and
ensure suitable support is available. This can include services provided by the Association or by other organisations and can
include, for example:
I
front-line staff trained to give information and advice,
I
housing officers available to offer specialist advice and guidance,
I
access to welfare rights and money advice staff,
I
the provision of medical adaptations, to meet the changing needs of tenants,
I
the provision of redecoration vouchers, where appropriate,
I
access to schemes such as project OSKAR where recycled furniture and white goods can be provided to new households where
required, and
I
participation in Connect4Renfrewshire which not only provides advice on energy savings and financial budgeting but can also
offer life skills vouchers which entitle households to free furniture and carpeting.
Of the 167 new tenancies created in 2012/13, 143 (85.6%) tenancies were sustained for more than one year,
page 21
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Getting good value
for Rents and Service Charges
Outcome 13: Value for Money
We 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.
Williamsburgh H.A. sets great store by our business acumen
I
through a partnership framework with 7 other local
and financial prudence. This ensures that both the
housing associations (IFLAIR), we are jointly procuring
organisation’s viability and our customers’ security is
planned maintenance contracts, gas servicing and
maintained. The financial strategy, which we have operated
landscape work. This not only saves valuable staff time
over the last 35 years, places us in a strong financial position,
but contractors’ prices are reviewed each year, keeping the
where we can continue to invest substantial sums in our
costs competitive.
existing properties, even when external funding is constrained.
Obtaining value for money is a strong element of this strategy.
While our rental income is our primary source of revenue, we
are proud of the fact that we have been able to keep our
rents at what we believe to be affordable levels, which
compare favourably to the Scottish average for social
landlords across the country.
Where possible, we will examine ways to reduce costs and
increase income, but always with the undertaking that the
quality of service will not be compromised. Examples of this
include:
I
compared to Renfrewshire Council and other local housing
while our own development programme has reduced in
associations. Not only does the trend for our rent increases
size, we have retained our technical staff by hiring out
reflect the inflation rates we use as a guide when reviewing
their expertise to assist other organisations who have
our costs, but it shows that Williamsburgh H.A.’s increases
benefitted from their experience, and,
have been lower in comparison throughout:
Average Rent Increase
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
4%
3.2%
3.1%
Bridgewater Housing Association
4.5%
3%
2.9%
Ferguslie Park Housing Association
4.8%
4%
2.6%
Linstone Housing Association
4.5%
3.7%
3%
Paisley South Housing Association
5.8%
4.1%
3.5%
Renfrewshire Council
4.5%
4.5%
3.5%
Williamsburgh Housing Association
4.4%
3.2%
2.6%
Barrhead Housing Association
page 22
The table below shows our rent increases for the last 3 years
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Th e S c o t t i s h S o c i a l H o u s i n g C h a r t e r R e p o r t a n d A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 4
One indicator of business efficiency is how well we collect our main source of income i.e. our rents, and how well we minimise the
void period between lets, when we are not deriving income from our properties. The bar charts below indicate the Association’s
performance in these areas:
Rent collected from Tenants as a
percentage of total rent due
in 2013/14
Average length of time taken
to re-let properties
in 2013/14
Scottish
Average
99%
100
90
100
90
80
80
70
70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
98.0%
99.6%
10
100.83%
0
Scottish
Average
35.7
days
28.6
55.9
25.08
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Percentage of rent lost through
properties being empty
in 2013/14
Percentage of tenants who feel rent for
their property represents good
value for money
6
100
90
5
80
Scottish
Average
76.6%
70
4
60
3
50
40
2
30
1
0.8%
3%
0.8%
0
Scottish
Average
1.2%
20
10
77%
75%
57%
0
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Williamsburgh Renfrewshire Council FLAIR Average
Housing Association
Rental income is vital for the Association as an organisation
and for the continued provision of services to our customers.
