ACCORDGROUPANNUALREPORT2010

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010INTRODUCTION02 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

CONTENTS 03

THE PEOPLE PROJECT 04WELCOmE fROm THE CHAiR 06

ExECUTivE SUmmARy 08THE WAy WE WORK 10

PEOPLE 12PLACES 14

OPPORTUNiTy 16fACTS AND fiGURES 18

THE ACCORD GROUP mAKES A DiffERENCE. OUR CUSTOmERS GET vALUE fOR mONEy, ExCELLENT SERviCES, qUALiTy, iNNOvATiON AND A SENSE Of bELONGiNG. WE DO THiS by EmPOWERiNG OUR TALENTED PEOPLE AND ENGAGiNG OUR RESiDENTS TO GivE AN OUTSTANDiNG SERviCE, ALL iN ALL GiviNG A GREAT CUSTOmER ExPERiENCE!

OUR miSSiON

PEOPLE PROJECT.The people project is capturing 1,000 self portraits taken by people in the communities where we work. participants are also asked to explain what makes a great place to live. The people project is a unique community arts and social research project part-funded by the Arts council of England. You can find out more details at www.thepeopleproject.org.uk

ALL Of THE PHOTOGRAPHS WiTHiN THiS DOCUmENT WERE TAKEN AS PART Of THE ACCORD GROUP ‘PEOPLE PROJECT’.

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010THE PEOPLE PROJECT04 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

THE PEOPLE PROJECT 05

Of course, our work is also about places. despite the current economic climate, we continue to develop the new homes local people need and invest in the infrastructure to enable our communities to prosper.

our unique Group structure and our £135m five-year loan facility provide us with the expertise and capacity and to deliver development in partnership with the Homes and communities Agency and local authorities across the Midlands and beyond.

And our work is about opportunity. This year we will employ 50 apprentices from the areas where we work in a range of roles across the Group. our Fit for the Future programme is providing training for up to 600 residents in Energy Management and opening up new training and career pathways. These are just some of the ways we are providing platforms for people to achieve their potential.

Finally, our work is about partnership. With a new coalition Government and sustained downward pressure on funding, we need to work much more effectively together to deliver more for less. our vision for ‘place’ is one where new broader and deeper progressive partnerships deliver the services and society people want and need. It’s a huge challenge, and one we relish.

WELCOmEfROmTHECHAiR

AKSHAy PARiKHCHAiR, THE ACCORD GROUP bOARD

We aim to create the places where people want to live and can fulfil their aspirations; to provide care and Support to help people lead independent lives; to give people new opportunities for education, training and jobs. The dedicated and talented people we employ, the customers who give their time to help us shape services, and the partners who work with us, all make this possible.

Our work is all about people.

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010wELCOmE fROm THE CHaIR06 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

wELCOmE fROm THE CHaIR 07

CREATiviTy AS WELL AS COURAGEA UNiqUE GROUP STRUCTURE DELivERiNG mORE AND bETTER SERviCES

CREATiNG SCORES Of JObS iNCREASiNG RECOGNiTiON THROUGH AWARDSExCELLENT SERviCES AS THE bEDROCK ON WHiCH OUR bUSiNESS iS bASED

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010EXECUTIVE SUmmaRY08 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

EXECUTIVE SUmmaRY 09

challenging times require creativity as well as courage. As we navigate an era of austerity and face a future of funding reductions, it is vital that we find new ways

to grow, thrive and serve the community even more effectively.

our unique Group structure has proven both robust and flexible, with each partner able to adapt and evolve to meet new challenges locally, supported within a wider

framework of sound finances and excellent service delivery.

Each of our partners continues to push the boundaries to deliver more and better services to our customers. our Help at Home project with Age concern, which

provides services such as dIY and gardening to older people in Walsall, demonstrates how innovation delivers new business opportunities.

The Green Homes and Green Skills joint venture is providing a green technology training and installation programme which will create scores of jobs and cut carbon in hundreds of homes. This project was launched by a partnership of organisations

keen to explore new ways of working together to achieve common goals.

While we strive to adapt and innovate, we also continue to aim for excellence. our ongoing success is real and tangible. It is measured and driven forward by the

feedback we get from customers and their increasing involvement in shaping the homes and services that we provide. It is also reflected in our growing reputation

and increasing recognition through awards, such as the chartered Institute of Housing regional Best practice Award for our work on sustainability.

Across the Group our focus remains the development and delivery of excellent services as the bedrock on which our business is based, from our corporate resident

Engagement Team to the customer First Team, which celebrated a hugely successful first year. It is this solid platform which enables us to face the future with confidence

and continue to develop and diversify our organisation to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

DR CHRiS HANDy ObE, CHiEf ExECUTivE, ACCORD GROUP

ExECUTivE SUmmARy

“ The Accord Group makes a difference. our customers get value for money, excellent services, quality, innovation and a sense of belonging. We do this by empowering our talented people and engaging our residents to give an outstanding service, all in giving a great customer experience.”

