Central Services Subsidiaries and Offices:

178 Road Accord Housing Association Limited Birmingham Co-operative 37 King Street Housing Services Limited WestMidlands Fairgate House B70 6QG 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 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, . 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 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, 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. The interactive in Telford, residents at the retirement housing scheme in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent. computer programme helps service users set their own targets and care home are getting out and The scheme will include a restaurant, gym, bar and goals as part of their support plans. They also use the programme to about exploring new places and Healthy Living Centre and will cater for people review their social needs using pictures and audio. experiences. The residents are making with a range of needs, from the fit and active to use of their recreation budget to organise those who need additional support. Accord theatre trips, holidays and days out to places will manage the scheme, once complete, on Furlong House opening they have not had the opportunity to experience before. behalf of Staffordshire Housing In May, the Chair of the Housing Corporation Peter Dixon officially Association. opened Furlong House in Bloxwich, Walsall; a new state of the art very sheltered housing development for older adults. Residents at Moxley Court Bungalows the development of 51 one and two bedroom apartments have In 2003 Moxley Court became part of the Care and Support portfolio. access to a range of facilities including communal lounges, an IT suite, After a programme of upgrades the scheme is now an ‘Extra Care’ restaurant, a shop, a guest room, scheme. New features include an assisted bathroom, catering laundry, Jacuzzi and a gym as provision and a conservatory while communal areas were completely well as around the clock re-decoratated. As part of the upgrade, 8 two-bedroom wheelchair access to care staff. accessible bungalows have been built as and are linked via a walkway. The scheme offers residents a wide range of activities including extend exercise classes, arts and craft sessions, games and video evenings, pub lunches and bingo.

Millbrook Day centre The Millbrook Day Centre in Telford provides day care for people suffering from Alzheimer’s or Dementia. People attending the centre can take part in activities and classes. The centre recently started running a popular evening restaurant for people suffering with Dementia and their partners. The restaurant is relaxed and informal and allows everyone to experience eating out without the pressure of 6 a formal restaurant setting. 7 co-operatives

Co-operative and community housing models allow tenants to have a say in their future. The government is keen to see more of these as a viable option to creating more harmonious communities, particularly in hard to reach areas. bchs and Redditch Co-operative Homes have been supporting growing numbers of co-operatives successfully for some time.

Bchs Re-brand bchs is also now working Redditch cooperative Homes with tenants and officers Birmingham Co-operative Housing Services has been active in the In the last year Redditch Co-operative Homes added in Rhondda Cynon West Midlands for the last 30 years. It is well known in the region yet more properties to its growing portfolio and Taf developing their for its work supporting co-operative and resident controlled provided over 200 new homes to over 1000 people empowerment strategy housing and regeneration solutions. Over the last few years its in the town. The completion of Sillins Avenue and for the first Community activities have spread further a field to include the Preston and Farm Road brings increased membership to the Mutual transfer (the Welsh Watford Gateway projects. In order to bring the bchs brand up Breedon Co-operative. The housing co-op, also known equivalent of Community to date and enable it to compete on a national stage, it was as the largest new build co-operative in the country, Gateway) for RCT Homes. decided to re-design the logo and produce a has moved into new premises in the town following new house style. The new strap-line of an increase in demand for their ‘Co-operative Housing, Community Starley AGM trip and services and support. With Regeneration’ also better reflects Gardening more homes planned for its core work. the future the growth is Starley Co-operative in Coventry set to continue. played host to visitors from the Accord Bchs, Watford Gateway Annual General Meeting last year. Visitors and Rhondda Project were driven from the meeting in an old Bedford coach and were treated to a tour of the 30 year Following on from the old co-operative before having a tour of the new development of the Preston development. Community Gateway, bchs has continued to build on its success More recently old and new Starley residents by working with tenants and officers came together to brighten up their surroundings at Watford Borough Council on the with support from bchs and Accord. With plants, development of their Community Gateway. This led to a positive seeds and advice donated from a local garden ballot and over a third of their 4,500 tenants signing up as centre, residents young and old helped to create a members of Watford Community Housing Trust before transfer. colourful courtyard.

8 9 neighbourhoods

The Accord Group is renowned for its work with neighbourhoods and renewal projects such as the Neighbourhood Wardens and the Neighbourhood Resource Centre for Central England.

