2008 Annual Report

Supporting

CommunitiessustainableVIBRANT REPORT 07/08

Accent on Partnerships

Our: � partners� community support� lasting effects

Accent on People

Our: � customer efficiencies� diversity � innovation

26

30

Accent on Customers

Our: � commitments� services� standards� investments

Accent on Innovation

Our: � homes� development� technology� community regeneration

Accenton Local Communities

Our: � people� projects� support

6

14

20

These four practical key strategic objectives to:� Create a positive, shared,

organisational culture.� Achieve service and business

excellence in everything we do. � Increase and improve our housing

stock.

� Get the most out of technologyand innovation for our communitiesand ourselves.

Enable us to achieve the fifth: � Support the transformation

of priority communities.

To support the creation of vibrant and sustainable communities by being a catalystthat enables people to improve the qualityof their lives.

Our Vision is under-pinned by five keystrategic objectiveswhich are at the heartof everything we do.

OurVisionOurVisionTo support the creation of vibrant and sustainable communities by being a catalystthat enables people to improve the qualityof their lives.

In my first year as Group Chairman,I have been proud to see how the Accentteam rises to meet challenges.

We faced the challenge that our businessneeded to change, we had the ever present challengeof balancing funding against costs, we had the challengeto meet our customers’ increasing expectations andcomplex needs, we had the challenge to keep hold ofour high performing and dedicated staff, and we hadthe challenge to remain innovative and open to freshideas. In order to meet and embrace those challenges,we made some business transforming decisions.

While making sure our services were ever moreefficient and cost effective, we created new teams andstructures to get closer to our customers. We worked onnew and existing partnerships to help our customers finda solution to their needs, be it housing, training, employ-ment or enterprise. We re-structured our support servicesand enhanced our operations and, in our continuing efforts to control cost while giving value for money, westreamlined and simplified our management boards andassociated companies. This new way of working providesa solid foundation on which we can begin to build ournew vision, ‘to support the creation of vibrant andsustainable communities by being a catalyst thatenables people to improve the quality of their lives’and gives us a promising future, full of potential.

This year was a new beginning for me as GroupChairman but, more importantly, it was a new beginningfor the Group. It was also a year of great achievements:our successful bid to the Housing Corporation whichresulted in the biggest grant allocation of the year worth£65 million to the Accent Group Consortium and the completion of 704 new homes – a figure greater thanour target of 610. We were also pleased to be chosen

Challenges & Beginnings

Chairman’s statementChallenges & Beginnings

Chairman’s statement

as Craven District Council’s preferredpartner in its £70 million redevelopmentplans for Skipton, and we were delightedto win a Housing Corporation GoldAward for ‘Tackling Worklessness.’

As the way we work changes tomeet our challenges, so does the waywe present ourselves. This year, our annual report isn’t just a summary of ouractivity during the year, it is a report thatdemonstrates how we are helping peopleto improve their lives; both as an individual,and as a trusted partner. It doesn’t justtalk about what we’ve done, but the impact that it has had and how everythingwe do helps to ‘support the transformation of priority communities’.

Our ability to adapt to changingdemands has always been one of ourgreat strengths. Our new structure willcreate a sustainable business which delivers service excellence, and continuesto be relevant in our communities, focussing on understanding and meetingtheir needs. Supporting our structureare the advanced technical changes,introduced to ‘get the most out oftechnology and innovation for ourcommunities and ourselves’.

Our allocation from the HousingCorporation and our partner status inSkipton will help us provide more qualityaffordable housing, to meet our objectiveof ‘increasing and improving ourhousing stock’, and support communityservices that address the challenges weface around community cohesion,

sustainability, worklessness, homelessnessand environmental responsibilities. It isthis ability that keeps our business strongand financially sound, positions us asa provider of products that offer quality,value for money and a consistent goodservice, and ensures our continued community relevance in an increasinglydiverse and complex marketplace.

Our business will continue tochange over the next 10 years but ourpriority, first and foremost, will be theneeds of our communities. With our localand specialist partners, we will work todeliver the highest quality of customerservices in a way that empowers people,and help them to improve their wellbeingand quality of their lives. We will helpthem live where and how they want to,in an environment they have helped toshape, and we will help them to decideand make what changes they want tosee. This commitment helps us to meetour objective of ‘achieving serviceand business excellence in everythingwe do’.

Accent means so many things toso many people: from the residents that‘love their homes’ to our YouthBuildtrainees who can now look forward to apromising future. From the charities andgood causes that have benefited fromour financial and specialist support, toour community partners who look to usto help them develop further innovationsand improved services. From the familythat couldn’t find a home until they came

to us, to the young people who couldnow be our future entertainers becauseof a talent show we were simplypleased to support. By working with,and supporting our people and partners,and providing a variety of tailored andflexible services, we can transform ourpriority communities and improve theway they live their lives.

We have an ambitious agendaand we can only successfully workthrough it by taking sure steps to know,listen to and satisfy our customers andstakeholders. Only when we havegained their trust, can we truly meetour objective to become excellent ineverything we do.

It was a privilege for me to succeed Tony Gadie as Chairman. Tonyhas been a driving force in the develop-ment of our strategic direction, and weare very fortunate he has stayed with usas a board member. I would like to thankhim, all my board colleagues and ourstaff for their support and dedication.It is down to all of them that weare firmly on course to achieve ourobjective to ‘create a positive, shared,organisational culture’ and havesuch a strong foundation today onwhich to build a future focussed onour customers.