A breakdown of how this income is spent is provided
annually, as part of the rent review consultations. Essentially,
the rental monies received are used to pay for repairs,
maintenance and the management of our tenants’ homes,
together with the Association’s running costs and the
repayment of loans taken out to allow us to comprehensively
rehabilitate or build new properties.
In addition to rent, most tenants pay a service charge to meet
costs such as, the power supply to communal bathroom fans,
close cleaning, backcourt maintenance etc. All tenants who
incur a service charge are given details as to how this charge
is calculated, as part of the annual rent review.
page 23
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Outcomes 14 and 15 : Rents and Service Charges
We set rent and service charges in consultation with our tenants and other customers so that:
I
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, and
I
tenants get clear information on how rent and other money is spent, including any details of individual items of
expenditure above thresholds agreed between us and tenants.
As at 31st March 2014, Williamsburgh H.A. owned 1,633 houses. The total rent due to the Association for the year was
£5,157,141. As can be seen from the last Section, we increased our rent by 2.6% from the previous year.
The table below records the average weekly rents, including service charges which relate to close cleaning and electricity charges
for communal entry systems and television aerials:
Average Weekly Rents
Apartment Size
page 24
Number
owned
WHA Rent
Renfrewshire
Council Rent
FLAIR
Average
Scottish
Average
Difference:
WHA/
Scottish
Average
1 Apartment
7
£50.85
£54.44
£45.59
£59.56
-14.6%
2 Apartment
782
£59.99
£61.55
£67.45
£65.18
-8%
3 Apartment
564
£68.08
£70.49
£75.23
£67.19
+1.3%
4 Apartment
249
£77.08
£78.45
£80.97
£73.07
+5.5%
5 Apartment
31
£88.23
£84.00
£95.73
£81.68
+8%
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Charter Review and Evaluation
As indicated at the beginning of this Report, we are required to produce a review outlining our performance, in relation to the
outcomes as identified in the Scottish Social Housing Charter. This is our first Report and we hope our customers will find it
interesting and informative. The Report compares Williamsburgh H.A.’s performance over the last year to social landlords, both
locally and nationally. We believe it shows clearly where our Association is performing well and where service improvements could
be made.
We have just come through a challenging year for the Association for a variety of reasons, some relating to the Association’s
internal arrangements e.g. implementing our new computer system, some relating to the external environment in which we
operate, such as welfare reform changes.
Action Plan:
The Association has, in the main, been successful in rising to these challenges, but through an analysis of the output from our
resident satisfaction survey, along with an examination of our performance, in relation to the Charter outcomes, we have identified
a number of priority areas for attention. These form the basis of our action plan, which we will be implementing over the next 12
months, and include:
Housing Management
I
promoting the uptake of discretionary housing
payments, including making direct application on
behalf of those tenants affected by the bedroom tax,
I
providing ready access to our welfare rights officers
and money advice staff,
I
utilising those measures and practices which will
become available to us, as contained within the new
Housing Act,
I
reviewing our Tenant Participation policy, to enhance
the opportunities for residents to play a more active
role in the work of the Association,
I
keeping our rents affordable,
I
minimising rent loss through improving the speed by which we re-let our properties,
I
providing a proactive estate management service,
I
completing the re-structuring of our housing management section, employing area housing assistants to work alongside
the housing officers who have responsibility for estate management, rent arrears, neighbour disputes and anti-social
behaviour,
I
through the strategy, as outlined earlier (page 18), see a reduction in the number of anti-social behaviour complaints
received by the Association,
I
along with our Focus Group, monitoring our success in delivering the Association’s anti-social behaviour strategy,
I
continuing to build on our relationships with Police Scotland and Renfrewshire Council’s Anti-Social Investigations Team, in
order to provide an efficient and co-ordinated service, in addressing anti-social behaviour, and
I
not only addressing complaints but providing better tenant liaison, for example advising tenants on the progress of
complaints submitted.
page 25
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Maintenance
I
progressing our programme to improve the energy
efficiency of our tenants’ homes,
I
reviewing how we deliver our responsive repair service,
the systems we use to process repairs and the contractors
we employ,
I
maintaining our substantial investment in planned
maintenance,
I
reviewing our arrangements, in respect of close cleaning,
backcourt maintenance and the bulk uplift of waste
materials,
I
enhancing our letting standard to make our properties
more attractive to prospective tenants, and
I
revisiting our strategy aimed at generating social,
economic and environmental benefits for our
communities.