Walsall Wardens win Team of the Year Rubery Owen re-fit Walsall Neighbourhood Wardens were selected as the Team of the The historic Rubery Owen Building in Year at the National Warden Achievement Awards in October 2006. Darlaston is re-opening as a business and The wardens’ team were one of three Warden Teams in the country social enterprise centre after a £750,000 to be nominated for the award after a turbulent year which saw the renovation programme. team face closure due to budget cuts. The Wardens have continued to The project now known as ‘Innovation Works work hard to engage with the local community and provide help and @ Rubery Owen’ has transformed the former support where needed. factory space into 28 flexible offices with manned reception, full security systems with communal kitchen and staff room. Falls Wardens The building has received funding from various agencies for the project with the final phase being funded by Advantage West Midlands. During the last 12 months two Walsall Neighbourhood wardens have joined a new scheme known as the Falls Prevention project. The project aims to reduce the number of falls by older people at home through Neighbourhood Resource Centre assist the Wardens with vital information support and education, helping people The West Midlands Wardens & Neighbourhood Resource Centre about incidents of ASB, crime fly tipping etc, make changes to reduce their has become the “Neighbourhood Resource Centre for Central in the area, and who also receive support and risk of injury. Promotional England.” The change has taken place primarily because the Resource assistance from the wardens’ team. events such as slipper Centre now covers a larger remit than before, making it Midlands wide. exchanges and The new name reflects the scope and geographical area that it will home assessments cover when providing its core services. are proving to Neighbourhood Support worker be extremely Ashram in partnership with Focus, part of Midland popular with Margaret Allen back to the floor Heart and FCH, officially launched a Neighbourhood local residents. Support Worker for Bordesley Leisure Gardens. During December 2006 the Walsall Neighbourhood Wardens were joined by the Field Director of the Housing Corporation in a back The launch follows extensive consultation with local to the floor exercise. Margaret Allen spent a wet and dismal day on residents about what they considered to be priority issues patrol with the wardens, to learn more about the excellent service for the estate. The support worker works with local residents Falls Prevention and assistance that Walsall Neighbourhood Wardens provide to the to ensure that problems of fly tipping, litter; graffiti etc are Wardens community. Margaret met with local residents and shop-keepers who eradicated as far as possible. 10 11 communities

Accord is a key stakeholder in the local communities that it serves and as part of our investment in communities we are keen to increase our support to locally based community ventures, voluntary agencies, charities, schools etc, all of which help to underpin the well-being of a community.

Ashram CIH Homelessness award Disco Divas Volunteering in Ashram’s innovative homeless prevention project was awarded A major campaign to raise money Community the CIH West Midlands Good Practice Award. The project, funded for women with no access to At the start of 2007 Accord by Birmingham City Council Housing Department was judged public funds was launched in introduced a Staff Volunteering to be “actively demonstrating good practice, with productive March. Ashram’s reducing domestic Policy allowing staff to take inter-agency working and importantly achieving positive results violence project team kick started up to 2 days paid leave each year in homelessness prevention, and also long term prevention work”. the campaign with a popular charity to contribute to local or voluntary The panel was particularly impressed with how the project works disco event. The campaign hopes to provide organisations including schools, with service users in a number of ways, meeting specific cultural financial support and assistance to women who for many reasons charities, community enterprises, and language needs. are excluded from mainstream benefits. community centres and credit unions. Several Accord staff are already involved in volunteering work and one staff member in Self Harm DVD Engaging with Muslim Communities was recently given an award for achievement The REP Theatre in Birmingham was the location for the launch of Earlier in the year Ashram published its report entitled “Building in encouraging young people in Walsall to a groundbreaking drama to raise awareness of domestic violence, Community Cohesion by Engaging with Muslim Communities”. develop their enterprise and forced marriages and self harm in South Asian communities. Research found that many in the Muslim community feel under entrepreneurial skills. The 30 minute drama, performed by staff, aims to highlight the siege because of recent events and Islamaphobia, and the distress and abuse suffered by many women. The DVD is seen as report argues that the focus should be on developing a powerful training tool to help this areas of common ground rather than seeing the campaign. The drama was written community as separate or problematic. It also found in conjunction with service that Muslims shared the same aspirations and users providing them with concerns as the rest of the community, a safe opportunity to tell such as health and well being, crime their story. and community safety and the provision of education and training. The report was launched to a group of Midland MP’s at the House of Commons in March. 12 13 environment

Accord remains committed to improving the way it uses resources in terms of developments and existing housing stock. With affordable housing high on the government agenda, the challenge is to provide more affordable eco-friendly homes that have less impact on resources and on their surrounding environment.

