Your Voice MattersAnnual Review for Customers 2016-17

Creating Great Places to Live, Work and Grow

Welcome to ‘Your Voice Matters’ SARH Annual Review 2016-17

2 Your Voice Matters 2016-17

CARES Values

83% of customers say SARH is good at Communicating

87% of customers agree that SARH is Approachable

77% of customers agree that SARH is Respectful of people’s differences

76% of customers agree that SARH encourages customers to have a say (Empowerment)

77% of customers agree SARH is Supportive

In this report for Customers we focus on the things we hope you are most interested in and what you have told us about the services we deliver by responding to our Annual Customer Survey. It is important that SARH performs well and spends the money we receive for rent on essential repairs and improvements to the houses SARH owns and you live in. Over the next few pages I hope you will see this has been another good year for SARH as your landlord delivering services that matter to you as well as we can. We are changing the way we “speak” to you to be much quicker and more effective via our website www.sarh.co.uk, by text and on-line chat so that you can find out what you want to know quickly and at the time of your contact. We are calling this 'Making Every Contact Count’ because we are committed to making sure you can contact us as quickly as possible; in the way that suits you best and receive a response.

Karen Armitage, Chief Executive, Stafford and Rural Homes

For example, using new technology we are changing the way customers tell us they want to rent a house from SARH. The process can be reduced to just a couple of days from being a process that could sometimes take many weeks. We can now remind you by text of the rent you need to pay and shortly, we will be able to remind you when one of our staff will call to do your repairs so you can be available. Support for vulnerable customers comes through our You First Telecare home safety alarm system. This helps you to remain in your home much longer when you are less well or need a bit of extra support. There are always ways we can improve and we welcome you telling us the ways in which we can be better. Please look at our website and contact us in any of the ways that best suit you to tell us what you think. Your Voice Matters to SARH.

Creating Great Places to Live, Work and Grow 3

Your Voice Matters

You said...

87%are satisfied that the rent they pay represents good

value for money

84%are satisfied with the neighbourhood they

live in 87%are satisfied with the quality of their home

80%consider SARH to

be good at keeping Customers informed

52%say they would

recommend SARH to friends and family

81%are satisfied with

SARH repairs and maintenance service

improved!

89%

Overall Customer Satisfaction withSARH landlord services.

Results of the 2017 Customer Survey (BMG Research)

improved!

improved!

2016-17 Facts

4 Your Voice Matters 2016-17

SARH homes meet the Decent Homes Standard

Successes

100% New homes being built

155

Total employees186

154 employees

SARH homes with solid fuel heating have

a valid Solid Fuel Certificate

100%

What's improved? Repairs

We asked customers who have received a repair in the last 12 months if they think the SARH Repairs service has improved.

agreed the service has improved(General Needs

Customers)

1 in 3 4 out of 5customers are

satisfied with the SARH repairs

and maintenance service

of emergency repairs completed

within 24 hours

100%of repairs

completed right first time

95%SARH homes with gas central heating have

a valid CP12 Gas Certificate

100%

(on target to deliver 600 new homes by 2021)

32 employees

Creating Great Places to Live, Work and Grow 5

SARH Needs You!

Customer BoardCustomers work together to scrutinise and influence the SARH services they receive and gain valuable skills and experience.

Digital Readers PanelSARH is currently looking for new SARH Customers to join its Digital Readers Panel. Could you help ensure our website, leaflets and publications are useful and can be easily understood by customers?

Customer InspectorsThe Customer Inspectors are trained to inspect the way SARH works and how services are delivered to customers using surveys and conducting mystery shopping exercises. They make recommendations for improvement.

The AllianceThe Alliance brings together customer groups from SARH Independent Living Schemes. Their aim is to promote a healthy, independent and active social life for older customers.

Can you help SARH improve services?

What we will improve Communication Your Voice - We Want You!

Our Key Improvement Goal should be to continue to improve customer service and communication.

SARH has introduced even more ways for customers to get in touch, including:

Continue to expand the SARH two way text service to keep customers more informed.

YouSaid

WeDid

WeWill

(Source: 2017 Customer Survey)

For further information, visit our website: www.sarh.co.uk

Making EveryContact Count • Online chat facility

• Two way text service

• Online Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Visit www.sarh.co.uk for further information.

Making EveryContact Count

We are currently seeking new members for the Customer Board, Customer Inspectors and Digital Readers Panel.