Allan Smith, Chairman

5

We love it here. We lovethe community and the factthat we can mix with otherpeople. We really wantedto keep our independence,but when the scheme manager told us about thisflat and we came to see it,we ‘fell in love’ with it.We’re settled now.

“

” Mr & Mrs Wilkes,

Barrow-in-Furness

residents.

Accent on

CustomersAccent on

Customers

7

8

Gordon Perry with a resident at the

Residents’ Panel roadshow.

Mr & Mrs Wilkes,

Barrow-in-Furness residents.

The major benefits of ourre-structure developed overthe spring and summer, as

our neighbourhood teams gotto know their customers.It’s this new relationshipwhich I feel has been our

biggest achievement. It hasenabled us to be more

personal and responsive,and provide customers with

an excellent and efficientservice which they, and our

staff, help to drive.

“

”Gordon Perry,

Director of Operations.

We aim to be a ‘3 star’ organisation – we are firmlyfocussed on getting closer to our customers and delivering

continually improving services which meet their needs.

A new approachto neighbourhoodmanagement

Our new neighbourhood managementapproach has helped us get closer to customers and improve service delivery.By establishing dedicated customer service teams to provide the completehousing management service, we aregetting more involved with residents’daily lives and reacting much quicker tolocal issues and individual needs. Ourcustomers feel valued, listened to andappreciated – a feeling which is creatingimproved customer relations.

Our new structure enables customer services managers to spendmore time out on site, meeting customers and providing a personal service, face-to-face.

Back at our centres, our teamsof dedicated customer services advisorsensure our callers receive a prompt andquality service.

Involving residentsin everything we do

Understanding the needs and aspirationsof our customers is key to providing thehigh quality of service they have a rightto expect.

Our key aims are to:� Provide the services our

customers want.� Meet the needs of our diverse

communities. � Involve our customers in

everything we do.

Our commitment is to:� Tell customers how they can get

involved and regularly review howwe involve them.

� Get feedback on our services throughpostal and telephone surveys.

� Ensure we tell customers what wehave done.

� Aim to increase satisfaction levels. � Keep customers informed.

Operating with 53 partnerlocal authorities to deliverquality homes and services

in our communities

SUPPORTING VIBRANT & SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

9

Wayne McKenzie at the

Residents’ Panel roadshow.The residents’ editorial panel.

Most residents simplywant a good standardof service from Accent.They want to live in a niceproperty, free from anti-socialbehaviour, with an affordablerent and an easy way ofmaking contact. They wanta good repairs service, andany complaints dealt withquickly. I will ensure theResidents’ Panel continuesto influence the servicesAccent provides.

“

” Wayne McKenzie,

Chair of the Accent

Residents’ Panel.

By introducing initiatives like residents’ training, we cansignpost customers to new opportunities in employment,development, learning, healthy living and involvement, and help to tackle worklessness and social exclusion.

We have:� Developed a repairs appointment

system so residents can arrange whencontractors call.

� Established scheme walkaboutsto include residents in scheme inspections and identify priorities.

� Created Residents’ Panel ‘champions’to look at priority service areasidentified by residents.

� Developed an editorial panel so residents can influence the wordingof our literature.

By working with QHS (QualityHousing Services), we can identify ourstrengths and weaknesses and work towards continuous improvement ofour services. A clear set of assessmentstandards are provided across a numberof service areas, including mystery shopping, telephone accessibility, customer polling and on-site audits.The results from these assessments identify strengths and weaknesses inthese areas, and help us to developplans for continuous improvement.

After a self-assessment request,HQN (Housing Quality Network), awardedAccent Nene two stars for the incomemanagement part of a new rent arrearsrecovery procedure.

The aim of the Accent Peerless‘Bring a Resident to Work Day’ wasto engage with as many residents as possible as part of a corporate planningprocess to give them the chance to shapeservices at the highest level.

Residents took part in facilitatedworkshops to identify which servicesworked well, and which needed improvement. The event turned out to be an excellent learning exercise foreveryone involved. Staff gained a betterunderstanding of what residents reallyexpected, while residents acknowledgedwhat it takes to deliver good qualityhousing services. A number of residentsagreed to get involved with futureactivities.

The results have been used to direct the Accent Peerless corporate andservice improvement plans. Both haveclear objectives to strengthen businessover the next three years, and willenable the development of stronger relationships with customers and ourcommunities.

STOCK OWNED & MANAGED Social rented (owned) 16,260Non-social (managed) 5,487Social rented (managed) 94


10

The 2008 Residents’ Panel roadshow.

Funding of £7,766 from the Community

Dividend Reserve has transformed an unused

space at Ramsey Park, Barrow-in-Furness,

into a mobility scooter park.

I have been on twoscheme walkabouts which

have given me the opportunityto voice both my concerns, and

those of my fellow residents.We feel that the walkaboutsare productive and we would suggest all residents consider

their own involvement in thesejoint activities with Accent.

“

”Peter Dixon,

Teesside resident.

We are confident that our new neighbourhood structure isthe right way to deliver the highest quality of customer service.

How our customersinfluence our services

Our customer surveys contribute to BestValue requirements, collect informationon levels of satisfaction with key servicesand identify areas for improvement.They also benchmark our performanceagainst other providers and comparethe views of different sub-groups. Theyhelp us to improve customer relationsby gathering demographics about ourcustomers, which enables us to tailorservices to meet their needs.