Development
I
maintaining a quality service (both development and clerk of works) to our clients and pursuing new opportunities,
I
working with Renfrewshire Council, our development partner, to deliver the new build scheme in Seedhill Road,
I
undertaking an environmental study of the external physical environment of our properties and developing a strategy as to
how we might address problems such as bin storage, the condition of stonework and close entrances, as well as the
quality of planted areas etc.
page 26
I
continuing to administer the current IFLAIR framework agreement, in respect of planned maintenance contracts and
developing a new framework to be available from January 2016, and
I
bringing the Big Lottery funded community garden project in Renfrew to the point where the garden can operate
independently.
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Governance
I
promoting greater involvement in shareholding and committee membership, from those identified as being underrepresented, in relation to our customer base,
I
bringing to a conclusion, the process by which our new rules, based on the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations’
Charitable Model Rules (Scotland) 2013, are adopted,
I
progressing the management committee’s review of staff pension provision, with the support of independent consultants
(Punter Southall), and
I
ensuring that there are effective risk management and governance arrangements in place.
Finance & IT
I
maintaining our strong financial position, with surpluses generated to re-invest in our housing stock,
I
maximising the benefits to be derived from the newly installed housing management and finance IT system, and
I
carrying our effective financial planning, to ensure the continued financial health of the Association.
The focus of our action plan will be on where and how we should be concentrating our efforts, to re-inforce our customerorientation and maintain the Association’s reputation.
So on balance, to finish our assessment and evaluation of the Association’s operation, it might be appropriate to identify the areas
of high performance, emerging from our latest resident satisfaction survey.
In general, the Association is performing to a high standard, but the following points show the key highlights, where satisfaction
was greatest:
I
those who had visited the Association’s website, rated it highly, in terms of being easy to navigate (84%), containing useful
information (83%) and with regards to the overall design and layout (80%),
I
in terms of contacting the Association, the vast majority of tenants said that it was easy to get hold of the right person (80%)
and 81% said they found the member of staff helpful,
I
tenants had a good opinion of the Association, with 90% stating the Association was friendly and approachable,
I
with regards to repairs and maintenance, satisfaction levels were high, in terms of the ease of reporting the repair (98%), the
attitude of workers (94%), the helpfulness of Association staff when reporting the repair (95%) and keeping dirt and mess to a
minimum (94%). Furthermore, 90% of tenants said their repair appointment had been kept,
I
more than three quarters of participants (77%) said the rent for their accommodation and the services the Association provides
represents very or fairly good value for money, compared to 7% who said it represented very or fairly poor value for money.
The proportion stating their rent was good value for money
overall (77%) is more than in 2011 where 63% of those who
participated in that survey, said that their rent represented very or
fairly good value for money,
I
the majority of tenants who had made a complaint to the
Association said they were very or fairly satisfied that it was easy
to make a complaint (87%), and
I
more than 8 in 10 tenants were aware that the Association has a
formal complaints procedure (82%).
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Conclusion
Set up in 1979, Williamsburgh Housing Association is now firmly established as a social landlord providing homes for over 2,000
families in Paisley, Renfrew and Johnstone. Our first priority is to those existing households, to provide warm, well-maintained,
attractive homes in welcoming environments.
Despite all the challenges and uncertainty we have faced, Williamsburgh Housing Association, as an organisation, has maintained a
strong balance sheet and a healthy surplus.
