"Work with residents and deliver services in an accountable way"
English Rural's commitment to serving residents with diligence, safety, and integrity continues to drive our operational ethos. High-profile incidents within the housing association sector have underlined the importance of maintaining resident safety through diligent property compliance activity—an area where we have consistently demonstrated our competency. Yet, we recognise that there is always room for improvement. In light of this, we have implemented robust internal audits and scrutiny measures, with an amplified focus on identifying and rectifying issues such as damp and mould. We are committed to upholding the high standards of service delivery set by the Regulator of Social Housing, with new Tenant Satisfaction Measures, now being collected, playing a pivotal role in our regular compliance testing.
Our resident services team has seen significant expansion and expertise development in surveying knowledge over the year. Our increased capacity has resulted in an elevated focus on value for money and quality, evidenced by the replacement of 110 property components during this year.
Aligned with our objective to maintain an updated stock condition, an external survey was tendered and is due to conclude in Autumn 2023. This survey encompasses homes from across the group, enabling us to update and map data to direct investment priorities and financial planning. We are also keen on identifying avenues for environmental gains in line with our commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
English Rural’s vision of an inclusive community has been set-out in our new resident engagement framework and the co-created Tenants Charter. Although we've made strides in amplifying resident voice and engagement, we acknowledge that there's still a distance to cover. The unique challenge presented by the small scale and dispersed nature of our homes, combined with differing resident demographics, necessitates innovative approaches. We remain dedicated to working collaboratively with residents to design and implement solutions that bring value to all stakeholders.
Our increased capacity and refined expertise in the team have been instrumental in improving our approach to procurement and maintaining focus on value and quality.
This year marked the co-creation of a new Tenants Charter, and the completion of our largest investment programme addressing housing conditions such as damp and mould. Alongside, we launched a project to update our stock condition data. We introduced a resident-specific annual report, increased resources for vulnerable residents, and honed our team's skills to effectively meet business and resident needs.
Residents and guests at the official opening of our affordable rural homes in Kent.
Our Patron (HRH The Princess Royal) plants a Santana apple tree at a recent opening of affordable rural homes in Kent.
English Rural's Value for Money (VfM) Strategy demonstrates our commitment to resourcefully deliver our purpose, while enhancing efficiency. Identifiable targets, encompassing both financial and non-financial metrics, guide our performance evaluation. These benchmarks not only offer sector-wide comparisons but are also tailored to align with our unique Business Strategy.
To underscore our dedication to VfM, we publish a separate Value for Money Statement, which is publicly available on our website.
English Rural champions innovation and adopts a robust commercial stance to maximise efficiencies and growth. This proactive approach bolsters our financial capability, fuelling investment towards fulfilling our core mission.
The Value for Money (VfM) required outcomes by the Standard are that housing association providers registered with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) must:
Clearly articulate their strategic objectives
Have an approach agreed by the Board to the achievement of VfM in meeting those objectives and the demonstration of the delivery of VfM to stakeholders
Through the strategic objectives to articulate the Board’s strategy for delivering homes that meet a range of needs
Ensure that optimal benefit is derived from resources and assets to secure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of strategic objectives
Performance figures for 2022/23 against the VfM metrics are shown in the following tables >>
English Rural's Deputy Development Director, Alison Thompson, discussing the benefits of affordable rural homes with our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal.
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Co-creation of a new Tenants Charter
Completion of our largest planned investment programme to date with a spotlight on managing damp and mould
Initiation of a project to comprehensively update stock condition data
Publication of an annual report specifically for residents
Increased resource allocation for residents facing hardship
Enhanced team skills to better meet business and resident needs
>> With rising investment in existing homes and improving team skills, we have witnessed a positive shift in procurement practices leading to quality improvements and cost savings, the latter at an important time when inflationary impacts continue to put pressure on maintenance budgets.
>> While we have made significant strides, achieving the desired level of customer voice and engagement remains a work in progress. Future investment in this area will benefit from learning from both past successes and shortcomings.
>> Our current stock condition survey, coupled with the adoption of new software, presents a promising opportunity to advance English Rural's approach to asset management.