THE WAyOUR miSSiON REmAiNS AT THE HEART Of EvERyTHiNG WE DO.

OUR vALUES SHAPE THE WAy OUR PEOPLE WORK TO DELivER OUR miSSiON

Putting People Firstpeople matter. We respond to need and promote choice by listening to our customers to deliver the housing, care and services that they want.

Excellence through InnovationWe provide outstanding services by constantly seeking new and better ways to enhance our neighbourhoods and safeguard our environment.

Making a Differenceour goal of changing lives for the better underpins everything that we do. We help people to shape their destiny and realise their potential.

Committed to CommunitiesWorking with partners to build sustainable and cohesive communities is at the core of our work. We celebrate diversity and promote equality of opportunity for all.

OUR PEOPLE our talented and dedicated people are the key to our success. The Accord Group is now a major employer with 1,400 people.

In 2010 we achieved Investors In people across the Group. We are now working towards Gold Standard accreditation and towards Investors in Excellence for the Group, having already achieved it for our care and Support team.

our organisational development Strategy is leading us from ‘Good to Great’ through the delivery of key projects such as a Management development programme, a new competency-based Framework and our popular Staff Voices engagement forums.

A new recruitment process has drastically cut the ‘time to hire’ and reduced costs, while enhanced IT for the Hr Team will support the delivery of better performance management across the Group.

GO GREEN The Accord Group ‘Goal to be the Greenest’ campaign continues as part of our wider corporate Social responsibility Strategy. In 2009 we were delighted to achieve the chartered Institute of Housing Best practice Award (Midlands) for our ‘unique approach to sustainability’.

We remain one of only a handful of housing organisations to have achieved the European Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) standard and are working hard to cut our carbon emissions and reduce fuel bills for residents.

our commitment is real and demonstrable; for example, in 2009 we saved almost 500,000 sheets of paper, enough for 15 sets of the 32-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica!

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010THE waY wE wORK10 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

THE waY wE wORK 11

This year we led, on behalf of Matrix Housing partnership, one of the national Tenant Services Authority trailblazers to develop local offers, working with hundreds of people to establish their neighbourhood priorities for empowerment and involvement.

our Streets Ahead! and Big do resident celebration and consultation events go from strength to strength and the 2010 caldmore Village Festival attracted a record 11,000 visitors over 3 days. Moseley and districts summer resident consultation events include the annual Garden party which is held in the gardens at the rear of the association offices.

our new Group community Arts programme will further enhance engagement across generations and backgrounds through a wide range of media in 2010 and 2011.

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010PEOPLE12 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

PEOPLE 13

PEOPLEPEOPLE ARE AT THE HEARTOf EvERTHiNGWE DO!

Our customers influence the way we work and through bchs and Redditch Co-operative Homes we actively support the development of new co-operative and mutual communities where people run their own neighbourhoods. We also strive to help the most vulnerable in society live independent and fulfilling lives. our care & Support team help a wide range of people, from those coming out of the criminal justice system to people escaping domestic violence. our ‘At Home’ floating support pilot project is breaking new ground in helping people with dementia to remain in their own homes, an example of how innovation is improving and enriching lives.

Today more than 300 residents, Service users and customers are involved in shaping the homes and services that we provide. our Group-wide resident panel oversees the work of individual resident panels and plays a key role in scrutinising and challenging the services that we provide. our residents’ design panel is helping us to deliver the new types of homes to meet the evolving needs of the communities that we serve.

People!

This year the Accord Group secured a £135m funding facility to secure our ambitious 5-year development programme, a testament to the strength and depth of our Group structure during a challenging economic environment.

Flagship developments such as our £7m Showell court Extra care scheme in Wolverhampton bring the community into the care setting by providing facilities such as a neighbourhood café and activities for residents, their families and local people.

The Walsall Waterfront scheme – the largest Government Kickstart-funded programme outside of London – has brought together the public, private and health sectors to create a mixed neighbourhood and community space.

The completion of the Alma Street scheme in darlaston signified a new era for our latest partner caldmore, once again able to develop within the framework of a Group structure with the capacity and expertise to build homes for local people.

We also hope to secure funding for the ambitious Eastern Gateway project to transform a commercial area near West Bromwich town centre into a residential quarter as part of the wider regeneration of Sandwell.

The Neighbourhood resource centre for central England is delivering capacity building programmes for frontline practitioners and residents to co-design and develop future neighbourhood services through activities such as Mini Total place, planning for real and specialist training.

