2014 15 Ellesmere Port & Neston Annual Report An Overview...
Welcome to the Ellesmere Port and of 757 new bathrooms, 1,099 kitchens Neston annual report, which shows the and 98.5% of properties were classed as work that was completed from April 2014 above the decent homes standard. through to the end of March 2015 as part of the housing management contract One of our main aims is to help more that Plus Dane manages on behalf of people into employment. In September Cheshire West and Chester Council. 2014 we hosted the Live Local Work Local jobs fair in partnership with Cheshire West It has been another successful year for and Chester Council, which played host Plus Dane in Ellesmere Port and Neston, to a range of local employers offering over which has seen us excel in many of 400 vacancies. The day saw 550 people our targets. You can see details of our attend, 52% of which applied for jobs on performance on page 3. the day.
Almost £14 million was spent as part of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Madeleine Nelson commitment to investing in council owned Executive Director, homes. Plus Dane has delivered these Neighbourhoods. works two years ahead of the original timescale. This has led to the installation We have developed service specific In November 2014 the council announced Finally, I must say a big thank you to Peter improvement plans in partnership with the contract would be extended with Plus Shaw, Director for Ellesmere Port and tenants which will help us achieve our Dane for a further two years until the end Neston, who recently retired. He helped to ambition to provide great services. of June 2017. As we enter the final 18 develop really strong relations with both We have worked with tenants and months of the contract, Plus Dane remains customers and partners and will be greatly customers to improve our grounds committed to improving service delivery. missed by staff and tenants. maintenance services and keeping tenants informed about any planned Following consultation, Cheshire West I hope you find the report useful and if improvements to their home. and Chester agreed to go out to tender you have any questions, please refer to for another housing management contract the back page for ways you can get in Looking into the future we want to explore for its Ellesmere Port and Neston housing touch with us. how we can make our repairs service stock. The current housing management even better and we we’ll be looking at the contract ends July 2017 and there will be things tenants have told us about through no change until that date, so it’s business a recent survey and developing service as usual for Plus Dane. improvement plans.
Annual Report - Ellesmere Port & Neston | Plus Dane 01 Message from the Ellesmere Port and Neston Scrutiny Panel
As the Chair of Ellesmere Port and Neston Scrutiny Panel, I would like to welcome There have been 14 you to the third edition of Ellesmere Port environmental projects and Neston’s annual report. submitted and approved As involved tenants and leaseholders by tenants through the we have been busy throughout the Small Scale Improvement year influencing changes to Plus Dane Programme, which supports services to ensure better value for money. the development of This year tenants have carried out service our neighbourhoods. reviews on:
• How complaints are dealt with During the year Plus Dane has been • How the grounds maintenance working on a strategy to encourage more Bob Lucas service is delivered tenant and customer involvement through Chair of Ellesmere Port • Accessibility to our a number of exciting opportunities. and Neston Scrutiny Panel. Civic Way office If you would like to get involved and have • Customer service standards your say on how services are delivered, you can find more information on the website.
