BCHA Annual Impact Report 2015-16.Compressed.Pdf
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fi nd a way forward help with housing, learning and living 2015 ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT 2016 CHAIR’S MESSAGE PETER HOYLE Welcome to our 2015/16 Annual Impact Report, evidence the effectiveness of changes being made on which gives a review of our activities and achieving even better and more sustainable outcomes outcomes for the past year. Despite an increasingly for our customers. challenging environment we have remained committed to the Group’s common aim to help After 25 years of housing homeless single mothers, vulnerable people take control of their own lives James Michael House was taken out of service due by offering the highest standards of support in to the ending of our funding contract. This project housing, health, learning and work. provided care for hundreds of women and their new-born babies, helping them cope with their BCHA has a clear record of innovation and imagination circumstances and supporting them as they embark in the delivery of services and the continuing pressure on parenthood, often for the very fi rst time. James on government funding for our services has required Michael House is still a BCHA property and is now us to apply this approach to ensure continuity of home to homeless young people. delivery and standards of services. I congratulate our Chief Executive and his staff on the way they have A service of 24 two-bedroom fl ats at Western successfully faced these challenges and I extend to Avenue, Bournemouth, was completed during the them the thanks of the Board. year and we are very pleased that this excellent scheme has received an award for the highest At the beginning of 2016 BCHA was successful in ‘large project’ resident satisfaction at the Source being awarded a signifi cant Capital grant under the Development Residents’ Conference. Homelessness Change funding from the Department of Health. The money, just over £2million across two Finally, I thank the members of the BCHA Board and schemes, has been awarded to Gabriel House in members of our subsidiaries’ Boards for the work Exeter and 10 St Paul’s in Bournemouth to improve they have done during the past year. health and wellbeing with learning, training and access to employment. Our aim now is to invest in PIE (Psychologically Informed Environments) aspects at both locations, along with working with universities to Peter Hoyle Chairman of the Board 2 | annual impact report 2015/16 bcha.org.uk LOOKING FORWARD CEO, MARTIN HANCOCK The past year has once again provided BCHA with This year, we have also introduced a Campaigns a number of fresh challenges as we continue to face and Communications Manager role to help give our social, political and fi nancial uncertainty. However, this customers a voice and ensure that BCHA is at the has only strengthened our resolve and commitment to forefront of the housing debate and seen as leaders in create lasting positive outcomes for our customers. our industry, both locally and nationally. The staff at BCHA have remained committed We have continued to produce many positive and dedicated in this diffi cult climate, responding outcomes, including another successful SleepSafe impressively to continue the fi rst-rate delivery of campaign (helping street homeless people through services to our customers. We must also take this the winter) and the award-winning construction of fl ats opportunity to thank the Board for their unwavering on Western Avenue against the pressure of very tight support to myself and the organisation to remain deadlines. We also showed our commitment to paying steadfast in our mission of helping vulnerable people a fair living wage to all our staff by signing up to The take control of their lives. Living Wage Foundation. There has been no easing off in the pressure and These are just a few examples of our continuing demand on our homelessness, housing and learning pledge and commitment to continue to deliver services, so we have remained proactive and fl exible excellent customer services across the South West. in how we respond to these challenges. This has While we face diffi cult and demanding times, the included a re-structure of the organisation to fulfi l BCHA family will create innovative ways to add our vision and meet the criteria set out in our 2020 value to everything we do, so we continue to provide business plan. support to people who need our help. Once again we are proud to have supported well over 10,000 people across the South West to take control of their lives and fi nd a way forward through our range of housing and support and learning services. Martin Hancock, Chief Executive bcha.org.uk annual impact report 2015/16 | 3 IMPACT OF OUR SERVICES BCHA supported over Our Leaving Hospital Discharge service helped Over 650 PEOPLE 4,993 PATIENTS 605 , people achieved a qualification, 3 000 people accessed floating entered employment or started across the South West experience a safe support to maintain volunteering through our with accommodation and timely discharge their tenancy Learning and Work programmes We enabled over Our RECOOP to support their prison services 650 fellow prisoners 817 were accessed 97.9% Prisoners by volunteering people over 34,738 of customers 2,200 have moved on from TIMES were satisfied hours our support services with BCHA overall to live independently during the year in Prison Day Care Centres or in more permanent accommodation Approximately We have Our general floating support service helped people retrieve around 90 £10,000 MEN, WOMEN & THEIR CHILDREN 5 in essential benefits, APPRENTICES tax and grants found safety and support working across our services in one of our refuges 4 | annual impact report 2015/16 bcha.org.uk OUR BUSINESS PLAN Our year-to-year Business Plan has three broad themes which best summarise our strategic direction: ACCOMMODATION Our core offer is to expand the number of homes we own and ensure that all of the stock we manage is of a high quality. BACK TO WORK Recognising that providing a roof is not enough, we want to equip our customers with the skills, confi dence and opportunities they need to maximise their chances of fi nding work and to realise their potential. CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITIES We wish to provide a broad range of services for the most disadvantaged people in society and help them to turn their lives around, and we wish to advocate for greater provision of services for the homeless, vulnerable and low paid. bcha.org.uk annual impact report 2015/16 | 5 ACCOMMODATION IMPACT IN WITH THE NEW... WESTERN AVENUE CAPITAL GRANT The site of a Bournemouth Council ex-Care BCHA was successful in being Home at 193 Western Avenue has seen awarded a substantial Capital BCHA deliver 24 two person new-build fl ats grant from the Department of for general needs rented use. The project Health under the Homelessness was completed within tight timescales Change funding. of just over a year with local contractor Parsons and Joyce. Over £2million across two services - Gabriel House The site has since achieved the highest in Exeter and 10 St Paul’s in resident annual satisfaction score for the Bournemouth - has been Source Development Consortia. A feature awarded to improve health of the development has been trying to give and wellbeing, along with individual identity to fl at blocks, delivering learning, training and access to external space on a challenging site and employment. BCHA’s objective retaining many of the surrounding trees. now is to invest in the PIE The four blocks of six fl ats, which have all (Psychologically Informed had a sprinkler system installed to provide Environments) aspects to attain enhanced fi re safety, are named Birch greater and more sustainable Lodge, Chestnut Court, Holly House and outcomes for our customers. Acacia View to quietly spell out BCHA. END OF AN ERA... JAMES MICHAEL HOUSE James Michael House was taken out of service, hundreds of homeless women, many with new- after 25 years of housing homeless single mothers, born babies. They provided support to help them due to our funding contract being terminated. cope with their circumstances as they embarked on parenthood, often for the very fi rst time. James For over a quarter of a century Moya Groves, Michael House is still a BCHA property and is now Warden at James Michael House, with her being used to house and support young homeless husband’s voluntary support, provided care for people. 6 | annual impact report 2015/16 bcha.org.uk IMPACT ON YOUNG PEOPLE BCHA resident Harry Walsh took part in Harry has previously had the chance to the Belgian Homeless Cup tournament in go on a three-month trip to Guatemala the summer of 2015. 19 year-old Harry, with the International Citizens Service who was also selected to become part of for 10 weeks to work with local young the Homeless FA Team England Squad, people affected by the civil war in the took part in the Homeless FA Training country. Along with 10 other volunteers, Centre programme at Southampton FC, Harry helped support the young people after fi nding out about the ground-breaking to play sport in a safe environment and programme whilst staying with BCHA. educated the young people on drug use and the rights of young people, so they The six-day Training Centre programme, could begin to feel more confi dent in which took place over six weeks during dealing with decision makers. April and May, was held in partnership with a variety of professional football It not only evidenced really good clubs across England. On completion of working practice across different the programme, all participants achieved services within the BCHA organisation an accredited leadership qualifi cation.