Annual Report 2017 / 2018

Transcription

1 Annual Report 2017 / 2018

2 CONTENTS OBJECTIVES AND VALUES 3 CHAIRPERSON S STATEMENT 4 DEVELOPMENT AND REINVESTMENT 6 COMMUNITY INVESTMENT AND ENGAGEMENT 8 SOCIAL HOUSING PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 10 PROCUREMENT ACTIVITY 12 CONTACT DETAILS 14 Icon key Links to website OBJECTIVES The objectives of Sanctuary Scotland are to: provide good quality, affordable housing for both rent and for sale to those least able to compete in other sectors of the housing market. provide housing and associated services for those with more specific housing requirements, such as the elderly and those with long-term disabilities. provide value-for-money services and advice to individuals and organisations working to provide social housing. ensure that any investment made by Sanctuary Scotland provides sustainable benefits for local communities. VALUES In pursuing these objectives, Sanctuary Scotland works to Sanctuary Group s values detailed below: sustainability We continue to build a sustainable business model for our people and our customers. We deliver services ourselves wherever possible. quality We focus on delivering positive outcomes for our customers. We have high standards; providing efficient and effective services. OUR values our mission To remain a market leader in the provision of high quality housing, nursing and residential care, and community services. integrity AMBITION diversity We act with honesty and integrity in all that we do. We ll do the right thing, even if it s not the easy thing. We invest in and care for our people and communities. We seek opportunities to grow our business. We respect and value the diversity of our people. We are committed to fair access to services for all of our customers. Objectives and Values 2 3

3 2017/2018 was an eventful and challenging year for Sanctuary Scotland. The review of our operating model following the merger in August 2016 was a necessary step to ensure that our services effectively meet tenants needs. By making use of the Group s wider resources our operations are now leaner, more agile and better able to adapt to future developments in housing management. For instance, housing officers are now able to dedicate more of their time to getting out and meeting tenants in their homes. This change has partly been enabled by the allocation of electronic tablets to housing officers, allowing them to access customer information in real-time. suits them. Before 1 April 2018 our housing management function was only contactable on weekdays during office hours. Busy customers can now phone at any time to make daytime appointments with their housing officer or local welfare rights officer. As Chairperson I thank each and every staff member for their hard work during 2017/2018 to help make all of this possible. The Board of Management and I wish those who have moved on from Sanctuary Scotland all the very best for the future. Our housing teams are based in offices in Aberdeen, Cumbernauld, Dundee and Glasgow. The Peterhead office closed on 30 March but staff continue to be based in Aberdeenshire. The Peterhead office will be converted and made available for social rent. Administrative duties are now managed by Sanctuary s Customer Service Centre, a 24-hour resource which gives tenants the opportunity to contact us at a time that Sanctuary Scotland s new build programme continued apace in 2017/2018. From Aberdeen, to Cumbernauld, to Glasgow, to Renfrew, Sanctuary completed hundreds of high quality properties in partnership with local authorities and the Scottish Government. We play an active part in helping the Scottish Government meet its affordable housing target and will continue to do so. It s not all about new homes. More than 5 million was spent improving our existing properties, a significant investment designed to ensure we meet the legislative requirements for energy-efficiency standards and the quality criteria set out by the Scottish Government. During 2018/2019 we have committed to spend a further 4.72 million on reinvestment. These works enhance our homes and make our tenants lives better. We were delighted to have two Scottish Government ministers visit Sanctuary sites to see what we do at first-hand. Housing Minister Kevin Stewart was impressed by the 6 million seven-storey superstructure, Scotland s tallest timber building, Sanctuary built in Yoker, Glasgow. This innovative development s 42 flats demonstrate the potential of CrossLaminated Timber for affordable homes. Finance Minister Derek Mackay visited Edgar Crescent in Renfrew, meeting a family delighted with their new Sanctuary home. He also met the apprentices who helped create it. The promotion of employment and training is important to us and a requirement of the contractors we appoint. 4 On a personal note I would like to thank Director Pat Cahill, the rest of the Board of Management, our colleagues on our area committees and all Sanctuary staff in Scotland and in England who have contributed so much in the last 12 months. Professor Kenneth Gibb Chairperson 5 Chairperson s Statement CHAIRPERSON S STATEMENT

