11077 edh-annual report 2013 v10 … · extramile to ensurerepairs are‘rightfirst time’. this...

Your Annual Report for

2012/2013

OPEN HOUSEOPEN HOUSE

martin.tindle

Text Box

Agenda Item 3ii(c)

This report shows you how East

Durham Homes performed in

2012/2013 and what needs to be

improved. The report follows

standards set by the Homes &

Communities Agency (HCA) for

housing providers and shows how

we are meeting them.

Customers were involved in producing the report

and the annual report editing panel helped put it

together. We also wanted to make this year’s report

different so, after consulting a number of customers,

we decided to have a customer ‘guest editor’ for

each section of the report. They wrote their own

section, setting out customers’ experiences and

points of view.

This year’s report is included as part of your

Autumn/Winter 2013 Insight newsletter so all

customers will receive a copy.

We hope you enjoy reading it and if you have any

suggestions for improving the report next year,

please get in touch!

The annual report editing panel

Young people cleaned upBlackhall Rocks

A year in pictures...

We held our annual

football tournament

The 3,000th homewas made decent

100% success for

gas safety

checks and

annual prize

draw winner has

a year's gas bill

paid for.

2 East Durham Homes Annual Report 2012/2013

APRIL2012

Annual Report 2012/2013

JUNE2012

MAY2012

JULY2012

Welcome to your annual report Put togetherby you…

for customers,

by customers

We were awarded TPAS reaccreditation for

our customer involvement

We launched our SHED2

social enterprise initiative

Partnership working furnishes East

Durham with employability skills

We were awarded the prestigious

Leaders in Diversity accreditation

We raised £4,912 for the MSSociety, the Chair’s charity for 2012

We announced

the winner

of our ‘Best kept

garden’

competition

2012

Our decent homes programmereached the half way stage whenwe completed the 4,000th home

3For all enquiries freephone 0800 032 0835

Our system for managingyour tenancy online waslaunched

OCTOBER2012

AUGUST

2012

DECEMBER2012

SEPTEMBER2012

NOVEMBER

2012

FEBRUARY

2013

MARCH2013

JANUARY2013

We have done a lot at East Durham Homes in

2012/2013. Here are some figures to show you how

we performed.

of you were satisfied with the overall service

provided by East Durham Homes


8,340 homes 104 leaseholders

86%

Our customers

of you were satisfied with your neighbourhood

as a place to live84%

of you were satisfied with the overall quality

of your home79%

of you were satisfied that we keep you informed

about the things that might affect you as a tenant86%

How did we do?


586complaints received

59%of complaints resolvedwithin

the target time of 7 days

806compliments received

2,348customer surveys completed to

help us check and improve our

services with an average overall

satisfaction score of 8.47 out of 10.

7.67days taken to

resolve a complaint

(average)

Your feedback

126,799calls taken by our contact centre

70

19

5 out of 15members on the

board are customers

10community projects funded

through our ‘quick fix it’ grant

83

115,361of queries were resolved at first contact

(90.98%)

10,566calls received per

month on average

Contacting us Getting involved

improvements weremade as a result ofcustomer involvement

Mondayis our busiest day

in the contact centre

improvements were also suggested

by our Customer Inspection and

Improvement Panel (CIIP)

ways for

customers to

get involved

6 East Durham Homes Annual Report 2012/2013Annual Report 2012/2013

Please help us reduce

this by keeping your

appointment or

calling to rearrange

32,779repairs carried out

2,689

17.3days taken to let

an empty property

(average)

498ASB cases

555new customers

24mutual exchanges

826properties

re-let

1,469customers given

welfare benefit

and debt advice

customer evicted. 15 for rent arrears.

3 for anti-social behaviour£834,106rent arrears

£336,053identified in benefits for

customers.

Missed appointmentscost us

£59,0706.77days taken to complete a repair

94.7%repairs carried out right first time

Repairs and maintenance

Housing

1,760homesmade decent as part of

our decent homes programme

59%of homes are

now decent 100%of tenants homes

with a valid gas

safety certificate

1,904‘A’ rated boilers

installed

642adaptationsmade for customers

with an additional need

Improving your home

A

Gas servicing

new applications for

housing throughDurham

KeyOptions 555

18


Over the last year I've noticed a real focus on

improving customer service at East Durham Homes.

I’ve always found staff to be very friendly and helpful

but they also keep looking at ways they can make

things better and more convenient for customers.

They’ve improved the systems used in the contact

centre to improve communication between the

customer service advisers and workmen.

If people want to know what’s going on in their area,

I would really encourage them to go along to a Board

meeting. All aspects of the organisation’s performance

are explained in black and white and it’s open to any

members of the public who want to attend.

The reason I first became an involved customer with

East Durham Homes was that I had a complaint to

make. Problems are recognised and addressed and

the process is very accessible, simple and fair. Once

I’d been through the complaints procedure myself, it

might sound strange, but it got me interested in East

members of the public who want to attend.

The reason I first became an involved customer with

“We also publish information about our services,

improvements and performance in our customer

newsletter Insight, on our website and on posters

in our head office and outlets.”