If you are interested in finding out more please visit: www.sarh.co.uk or call 0800 111 4554

How your £1 was spent by SARH

6 Your Voice Matters 2016-17

Management and Services (29p)

Maintenance and Repairs (23p)

Bad Debt (1p)

Depreciation (27p)

Interest payable on loans (17p)

Non-social housing (garages and shops) (3p)

0 days rent loss - new build homes are let before completion

2016-17

££ £

££

£

£

£

££

£

£

£

£

Value for Money

General Needs Customers

86%

Independent Living Customers

90%

...agree that the rent charged represents good value for money

14 0

RENTTurnover£32m

£

1.35%rent arrears

75%of void properties are re-let within

14 days

£

£

(Source: 2017 Customer Survey)

How your £1 was spent by SARH

Creating Great Places to Live, Work and Grow 7

General Needs:

Bedsit 1 Bed 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed

You First Independent Living:

SARH Customer Services answered 68,731 calls from customers(*more customers now prefer to

contact SARH online)

68,731*

82.32% of calls were resolved at first point of contact

Did you know 1765 customers pay by

Direct Debit?

Average Weekly Rents 2016-17 Making Every Contact Count

SARH Customer Services Team respond quickly and efficiently to your calls, emails, text messages and online chat.

More than 90,000 people visited the SARH website in the last 12 months to find an answer to their

question

61.66% of visitors used

their smartphone to visit the site

For further information, visit our website: www.sarh.co.uk/faq

£62.

62

£70.

07

£79.

04

£88.

25

£96.

09

Bedsit 1 Bed 2 Bed

£67.

77

£72.

49

£80.

54

£

££

£

79,748last year

82.32%

We're here to help

Making EveryContact Count

£

£

£

£

£

You First - Helping you live independently for longer

316 events were held

for customers

72 SARH customer information

sessions held at Independent Living Schemes per month

8 Your Voice Matters 2016-17

SARH customers have been supported by SARH Money Advice Team to secure

£743,000 in previously unclaimed benefits and help to reduce debt

98% of customers are satisfied with the support they receive

You First Wellbeing

SARH You First Wellbeing Service provides help for those who need some extra support in their own home; from day to day tasks such as shopping and paperwork to accessing care services and practical assistance when returning home from hospital and residential care.

For further information, visit our website: www.sarh.co.uk/wellbeing

You First Independent Living

SARH Independent Living offers a wide range of self-contained apartments and bungalows that have been specially designed to help customers over 55 or with medical needs live independently for longer.

"I am so far away from my brother and there are no other

relatives. I have every confidence in the Wellbeing Co-ordinators

and feel your department is providing an excellent service.”

Customer's family

££

£

£

98%

150 hospital admissions prevented

150

Making EveryContact Count

“They were marvellous when it came to helping me apply for

several mobility aids.” You First Independent

Living Customer

8,647 elderly and vulnerable customers were supported by our Award winning You First Telecare home safety and personal security system

98% of calls were answered

within 60 seconds

100% of basic Telecare installations were

completed within 14 days of first contact

100% of enhanced Telecare Referrals and assessments, where customers have complex and urgent needs, were completed within 48 hours

Creating Great Places to Live, Work and Grow 9

Telecare calls answered

For further information, visit our website: www.sarh.co.uk/telecare

You First TelecareGrowing Health

A joint allotments project between SARH and Stafford Borough Council, ‘Growing Health’ has gone from strength to strength.

Number of participants that have made healthier dietary

and shopping choices

Number of participants that feel closer to neighbours

and local community

Number of participants that have seen an improvement

in general wellbeing

Yes (91%)

No (9%)

Yes (91%)

No (9%)

Yes (100%)

No (0%)

144,246

98%

100% agreed that their general health, wellbeing

and physical activity levels improved

Your health and wellbeing

Making EveryContact Count

FORSALE

Creating 'More' Great Places to Live, Work and Grow

10 Your Voice Matters 2016-17

SARH received over 540 enquiries about Shared Ownership in 2016/17

49 shared ownership properties were sold

In 2017-18 SARH will make available 22 shared ownership homes

The SARH affordable warmth programme has contributed

during the year to SARH increasing its overall Standard

Assessment Procedure* (SAP) rating of 71.64

Shared Ownership

Shared Ownership gives people the opportunity to buy a share of a brand new home (25% to 75% of the home’s value) and pay rent on the remaining share. The rent you pay to SARH on the share of the property you don’t own is subsidised.

For further information, visit our website: www.sarh.co.uk/sharedownership

Building more new affordable homes

Making your home more affordable to heat!