Sillins Avenue and Farm Road Eco-heating system for Richardson House Redditch is the home of 36 new pre-fabricated Eco-homes Richardson House in Toll End Road, Tipton, is thought to developed by Accord for Redditch Co-operative in partnership be one of the first complexes to use a new eco-friendly with Norwegian Co-operative Hedalm Anebyhus, Redditch solar and air heating system. The air source system has Borough Council and the Housing Corporation. The new homes replaced traditional storage heating in three of the six meet the current highest industry Eco-homes rating of ‘Excellent’. apartments so that direct comparisons can The construction methods reduce waste in the factory and on be made. Solar panels have also been site, and means that the homes produce less carbon emissions installed in all six flats to provide hot compared to a traditionally built house and cost 50% less to water. The heat pumps work by run. The homes have a high level of insulation, increased energy extracting warmth from the air, efficiency and low environmental impact. High profile visitors to even during the cool winter the scheme have included Jacqui Smith, MP, Housing Minister months, and then circulating Yvette Cooper, MP and Norwegian MP, Mr Trygve Magnus it through the property. Slagsvold-Vedum. Although the technology is still in its infancy it is hoped that it will provide heating Our Carbon Footprint with only a minimal use of In one of the first exercises of its kind to be completed in the electricity. Midlands, Accord has calculated its total CO2 emissions. The work was carried out by Dutch student Theo Faber who calculated that Ministerial Visit to Francis Court between 1st January 2005 and 31st March 2006 Accord produced Greenscape 21,331tonnes of CO2 through its activities – the majority of Greenscape has continued to During March 2007 Ian Pearson Minister for Climate which comes from the housing stock. make progress during the last year. Change paid a visit to Accord’s flagship low carbon development, Francis Court in Halesowen. The By raising awareness of the amount of CO2 the company Six new contracts were started, with an annual value of over £180,000 ranging development has many eco friendly features including a produces, new initiatives are being introduced to reduce the Sedum grass roof and a communal biomass boiler for heat amount of CO2 produced. across Grounds Maintenance, Communal Cleaning and Window Cleaning. Future development plans include the incorporation and hot water. As part of the visit Accord urged Midlands of a repair and maintenance service and the setting up of a councils to build more Eco-towns in the region to help reduce dedicated Landscaping Team. the impact of climate change. 14 15 University of Central England design workshops Ashram as teamed up with UCE and the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design to encourage people from local communities partnerships in Birmingham to take part in learning how to draw and design buildings. The Community Design and Architecture Workshops commenced last year and brought students, from a range of different backgrounds together to look at issues around housing Partnership working plays a key role in our business. is the only UK partnership for the Norwegian Co-operative design and planning. The first workshop was so successful that Through our partnership work we have developed and who, in collaboration with Accord, aims to produce another 700 these were extended to take in other groups across the city. enhanced further services to improve the lives of our affordable homes over the coming three years. customers. Increased services have become available to a wider customer base helping us to reach more people across the West Midlands region. Bordesley Green Girls school enterprise challenge Ashram Housing Association teamed up with local schools to challenge them to formulate a business plan for an innovative Matrix Housing Partnership social enterprise to be set up. As part of National Enterprise week, The Matrix Housing Partnership continues to grow in strength. Ashram issued the challenge, and those taking part had two After completing one of the largest housing surveys in the months in which to turn their thoughts into real business ideas. Midlands, the partnership, with the help of bchs, co-ordinated its The groups attended a series of workshops facilitated by Senior first resident involvement event in Redditch. The event explored Managers from Ashram and Accord to give the young people how residents could get more involved in influencing the housing a taste of the subjects they would need to consider including: and services provided by the Matrix Partners. consultation skills, project management, business planning skills and ethical and environmental values. Over seventy people attended the event with many exciting ideas being generated. The partnership has also launched a major housing study “Forging Futures a Modernisation Agenda for 21st Century Housing, Consumers and Communities. The ‘agenda for modernisation’ Macmillan Charity of the Year proposes increased ownership and management by tenants Over 500 Accord Group staff voted for Macmillan Cancer Support through more co-operative and community based housing to be the Association’s Charity of 2007. Staff were asked to projects. Jacqui Smith MP also participated in the project, nominate their preferred charity from a list of 80 UK charities producing the forward for the study. to be the official Charity of the Year. Fundraising efforts are focused on Macmillan for the next year with the aim of raising over £5000 through a series of fun events involving staff and The manifesto was launched at the CIH Harrogate Conference managers. The first of which was a balloon race to launch the in June this year with an endorsement from Matt Leach of the partnership, with over £600 raised from balloons, badges and Housing Corporation. general donations.