Accent Nene has retained its accreditation for the centre for shelteredhousing services. In commenting, the assessor said: “The service is tenant centred throughout and the focus isfirmly on enabling people to retain theirindependence and links with the localcommunity. In my view, the service delivery is excellent.”

Good progress at theRepairs Service Centre

By making changes to our repairs serviceand introducing a new call monitoringsystem, we can deal with customer callsquickly and effectively. Customers havealso benefitted from added resources andstaff support, and the launch of a repairs appointment system.

Over the last 12 months, we have invested over £6 million intoour stock – not only to meet our obligations as a landlord, but togive residents the things theyactually want:� 542 kitchens refurbished – £2.3 million. � 320 gas heating systems renewed –

£1.1 million.� Making sure gas appliances are

tested for safety every year – justunder £1 million.

� Home adaptations for the disabled –£200,000.

� Fitting new windows – £1.5 million.

By producing local maintenance investment schedules for eachof our neighbourhood team areas, we can give residents more detailed

information about the work planned to their homes and estates.


Investing over £6 million inour stock to give our customers

what they want.

11

Customer Services Manager

Lisa Bancroft inside the recently improved

courtyard at The Martindales, Chorley.

Our contractors replacing guttering at

properties in Primrose Hill, Stockton.

When I had a leakunder my sink repaired,the contractor took his shoesoff at the door, was pleasantand polite and did areally good job.

“” Susan Scarth,

Stockton-on-Tees resident.

For the third year in succession, Accent Nene retained theQHS accreditation for providing high quality customer services.

The Martindales, Lancashire –£2.1 million After consulting with residents, we invested £2.1 million into this scheme fora comprehensive refurbishment, insideand out. Over two years, we modernisedoutdated accommodation and addressedinappropriate layouts by introducingmodern fixtures and fittings, internal improvements – such as new bathrooms,kitchens and central heating – improvedlandscapes, extra car parking, enclosedstaircases, renewed floor finishes, improved external lighting and newflat entrance doors with ‘Secure by Design’ standards.

Our final adaptation was abuilt-in, dedicated office for our localneighbourhood team, which is now ideally based to not only serve residentsliving on the scheme, but all our localcustomers.

Primrose Hill, Stockton & BrackenfieldCourt, Middlesbrough – £2 millionBrackenfield Court was suffering fromage related defects, and crime and anti-social behaviour. Its design accelerated

the problems, with insecure boundariesand difficult to maintain landscapes.With litter also a major problem, the result was a high tenancy turnover witha lack of demand. Primrose Hill also hadsimilar issues, exacerbated due to thescheme’s size.

In consultation with residents,we invested £2 million to deal withthe issues of stock condition and designshortcomings. Combined with a more intensive approach to housing manage-ment, our investment has transformedboth schemes, and the local community’sperception of them.

By establishing an investmentplanning team to gather and analysestock condition data, we can planour investment programme in a more objective and systematic way. Initially,we will develop a five year investmentprogramme, with a following ten yearoutline programme where essentialworks are identified and budgetedfor well ahead. Residents’ prioritieswill have a big impact on our future investment plans.


Investing over £4 millionon major refurbishments.

By working closely with our contractors, we can ensurewe deliver a quality service to our customers.

Investment programme highlights

12

Annette Smith,

Anti-Social Behaviour Officer.

PCSO Maria Flanagan talks to one of

our residents during the ‘Streets Ahead’

campaign in Allerton, Bradford.

Our local lettings policy onone problem estate enables

us to refuse housing toanyone with a history

of committing anti-social behaviour in the past

five years, and grant any newtenancies on a short-hold,

review basis for 12 months.We have high hopes for the

future relations on this estate,and that our residents willlive together in harmony.

“

”Annette Smith,

Anti-Social Behaviour Officer.

How we tackle and prevent anti-social behaviouris high on the list of our customers’ priorities.

Community Safety Unit

Our new community safety unit investigates serious and complicatedreports of anti-social behaviour. Teammembers, who are skilled in investigation,enforcement and surveillance, work withthe neighbourhood teams and the legalservices department to help preventanti-social behaviour and take actionagainst it.

We are working closely withWest Yorkshire Police to support Respect,the Home Office campaign to encouragecommunities and agencies to take astand against anti-social behaviour.

Sharon Heels, our in-houseSenior Housing Management Solicitor,is a deputy district judge and a nationallyrecognised expert on anti-social behaviour.She is also a leading author on anti-socialbehaviour orders and obtained the firstlocal authority housing injunction with apower of arrest in the country.

Our achievements inHorden have shown me thehuge difference that can bemade when we’re workingwith a landlord that isconcerned, rather than onethat isn’t.

“” Local police community

support officer.


Conducting 215 visitsto victims, witnesses and

perpetrators of anti-socialbehaviour.

13

The Residents’ Panelroadshow enables residentsto meet informally with staff,Board and Panel members.The most recent event inBurnley attracted over 100residents. Although mostlived locally, some travelledfrom as far as Barrow andStafford to take part.

The allocation to the Accent Group Consortium is the largest inour history and the second largest of all the 2008-2011 allocations.It establishes us as a major provider of affordable homes and demonstratesthe Housing Corporation’s confidence in our ability to deliver.

