“Something Is Happening…” Birmingham B11 2AA Telephone: 0845 130 6110 Fax: 0845 130 6220

Central Services Subsidiaries and Offices: 178 Birmingham Road Accord Housing Association Limited Birmingham Co-operative West Bromwich 37 King Street Housing Services Limited WestMidlands Darlaston Fairgate House B70 6QG West Midlands 205 Kings Road Telephone: 0121 500 2300 WS10 8DD Tyseley Fax: 0121 500 2300 Telephone: 0121 568 3900 Birmingham Email: [email protected] Fax: 0121 568 6231 B11 2AA website: www.accordha.org.uk Telephone: 0121 764 3807 Ashram/Accord Offices Fax: 0121 764 3838 4 Longford Road Coventry Redditch Co-operative Homes Limited CV6 7AN Britten House Telephone: 02476 667314 Britten Street Fax: 02476 663389 Redditch B97 6HD Ashram Housing Association Limited Telephone: 01527 591170 Fairgate House Fax: 01527 592941 205 Kings Road Tyseley “Something is happening…” Birmingham B11 2AA Telephone: 0845 130 6110 Fax: 0845 130 6220 Annual Report 2007 contents Introduction . .1 “Something is happening…” Development . 2 Housing and Residents . .4 Care and Support . .6 Over the last twelve months Each element of the Accord Group continues to grow and Co-operatives . 8 at Accord we have been re- move from strength to strength but as a group we work Neighbourhoods . .10 designing and re-shaping the together to provide quality and choice in all areas of our way in which we do things. business. Staff add to these skills and use this enhanced Communities . 12 Rising to face new challenges knowledge to improve the services provided. we have been working at Environment . 14 In this report you will see examples of some of the things fresh and innovative ways to that are happening at Accord and how we are changing the Partnerships . .16 meet them. face of our business – from our Carbon footprint calculations Partnerships and partnership and trailblazing Eco Homes to Engaging with Muslim Facts and Fugures . 18 working are a key element Communities. We recognise that there is much still to be of how we do things. A done – and we remain committed to delivering the best . good example of this is our partnership with Norwegian Cooperative, Hedalm Anebyhus to provide more affordable Barry Picken homes for Redditch. We have strengthened and extended Chair our work enabling us to provide even better quality housing and services for residents and tenants. New services have been extended to a wider range of customers increasing our activity regionally. Our new developments have been created to have a smaller impact on our environment. accord annual report 2007/8 development Artist’s As a member of the Matrix Housing Impression, Partnership, Accord has completed a Daimler Green Sneyd Lane, Walsall. series of exciting new projects over the last 12 months. The development At the start of the team continues to grow with an year Ashram Housing increasing number of new housing Association saw the projects underway. opening of its new affordable homes at the WedZed In April, the Matrix Housing regenerated Daimler factory Wednesfield, Partnership announced two site in Coventry. As well as offering Wolverhampton is the development deals worth £30million homes on a part buy/ part rent basis there site for the next Eco- to regenerate two Brownfield sites and are also 5 wheelchair adapted bungalows. Working with Coventry homes project known as develop 200 new affordable homes in City Council Ashram has worked to provide much needed adapted WedZed. Designed by Bill West Bromwich and Sneyd Lane, Walsall. housing in this area. The bungalows were officially opened by Ade Dunster’s Zed Factory, the Adepitan MBE in February. new development will contain Neptune Park 74 units made up of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom properties. Each property Image courtesy of Over 130 units make Neptune Park one of the largest Shannon’s View will have a balcony or a sunspace Zedfactory. developments to be completed by Matrix. The site in Tipton is Matrix Housing Partnership has worked with Gould Estates conservatory and will include similar split into three developments and provides a mixture and St Modwen Properties to create Shannon’s View, a new features to Francis Court, such as a Sedum of housing for rent, outright sale and development of 41 apartments for sale and rent in roof and wind cowls, new features will include solar shared ownership. Incorporated in the regenerated St Matthew’s Quarter of Walsall panels. the site is a development of Town centre. Twenty six of the 41 apartments The development aspires to achieve sustainability level 5, the homes for those aged 55 and are offered on a shared ownership basis over, which includes many highest level attainable, for its use of modern methods of to attract more first time buyers. The construction and sustainable resources. Extra Care facilities development includes retail units such as assisted as well as a brand new ASDA bathrooms enabling supermarket. Sales and Marketing people to remain in their own The Matrix sales and marketing team are responsible for the sale home as they of an increasing number of affordable homes across the region. become older. Current developments for sale include: Purlin Wharf, Netherton, Daimler Square, Coventry, Greenlands Drive, Redditch, Squire’s Lock, Willenhall and Neptune Park, Tipton. 