Income and Expenditure for the Years ended 31st March 2013 and 2014
2013/14
2012/13
£’000s
£’000s
Turnover
5,824
5,579
income, mainly from rents, agency services
and other grant funding
Operating costs
4,181
3,653
deduct salaries, housing/maintenance costs,
depreciation and office overheads
Operating surplus
1,643
1,926
which leaves this amount
29
25
(144)
(149)
(58)
(5)
1,470
1,797
735
898
10,074
9,176
735
898
Revenue reserve b/f
10,073
9,175
Reserves carried forward
21,617
20,147
Bank interest receivable
Interest payable
Fixed asset disposals
Net surplus for year
Transferred to designated reserves
Designated reserve b/f
Transferred to Revenue Reserve
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Guide for Non Accountants
add interest on monies invested
deduct interest payments on loans
deduct the net (cost)/gain on fixed asset disposals
leaving this amount
this is the amount set aside from the current year's
net surplus for future repairs to our properties
we then add prior year’s reserves
this is the amount set aside from the current year’s
net surplus
we then add prior year’s surpluses
to give our total reserves shown on the
balance sheet
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Th e S c o t t i s h S o c i a l H o u s i n g C h a r t e r R e p o r t a n d A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 4
Balance Sheets at 31st March 2013 and 2014
2013/14
2012/13
£'000s
£'000s
Housing properties at cost
111,472
110,541
Housing association grant
85,061
86,024
5,306
4,486
Guide for Non Accountants
Fixed Assets
Depreciation
cost of building and improving our houses
government grants received to help us achieve this
cumulative charge to expenditure for the wear
and tear of our properties
Net housing property assets
21,105
20,031
net cost of properties taking account
of the above
Other fixed assets
350
144
what our offices, vehicle, furniture and
equipment cost
Total fixed assets
21,455
20,175
net cost of all our fixed assets
453
293
4,872
5,094
funds in various bank accounts
Creditors: due within one year
1,207
1,097
money we owe to others
Net current assets
4,118
4,290
current assets less current liabilities
25,573
24,465
3,955
4,318
Current Assets
Debtors
Cash at bank and in hand
money owed to us
Current Liabilities
Total assets less
current liabilities
Creditors: due after one year
what we owe on loans received for building
and rehabilitating our properties
Total net assets
21,618
20,147
10,809
9,175
Financed By:
Revenue reserves
reserves built up from this and previous
year's surpluses
Designated reserves
10,809
9,176
reserves set aside specifically for the future
maintenance of our properties
Total Reserves
21,618
18,351
In conclusion, we would suggest that, as an organisation, Williamsburgh Housing Association continues to perform well, both in
relation to achieving our targets, as set out in our management plan and in maintaining our viability, as illustrated by our strong
financial position. As such, our customers can have confidence in the Association’s ongoing financial security, with the appropriate
resources to maintain our future programme of re-investment in their homes. They not only have a sound, well-run, caring landlord
but one which is responsive and which is committed to delivering the highest quality of service.
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Williamsburgh Housing Association
Feedback
We value feedback and would like to hear from you. If you would like to comment on how you think we are doing, there are
various means by which you can share your views with us:
I
write to or visit us at:
Ralston House, Cyril Street, Paisley, PA1 1RW
I
telephone us at:
0141 887 8613
I
e-mail us at:
[email protected]
I
contact us through our website:
www.williamsburghha.co.uk
Or, indeed, if you would like to become more involved, you can consider taking out shareholding membership of Williamsburgh
Housing Association. It only costs £1.00 and entitles you to attend our Annual General Meeting, vote in the election of our
Management Committee or stand for election yourself. We are always looking to strengthen the Committee. If you are interested,
contact the office on 0141 887 8613 or pick up a leaflet ‘Serving on the Committee’. There is also the opportunity to join our
Focus Group which meets quarterly and considers major topics which affect our residents and reviews the Association’s
performance, in delivering services important to our customers.