Accent on

InnovationAccent on

Innovation

“” Andy Gamble,

Head of Residential Development.

15

The allocation covers not only theGroup, but the consortia we lead: Accent Foundation, Accent Nene,Accent Peerless, Network HousingGroup, NLG Housing Ltd and FirebirdJVC. It demonstrates how we can meetour objectives by successfully workingin partnership with other organisations,and comes in response to the excellentperformance of the Group’s developmentteam, and the quality and speed of delivery the Housing Corporation expectsbeing constantly exceeded. The new allocation is in addition to the £44 millionof grant received in 2006-2008.

We will focus on delivering largertransformational multi-tenure schemesand providing new homes in core areasto address the needs and demands oflocal people. We will also continue towork with our local authority partners toprovide new affordable homes throughthe planning system.

Over the next two years, AccentFoundation, Accent Peerless and AccentNene will develop around 500 new affordable homes in addition to existingcommitments. 60% will be affordablerented, with the remaining 40% affordable New Build Homebuy andshared ownership aimed at firsttime buyers.

All affordable new homes developed under the allocation will bebuilt to a minimum of Level 3 of theCode for Sustainable Homes and, wherever possible, exceeded. The Codesets rigorous standards for developmentsthat address the key areas of our homes’environmental impacts; including energyefficiency, use of water and sustainablematerials, and waste and recycling.In addition, all our affordable develop-ments will meet high standards of interior and external space, design andlayout, and we will aim to build in futureadaptability wherever we can.

Brownfield sites – LeedsStrategic Partnership

Leeds City Council and the Housing Corporation have chosen us for the firstphase re-development of six of the city’sbrownfield sites. Around 175 new homesfor rent and shared ownership will becreated over the next two years.

Northern Challenge –Fairfield Estate, Leeds

We will deliver the regeneration ofthe Fairfield Estate as part of theLeeds/Bradford Corridor Northern Challenge initiative. The initiative, which concentrates on cross-boundary schemeswith a particular focus on worklessness,sees us working with Leeds City Council,Bradford Metropolitan District Counciland In Communities. Fairfield will producearound 140 new homes for rent andshared ownership. It will be delivered inpartnership with the local communityand the Arms Length ManagementOrganisation.

£65 million grant allocation fromthe Housing Corporation in the 2008-11National Affordable Housing Programme

16

Funded with £50K from the BIG Lottery, £20K from

us and the remainder from Peterborough Council,

the finishing touches are put to a play area

in front of 48 new homes in Paston.

Recently completed properties at The Spinners,

Century Square, Peterborough.

The regeneration of an estate isn’t just about new homes – creating an inclusive and sustainable community is a key project objective.

The size of our allocation means we can make a realimpact in our communities by developing new homes that are

affordable, energy efficient and have reduced running costs.


We will develop 500 newhomes in the next two years.

Working in partnership –Station Road, Haworth

Our opportunities to re-develop this sitecame as a result of our partner statusin the Bradford and Airedale NHS LIFT.The GP surgeries based here have now relocated to a new health centre, developed as part of the project. Thesite will provide 12 new apartments.

Innovative technology –the Accent Home

Having completed two pilot schemes,we will develop a further nine, three-bed homes for rent in Bradford. Thehomes will utilise modern methods ofconstruction and sustainable materials,and be designed to meet level 4 of theCode for Sustainable Homes.

Skipton Developments Project

We are Craven District Council’spreferred partner to deliver the SkiptonDevelopments project. Our proposalsare transformational and, while they are centred on providing over 360 homes,there is much more to our strategy forthe town’s renaissance. The £70 millionproject embraces canalside works, publicrealm, the creation of a new culturalquarter, high street retail and town centre living, environmental improve-ments, improved road access, pathways, improvements to mobility, signage andconnectivity of spaces, leisure, artworks,amenities and education and training.

Housing will meet with localneeds and aspirations, as well as local authority objectives for affordable housing, (rent and shared ownership), asset out in the existing local plan and theemerging local development framework.

Regenerating Fulbourn

Fulbourn’s Windmill Estate in Cambridgeis a 1960s estate in need of extensive investment. Many of the properties sufferfrom a range of defects synonymouswith the decade’s system built design.Following extensive consultation withthe local community, our plan is tocreate up to 273 new homes for rent,shared ownership and open sale withina high quality environment. We arealso planning to develop a new village community hall to provide bothcommunity space and a new homefor the local volunteer library service.

Our customers will benefit from well designed homes and developmentsthat are not only pleasant places to live, but also contribute significantlyto environmental sustainability and reduced running costs.

17

Artist’s impression of the new Craven

Museum entrance looking towards the

retail courtyard, Skipton.

Local primary school children check the progress

of ‘The Swifts’ development, Fulbourn.

As well as addressing the housing needs of our local communities,we will also address issues of worklessness through YouthBuildand economic regeneration initiatives.


Our transformationalproposals for the market

town of Skipton are worth £70 million.

18

The Gold Award was presented by the Minister

for Housing, Caroline Flint. We also received

£50,000 in prize money to help repeat

and share our good work.

Mariam Arshad being interviewed by

BBC Radio Lancashire.

Congratulations to Accentfor securing this coveted

national award for tacklingworklessness. Their brilliant

success in training peoplefrom local communities towork in local construction

projects in Bradford hasmade them a worthyGold Award winner.