2 3 housing and residents the day the Young Citizen of We are committed to improving the lives of our residents by offering them the Year Award was handed opportunities to get involved and have a say on how we do things. We have made out to Mohammed Adnan, significant changes to enable us to offer a better service to the wider community. who during the summer, worked to keep the area where he lives clean and tidy. Doing Things Differently Forging Futures Status Survey results The old regional structure of the housing services team has The Matrix Housing Partnership has been replaced with a new functional way of working with the recently produced a publication outlining In one of the largest surveys of its emphasis on resident and community engagement, continuous the future of the Housing Sector, kind ever undertaken in the Midlands, improvement and more cohesive and corporate working. The new consumers and communities. The tenants have had their ‘say’ in how Accord structure comprises of three new teams: publication looks at real areas of is managing housing and providing services to deprived communities. Interviews with tenants in Assets (Including maintenance and repairs) concern, including environmental issues, sustainable communities, Birmingham and the Black Country showed that Neighbourhoods (Lettings, communities, income and housing nearly nine out of ten are satisfied with their support) empowering tenants and reducing inequality between homes and neighbourhoods and nearly eight Performance & Quality (Including sales and ownership and out of ten with services that are provided to HomeClub) tenures. The manifesto includes a foreword by the Home them. Secretary Jacqui Smith, MP and Many tenants highlighted crime and Equality and Diversity Update incorporates research and articles community safety, lack of facilities for disabled produced by members of the During the last year we made many changes to our Equal people and better educational, training and partnership. The publication was Opportunities and Diversity policy. Our achievements across recreational facilities as key community issues. officially launched by Matt Leach the Equality and Diversity arena were celebrated and awareness One quarter wished they lived in neighbourhoods of the Housing Corporation at the raised of work still to do across the group. Theme groups have where people ‘cared more’ and almost one fifth wanted Chartered Institute of Housing Conference been changed to make them smaller and work smarter. The new more mixing of ethnic groups. Greater financial security at Harrogate during June 2007. groups are: was also a concern with one in ten wishing there was better access to affordable community credit. Services for all Procurement Big Do Human Resources In December 2006 Ashram held its second annual Big Do Resident Engagement Officer Theme groups aim to focus on individual issues and devise their tenants day in Birmingham with many tenants attending to Accord wants its residents to be at the heart of everything it own SMART action plans to ensure each area is targeted. express their views on Ashram’s service provision. Following does and has created the post of Resident Engagement Officer to changes from last year’s event a new crèche was created encourage more residents to have their say. Training and support and many new activities were introduced including a DJ, is provided as needed for a variety of activities for residents competitions and a ‘Pop Idol’ style competition. At the end of including resident representatives and mystery shoppers. 4 5 Health and Social Care DVD Healthy Eating Award care and support Accord and Ashram Housing Associations worked in partnership with Earlier this year, Cartlidge House in Telford was presented with a Education Business Links Solihull to produce a Health and Social platinum Shropshire Healthy Eating Award for its menus and healthy Care teaching DVD. The DVD focuses on good care practices; food options. Cartlidge House was praised for promotion of healthy including care values and health issues and will be used by food choices and varied menu, as well as high standards of food The care and support team at Accord continue to provide an innovative and teachers as an additional teaching resource in the delivery hygiene. unique service, giving people greater a choice and more opportunities to of the Health and Social Care Curriculum. The DVD will also explore new experiences. provide an insight into the world of Social Care, encouraging more young people to view social care as a potential career. Fallings Heath interactive review Ellen court New Staffordshire Scheme Fallings Heath, a residential scheme for adults with learning A year after Accord won a difficulties, has established an interactive review process, in tender to run Ellen Court Accord has won a three-year contract to run a new partnership with Walsall Learning Disabilities team.

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