Creating Opportunity Strategic Plan 2016-2021 2 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 3
Poplar HARCA at a Glance
We are creating opportunity in East London by: 2 Poplar HARCA at a Glance 4 Our Journey Completed • Building thousands of • Creating jobs, apprenticeships 6 Unique Package new homes and employment and training 8 Moving Forward opportunities £345m Message from our Chair • Supporting hundreds of new and 10 Goodbye and Good Luck existing businesses to grow • Connecting people through our Estate Regeneration Programme Message from our former Chair and thrive network of community centres 12 Looking to the Future Message from our CEO
• Investing £millions to restore Chrisp • Celebrating Poplar’s heritage 14 Our Vision and Values Leading Street Market to its former glory through our innovative arts and 16 The Challenges... and the Opportunities
culture events 18 Behaviours • Delivering a first class housing 20 Proactive in Attracting Opportunity service to residents • Making our investment go further £2.5bn 22 A Human Focussed Table of Action reshaping plan • Nurturing our open and green spaces 26 Our Board 28 Award-Winning Governance
Highest satisfaction yet 30 Thank You 87% of tenants are satisfied and 91% would recommend us1
1 2015 Residents Survey 4 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 5 Our Journey
We’ve come a long way since 3,000 homes were first transferred to us in 1998. We begin 2016 as the lead housing partner in the South Poplar Housing Zone with the potential to build a further 10,000 homes.
465 10,000+ Overcrowded New homes potential 2015 families re-housed 100% Decent homes 685 Homeless households 570 housed New homes built 8,500+ Homes refurbished £345m Invested
1998 189 50,000+ New family Population growth homes built 6 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 7 Unique Package
Our offer has always been unique and this ethos continues to shape our business strategy and planning. Complementary urban and community regeneration programmes, transforming spaces, adding value and changing lives.
Retail Awards
Health Arts & Leisure Schools Culture
URBAN COMMUNITY REGENERATION REGENERATION
1998 2015
RESIDENT SKILLS, JOBS DRIVEN AND BUSINESS
Investment Parks Services Centres
Properties Connectivity 8 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 9
Message from our Chair Moving Forward A home is one of the Poplar HARCA believes everyone It would be remiss of me not to should have a place that they can acknowledge the debt of gratitude most important things proudly call home. owed to Bernadette Conroy from whom “I am proud to in life. It is shelter, I have taken over the Chair. Under her Since 1998 we have created spaces that leadership, Poplar HARCA has pushed the be Chair of an warmth and comfort. put opportunity at their core: transforming boundaries of what a housing association Peace of mind for homes, supporting schools and partnering can achieve. She leaves a confident, organisation with health services. We’ve attracted ambitious organisation and Outstanding the present, great enterprise, new business and investment. Landlord of 2015. She will be missed. that has memories for the The people living here are happier, healthier and are participating in making With this Strategic Plan we launch a new creating future, a place that this area the best it can be. vision and values for Poplar HARCA. This inspires opportunity. new brand has been shaped by residents, opportunity at We have a common-sense approach: staff, partners and others – all with an A secure home in a A tried and tested formula which has interest in helping us progress. its heart.” successful, diverse helped to make our area somewhere people want to stay in and want to come Poplar HARCA has come a long way community extends to: somewhere to make a home. since 1998. I am proud to be Chair of opportunity. an organisation which has creating 87% of our tenants in the 2015 survey opportunity at its heart. said they are satisfied with our services. This continues a journey of year-on-year Having worked in regeneration for much improvement. This strategic plan outlines of my career I know the power unleashed how we will be working even harder in the by opportunity – for people, for place and next five years to keep moving forward. To our shared future. work with the people who live here and to create even more opportunities. Paul Brickell Chair of Poplar HARCA 10 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 11
Message from our former Chair Goodbye and Good Luck I feel immensely They say times flies when you’re One thing I know for sure is Poplar having fun. And I guess that means I HARCA’s commitment and energy is proud to have led had a lot of fun in my ten years with second-to-none. Their flexibility, positivity this organisation, and Poplar HARCA. and ideas will help to find the opportunity “One thing in current challenges to ensure the vision privileged to have been This strategic plan is a dynamic example will be achieved. I know for part of all that it has of how Poplar HARCA will change over the next five years. It’s as important to reflect I wish only the best to the very wonderful sure is Poplar achieved. on the past five years, and further back, people who have made my time with to understand where we have come from, Poplar HARCA so special, and who will HARCA’s how we got here and continue to learn continue to make this organisation from our proud history. remarkable. commitment
What has always driven us is a shared Bernadette Conroy and energy is vision of where we want to go and what Chair of Poplar HARCA 2005 -2015 we want to be. A vision to make ours second-to- a better place. A safe place. A creative place. A thriving place. none.” 12 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 13
Message from our Chief Executive Looking to the Future Where do you want to Two questions that have helped After a year of listening, a strong message Poplar HARCA develop into a has emerged about what we want to be be five years from now? housing association responsible for known for: creating opportunity. And so “We’ve made And how are you going a £2.1 Billion estate regeneration we launch a new brand, refreshed values programme, a broad range of award and a raft of exciting actions that will drive no secret that to get there? winning services and a team of over us for the next five years. 300 committed professionals and we are where hundreds of volunteers. We are clear that our role is to create opportunities with and for the community we are today In 2015 we celebrated being awarded we serve in the area they call home. UKHA ‘Outstanding Landlord’ of the year, Every action in this Plan is a commitment by working in achieving 87% satisfaction from tenants to pursue opportunities for individuals, and having one of the most diverse communities, housing and business. partnership.” Boards – including one of the youngest Board members – across our sector. It’s going to be an exciting and challenging five years. I hope you’ll be inspired and We’ve made no secret that we are where find your opportunity as we create ours. we are today by working in partnership. So in scoping this 2016 -2021 Strategic Steve Stride Plan we have involved our partners, our Poplar HARCA Chief Executive residents and everyone who works for and with us to develop the answers to those two fundamental questions. 14 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 15 Our Vision and Values
What we’re going to achieve and how we’re going to do it.