We developed the YouthBuild projectmodel with the aim of reducing the socialand economic exclusion experienced bypeople living in our neighbourhoods.The outcomes highlight a proven approach that can raise the aspirationsand achievements of traditionally excluded groups, helping to buildand contribute to more cohesive and sustainable communities.

A key factor in the success ofYouthBuild stems from its innovative approach – a design that meets theneeds of both employers and the unemployed, especially those sufferingfrom extreme disadvantage.

Bradford YouthBuild isdelivered in a partnership between localhousing associations, ConstructionSkills (Yorkshire & Humberside) and construction companies.

The project celebrated its 10thanniversary in 2007. In ten yearsit has:� Delivered YouthBuild training

opportunities to 1,500 young people.� Helped participants achieve 1,280

recognised qualifications.� Helped 20 new businesses set up.� Provided participants with the skills

to obtain 445 jobs.� Levered in over £4 million additional

finance.� Worked with 80 different partners.

At the National Women in Construction Awards, YouthBuild apprentice Mariam Arshad was namedas Best Apprentice/New Starter ofthe Year. Mariam, a Community Liaison Officer for Emanuel Whittaker Ltd,was recruited and supported throughthe Elevate YouthBuild programme inEast Lancashire.

Established locally, making adifference nationally – Bradford YouthBuild

The Bradford YouthBuild project has been a true success story.It has helped hundreds of young people into training and

employment, making a huge difference to individual lives andthe wider community. Accent’s Gold Award exemplifies the

massive impact housing associations make. This award isin recognition of the hard work and of everyone involved.

“

“”

”Sir Duncan Michael,

judging panel Chairman.

Derek Long, National

Housing Federation.

The success of our training and skills projects earned us aHousing Corporation Gold Award for Tackling Worklessness.


19

Alisha Ditta with project worker Tahira Naheem,

inside the new Accent Business Centre.

Imran Rashid working on our

properties in Bradford.

Through neighbourhood renewal, learning, training and employment, enterprise and business consultancyand research, we will deliver investmentprogrammes worth £2.6 million in thecommunities of our three main housingcentres in the north, the east midlandsand the south.

Other key priorities, whichwill help us deliver the overall programme, include:� Neighbourhood profiling and mapping

of up to five key priority areas.� Developing a prospectus of learning,

skills development and other servicesto offer customers, (after workingwith them to ensure the services arerelevant).

� Developing our enterprise andbusiness support service fornew business through the LocalEnterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI).

� Developing detailed assessmentsof our effectiveness, based on customer and stakeholder perceptions.

Working with Bradford YouthBuild Trust, we helped to secure over half a million in funding to developthe Accent Business Centre. The centre provides a range of numeracy, literacy,ICT and vocational training for up to100 learners and trainees every day,and has 14 new industrial units withover 18,000 ft2 of office and businessspace available for rent aimed at localstarter businesses.

Accent’s resident trainingprogramme has given me achance to motivate myself,learn skills and do thetraining I need to geta job. I’m so pleased tohave joined.

Supporting vibrant and sustainable communitieswithin successful and connected neighbourhoods

As a result of the approach pioneered in Bradford, the experienceand lessons learned have enabled us to help develop other successfulYouthBuilding projects in East Lancashire and Middlesbrough.

“ ”Imran Rashid, Apprentice

Joiner, Milnerbuild.

YouthBuild has greatly impacted on my life. From a positionof having no career prospects and being uncertain about my future, I have gone on to achieve 2nd place in the 2007National YouthBuild Awards and found employment thatwill enable me to develop my skills and gain qualifications.

“” Alisha Ditta,

work experience.


Over 18,000 ft2 of storage andoffice space for local businesses

to rent and local people totrain in at the new Accent

Business Centre in Bradford.

21

I’m very pleased to bea part of Paston Area

Community Trust and Ienjoy my job very much.

Every day brings somethingdifferent. It feels good

to help people, see them develop and become more

confident when theytake our courses.

“

”Kayleigh Peters,PACT trainee.

Accent on

Local CommunitiesAccent on

Local Communities

Since the introduction of our new neigh-bourhood team structure in Barrow, ouroffice has extra resources and extendedopening hours. Combined with a moveto a city centre position, which has madethe office more accessible for customers,our investment has demonstrated to thelocal authority that we remain committedto the area, which was recently identifiedas one of the 25 most deprived wards inthe country.

Other benefits for Barrow residentsinclude:� Citizens’ Advice Bureau – a bespoke

local surgery to mainly deal withnew tenancy start-ups and issues onhousing benefit claims. The surgeryhas received £6,000 in funding fromAccent Foundation.

� Marsh Street Arches and GardensCommittee – a local residents’ association working to transform apiece of derelict land traditionally associated with anti-social behaviourproblems, which overlooks oneof our schemes. The committee has extended its constitution to include some of our residents inits meetings.

� New extra care scheme – despite areducing population, Barrow’s community is growing in terms ofage and life expectancy. Developingan extra care scheme was one of thelocal authority’s top priorities andwe will soon be on site in this newpartnership development.

Through our community dividendreserve, our Residents’ Panel donatedcommunity grants worth over£95,000 to benefit residents livingin our communities. Some of thegrants included:� £2,415 for the Community Gardens,

Barrow-in-Furness.� £5,000 for the Cybercentre project,

Burnley.� £35,000 for WomenBuild Phase 2,

Bradford.� £10,000 for Focus on Grangetown,

Teesside.

