Emma YoungIndividual EmpowermentKnightstone Housing 02nd December 2015

Individual Empowerment

Individual Empowerment offers support to residents to meet their needs and aspirations, and provides them with opportunities to empower and improve their lives.

The support the service provides to our residents: Into work volunteering or training Manage their tenancy, finances and home life Over come social isolation using our Digital outreach workers

and sign posting to club and groups depending on their interests, allowing residents to get involved in their community make friends and improve health and wellbeing.

What we do…

Where we want to be:

Primarily we want to ensure that arrears levels continue to be stable and our income stream can be relied on in the long term. This objective is more important than ever as we face four years of government imposed annual rent reductions.

 At the same time, we want to,

 a) Give residents the advice and support they need to respond to the above challenges and sustain their tenancies. The HAILO report concluded that “housing association landlords have a direct interest in helping tenants manage … to ensure they remain viable as businesses”. And the Direct Payments Pilot concluded that face to face contact is the most expensive, but most effective and necessary form of contact to make. b) Ensure that staff are well briefed, trained and supported to “make every contact count” and maximise rental income. c) Further improve our related policies and practices. d)Demonstrate more clearly the impact of our welfare reform strategy and key interventions within it.

Welfare reform strategy – (September 2014 to March 2017)

How we are going to get there::

Welfare reform strategy – (September 2014 to March 2017)

The plan will be fully developed, delivered and monitored by an inter-departmental project team. This reflects important learning from the Direct Payments Pilot which concluded that a whole organisation approach is key to managing the risk presented by Universal Credit direct payment of housing costs to tenants. The plan covers, Leadership and co-ordinationCommunicationsContinued work to manage the impacts of Universal Credit, the Bedroom Tax and Benefit CapExperian rental exchangeFinancial inclusion & income maximisationYoung peopleExemptions from Universal Credit and other reformsArrears prevention and recoveryI.T. system improvementsThe continued development of our website and communication channels with residents.

How success will be measured ::

The key success measures for this whole strategy will be: Gross arrears below sector average and stable

Accounts in credit

At least 70% of residents continue to say they would speak to us if struggling with money

Tenancies ending for negative reasons, where welfare reform is a factor, including evictions for rent debt and tenancy turnover or abandonment leaving bad debts.

We have a welfare reform action plan showing the activities taking place along with a time line the purpose and the success measure.

All different parts of the business are responsible for completing and taking ownership for their role in the action plan.

Welfare reform strategy – (September 2014 to March 2017)

Description Value

Bank Risk

1) Score given for tenancies where Method of Payment indicates bank account 0

2a) where MOP doesn't suggest a bank account, score given for remaining tenancies where UCBA attribute ("do you have a bank account?") has a "Yes" response 0

2b) where MOP doesn't suggest a bank account, score given for remaining tenancies where UCBA attribute ("do you have a bank account?") has a "No" response 5

3) Where no score ascertained from MOP & Attribute, score given for all remaining tenancies where Allpay records indicate that there is a bank account. 1

4) For all remain tenancies where none of the above is ascertainable 5

Total possible Bank Risk Score 5

IT Risk

1a) Score given for tenancies where UCIN attribute ("do you have access to the internet?") has a "Yes" response 0

1b) Score given for tenancies where UCIN attribute ("do you have access to the internet?") has a "No" response 4

2) Where Attribute doesn't exist, score given for tenancies where Choice of Contact is Email 0

3) Where no score ascertained for Attribute or Choice of contact, score given where Email is recorded as a contact type for any tenant in the household 1

5) For all remaining tenancies where none of the above is ascertainable. 4

Total possible IT Risk Score 4

Vulnerability Risk

Tenant/s on tenancy has indicated "Alcohol or Drug Addiction " 1Tenant/s on tenancy has indicated "Learning Difficulties" 1Tenant/s on tenancy has indicated "Mental Health Issues" 1Tenant/s on tenancy has indicated "Difficulties Reading and Writing" 1

Tenant/s on tenancy has indicated "Domestic Abuse" 3

Total possible IT Risk Score 7

Arrears Risk

Any Tenancy that has been in excess of £50 arrear at any stage in the last 12 months 5

Total possible Arrears Risk Score 5

Housing Benefit Risk

Any Tenancy that has a Method of payment reflecting Full or Partial HB Claimant

Total possible Housing Benefit Risk Score 5

Bedroom Tax Risk 3

Any Tenancy that has a method of payment reflecting Bedroom Tax topup

Total possible Bedroom Task Risk Score 3

Welfare reform RISK matrix for Personalisation calls and survey.

For any other questions regarding any of the topics in my presentation on our social impact report.

Please contact me on

Emma YoungIndividual Empowerment Team Manager Knightstone HousingDirect Line:: 01934 526351Mobile :: 07896 179987Web:: Knightstone.co.uk

Any questions?