2018-2019 Annual Report, Port of Housing Association

1 ContentsContents

Welcome Margaret O’Connor 04 Keith Anderson 05

The year that was 2018-2019 06

Our favourite moments 11

The year in numbers 15

With thanks to Our Board 18 Our Staff 20 Customer Connect Group 22

2 3 WeWelcomelcome

A word from Hello from Margaret O’Connor Keith Anderson

Chairperson Chief Executive

Looking back over 2018/19, it’s clear to see new tenants into such outstanding new homes. This has been a year full of highlights that our staff really enjoy working here and that we have taken great strides towards Another highpoint for me was helping for everyone at Port of Leith Housing that Leith’s strong sense of community is making Leith and north an even to establish ARCHIE, a new independent Association. shared by my colleagues. better place to live, visit and do business. alliance with seven other housing associations and co-operatives in Edinburgh, It’s a privilege to work in such a brilliant We also reached two major milestones Having a high-quality and affordable place which will see us share skills, experience and organisation with such dedicated colleagues. for our sheltered housing this year for people to call home is the starting point resources to deliver an enhanced service One of the highlights of the year for me with Hermitage Court marking its 25th to creating healthy and happy communities. to our customers and the wider community. was having this recognised by The Sunday anniversary and St Nicholas Court That’s why I am thrilled that we have created Collectively the members of the Alliance Times’ Best Companies to Work For List in celebrating 30 years having passed since so many excellent new homes for people. In deliver services to more than 20,000 people which we placed 42nd in the 100 Best UK opening its doors. June 2018 we brought the first new social throughout Edinburgh so I’m excited to Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For housing to Portobello in 13 years, with 28 see the impact of our collaboration on the in 2019. We were also named the 22nd Best With preparations and consultation on our new homes for social rent and 24 homes for communities we serve. Company to Work For in Scotland and the strategic plan for 2020-25 in full swing, I am mid market rent at Baileyfield. November 11th best Housing Association to Work For looking to the future with great optimism 2018 saw Christmas come early for tenants I am very grateful to our voluntary in the UK. It’s fantastic to have this evidence and ambition for what we can achieve. who moved into our 43 new outstanding Board members of Port of Leith Housing homes for mid market rent at Brunswick Association, Persevere Developments and Road. This was followed by 23 social and eight Quay Community Improvement, our staff mid market rent homes at Abbeyhill early in 2019. members and partners for their continued It brings me a great sense of pride to welcome drive to make Leith the best place to be.

4 5 Upcycled pop-up show room

Quay Community Improvements, a The year that was 2018-2019 The year that was... community interest company owned by Port of Leith Housing Association, teamed up with Changeworks to transform a former Barratt show flat in Lochend. We May - June 2018 used second-hand furniture and soft furnishings to show locals how affordable Affordable Development of and attractive second-hand items can be. the Year and Saltire Housing The successful event was designed as part of the Zero Waste Leith project during the Design Awards winner first weekend of the Leith Festival. The colony-style properties at Leith Fort were named Affordable Development of the Year at the Homes for Scotland August 2018 awards. Shortly after, the development won the coveted Saltire Medal and the We stood against domestic Multiple Housing Development category abuse at the Saltire Housing Design Awards. 62 of the properties for mid market rent Port of Leith Housing Association signed were developed by Port of Leith Housing up to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Association through its subsidiary (CIH) ‘Make a Stand’ campaign. The Persevere Developments LTD, and 32 campaign aims to tackle domestic abuse homes are owned by the council for by asking housing associations to pledge social rent. to provide support for tenants and staff experiencing domestic abuse. Claire June 2018 Ironside, Director of Customer Services said: “We believe that everyone has the First homes for social rent in right to a home they feel safe in.” over a decade for Portobello September 2018 Portobello’s largest development of affordable homes in over a decade We opened our doors on was officially opened by Ash Denham Scottish Housing Day SNP MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, and Minister for Community Safety. Fishwives Port of Leith Housing Association opened Causeway in Baileyfield provides 52 its doors on 19 September to celebrate homes including 28 homes for social Scottish Housing Day. Tenants attended to rent and 24 for mid market rent. One of find out more about how the organisation the homes was fully adapted by Visualise is run, and tours ran at the St Nicholas Scotland. Court sheltered housing complex on Ferry Road with a welcome from Chief Executive, Keith Anderson.