Working with credit unions in East Lancashire, Bradford and Barrow to deliver low cost resident loans.

22

Sue Mellen and Residents’ Panel member

Charles Wright discussing the plans for the

Marsh Street Arches and Gardens, Barrow.

The ‘GO PEEL!’ sports event encouraged kids

to join clubs and helped to combat problems

with anti-social behaviour in Accrington.

The new neighbourhood team structure has definitely

improved our housing management service. Because

we are all trained to deal withall queries, we can provide amore effective and proactivecustomer service, and it’s a more interesting job for us.

We are clear on our targets,direction, and where we

want to be in the future.

“

”Sue Mellen,

Area Manager, Barrow.

Our grants are not just short-term solutions – our support continuesto benefit the community long after the funding is given.


£95,000 granted tolocal projects which benefit

our residents and theircommunities.

Helping local communityprojects with AccentFoundation grantsFrom the Group’s charitablefoundation (Accent on Giving),grants worth over £560,000 wereawarded to community projectsand good causes in our communities.Some of these include:� £10,000 to Blackburn YMCA towards

the employment and salary costs of ahousing development manager tooversee a supported housing scheme.

� £20,000 to Sussex Oakleaf HousingAssociation towards the salary and related costs of a service userco-ordinator and volunteer costs.

� £35,000 to the Hyndburn Management Project towards thesalary costs of a co-ordinator to manage and develop service deliveryat a neighbourhood office.

� £84,000 to the Old Dean Advice Centre in Camberley to fund therental costs of the premises andthe salary costs of a community development worker.

� £27,400 to the Old Dean Parents’Support Group to purchase, installand maintain play equipment forthe under 5s.

Registered Charity the NationalCommunities Resource Centre (basedat Trafford Hall near Chester), offers diverse training and support to families,young people and adults living and working in low-income areas to helpthem develop the skills, confidence andcapacity to tackle problems and reversepoor conditions.

Our past investment of £100,000contributed towards the refurbishmentcosts of the extended training facilitiesand accommodation, and has createda lasting legacy, as residents make fulluse of the environmentally friendly and sustainable facilities. We celebrated our40th anniversary at Trafford Hall with an activity weekend for staff and residents.

Oasis OneLife provides debt management, counselling and lifeskills courses in Hyndburn, Lancashire.In 2007, it successfully applied for funding for a project worker so it couldmore effectively organise and delivercounselling, debt advice and training.The funding would also help with thecost of modernising and adapting thebuilding where the project was based.

Foundation funds have hugely benefited the local community,by enabling Oasis OneLife to provide over 470 sessionsof counselling, debt advice and skills training.

23

It felt like a weight had beenlifted off my shoulders afterI came to Oasis OneLife.My debts were slowly killingme and I couldn’t work outhow I was ever going torepay them. The bailiffs werethreatening me and it seemedthat I might lose everything.It’s a lovely, warm, caringplace and they gave me hopethat I can sort things out.

“

” Oasis One-Life

beneficiary.

Staff, Residents’ Panel members and

Board members take a tour of the

Neighbourhood Management office,

Accrington.

Residents enjoy a weekend residential at

the National Communities Resource Centre in

celebration of our 40th anniversary.


£560,000 granted tosupport community projects

from Accent on Giving.

Paston AreaCommunity Trust(PACT)

This disadvantaged ward of Peterborough has an innovative community regeneration programme,led by Accent Nene working with localresidents, the local authority and nationaland local agencies.

Three year funding from theGroup will help to establish Paston AreaCommunity Trust, (PACT), a trust runby local residents, for local residents.The intended outcomes are sustainable,self-financing social enterprises whichcreate job opportunities for local people,and community interest companies that delivers services the community needs.

There are strong links to thelocal area agreement and an emphasison issues identified by local people –adult education, crime and vandalism,community cohesion and empowerment.

24

Paston resident and volunteer Kelly Murray

with PACT trainee Kayleigh Peters outside

The Honeypot Café, Paston.

In keeping with PACT’s bees and honey theme,

Cheryl Bradley and her sons Gordon and Henry,

helped to make bees and decorate planters

around the Honeyhill Centre, Paston.

We are very proud thatPACT has won this award.The initiative has been ahuge achievement, greatlyexceeding its aspirations.With our communitypartners, we are deliveringon our primary objective oftransforming communities.

I live in Paston and I’vebeen working as a volunteer

in the Honeypot Café forjust over three years. Since

then, along with PACT,my life has changed. I have

taken courses that havemade me feel more confidentand built up my self esteem.

I have also made a lot ofnew friends along the way.

PACT has made a bigchange to the community

and my life.

“

”Kelly Murray,Paston resident.

“

” Christina Malle,Community RegenerationManager.

Winner of the ‘What are we Proud of’ category of the


TamesideHousing Register

In 2005, Tameside Metropolitan BoroughCouncil awarded us a three year contractto deliver an independent service to re-house its priority homeless.So far, the register has:� Increased the number of households

being re-housed by registered sociallandlords from 15% to 35%.

� Reduced the number of householdson the register by 75%.

� Moved 10% of households into permanent accommodation within30 days, 15% within 60 days and17% within 90 days.