02 Plus Dane | Ellesmere Port & Neston - Annual Report Performance
Repairing and Maintaining Homes Target Result
Homes with a valid gas certificate 100% 100%
Customers satisfied with repairs service 93.9% 93.96%
Average time to complete a repair 5.75 Days 5.9 Days
Average number of days to relet 21 12.81
Percentage of new customers 92% 94.05% 93.96% of customers satisfied with their home are satisfied with Percentage of repairs completed 95.2% 99.63% our repairs service correctly first time
Number of homes that have been _ 456 relet this year
Income Collection Target Result
Rent collected 100% 99.63%
Rent Arrears 4.82% 5.06%
Annual Report - Ellesmere Port & Neston | Plus Dane 03 Repairing & Maintaining Homes 161 Homes Reroofed 59 757 Homes Bathrooms Externally Installed Insulated
1,099 Kitchens 143 Installed Homes Rewired 180 Grab Rails/ Minor Aids Installed
04 Plus Dane | Ellesmere Port & Neston - Annual Report 116 Lofts Topped Up and Cavity Wall Insulation Installed 50 1,000 Houses Over-Clad Homes Externally (Improving Insulation Decorated Including & Appearance) Window and Door Replacement
98.7% of tenants were 110 satisfied with investment Major Adaptions work undertaken in (Stair Lifts/ Level Access/ their home. Extensions)
445 Energy Efficient Combi-Boilers Installed
05 Supporting You In Your Home
We set up a service at the start of 2015 We offer help in the following areas: to offer support and advice to the most • Completing forms and dealing vulnerable tenants, helping them to live with correspondence succesfully in their home. • Advice with benefits and debts Plus Dane tenant, Nigel Livesey, We provide advice, based on emotional was offered his own tenancy but • Budgeting and setting up a suitable and practical support to individual needs, had no idea what to do next. bank account whilst still allowing our tenants to live Carmel McCarthy, the Tenancy independently and happily in their home. • Furnishing and decorating Sustainment Officer at Plus Dane, • Advice on education, employment helped Nigel to claim the right and training benefits, find goods and furniture, • Support with neighbour relations and assisted him in understanding and community safety letters and bills. Nigel said:
It was important to have So far we have supported Carmel’s help and support. 75 new tenants to It’s good knowing she live independently. is available at the end of the phone
06 Plus Dane | Ellesmere Port & Neston - Annual Report Improving Neighbourhoods
Small Scale Woodvale Road Improvements Garage Site
This year, Ellesmere Port and Neston residents had access to a Small Scale Improvements fund. These are neighbourhood environmental projects that benefit the local area, such as improving communal gardens, installing £70,000 was spent handrails to pathways and providing grit on neighbourhood bins in communal areas. Before improvements... Anyone with a connection to the area can apply for funding,including tenants, private residents, councillors, Plus Dane staff and emergency services. All applications are then considered by a group of tenants.
There were various projects completed during 2014/15 including Woodvale Road garage site, Hylton Court, Aldgate After footpath and Rother Drive.
Annual Report - Ellesmere Port & Neston | Plus Dane 07 Safer Neighbourhoods We maintain strong links with local agencies and the police which helps us deliver a better service
Plus Dane works to help create safer Whilst legal proceedings of any kind is neighbourhoods and offer support to always a last resort, we will ensure that vulnerable tenants. action is taken that stops poor behaviour.
We take a firm approach in pursuing The Ellesmere Port anti-social behaviour any reports where the behaviour of team work in partnership with the 123 people affects the comfort and safety of police and other organisations to tackle Anti-social communities. We will use whatever legal anti-social behaviour as part of it’s Behaviour Cases powers available to make sure your homes 122 commitment to community safety. Raised Cases and neighbourhoods are safe places to live. Resolved 1 Unresolved Case
08 Plus Dane | Ellesmere Port & Neston - Annual Report Going Digital
We have completely transformed the way we communicate with our Customers can use the customers over the last 12 months website to pay their rent, by enhancing our digital presence. report repairs and find out what is going on in their area www.plusdane.co.uk
The website makes it easier for customers Plus Dane EPN App to talk to us through features such as live chat. Customers can also search by We launched our free app for Ellesmere postcode to find out what’s happening in Port and Neston customers to download, their neighbourhood such as events and with many customers already using it. latest news. The app allows you to engage with us faster and more efficiently, direct from Plus Dane is also available on Facebook your smartphone or tablet. From reporting and Twitter to help our customers keep changes in circumstances to paying your up to date with local events, vacancies, The Plus Dane EPN app is available on iOS rent and reporting repairs, the app is a advice and the latest available properties. and Android for smartphones and tablets. great tool to reach us on. You can even Just search ‘Plus Dane’ on your preferred To download simply search ‘Plus Dane’ in take a picture to help us deal with your Social Media channel. the App Store or Google Play Store. query more efficiently.
Annual Report - Ellesmere Port & Neston | Plus Dane 09 Supporting Vulnerable Customers
As part of our commitment to supporting If a home visit is required, a support vulnerable customers we provide a officer will call daily, weekly or monthly. Pat Danby lives in Little Sutton and support service for older people and This service is flexible and can be tailored is one of our Alarm and Home Visit those with a disability to help them accordingly to meet a person’s needs. clients. One morning she realised she live independently. was unable to get out of bed.