Looking forward, public sector constraint will require new thinking to deliver solutions which create a stronger, more cohesive and aspirational society. The Accord Group is already exploring how we can do more for less – and better. our role will increasingly emerge as an ‘anchor’ for communities, providing support and encouragement for people to fulfil their aspirations.

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010PLaCES 14 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

PLaCES 15

PLACESCREATiNG THE SAfE, SUSTAiNAbLE AND fRiENDLy NEiGHbOURHOODS WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LivE HAS ALWAyS bEEN AT THE HEART Of OUR WORK. TODAy, mORE THAN EvER, WE ARE ExPANDiNG THE SCOPE Of OUR WORK TO TRANSfORm SOCiETy; bUiLDiNG THE HiGH-qUALiTy AffORDAbLE HOUSiNG PEOPLE NEED iS JUST THE STARTiNG POiNT.

3. Showell CourtThe Mayor of Wolverhampton, councillor Surjan Singh duhra, with local children at the opening of Showell court.

4. walsall waterfrontThis flagship scheme will create high-quality housing for hospital employees and local people in Walsall.

5. Eastern Gatewayconsultation with local people is now underway on this major regeneration project in Sandwell.

6. alma StreetThis new development is helping to meet housing need in darlaston for a range of people.

1. The Big DoAshram’s Annual ‘Big do’ resident celebration was held in Meriden and was as popular as ever.

2. Innovation worksThe Innovation Works @ rubery owen provides a wide range of training to help people manage where they live.

1

2

3 4

6 PLACES.

5

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010OPPORTUNITY 16 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

OPPORTUNITY 17

Involving and empowering people in making choices about their neighbourhoods encourages ownership and builds confidence and skills. In our co-operatives, a high proportion of residents access training that we provide or take part in civic society through roles such as school governorships.

our corporate Social responsibility Strategy guides our work in a wider range of projects, from involvement in Walsall Education Business partnership to our programme to recruit 50 apprentices during the next year and encourage volunteering, internships and placements. Moseley and district is working with school leavers from Aston Manor School to provide placements with its maintenance and communities teams.

our dedicated training and enterprise hub, the Innovation Works @ rubery owen, provides an infrastructure for fledgling businesses and organisations as well as hosting the Neighbourhood resource centre for central England and the internationally-acclaimed planning for real consultation system.

The Innovation Works also hosts our Fit for the Future programme, which is providing training for up to 600 residents in Energy Management and offering accredited training, placements, and paid roles as community climate change champions. our longer term aim is to create a social enterprise to fit green technology onto homes, cutting carbon emissions and fuel bills.

our unique youth engagement website www.socialbreakfast.org enables young people to influence decisions on the housing sector and related services by developing their leadership, skills and offering other opportunities. It is run for the Accord Group by Ashram and involves more than 30 young people who have been trained and employed as citizen Journalists through the Future Jobs Fund.

The community-based associations within the Group, such as Accord, caldmore and Moseley & district offer direct support to residents in numerous ways, from financial advice to mentoring and work placements. Fry Housing Trust is working with Walsall Football club and Sutton college to give ex-offenders access to new skills and training.

By helping people to achieve their aspirations and fulfil their potential, we can provide the tools for communities themselves to build a better society.

2009-2010

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010aCCORD GROUP faCTS aND fIGURES 18 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

aCCORD GROUP faCTS aND fIGURES 19

£Pence Services, care & Support 36 Interest on Loans 20 Management costs 16 day to day repairs 17 planned repairs 8 Bad debts and voids 3

HOW EvERy £1 Of TENANT’S RENT WAS SPENT: ACCORD GROUP HOUSiNG STOCK

at 31 march 2010 Stock General Needs 7473 Supported 1741 Leasehold 1373 In development 177Total 10764

COmPLimENTS AND COmPLAiNTS:

amount %Total number of compliments received 453Total number of complaints received 420 dealt with at Stage 1 372 89 dealt with at Stage 2 10 2 dealt with at Stage 3 3 1 Going to ombudsman 3 1 Awaiting resolution 32 7

Total number of repairs 31702Total number of emergencies 6046Total number of emergencies completed on time 5929% Emergency completed within target 98% Total number of urgent repairs 11147Total number of urgent completed on time 9859% urgent completed on time 88% Total number of non-urgent repairs 14509Total number of non-urgent completed on time 13906% non - urgent completed on time 96% Total number of satisfaction returns 3171Number of “satisfied” returns 2754 % “satisfied” returns completed on time 87% Total number of properties requiring a CP12 5367Number of properties with valid cp12 5330Total number of properties with a cp12 99%

REPAiRS:

Number of empty homes at 31 March 2010 89percentage of homes let in the year 15%Average time to let 3 weeksAverage cost of works for re-letting £1,361

EmPTy HOmES:

referrals 653 Nominations 321 Transfers 83 direct applications 413 other 121Total no. of lettings 1591