4 Sanctuary continues to invest heavily in Scotland s affordable housing stock. 2017/2018 saw many Sanctuary projects near completion including our 10-year 60 million regeneration of Anderston in central Glasgow. By working in partnership with the Scottish Government and the country s local authorities we have created hundreds more homes. Our reputation for quality and cost-effectiveness keeps Sanctuary at the forefront of affordable development in Scotland. affordable housing stock in Renfrewshire. Seventy-seven homes for social rent were handed over to tenants in Andrew Avenue and Edgar Crescent, Renfrew, thanks to a 6.1 million Scottish Government grant. Elsewhere in Renfrewshire we began building work on the old home of St Mirren Football Club, where we are creating 132 affordable houses in Love Street, Paisley. The 17 million project in partnership with Renfrewshire Council and the Scottish Government is due for completion in August Twenty-nine of the homes are available for affordable sale. The remaining 103 will be rented out to local families. Four former St Mirren stars, including club Chief Executive Tony Fitzpatrick, will have new streets named in their honour. Kevin Stewart MSP was one of two Scottish Government ministers to visit our projects during 2017/2018. Mr Stewart took a look at our development in Ellerslie Road, Glasgow, now Scotland s tallest timber building. A material called Cross-Laminated Timber was used for the seven-storey superstructure which sits just yards from the River Clyde. A sustainable alternative to steel and concrete, Cross-Laminated Timber has environmental benefits and offers greater flexibility during construction. Sanctuary Scotland manages the building s 42 flats, all available for mid-market rent. In Glasgow, the final homes in our 60 million regeneration of Anderston have now been handed over to tenants. The last of the 119 flats available for mid-market rent were completed in March, with the 87 flats for social rent fully occupied at the start of May. The full regeneration created 540 affordable homes immeasurably better than the 1960 s blocks they replaced. During 2017/2018 Sanctuary invested more than 5 million improving 3,035 homes across Scotland. This included: 1 01 replacement windows in Aberdeen; 7 7 new kitchens in Aberdeen and Cumbernauld; 3 replacement bathrooms in Cumbernauld; and i mproving the energy-efficiency of 2,212 properties Scotland-wide. Our investment in Cumbernauld s affordable housing stock remains significant. Sanctuary s 75 million regeneration of the town s highrise blocks continues, with completions at Allanfauld Road and Hume Road adding 135 high quality new homes. More flats are under construction in Berryhill Road and Hume Road s second phase, with both sites due to be completed in We continue to consider other development opportunities in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council. We also made a range of other improvements including fire safety, medical adaptations, cyclical decoration and other forms of upgrade work. During 2018/2019 we have committed to invest 4.72 million improving Sanctuary s housing stock across Scotland. This capital reinvestment activity will help us: Sanctuary s first Inverclyde homes are now under construction, with 104 properties being built across four sites in Greenock and Port Glasgow for completion in We also recently completed 124 mid-market rent flats in Torry, Aberdeen, primarily for the city s key workers. m eet the legislative requirements for energyefficiency standards in homes for social rent; and m eet the criteria set out in the Scottish Housing Quality Standards, the Scottish Government s principal measure of housing quality in Scotland. Scotland s Finance Minister Derek Mackay MSP visited the first homes built in Sanctuary s planned 50 million investment in new 6 7 Development and reinvestment DEVELOPMENT AND REINVESTMENT

5 Sanctuary Scotland s support of groups and individuals makes life better for many. During 2017/2018 our contribution helped to enhance several projects and created many work and training opportunities. We commit our contractors to create employment and training opportunities on all Sanctuary projects. Dozens of apprentices honed their skills during 2017/2018 on developments in Aberdeen, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. Joiners Scott Nelson and Moiz Baig are among Ashleigh Building s apprentices at our Station Road site in Renfrew. Scott and Moiz are helping us create 60 homes for social rent for completion before the end of North East charity Somebody Cares benefited from a day s volunteering by our Director Pat Cahill and Income Adviser Susan Alexander. Pat and Susan helped the charity sort donations so they could be passed to people who need them. Somebody Cares provides free food, furniture, clothing and more in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Elsewhere, our senior management team marked National Volunteering Week by joining a community clean up near our office in Glasgow. Eight members of staff also made up food parcels at Community Food Initiatives North East for local tenants. Our development programme has sparked benefits welcomed by the local community. In Glasgow three cloned hippos saved from extinction were returned to Anderston as part of our 60 million area regeneration. The original concrete hippos were hugely popular with residents, many of whom remember their installation in the 1960s, but their condition meant they could not be restored. We instead had moulds of the original hippos created so exact replicas could be returned to the site. After more than half a century of the hippos having no formal names, local primary school pupils have named the dad Rocky, the mum Kiboko and the baby Alexanderston. Sanctuary Scotland s three business and administration apprentices are making important contributions in Aberdeen, Cumbernauld and Glasgow. Jordyn Cowie, Megan Caine and Stuart Langan all earn while they learn as valuable members of our housing management teams. 8 In Aberdeen, on the site of the city s former HMP Craiginches, a communal garden inspired by the historic prison s past neighbours 124 new Sanctuary homes. Architecture student Lina Khairy s Break Free design topped a public poll of Torry residents, narrowly beating the creative efforts of two of her course mates. Our welfare rights advice service continues to protect and enhance the financial position of hundreds of Sanctuary Scotland residents. A welfare rights officer will soon be based in our Aberdeen office to serve those living in the North East. This staff member replaces the services of the SMART Money Advice Project and will see area residents receive the same attention as those in the rest of the country. This post is a benefit of the merger. We teamed up with local volunteers and the United Reformed Church to help establish and run a community breakfast club in Peat Road, Glasgow. The weekly club provides a safe and comfortable social setting for local people to eat and meet new people. We are one of five housing providers to support the HOPE project in Dundee, a free service for city residents aged 55-plus who rent or own their own home. Dawn Balfour gives tenants advice on a range of issues. Local groups and activities are signposted to stop anyone feeling isolated. 9 Community investment and engagement COMMUNITY INVESTMENT AND ENGAGEMENT