The register has also:� Met the local authority’s

responsibility to find suitable alternative accommodation for customers within clearance areas.

� Developed and implemented anadapted property register to consistently allocate disabled andadapted properties.

� Implemented a process for preparinghomeless families for re-housing.

The register has recently beenrecognised as a positive practice during arecent audit commission inspection.

25

The 2008 BRADFACTOR talent contest.

Housing Advocacy Officer Steve Fanshawe

with Jodie Iveson, her daughter Dee and Scheme

Manager Deborah Lane outside the Threshold

Housing Project, Tameside.

Accent’s pro-active andprofessional handling ofthe supported housing register has certainly had many positive effectson my scheme and theservice users.

The BRADFACTORTalent Contest has been

made possible because of thesupport of local sponsors likeAccent. Thanks to continuing

support and belief that ourcompetition is something that

can make a real differenceto the young people in

Bradford, our second, biggerevent this year attracted awhole new wave of local

talent inspired by the successof its predecessor. We couldn’t

have done it without oursponsors’ continuing help.

“

”Zanib Thackray,BRADFACTOR Organiser andcommunity support worker.

“” Deborah Lane,

Scheme Manager, Threshold HousingProject.

National Housing Federation Eastern Region Awards.


Accent on

PartnershipsAccent on

Partnerships

The benefit of working with Accent is that we receive YouthBuild trainees who have gone through a rigorousscreening process, are job ready and who also have somesite awareness training. Accent also provides ongoing supportthrough its mentoring scheme and employer forums.

“” Emma King, Human Resources,

Richardson Projects.

27

Residents help tobridge social exclusion

Residents of Bradford sheltered schemeThornfield Hall joined with local olderperson’s project ‘Standard Raisers’,to help bridge the generation gapwith local young mums by knittingand presenting gifts.

GO PEEL!

In partnership with the police, HyndburnCouncil and other local agencies, we organised professional coaching forfootball, adapted bikes, archery, cricket,rugby and athletics, for the ‘GO PEEL!’event in Accrington.

Its aim was to encourage 8-16year olds into some kind of sporting clubor regular activity. As the area has hadproblems with anti social behaviour andunder age drinking, the event was feltto be something that could really makea difference.

Supported Housing

We enable vulnerable people who mayneed support, or be in crisis, to live safelyand comfortably in the communitythrough our supported housing schemes.

We work in partnership withstatutory and voluntary partner and support agencies to provide vulnerableclient groups with supported housingservices.

Our role includes providingthe housing, the managementservices, (in partnership with the agency concerned where needed), accessing capital funding, property developmentand maintenance, and finance support.We continue to liaise with the agenciesinvolved throughout the client’s stay, toensure the best and most appropriatelevel of care is provided, and to give helpand assistance wherever needed.

Some of our key and most vulnerable clients are women fleeingfrom domestic violence, abuse or harass-ment, and we have a long and successfulhistory of partnership working withthe Women’s Aid Sector. We currentlyhave six refuges in the north, offering37 bed-spaces for single women andwomen with families.

We have engaged with residents, partner agencies andlocal service providers to devise long term strategies to keep our

communities safe, clean and somewhere people are proud to live.

Social exclusion is notunique to people living alone. We can often see it appearing

quite dramatically whenolder people leave their family

home to live in sheltered, residential and nursing homeaccommodation. Events like

these can really help with thegeneration gap and prove thatno matter what your age and

circumstances, you can allget on and learn from

one another.

“

”Carol Hartshorne,

Scheme Manager.

We invited our partners and supporters

to help us celebrate winning a Housing Corpora-

tion Gold Award for Tackling Worklessness.

Bridging the generation gap with local

young mums at Thornfield Hall, Bradford.

28


Providing individually tailoredservices for over 430 people inspecial need in 256 supported

housing properties.

Bradford Kickstart –helping to developsocial enterprise andself-employment

In 2006, Bradford bid successfullyfor £21.4 million of funding to fosterbusiness growth under the Government’sLocal Enterprise Growth Initiative, (LEGI).The programme, run in Bradford underthe Kickstart banner, aims to help create1,000 new sustainable businesses overa ten year period.

Working with four other housingassociations, we play a lead role in providing information, advice and training to help people develop theirbusiness skills and ideas, and actively engage with them to ensure they are encouraged to seek support andmove (in some cases), from long-term unemployment into successful self-employment.

Kickstart is still the best performingprogramme within the Bradford District.

Burnley GoodTenants’ Scheme

The scheme is delivered in partnershipwith the police and the local authority’santi social behaviour team. It promotestenant accreditation in the area by providing reference checks to establish agood tenants’ register and good tenants’‘passport.’ Landlords can be confidentthat when accepting a member of thegood tenants’ register, they are taking ona person with a proven track record notonly for paying their rent on time, but foralso getting on with their neighbours.

As a temporary initiative, fundingfor the scheme was due to end in Marchthis year. However, due to its successand continuing public support, the localauthority approved the scheme to runfor another three years.

2,927 applications have been received to jointhe Good Tenants’ register.

“

”

Nadeem Shair outside the new Accent

Business Centre. Our Bradford Kickstart team

helped him set up his construction business and

secure public sector contract work.

Bradford’s cleanest street – in partnership with

local agencies, children were encouraged to feel

proud of their community and take an active role

in tidying up the streets of Girlington.