SOURCE Of NEW LETTiNGS:

Single adult 1048 older couple 78 Two adults (no children) 51 one adult (with at least one child) 303 Two or more adults (with at least one child) 109 other 2

TyPE Of NEW LETTiNGS:

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010aCCORD GROUP faCTS aND fIGURES 20 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

aCCORD GROUP faCTS aND fIGURES 21

ACCORD GROUP ACCOUNT SUmmARiES yEAR ENDED 31 mARCH 2010

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010aCCORD GROUP faCTS aND fIGURES 22 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

THE aCCORD GROIP 23

Year Notes to 2008 2009 2010Total accounts £’000 £’000 £’000 Income and Expenditure* Income rents, Service charges, Support, etc 2 33,191 42,158 54,799Shared ownership 1st tranche sale proceeds 2 4,292 3,546 0Interest earned 2 81 123 64Sale of housing and other properties 4 2,595 1,373 207

0ther income – – – 315

Total income 40,159 47,200 55,385 Expenditure operating costs 2 25,435 33,864 43,811Shared ownership 1st tranche sale costs 2 4,083 3,339 0Interest on loans 2 7,687 7,740 7,907cost of housing and other properties sold 4 2,238 1,068 983

Taxation – – – 13

Total expenditure 39,443 46,011 52,714

716 1,189 3,654

Balance Sheet Tangible Fixed Assets 295,024 433,665 570,916other Assets 32,881 14,632 23,662

Total Assets 327,905 448,297 594,578

Financed by Social Housing Grant 134,568 186,761 239,749Loans 161,455 201,220 262,366Accumulated reserves 23,063 45,209 75,331creditors 8,819 15,107 17,132

327,905 448,297 594,578

* A full set of the group’s accounts can be found in the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2010

117 CARIBBEAN - 8%1054 WHITE - 71%108 INDIAN - 7%31 PAKISTANI - 2%10 BANGLADESHI - 1%85 AFRICAN - 6%20 BLACK OTHER - 1%32 UNDISCLOSED - 2%24 ASIAN OTHER - 2%

STAff NUmbER:full Time 55% Part Time 45%STAff GENDER:male 23% female 77%

AGE PROfiLE:years: Staff:16 – 18 1419 – 20 2421 – 30 29541 – 50 479

years: Staff: 51 – 60 25161 – 70 7871 – 80 3

THE ACCORD GROUP WORK PROfiLE 2010:

Accord Group £74.33Black county Housing £77.12Bromford Housing £74.91FcH £69.42Mercian £69.05Midland Heart £75.21West Midlands Average £70.10National Average £75.91*data taken from rSr submissions 2009

AvERAGE WEEKLy RENTS AT 31 mARCH 2009*:

Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010aCCORD GROUP faCTS aND fIGURES 24 Accord Group ANNuAL rEporT 2010

THE aCCORD GROIP 25

The Accord Group is a family of seven organisations

CALDmORE AREA HOUSiNG ASSOCiATiON18 caldmore Greencaldmore, Walsall WS1 3rLT: 01922 614505 F: 01922 630 389

fRy HOUSiNG TRUST43 rowley Village, rowley regisWest Midlands B65 9AST: 0121 559 6406 F: 0121 559 4632

mOSELEy AND DiSTRiCT CHURCHES HOUSiNG ASSOCiATiON106 Alcester roadMoseley, Birmingham B13 8EFT: 0121 442 5000 F: 0121 442 5050

REDDiTCH CO-OPERATivE HOmES (RCH) Britton HouseBritton Street, redditch B97 6HdT: 01527 591170 F: 01527 597453

THE ACCORD GROUPcentral Services178 Birmingham road, West BromwichWest Midlands B70 6QGT: 0300 111 7000 F: 0121 358 9011E: customerfirst@accordgroup.org.ukwww.accordgroup.org.uk

ACCORD HOUSiNG ASSOCiATiON37 King Street, darlastonWest Midlands WS10 8dET: 0121 568 3900 F: 0121 568 6231

ACCORD CARE AND SUPPORT178 Birmingham road, West BromwichWest Midlands B70 6QGT: 0300 111 7000 F: 0121 358 9011

ASHRAm HOUSiNG ASSOCiATiONFairgate House, 205 Kings roadTyseley, Birmingham B11 2AAT: 0845 130 6110 F: 0845 130 6220

Fami

ly!bCHSFairgate House, 205 Kings roadTyseley, Birmingham B11 2AAT: 0121 764 3807 F: 0121 764 3838

Designed and Produced by®REPUBLIC 0121 460 1555

The Accord Group178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 6QGTel: 0300 111 7000 Fax: 0121 358 9011Email: customerfirst@accordgroup.org.uk www.accordgroup.org.ukwww.accordha.org.uk

ACCORDGROUPANNUALREPORT2010