We offer two services: We currently have 750 Fortunately she had her lifeline, which she activated allowing Jan, her • Alarm and Home Visit Support clients using the Alarm and support worker to respond promptly, • Alarm Monitoring Home Visit Service, and 400 access her property and call 999. Pat clients using the Lifeline In both cases an emergency alarm is recovered from the incident, however, monitored 24/7, giving assurance to Only Service. she still suffered from falls and became enable individuals to live independently. increasingly low due to reduced mobility. Jan arranged for Pat to attend Live At Home, an initiative which supports older people who may have become isolated from friends and neighbours due to ill health or mobility issues. As a result Pat now participates in various activities and is accompanied on a weekly shopping trip, which has helped increase her confidence and enjoyment of life.
10 Plus Dane | Ellesmere Port & Neston - Annual Report Ellesmere Port We issued 151 food and Neston Foodbank vouchers, which helped Plus Dane has been an active supporter 184 adults and 67 children. of the Foodbank in Ellesmere Port and Neston since 2012. Plus Dane’s Civic Way office holds From March 2014 to April 2015 we issued emergency food parcels, which means 151 food vouchers, which helped 184 we can help people when the Foodbanks adults and 67 children. We also issued 87 are closed. emergency food parcels which enabled Gemma and Victor - Part of the Money Advice Team 95 adults and 18 children recieve 3 days Those wanting to claim a food voucher supply of food. are offered an appointment with Plus Dane’s Money Advice Team.
Annual Report - Ellesmere Port & Neston | Plus Dane 11 Creating Employment & Enterprise Opportunities
Inspiring Enterprise As a result of the project This project gave young people a the young people involved taste of what is involved in setting up a business. The group heard from a series now feel more confident of successful young entrepreneurs, and informed about the including 11-year old Angel Thomas, possibilities of persuing an who runs Pawabella, a popular online entrepreneurial career dog’s boutique specialising in dog accessories and clothes.
Over the five week period participants Additionally, they have gained new came up with ideas and were given skills friendships, which has allowed them to in creating, pricing, marketing and selling share learning experiences from the project. their product. Their products included birthday cards and keyrings which were sold through ‘Made Here’, a local community interest company.
12 Plus Dane | Ellesmere Port & Neston - Annual Report Live Local Work Local These included Vauxhall, Blue Planet Aquarium, Barclays, MBNA, Asda and Aldi. 400 job and apprenticeship vacancies Customer Feedback were advertised in September 2014 Organisations were on hand to offer when Plus Dane and partners Cheshire information, advice and guidance on I enjoyed meeting securing employment, identifying training West and Chester Council, Allied employers face to face. needs and managing finances. Healthcare and the Ellesmere Port They gave great advice and Development Board played host to showed me how easy major local employers. Over 550 people it is to apply online. attended, 52% of which applied for jobs on the day, Great event. I was surprised with the majority applying by the calibre of employers - for two or more very encouraging!
I had an uplifting day, knowing how the local trade works and how many jobs are out there.
Annual Report - Ellesmere Port & Neston | Plus Dane 13 Involving our customers
Customer Feedback Panel Mystery Shopper Panel Ellesmere Port and Neston Scrutiny Panel During the year we reviewed our We carried out a mystery shopping Complaints Policy, agreeing the new three exercise to review customer accessibility We gave tenants the opportunity to share stage process, asking for certain wording at Plus Dane’s Civic Way office in Ellesmere their views in our annual customer survey. within the policy to be changed and a Port. This included looking at the standard This revealed a general dissatisfaction with leaflet to be developed for tenants of customer service received to measure the ground maintenance service. In response and leaseholders. the quality of the service and to identify any to this a number of changes were agreed improvements that could be made. with Cheshire West and Chester Council and We agreed for the Customer Feedback Plus Dane. These included: Panel to meet on a quarterly basis to A number of changes for customer • the review of the service level agreement review resolved complaints. accessibility were agreed, which included external signage at Plus Dane’s office to • regular weeding in neighbourhoods To help reduce complaints around inform customers of opening times, visible • information available to customers condensation and mould we name badges for reception staff and the on the level of service to expect recommended providing customers with fitting of bi-folding doors to allow easier • arrangement of neighbourhood hints and tips on how to prevent this access for wheelchairs and prams. walkabouts problem. Information on how to prevent Additionally, they attended a number of condensation and damp is available on the We also agreed changes to the standard conferences in London and Manchester, website and in leaflet format which can be of customer service, which included raising meeting other tenants and leaseholders to issued to customers when required. awareness to staff on Customer Service gain new knowledge and skills on how to Standards and ensuring any information carry out reviews. sent to customers include either a letter or compliment slip. Next year the plan is to undertake two reviews and build into this action learning to build skills.