29


Kickstart has created 53 newbusinesses, 144 new jobs,

assisted 195 existing businessesand secured over £351,000

worth of public sector contracts for businesses

it has supported.

In Bradford’s Girlingtondistrict, our summer holidaystreet clean up campaignhelped to improve the localenvironment, and keep kidsoccupied. In partnershipwith local residents andcommunity services, wegot the kids picking litter,weeding and cleaning.It was a great success andthe kids have become proudof where they live, theircommunity, and of howthey’ve improved theirenvironment.

Michael Buck,

Neighbourhood Manager.

Accenton PeopleAccenton People

31

Allocating a specific 0845 number to each neighbourhood teamgives our customers one single point of contact for all enquiries,while advanced call monitoring software gives us an accuratepicture of our service and helps us to ensure we get it right.

32

Making it easier forcustomers to contact us

In just four months and with onlyminimal disruption, we:� installed 155 new handsets;� re-programmed 320 extensions;� launched 24 new 0845 numbers; � upgraded 10 offices; and � launched our new repairs customer

service call centre which answers95% of all calls.

To maximise our operational efficiencies, we relocated our head officefunctions to modern and refurbishedpremises early this year. A project teamwas set up to phase the move, ensuredisruption was kept to minimum and engage staff views on a number ofissues such as layouts, décor, fixturesand fittings, some of which staff have directly influenced.

‘The Business’, our new staffnewsletter, is helping to improve ourinternal communications by promotingbusiness successes and the roles staffplay in our achievements. We also revamped our core briefing notes andmade key results and performance figures more readily available.

e-learning

Through e-learning, we are providingstaff with flexible, stimulating and cost-effective training where they need it,when they need it. Training modulescan be devised or redeveloped to helpwith effective knowledge management, sharing of best practice, and therapid recycling of learning points and experience. By extension, futuree-learning will enable us to deliver economical training opportunities tocustomers and contractors.

I have been working withthe Accent Nene staff

forum to help improve and motivate staff performance.

The forum has been looking at how both majorchanges and smaller day-

to-day issues affect our staffmorale, and it has given

staff the opportunity to voice their views and

concerns in a constructiveway. The forum makes us

feel listened to, involvedwith what’s really going on

and that our opinions reallycount for something.

For a more efficient and customer focussed front-line service,we created a neighbourhood structure made up of 24 teams.

“

”Lindsey Bratton,

staff forum.

Head of Repairs & Maintenance Mike Gilsenan

giving a presentation on the new repairs

call centre to staff and resident board

members, Burnley.

Our e-learning scheme.


Our new repairs customer service call centre has improved

call handling by 35%.

33

Diverse needs

We know that some groups are harder tomeet with or speak to than others. Peoplewith disabilities are often among these.

As part of our commitment tothe Disability Discrimination Act 2005,we want to make sure that there areno barriers that stop anyone accessingour services.

We are finding out what customersthink about how:� we develop new homes; � we maintain and improve our

existing homes;� easy it is to access our services; and � well we involve them in running

our business.

Guardian Public ServiceAwards 2007

We won the ‘Innovation and Progress,Diversity and Equality’ category ofthe Guardian’s Public Service Awards2007, in recognition of our success in targeting groups which are usuallyunder-represented in the constructionindustry, and offering training to helpthem find work.

Scholarships forresidents’ learning

Residents and their dependents canapply for an Accent Scholarship of upto £1,500. Applicants must be over 16,and planning to start a course leadingto a nationally accredited qualificationat NVQ level 3 or above.

Following her successful completion of level one, we havesince awarded Natalie Lyon a furtherscholarship for British Sign Languagelevel two.

I found out about Accent’sscholarships last year. I amhard of hearing and hadalways been interested inlearning sign language.This was more so when Idiscovered my daughter wasalso hard of hearing. I haveevery intention to go as faras possible and become afully qualified interpreter.I am already gaining confidence and can communicate and hold conversations with deaf people. I hope to continueworking in schools in Lancashire promoting theuse of sign.

I’m disabled and I feel Accent Nene’s Disability Group isimportant, as it gives me an opportunity to influence – hopefullyfor the better – the way disability issues are dealt with. It isalso an important chance to educate people about our needsand aspirations, as residents who want our special requirementsto be understood and catered for in an appropriate way.

“

” Natalie Lyon, receiver

of Accent Scholarship.

Diana Smith,

Huntingdon.

“”

Natalie Lyon and her daughter Megan,

Nelson, Lancashire.

The Guardian Public Services Awards 2007

Diversity and Equality Award.


Getting a Gold Award shows our vision in action and thedifference tackling worklessness can make on the stabilityand sustainability of our communities. Being in work givespeople the opportunity to make choices on how and wherethey live and this work demonstrates our commitmentto helping them improve their lives through training and employment initiatives.

“” Martin Kelly,

Chief Executive.

Accent Group Limited

Charlestown House � Acorn Park Industrial Estate � Charlestown � Shipley � West Yorkshire � BD17 7SW

www.accentgroup.org

Written and designed by Accent Group’s Marketing Team

We are meeting the challenge of changing our business and we are working towardsa new vision and a new future. As the way we work changes, so does how we present ourselves.

This publication celebrates our achievements over the past year and how they are helping tosupport the transformation of priority communities.

Our business will continue to change over the next ten years but our priority, first and foremost,will always be the needs of our customers and communities.

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2008 Annual Report

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