Our vision, values and behaviour influence every part of our strategy.
Our vision Values
Wholehearted Constant Enthusiastic commitment improvement support
Getting things done, especially when a This is our ethos. Why we are here. Change is inevitable. Even if it’s for the different approach is needed, requires Working to improve everything around better it’s not often easy. As a community You Housing determination. We know there will be us; and supporting each other to do we are supportive of everyone’s needs. It challenges. Some anticipated, others more. We provide homes, deliver is important to be heard and respected. unforeseen. We calmly and confidently services, enable regeneration and much, We are mindful of everyone’s right to address each situation and we adapt much more. We look to our people and have a say, even if sometimes we do not where we need to. community to find better ways to achieve agree with one another. better results. Creating opportunity What this means: What this means: What this means? Creating strong partnerships that attract 3,000 run down homes transferred to us Listening. Our resident-led ethos means investment. The South Poplar Housing in 1998. Residents placed their trust in us our community actively engages with us Zone will build 10,000 new homes. to do better. at every level. We know living through Exploring commercial opportunities regeneration is demanding, but by Community Business such as selling Balfron Tower to raise In 2016 we look back on a multi-million offering support we try to ease the the money needed to enable the area’s pound reshaping programme – 9,000 process. And were willing to change tack regeneration. Considering brave new homes, award-winning services; flagship if we get things wrong. ways to generate revenue to support and youth and community spaces; and 91% provide services for residents. of tenants would recommend us as a landlord.
To discover, progress and achieve opportunities that help “Regeneration has given us so much more than we previously had and our community flourish. I consider myself a very lucky person to be living here.” Pat Thomas Brownfield Estate Board Member, former resident of Balfron Tower 16 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 17 Challenges and Opportunities
Developing new Increasing house commercial and land prices services
Highest ever New regeneration Attracting Welfare reform housing demand opportunities business
Challenges Opportunities
Developing homes for different Housing Zone Limited Getting the tenures government funds balance right
New services and Cuts to partner facilities for Chrisp Partnerships services Street 18 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Poplar HARCA Strategic Plan 2016-2021 19 Behaviours
To help create opportunities, staff and partners will embody five key behaviours. These behaviours set out the key performance indicators for the next five years.
Our behaviours are: Inspirational Considered Fresh
• Opportunities for staff to develop in • Reinvigorate the induction process to • Investigate and explore new business ways which support their aspirations welcome new staff opportunities, assessing the financial and suit their ways of learning and governance impact • Create a knowledge management • Creating on-line services that staff and framework • Explore and evaluate the community residents want to use governance model • Monitor and manage our risk exposure • Excellent Governance and ensure it reflects the Board’s risk • Provide residents with up-to-date and appetite relevant information on-line Inspirational Collaborative • Effective controls that ensure we comply with statutory and regulatory • Fully comply with the regulatory • Bespoke information provision so obligations regime and requirements that it matches residents’ needs and interests • Re-establish Estate Boards as local • Robust finances
service champions • More accessible local governance – FRS 102 compliance through web-enabled technology – Use the asset and liability registers to inform stress testing and funding Collaborative opportunities
• Regular personal briefings for staff by – Continue stress testing annually Agile our senior people and update the contingency plan • Explore ways to enable staff to have a Considered Fresh Agile accordingly healthy work/life balance • Training staff across our teams so they – Improve credit rating to A2 from A3 can be involved in the recruitment by 2021 • Deliver a like-for-like 1% operating cost process reduction each and every year – Renegotiate loan facilities • Creating a new and representative • Robust Business Plan delivering 30% Staff Board operating margin • Achieve G1 and V1 ratings with the • Assess funding opportunities on an HCA by 2021 on-going basis with the aim of securing long-term debt on favourable terms • Strong systems that support staff to work efficiently and effectively
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