14 Plus Dane | Ellesmere Port & Neston - Annual Report All quotations are taken from feedback we have received from tenants and leaseholders during the year. Satisfying our Customers We had no idea that Plus Dane had such a dedicated team. We were treated with care and consideration. Thank you for being so helpful when you installed my easy access shower. The team were extremely polite and helpful and explained every stage of the process clearly. Thank you to my support worker. My new lifeline pendant wasn’t working; she visited out of hours as my You made an We have been offered carer wasn’t available, and old lady a wonderful bungalow stayed whilst I was treated by very happy. and we hope to spend the paramedics. the rest of our years there.
Annual Report - Ellesmere Port & Neston | Plus Dane 15 Building Better Neighbourhoods
Giants Parade Sutton Way Impact Parklands/Westminster
In May we worked in partnership with In August we organised ‘Get Together on the Family Project Quarriers, an organisation which supports Green’ a day to raise awareness of services We supported a project run by vulnerable young people living in Cheshire. provided by the different organisations Healthbox CIC, a community interest We facilitated group work sessions to create working together in the Sutton Way area. company promoting health and well-being. costumes for the Giant Parade, giving the The event was supported by Cheshire Fire They are passionate about delivering a young people an opportunity to develop and Police Services, Cheshire West Council programme that enables individuals and their confidence, communication skills and Waste Management and Localities Team, families to make long term change. They creative talents whilst having fun. Reviive, Cheshire Furniture Reuse Forum, and ran a four week cookery course, which Plus the Dog and Community Safety Wardens. This Dane tenants attended.The aim of the project In June the young people from Quarriers gave partners an opportunity to build relations was to deliver a six month programme of alongside our staff were involved in the with customers and also provide an insight activities around healthy lifestyles. Giant Parade, where we won 1st prize for into the services they provide. best dressed Giant.
16 Plus Dane | Ellesmere Port & Neston - Annual Report Neston Graffiti Art Neston Ladies Day The Oaks Primary School
In May we supported Greenspace, Cheshire Plus Dane was proud to be one of the In June we worked with Wates Construction, West and Chester Council at a Graffiti sponsors for the 200th anniversary of who were developing the new Ellesmere Art Work event in Stanney Fields Park. Neston Ladies Club Day parade .This Port Sports Village. An interactive assembly We engaged with young people from the historical annual event takes place every was held for the children at Oaks Primary neighbourhood to contribute to the creation year on the first Thursday in June. School to promote site safety and health of murals in the newly built skate park. and wellbeing. Churchill Court residents joined in the day’s The workshop was lead by a proffesional celebrations with a tea party. Residents who The children had an opportunity to dress graffiti artist and partly funded by Plus Dane. attended enjoyed afternoon tea, whilst being up in health and safety gear and hear more Stanney Fields Park is a green flag site and entertained by singer Tony Ravell. about the sports and leisure village and improvements will help extend the facilities its facilities. and future park user experience.
Annual Report - Ellesmere Port & Neston | Plus Dane 17 What Did You Think... To report a repair...
We would love to hear what you think [email protected] about our annual report. You can email 0800 169 2988 your comments to: [email protected] For general enquiries...
To find out more about Plus Dane [email protected] Housing, visit: www.plusdane.co.uk 0151 373 2500 or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. You can also report a repair by downloading our FREE App. Search Plus Dane EPN in the App Store or Google Play.