Build Homes

Growth

Build new homes to meet a growing

local demand

Invest in and maintain existing

SARH stock

Trade to generate profit and add value

SOLD

Making EveryContact Count

(*change in method of calculation)

Creating Great Places to Live, Work and Grow 11

SARH has built 290 and started to develop a further 155 new affordable homes for rent

and Shared Ownership

Developments in towns and villages

27 new high quality affordable homes were built in rural villages, helping local people to

remain in the areas they grew up in

For further information, visit our website: www.sarh.co.uk/careers

Providing opportunities for local people

Mentoring scheme continues success

2 Construction Operatives. A pre-apprenticeship initiative that combines hands-on work experience with life-skills training.

15 Stafford school pupils, college and university students with work experience opportunities.

3 Business Admin Apprentices have been supported through a wide range of interesting work, mentoring, and Learning Academy sessions.

3 Apprentices have secured fixed-term or permanent roles within SARH.

26 SARH staff currently undertaking a fully funded NVQ or BTEC qualification in partnership with Sutton Coldfield College.

643 Training days delivered (Average 3.5 days per employee.)

16 Learning Leaders trained from SARH staff.

SARH: A BEST employer

Making EveryContact Count

Bethe best you

can be

Investing in better homes

12 Your Voice Matters 2016-17

Generated profit equivalent to building 25 new affordable homes

Reinvested in the local economy to generate growth, a total of £2.6m in

just 5 years. (£975K in 2016-17)

Developed long term and sustainable business

partnership arrangements

Invested in skills development and local employment opportunities for over

50 people and 42 local contractors

87% of HW contractors in 2016 live in Staffordshire

Housing Worx

Housing Worx (HW) carries out a wide range of high quality home improvement and maintenance works to 6,000 homes on behalf of SARH.

Established in 2012, customers benefit from greater choice and an improved service and SARH saves money on previous arrangements with surplus cash being invested back into affordable housing.

££

£

52 new roofs completed

improving the energy efficiency of homes

54 Aids and

Adaptations

Creating Great Places to Live, Work and Grow 13

20 major repairs carried

out to empty homes to be re-let

234 new kitchens

installed

186 new bathrooms

installed

160homes have been

rewired

1024 homes had electrical

testing carried out46 Heating Upgrades

Saving customers money

For further information, visit our website: www.sarh.co.uk

In 2016-17 Housing Worx delivered...

Delivering more

Making EveryContact Count

More For Your Money

14 Your Voice Matters 2016-17

£102k savedthrough re-procurement of 9

contracts for services.

22 different training courses delivered by SARH staff saving approx. £11k

Average rent loss on void properties reduced from £531 per void in 2015/16 to £286 per void in 2016/17

A text service for customers has reduced the number of letters requested. Every time SARH sends a text message to all SARH customers, rather than a letter, SARH saves approx. £25k

Headlines

SARH meets Value for Money Standards and is rigorously tested by its internal auditors, who found that SARH has significant strength and stability.

The full SARH Value for Money Statement is available to read online at www.sarh.co.uk and demonstrates how we are performing in the following areas:

• Effective use of resources

• Maximising the return on assets

• Performance management and scrutiny

• Understanding service costs and outcome

Money saved!

£102k

VFM

SARH has introduced a digital first approach to delivering customer services called ‘Making Every Contact Count’.

Year 1 projects have now been implemented and year 2 projects are at planning stage.

Year 1 projects include:

• New SARH website

• Text service

• Online chat facility

• Paperless document management system for staff

• Mobile working app for customer facing staff

• SARH will report on the savings made from the ‘Making Every Contact Count’ approach in the 2018-19 Annual Review for Customers

Creating Great Places to Live, Work and Grow 15

Complaints and Compliments

Look forward Your Voice Matters

15 at Stage 1, 2 at Stage 2

complaint from the previous financial year was referred

to the Housing Ombudsman however this was ruled in our

favour

“Many thanks for all your help these last few years when Mum has been experiencing her falls. Your staff were always calm and efficient and the lifeline alarms

have done their job. Many thanks for your invaluable service.”

“Thank you for all your help making my recent move as stress free as

possible. My flat is lovely and I know I am going to

be very happy there.”

“I wanted to say how polite and courteous the plumber was who

attended to unblock the drain. He was a lovely

man.”

“I called in to say thank you for the way Debbie dealt with my call this morning. She was wonderful and the electrician has now

attended.”

complimentsreceived!145

145complaintsreceived

128resolved at Stage 0

(resolved immediately)

1Making EveryContact Count

Contact us

For all enquiries:

Visit our website www.sarh.co.ukEmail housing@sarh.co.ukTelephone 0800 111 4554

We are located at:Stafford and Rural Homes,The Rurals, 1 Parker Court,Staffordshire Technology Park,Beaconside, StaffordST18 0WP

Stafford and Rural Homes Limited. Registered Company No. 5452678Designed and printed by Imagaprint, Stafford. Tel: 01785 243303. Information correct at time of print.