6 7 November 2018 30th anniversary celebrations at St Nicholas Court New homes in time for Christmas Sheltered housing tenants at St Nicholas Court celebrated the development’s Port of Leith Housing Association and 30th anniversary with the unveiling of an Persevere Developments celebrated the inspirational Tree of Life. The piece was official opening of 43 homes for mid created by the tenants to share their market rent at the Brunswick Road memories of living there. Keith Anderson, development built by CALA homes. Chief Executive of Port of Leith Housing Formerly the site of a Royal Mail Sorting Association, said: “I’m very proud of the Office, the development was opened by the dedication and expertise our sheltered Scottish Government Minister for Local housing staff have demonstrated consistently Government, Housing and Planning, Kevin over the years.” Stewart MSP on 29 November 2018. February 2019 Outdoor art project wins equality We’re one of the UK’s best places and diversity award to work Quay Community Improvements and We were named one of The Sunday Times’ Port of Leith Housing Association won 100 Best UK Not-For-Profit Organisations the Best Practice in Equality and Diversity to Work For 2019 at a ceremony in London. Award at the Tenant Participation Advisory Our organisation was placed 42nd in the Service Scotland National Good Practice prestigious list with rankings based on staff Awards 2018. The Window Wanderland feedback on key criteria. We also received a Leith project caught the attention of the 2-star accreditation from Best Companies in judges for bringing together a wide range recognition of our ‘outstanding’ commitment of people of different ages, cultures and to workplace engagement. backgrounds.

December 2018 March 2019

25th anniversary celebrations at Introducing ARCHIE Hermitage Court A new independent housing alliance made up of eight housing associations and co- Port of Leith Housing Association’s operatives was launched in Edinburgh. The sheltered housing at Hermitage Court Alliance of Registered Co-operatives and buried a time capsule containing their Housing Associations, Independent in memories of living there along with other Edinburgh (ARCHIE) allows members of memorabilia from over the years. Local the alliance to share skills, experience and author and Art Champion for Older resources to deliver an enhanced service to People in Scotland, Millie Gray, joined the their customers and the wider community. celebrations by delivering a spoken word performance.

8 9 OurOur favouritefavourite moments

We’re named the best housing association to work for in Scotland New home gives Ryan more Hot on the heels of placing 42nd in the Sunday Times’ 100 Best UK Not- independence For-Profit Organisations to Work For List, Port of Leith Housing Association One of the homes at our new Baileyfield received two additional accolades. We development has been fully adapted for were named the 11th best Housing rent by Visualise Scotland, an Edinburgh- Association to Work For in the UK based charity which provides residential (making us the highest ranking housing support to adults with physical and sensory association in Scotland) and the 22nd impairments, learning difficulties and Best Company to Work For in Scotland complex communication needs. by the Sunday Times’ Best Companies To Work For List. Ryan who has moved into this property has settled in very well to his new home. His sister, Sinead McMillan, explains what Ryan’s New street brings affordable new home means to him: homes to Abbeyhill ”This has given Ryan not only a beautiful new We handed over the keys to 23 homes home but it has allowed him to have his own for social rent in Edinburgh’s vibrant freedom and independence living in a great neighbourhood of Abbeyhill. Built around location. The flat itself is wonderfully set up a new internal street, Elsie Inglis Way, the and gives all the disabled access needed. It south east facing homes enjoy striking also offers an outdoor space to enjoy. All this views of city landmarks including Arthur’s combined is giving Ryan the best quality of Seat, Edinburgh Castle and . Photo: New tenant Ryan with his sister Sinead and life and, as a family, this is priceless to us.” Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of Port her son at Baileyfield. of Leith Housing Association, said: “With breath-taking views and an excellent finish, they are sure to make for very happy homes.”

