Circle by numbers 12 partners 81.5% overall general needs customer satisfaction 94% customer satisfaction with repairs 1,461 completed new homes; 211 for other housing associations 2,200 dedicated staff 5,400 people cared for and supported If you would like to receive this 63,500 homes owned and managed information in any other format customers provided with services or in a different language please 300,000 contact 020 7447 3035 90+ local authority areas in which we provide homes and services Circle Circle House 1-3 Highbury Station Road London N1 1SE Our mission is to enhance the Life Chances of residents and service users through providing Tel: 020 7288 4000 great homes, first class services and working in Minicom: 020 7288 4007 Annual Review www.circle.org.uk partnership to build sustainable communities. Follow us on twitter.com/circlehousing 2010-11 01 Stock profile C A D A. Mercian Housing Association Owns and manages 3,400 properties in the greater Birmingham area B. Rockingham Forest B Working together with Rockingham Forest Housing Association to provide new homes in Northamptonshire C. Roddons Housing Association Managing nearly 3,800 properties including 14 sheltered schemes in E Cambridgeshire D. Wherry Housing Association Owns and manages over 7,000 homes in Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire F E. South Anglia Housing Owns and manages over 7,000 homes across 26 local authorities in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Essex G H F. Circle 33, Merton Priory Homes 954 new and Old Ford Circle 33 owns over 15,000 homes homes built across London and in 48 local authority in 2010/11 areas Contents 1. Ealing 2. Harrow Merton Priory Homes manages and 3. Brent owns over 9,000 properties in South 01 Circle by numbers 4. Hammersmith West London 5. Barnet Old Ford Housing Association 02-03 Stock profile summary 6. Kensington & Chelsea manages and owns over 5,000 7. Westminster properties in East London - Tower 8. Camden 05-06 Chairman’s and Chief Executive’s introduction Hamlets and Havering 9. City 10. Islington G. Mole Valley Housing 07-10 Our success 12 11. Haringey Association 12. Enfield 5 Manages 3,800 homes including 11-24 Our strategic goals 2 13. Hackney 11 T 17 sheltered schemes in Surrey 15 17 14. Tower Hamlets IS 19 15. Waltham Forest 25-26 The future 3 C 8 13 H. Russet 10 18 16. Newham 1 H S 14 16 Manages over 6,600 properties 7 9 17. Redbridge 27-30 Facts and figures CH in Kent 4 6 18. Barking & Dagenham 23 19. Havering 31-32 Governance 20. Merton 21 22 24 21. Wandsworth 33-34 Executive Directors Board 20 22. Lambeth 23. Southwark 35 Registration 25 24. Lewisham 25. Croydon 02 03 Annual Review 2010 / 11 04 Introduction from the Chair Introduction from the CEO A year of change My first full year as Chair of Circle has certainly been lively and I am This has been an unprecedented are robust, we’ve brought Group Every year I find it difficult to year of change for housing. From operating costs down, and have summarise the dedication honoured to be back in housing at such a pivotal time. The role of the way new affordable homes will successfully integrated new demonstrated by our teams into a be delivered, to the announcement partners; Merton Priory Homes and few pages. I hope that you feel as Housing Association boards has never been more important as we support of reforms to welfare benefit and Mercian. We’ve also been forging inspired as I do when reading about and challenge our management team to do even more in a complex a further change of regulatory ahead with major regeneration how we have done and our plans economic and external environment. approach. programmes, making an incredible for the years ahead. It’s been important for me to be difference to the communities we work in. In the Spring we changed Mark Rogers At Circle we are determined to be Annual Reports are by their support while building sustainable involved in government and sector our name to Circle, to give us more Group CEO yet more rigorous in our approach, very nature full of figures and and cohesive communities. discussions about these changes. scope given our national reach and to squeeze every penny to deliver percentages, but what we are Together with my Board, I am At the core of our conversations has high number of homes in London. the best possible service to more really interested in is the difference committed to helping our excellent been the desire to make sure that customers, and be nimble and these numbers make to the lives management team to continue we have the freedom and flexibility Alongside this, Circle has started ready to adapt. of our residents. So, while this to deliver to those in need of our to put our customers first and to to transform as we review our maintain our financial stability. activities after the past six year’s Since we were formed in 2005, document describes how Circle has services. growth. This will ensure that we Circle has grown more quickly than continued to prosper and deliver its We’ve been making sure that our are offering the best service to any other group in the housing commitments, we have made a real Sir Robin Young customers are at the heart of every our customers, offering the best sector. We are now more than twice effort to relate everything in it back Chairman decision we make. On a practical value for money, and are set up the size we were five years ago to our customers. We hope that level, our teams have been offering in the best way to do this. Find with over 63,500 homes owned or readers will go away understanding advice to people facing financial out more about this, how we have managed in England and more than that customers are at the heart of difficulties as well as making performed on last year’s goals 2,200 staff. everything we do. customers aware of the impact of benefit changes. At a strategic level, and the new goals we have set Although this growth is huge and Enhancing Life Chances has been this means asking ourselves ‘will this ourselves on pages 11 - 24. complex to manage, we at Circle truly embedded as our mission. help us to Enhance Life Chances’ Rest assured, at the core of all of are definitely not about numbers, Reinforcing our dedication to before any decisions are made. this planning and transformation or growth for growth’s sake. Our reaching as many people as we remains our mission to Enhance Life purpose and vision is focussed on can, this mission is clear and will It’s been a strong year for us. Chances. This is the reason we exist. people - our existing and potential remain. Whatever the economic Customer satisfaction is at an residents and customers - who are, and political circumstances, we will impressive level, financially we and always will be, at the centre provide our customers with the best of our approach. We just need to homes, services and care and be very good at the numbers to achieve our goals. “We’ve been making sure that our “Enhancing Life customers are at the Chances has been heart of every decision truly embedded as we make” our mission” 05 Annual Review 2010 / 11 06 Our successes Sometimes we talk about what we have achieved and presume it is obvious how this positively benefits our customers. Talking about financial My Story: Jeremy Hales The Orchard in Erdington, Birmingham, strength is really important but it doesn’t bring to life what Circle is really is a multi-million pound redevelopment for vulnerable young people. Developed about and what these successes mean. as a partnership between Mercian Housing Association, Birmingham The economic downturn and existing homes on the estate has City Council and Birmingham YMCA, Customer resulting cuts in public spending also been undertaken including it provides 83 new, modern homes for young homeless people to help them get satisfaction have had a significant knock on work on improving lighting and back on their feet. effect on many of the services security and landscaping. With the vision to put customers Resident, Jeremy Hales, said, “The facilities at we provide to local authorities, The Orchard are brilliant compared to where at the heart of all we do, work has Following on from finding fame particularly in terms of care and in blockbuster movie Made in I used to live. The workers are brilliant too. You begun to further improve how our support services. By making know you can go and talk to them if you have a customers feel about the services Dagenham, residents from Orchard problem.” changes to the way we deliver these Village also had cause to celebrate. we offer. Customer satisfaction is at “Obviously the flats, being brand new, are we have been able to continue Spring saw the completion of 81.5% with satisfaction for repairs to provide many of these much immaculate. The design is modern and it is a nice at 94%. These results are good, phase one of Old Ford Housing feeling walking into somewhere like this. You don’t needed services. think of it as a hostel, it is like a normal block of especially since they include, for Association’s £80 million regeneration project in Havering. apartments and it feels homely.” the first time, figures from newly Regeneration ‘Putting transferred Merton Priory Homes Read more about how one Orchard residents at the (MPH).