Hedalm Anebyhus Following the successful completion of the new timber framed homes in Redditch, Accord have joined forces with Norwegian house builder Hedalm Anebyhus to provide more low-cost, eco- friendly homes in the Midlands region. The formal agreement 16 17 Source of letting - total 319 Household Type of new lettings

Single elderly 43 facts and figures Elderly Couple 9 Single adult 151 Two adults 32 The Accord Housing Group complies with the National One adult 45 Housing Federation’s Code of Conduct in all material Ethnic (with at least one child under 16) respects. Information on Board membership, committee origin of Two or more adults 36 structure and senior staff can be found in Accord’s Financial (with at least one child under 16) Statements for the year ended 31st March 2007 copies are letting Other 3 available from the finance department on request. Total of new lettings 319

Male: Female: Staff 18.8% 81.2% Transfer 36 Referrals 11 Gender: Direct 180 Other 13 Nominations 79 Housing Stock White British 83.0% Bangladeshi 0.3% White other 1.8% Mixed 2.5% Caribbean 5.0% Chinese 0% Housing In Mgt - Owned Indian 2.5% African 1.5% £1 of Tenants Pakistani 0.3% Other 2.8% Rent 3293 Rent is Care and support 740 spent RTB 195 Ashram 435 Redditch 137 Staff Ethnic breakdown: Managed on behalf of others White British 83% HAMA 12 Caribbean 4.6% Managed company 75 Indian 5.4% Almshouses 79 African 2.4% Co-operative units 583 Bangladeshi 0.4% Housing for Sale 1081 Pakistani 0.4% Planned Repairs 6 Services, Care Housing in Development 245 Mixed 2.0% Management Costs 15 and Support 37 Total Housing Stock 6875 White other 0.2% Interest on Loans 26 Day to Day repairs 14 Other 1.6% Bad Debts & Voids 2

Income and Expenditure Average rents as at 31st March 2006 Account summaries for the year ended 31st March 2007 Annual Rent Accord Group Average rent Increase Year ended 31 March 2005 2006 2007 2006 £000 £000 £000 Accord 63.77 (3.7% increase) Income and Expenditure * Black Country 71.42 (3.2%) Income Caldmore 68.72 (3.9%) Rents, Service Charges, etc 26,843 27,545 29,098 Jephson 66.87 (2.0% decrease) Interest earned 111 84 103 Mercian 65.39 (3.5%) Sale of housing and other properties 2,122 1,502 2,280 Midland Area 69.06 (4.5%) Total income 29,076 29,131 31,481 National average 66.23 (4.4%) West Midlands average 66.70 Expenditure Operating costs 20,781 21,485 22,486 Interest on loans 5,467 5,536 6,085 Cost of housing and other properties sold 1,667 1,087 1,879 Repairs

Total expenditure 27,915 28,108 30,450 Emergency 761 completed on time 99% Urgent 4392 completed on time 96% 1,161 1,023 1,031 Non urgent 2979 completed on time 92%

Balance Sheet Percentage Satisfied: 96% Tangible Fixed Assets 232,378 251,987 282,852 Other Assets 5,389 5,220 7,549 Total Assets 237,767 257,207 290,401

Assets at Valuation Voids Financed by Current numbers of empty homes 58 Social Housing Grant 115,527 121,340 131,504 Loans 96,921 112,142 133,412 Accumulated Reserves 15,644 16,667 17,688 Preparation for re-letting Designated Reserves 0 0 0 Creditors 9,675 7,058 7,897 Properties let during the year 9.7% 237,767 257,207 290,501 Average time available to let (weeks) 5.7 weeks Average cost of works for re-letting £1234

* A full set of the group’s accounts can be found in the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2007