10 11 We had a great laugh on the course which only lasted the one day, but I left with a recognised certificate.

“Community Works has been a major help. They provided what I needed when I needed it. I now have a permanent job doing support work with Blackwood Housing Association. It’s good to know that I can always go back to Community Works if things change and I want to get another job.”

Another tenant who had been working Photo: John is enjoying his new job. irregular hours for a temporary recruitment agency was looking for permanent work. She Helping our tenants to achieve met with Community Works’ Jane looking for one-to-one help to set up an email account their goals and update her CV. She was looking for a permanent job because the irregular hours One of our customers, John Collins, explains were affecting her health. Jane helped her how Community Works has helped him to to create an email account and gave her a secure the job he was looking for. few tips about how to manage her emails. Photo: Ian at his new home. Together they worked on her CV and decided “Rachel helped me update and make a few to target the public sector for jobs. changes to my CV, and she also booked me onto an Emergency First Aid at Work course Our customer now has a full-time job delivered by Community Works’ John Reid. working at a school and is “delighted”. Ian gets his freedom back

Ian had been one of our tenants for two hold onto the banister in the stairwell to years and previously lived in Academy Street. get up and down safely. Getting out and Let’s do lunch about was becoming more difficult, so when Over the winter months we started However, following a heart attack and a I mentioned this to my housing officer he hosting Big Lunches for tenants living in stroke which left his left arm paralysed, asked if I would be interested in moving and around Buchanan Street. The idea Ian found it difficult to get in and out of to a new home that would suit my needs. I behind it is to get people together in an his flat. He spoke to his housing officer jumped at the chance. I didn’t want to end informal way, to have a bit of fun, get to who suggested a transfer and now Ian is up being confined 24/7. know each other better and bring a dish to enjoying living in a ground floor flat in our share. Couperfield development. “Living on the ground floor has made such a big difference to my life. I love having my They have also been a good opportunity for Ian said: “Following a stroke, I just couldn’t confidence and freedom back.” people to share experiences and stories of what’s happening in the neighbourhood and discuss how they can work together to Photo: Our tenant Chris (left) welcomes guests to address any shared issues. the Big Lunch.

12 13 Sheltered tenants TheThe yearye inar numbers. in learn how to save lives

More than 30 tenants from our three sheltered housing developments attended training Income and expenditure sessions in resuscitation and defibrillator use delivered by our Training Officer John Reid. The £2m income from “interest and other”, includes £1.5m of management and lease fees from our subsidiaries Persevere Developments and Quay. It also includes Photo: Some of our life-saving sheltered housing tenants. commercial rent of £67k, rechargeable Mr and Mrs Tierney, Jameson Place sheltered housing tenants, said: “We both really enjoyed repairs income of £61k, adaptations income the training and the awards ceremony. Getting a certificate was really nice. of £63k, interest of £46k, factoring income It proves you’re never too old to learn. You never know when a defibrillator is needed, two of £59k, insurance recoveries of £37k and of my good friends passed away on the golf course at our club. housing grants of £175k to fund mid market properties. Knowing we have these in the sheltered developments gives great peace of mind.” Another Jameson Place tenant, Alex Laidlaw said: Our expenditure of £16.6m includes housing depreciation of £4.2m, housing “Both Betty my wife and I got a certificate at the end of the training. It was amazing. It was management and services costs of £3.6m my first certificate since leaving school.” Our income from rent and service charges and maintenance costs of £3.5m. Community includes £12.1m from social housing and initiatives expenditure of £168,948 includes Maureen Combe, our Sheltered Housing Services Manager, said: £366k from shared ownership properties. wider role contractor payments of £50k, “It’s great to see our tenants being so keen to learn how to use defibrillators. We held an Community Works’ overheads of £11k and awards ceremony at Jameson Place for everyone who took part. It was a great event and it Other sources of income include £2.6m community initiatives payments of £61k. was a proud moment seeing everyone receive their certificates. For one of our tenants it allocated from grants of £4.2m to fund was the first certificate they had ever received!” new homes in 2018/19, a wider role grant Properties for social rent* of £81k for community initiatives, and a supporting people grant of £52k. • 2,446 total social rent properties • 1,284 one-bedroom homes Taking to the stage We also secured continuation funding of • 967 two-bedroom homes £28k from the Scottish Government, People • 195 three+ bedroom homes We hosted our first ever pantomime & Communities Fund for our employability service Community Works, £15k for the in the run up to Christmas 2018 Properties for mid market rent* with 100 customers coming along to Saheliya Learning Centre and £37k for the Canny Budgeting Project which supports enjoy Aladdin. • 276 total mid market rent properties people at risk of fuel and food poverty. • 68 one-bedroom homes It received rave reviews and • 168 two-bedroom homes Our income also includes £866k generated plans are underway for the 2019 • 40 three+ bedroom homes pantomime. by the planned sale of eight properties and the sale of two properties through the We own a total of 2,850 properties (including 128 shared Photo: Aladdin the panto was a big hit with our younger shared ownership scheme. ownership properties). *As of 31/03/2019 tenants. 14 15 Repairs completed on time (%) Rent loss (%) Number of properties Average time to relet property let to new tenants (days)