6 SOCIAL HOUSING PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Housing stock (self contained) Total available for letting 6,389 6,178 Not available for letting Total stock 6,609 6,475 Our unavailable properties are largely high rise blocks in Cumbernauld which are awaiting demolition. Allocations and voids Number of relets Average number of days to relet Residential rent lost through voids % We have reduced the number of days it takes to relet our properties when they become void. Rent arrears Current tenant rent arrears % Current tenant rent arrears 1,617,507 1,737,256 Former tenant rent arrears % Former tenant rent arrears 100, ,811 Rent arrears have reduced. Our housing teams and welfare rights service continue to work very hard to support tenants who are experiencing financial difficulties. Maintenance services Classification of repair Emergency repairs 7,132 6,643 Social housing performance indicators Non-emergency repairs 21,356 19,295 Total 28,488 25,938 Repairs performance Average time to complete emergency repair (hours) Average time to complete non-emergency repair (days) The number of emergency and non-emergency repairs completed this year has increased slightly which reflects the increased property numbers. Performance has dipped slightly

7 PROCUREMENT ACTIVITY This section reports on procurement activity that has taken place since the publication of the Procurement Strategy issued in December 2016, arising from the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act Sanctuary s strategy can be viewed at In terms of regulated procurement, goods and services for the Group as a whole are procured centrally by the Procurement team, in accordance with established Group procedures and Public Contract Regulations that prevail in both England and Scotland. All such Group-wide activity is reported in overall Group reports and the impact of savings and community benefits is summarised in the Group s Social Value Report. An area where procurement occurs in Scotland separately is where Sanctuary carries out development and house building. A summary of this activity is below. All schemes listed on the previous page have been procured in accordance with Group procedures and Public Contract Regulations (Scotland) 2015, and consequently the principles contained in the Strategy. In terms of sustainability and social value benefits gained, these are summarised by the following examples: Summary of activity 2017/2018 The following schemes have been awarded in the period January 2017 to April 2018: Contractors Contract amount m Date of contract Number of units Ellerslie Road, Glasgow March Love Street, Paisley May Station Road, Renfrew May Gartcosh, Lochside October Craigbank, Glasgow November Berryhill Road Phase II/Hume Road Phase II, Cumbernauld November Wellmeadow Street, Paisley April Total Craigbank five existing and three new apprentices engaged on the project, one long-term unemployed position filled. Community projects include a defibrillator provided for the new school. Love Street Seven apprentices engaged on the project, one college work placement, and six local jobs created for previously unemployed people. Station Road Four apprentices engaged and one work placement. Please note that given the nature of the procurement undertaken, it has not been possible to consider the restriction of activity to supported services. Future works Due to the nature of development works, it is not always possible to publish an anticipated programme as the certainty of schemes progressing to site is never certain, neither is the advanced knowledge of site opportunities. To this end, Sanctuary will similarly publish a retrospective summary in Procurement activity Consultants Berryhill Road Phase II/Hume Road Phase II, Cumbernauld Berryhill Road Phase II/Hume Road Phase II, Cumbernauld Fee amount m Total 0.45 Appointment date February February 2018 During 2017/2018, Sanctuary has tendered a series of major works and consultancy frameworks to support the Group s development programme. All frameworks include a requirement for all providers to consider how community benefits can be delivered at the point of call off. In terms of main contractor appointments the requirement is more rigid, with a Community Benefits and Skills and Apprenticeships Framework in place for all projects that will be delivered. Contractors were admitted to the framework based on their acceptance of these principles and will be expected to commit to specific deliverables as part of the call off and award process. Grand Total m Goods and services procured by the Group on behalf of our Scottish operation will similarly comply whereby contract and award notices will be published on Public Contracts Scotland and in the Official Journal of the European Union. Again, the outcome of these requirements will be reported in

8 CONTACT DETAILS To get in touch with us by phone please call Registered address Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association Limited Sanctuary House 7 Freeland Drive Glasgow G53 6PG Ardler office 185 Turnberry Avenue Dundee DD2 3WN Aberdeen office 2 Donside Village Square Aberdeen AB24 2PL Cumbernauld office 8th Floor Fleming House 2 Tryst Road Cumbernauld G67 1JW Sanctuary Group Chamber Court Castle Street Worcester WR1 3ZQ Tel: Contact details 14 15

9 If you would like this publication in an alternative format or language, please phone Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association Limited Sanctuary House 7 Freeland Drive Glasgow G53 6PG Tel: Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association Limited Registered office: Sanctuary House, 7 Freeland Drive, Glasgow G53 6PG A Registered Social Landlord - HEP 302 and a property factor registered in Scotland No. PF Registered Society No. 2508RS and a charity registered in Scotland No. SC Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association Limited is a subsidiary of Sanctuary Housing Association, an exempt charity. Published: August 2018