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Th e S c o t t i s h S o c i a l H o u s i n g C h a r t e r R e p o r t a n d A n n u a l R e p o r t 2 0 1 4
Committee
Staff
Margaret Symons (2006)
DIRECTOR
James Brown (2008)
Gordon Williamson (1979)
BA, Diploma in Housing Studies, FIH, M Phil
David James (2011)
Luis Mardones (2011)
Alan Morrison (2011)
Jim Callaghan (2012)
Councillor Jim Sharkey (2012)
HOUSING MANAGEMENT
SECTION
Housing Manager
Lesley Ferrie (2004)
FINANCE SECTION
Senior Housing Officer
Louise McDonald (1991)
Finance Manager
Joe McBride (2002)
Member CIPFA
Housing Officer
Sandra Doherty (1982)
Finance Officer
Helen Burns (1993)
Housing Officer
Suzanne Sweenie (1990)
Finance Assistant
Helen McGowan (1988)
Housing Officer
Elaine Hannigan (2000)
Moira Nisbet (2014)
IT & Systems Officer
John Kelly (2008)
Housing Officer
Suzanne McLeary (2005)
Auditors (Internal)
DEVELOPMENT SECTION
Housing Assistant – Lettings
Lorna Barclay (2004)
Sarah Findlay (2013)
Claire Fitzpatrick (2013)
Alexander Sloan & Co.,
38 Cadogan Street,
GLASGOW, G2 7HF.
Auditors (External)
Scott-Moncrieff,
25 Bothwell Street,
GLASGOW, G2 6NL.
Bankers
Development Manager
John Livingstone (2002)
B Sc, B Arch, Member RIBS, RIAS
Development Officer
Helen Collins (1988)
Area Housing Assistant
Heather Wilson (2012)
Development Officer
Graham Scott (2001)
Area Housing Assistant
Sarah Galbraith (2014)
CORPORATE ADMIN. SECTION
Area Housing Assistant
Kamran Aziz (2014)
Admin. Officer
Sheena Gordon (1979)
Royal Bank of Scotland plc,
Paisley Chief Office,
1 Moncrieff Street,
PAISLEY, PA3 2AW.
Admin. Assistant
Gaynor Corry (1982)
Solicitors
Clerical Assistant
Ronnie Innes (2002)
Cochran Dickie
21 Moss Street,
PAISLEY, PA1 1BX.
Harper Macleod,
The Ca’d’oro,
45 Gordon Street,
GLASGOW, G1 3PE
Housing Assistant
Amanda McGoldrick (2004)
Admin. Assistant
Lesley Adie (1991)
MAINTENANCE SECTION
Maintenance Manager
Owen McMillan (1982)
Member ICW
Maintenance Officer
Jimmy Usher (1998)
Clerk of Works
Gordon Russell (1989)
Area Housing Assistant
Allan Paton (2014)
Welfare Rights Officer
Greg Bolland (2010)
Welfare Rights Officer
Issi McLaren (2014)
CUSTOMER SERVICES TEAM
Roni Gallacher (2005)
Kimberley Sweenie (2006)
Leanne McGarvey (2007)
Deborah Smith (2007)
Stephanie Burns (2007)
Lindsay McMahon (2010
Maintenance Assistant
Julie Healy (2001)
Maintenance Assistant
Fraser McLean (2007)
Maintenance Assistant
Paul Carruthers (2013)
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Page 1
Housing Association Limited
Ralston House • Cyril Street • Paisley PA1 1RW
tel 0141 887 8613 • email [email protected]
website www.williamsburghha.co.uk
Williamsburgh Housing Association Limited is a non-profit making, locally-based housing association. We are a Scottish Charity (Registered
Number SC 035350), a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and as a registered social
landlord under the provisions of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (Number HAL 207). Having our registered office at Ralston House, Cyril
Street, Paisley, our VAT Registration Number is 875 6840 74 and we are also a member of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.