0

Total vacated properties Properties vacated as Management costs per unit Total spend on building a % of total properties new properties

16 17 WithWith thanks to our Board. to

Kevin Anderson Caitlin McCorry Margaret O’Connor Gurmit Singh Head of Customer Service Manager, Engineer involved in (Chair) concept, design and and Housing Services Community Housing with Chief Executive of a Leith manufacture of electronic at Council. East Lothian Council, based charity. Local Leith test and measurement Experience in other previously Assistant resident and Board Member equipment as well as councils and housing Director at Barony Housing since 2010. associations. Resident in Association. planning and co-ordination of improvement initiatives in Leith; Board Member since Helen Phillips September 2018. Member of the Chartered new product introduction. Wide experience in local Local resident, actively Institute of Housing and community activities. An holds a post graduate qual- involved within the Sikh Richard Bolton Association tenant and community. Board Member Chartered accountant and ification in housing. Leith- Board Member since born with strong family since May 2018. local Leith business owner. September 2011. Board Member since 2012. connections to Leith. Board Member since September Jakub Stojek 2017. Anthony Gillespie Brian Reilly Charity worker, currently Qualified accountant Leith born self-employed involved with the Social Bite with an MA in Economics Gordon Munro financial analyst and banker village. Actively involved in and Law from Edinburgh City of Edinburgh councillor specialising in treasury the Polish community and University. for Leith. Board Member management for banks. is a mid market tenant of Board Member since Persevere Developments since 2003. He has a broad range of September 2015. Ltd; Board Member since work experience, ranging September 2018. from the National Audit Philip Neaves Neil Stewart Office through Coopers Independent property and Solicitor advocate with own David Welsh & Lybrand, and now as planning consultant. Chair business, with a BSc (Hons) Management consultant Director of Business of Persevere Developments in Geography qualification. with own business. Keen Support at the National Ltd. Board Member since Local resident. Board cyclist and musician; Library of Scotland. September 2011. Member since September resident in Leith. Chair 2017. of Quay Community He also has worked for Jenny Neville Improvements. Board a number of housing Head of Procurement at the Member since November associations. During his Scottish Ambulance Service, 2018. spare time, he enjoys with a broad experience in attending concerts, keeping public and private sector fit and anything about organisations. Board aviation. Board Member Member since September We would like to thank Vicky Hope who became a Board Member in 2016 and who left the since September 2017. 2018. Board in the period to March 2019. 18 19 Business Support Sheltered Housing Team Maureen Combe, Manager Director: Heather Kiteley Suzie Connery A big thank you to our staff A big thank you to Marjorie Fraser Corporate Services Martin Hunter Glen White, Manager Liz MacAulay Jackie Grant Kerry Peace Lisa Haddow Rachel Stockton Alison Petretti Kirsty Thomson Customer Advice Team Christina Bell, Manager Communications & Sharyn Cox Customer Engagement Natasha Duckham-Venters* Charlotte Gray, Manager Jenni Gegan Eve Smith Ann Robertson Christine Seydak Finance Chelsea Smith Ngeme Ntuli, Manager Gillian Wales * Natasha Duckham-Venters Natasha Duckham-Venters* moved from the Customer Lynda Hanna Tenancy Support Team Advice Team to the Finance Monique Lansdown Fiona Whitelaw, Team Leader Team. ** Stephanie Scott moved from Lauren Mackinnon Louise Byrne the Maintenance Team to the Organisational Facilities Team Steven Donoghue Aileen Punton Susan Colvin Housing Team. Development & ICT Duncan Graham, Team Scott McRorie Alan Ross Leader Sara Oliver Jane Stewart-Leslie Community Works Team John Murray, Manager Keith Anderson, CE Dee Donoghue Stephanie Scott Rachel Hutton Mike Beniston, Head Rachel Gilburt Customer Services Emmanuelle Le Coz Neil Donald, Manager Shona Maxwell Quay Cleaning Team John Reid Michael Connor Craig Ross Sharon Lawrie, Contracts Director: Claire Ironside Jane Whiting Bradley Forbes Kimberly Ross Manager Ian Treger Serena Selkirk Peter Arthur Housing Management Marek Blotnicki Team Property and New Development Team Charles Blues Joyce Cuthbert, Manager Simon Davies Business Wendy Farmer, Manager Slawomir Bogdanowicz Deborah Bailey Arkadiusz Chudak Paul Henderson Leanne McAndrew Director: Gordon Cameron Kate Duckham Maciej Dyzmanski Our thanks to staff members who left PoLHA over the Robery Falconer Paul McMahon Rachel Fraser period April 2018 to March 2019: Martin Hall Thomas Jenkins Louise O’Connor Asset & Procurement Lucie Rae John Moore Scott Kerr Melanie Huey, Wendy Chan, Lesleyann Clark, Finbar Moreby, Team Samantha Sutherland Angela Morgan, Manager Steven Psihramis Artur Lisieski Alexander Forbes, Leo Paredes, Lucy Whittaker, Nora Wardell, Claire Traynor Andrea Fletcher Barbara Seel Scott Muir Nikolaos Koutris, Jim Bett, Alison Hope, Alex Burns, Brendan Rosemary Whalen Thomson, Clare Halliday, Kebba Conteh, Agnieszka Rudyk, Iain McLean Gary Porter Ann Yourston Patryk Kowalski, Dawid Lehmann, Gregorz Szamot, Liam Telfer Jamie Patterson Lucasz Wicher Maintenance Team Stephanie Scott** and Paul Wyllie. Jonathan Smith Kevin Wilson, Manager Paul Wylie Alan Whitelaw Nikki Adamson Paulina Zielinska Kevin Armstrong Marie20 Williams 21 WithWith thanks thanks to our Customer to Connect our Group AndAnd lastly, lastly thank you!

For all your support and for helping to make Leith the best place to be.

Photo from left to right: Elizabeth Beattie, Karen Lynch, David Beattie, Ruth McNeil, Chris Stone and Ernie Ross.

The Customer Connect Group forms the central point for scrutiny within the Association. It ensures tenants can take part in a range of scrutiny activities and make recommendations to improve services. Thanks also go to Customer Connect Group member, Ken McLachlan, who does not appear in the photo.

22 23 Read the digital version of our Annual Report at annualreport.polha.co.uk

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PORT OF LEITH HOUSING ASSOCIATION

Port of Leith Housing Association 108 Constitution Street, Leith Edinburgh, EH6 6AZ Scottish charity no.: SC027945 Property factor registration: PF000283 FCA registration: FRN772734 Published August 2019 24