For all enquiries freephone

“In 2012/2013 we continued to achieve the

‘Customer Service Excellence Standard’and

delivered an innovative customer service training

programme to all staff.”

If people want to know what’s going on in their area,

“We’ve invested in our customer service computer

systems, which is helping us provide more tailored,

consistent, effective and quicker customer service

in our outlets and over the phone.”

Durham Homes as an organisation. I could see by

getting involved, I could help to improve things for

other customers.

Customers receive lots of support from East Durham

Homes, whether it's help filling in forms or with their

benefits. You can get in touch in many different ways,

so being disabled shouldn't stop you accessing the

services. All the East Durham Homes outlets and offices

are fully accessible and everyone’s needs are catered

for. I know that some people who are deaf or have a

hearing impairment have had special lights fitted that

flash when someone comes to their door.

Customers can get the information they need about

their home in many ways. The website is really useful,

being regularly reviewed and checked by tenant

mystery shoppers. Last year the‘MyPlace’button was

added to the website so there’s now a single place

where customers can view rent statements and make

rent payments any time of day. But, if you don’t use the

web, you can still receive information in other ways like

letters, telephone calls or in person.

Customer service, choice andcomplaints; and understandingand responding to the diverseneeds of our customers.

Joyce (centre) with the MS Active group

Customer service, choice and

By Joyce Lovack from Shotton

Durham Homes as an organisation. I could see by

“We are continuously making improvementsto our complaints procedure and, whileperformance on time taken to resolvecomplaints was a little over target time thisyear, we’re confident we’re doing everythingpossible to ensure complaints are resolvedthoroughly and effectively.”

“Over the last year we’ve been working withDurham City Homes and Dale and ValleyHomes to introduce the County DurhamTenant Complaint Panel . This is an optionfor complainants to have their complaintindependently reviewed after they have beenthrough our procedure and before going tothe Housing Ombudsman.” Joe Gash,Performance and Quality Manager

Tenant involvement and empowerment standard

All the written information East Durham Homes

provide is in plain English. The Typetalk service is

preferred by some people who are deaf, have a

hearing impairment or a speech impairment.

In one group I attend, 3 people had visual

impairments. But they could fully participate in the

meeting because the staff understand their needs

and use ‘customer care kits’ in all their meetings.

“In 2012/2013 we were only the third company

nationally to achieve the prestigious Leaders

in Diversity accreditation.

We also signed the Chartered Institute of

Housing’s Equality and Diversity Charter.”

Depending on what customers are interested in,

there’s a range of things they can get involved

with. East Durham Homes really encourage

customers to make suggestions and ask

questions, they never make me feel like my

questions are stupid, and whatever we ask is taken

seriously and followed through. I know they really

value customer input and have even been able to

make cost savings as a result of customer

suggestions.

“In 2012/2013 we awarded

‘quick fix it’ grants

totalling £4,549 to 10

community projects

including the Dene

Community Fire Fighters.”

Accessibility improvements were

made to our Peterlee outlet

“In 2012/2013 we awarded

“We have implemented 83 improvements

identified as a direct result of customer

involvement during the year. We have also

made 31 policy and procedural changes.”

“In 2012/2013 we awarded 1,840‘stars’to our

customers for their involvement. Fifty-three tenants

received £50 from the STAR reward scheme.”

“We were awarded TPAS (Tenant Participation

Advisory Service) re-accreditation for our resident

involvement.”

“We were shortlisted as a finalist in 3 categories

in the Northern region of the TPAS (Tenant

Participation Advisory Service) Awards 2013.”

The older person’s forum meetquarterly to discuss the issuesthat affect them.

Housing’s Equality and Diversity Charter.”

“In 2012/2013 we signed Durham

County Council's Breastfeeding

Friendly Scheme pledge, so now

our head office and customer

outlets are accredited

breastfeeding friendly venues.

We were the first housing provider

to sign up to the scheme.”


Getting involved

The older person's forum meet quarterly to

discuss the issues that affect them.


We can’t talk about customer involvement

without mentioning the Customer Involvement

and Inspection Panel (CIIP). East Durham Homes

don’t hide anything away from them, it’s brilliant!

They’ve investigated many parts of the

organisation and made recommendations to the

Board. East Durham Homes have followed these

through, taken the recommendations very

seriously and made some significant changes.

What’s more, the CIIP have been invited to

many conferences and events to speak about

their success and share best practice.

Through being an involved customer, East

Durham Homes has supported me enormously

to set up a local group for people with Multiple

Sclerosis (MS). We needed a bit of help at

first about how to run such a group but it is

established now and is a really important

information and meeting point for local people

with MS and their families. The group wouldn’t be

here without the support of East Durham Homes

and with their help we’ve secured funding for

days out and keep-fit equipment. I know it’s not

just us and that East Durham Homes do a lot to

support residents' groups and community groups

including the Peterlee visually impaired group

and ex-military personnel.

“We have delivered 2 Make a Difference

(MAD) days with Thornley and Blackhall

Tenant and Resident Associations.”

Members of the CIIP , Board Director Marion

Brunskill (2nd from right) and Tenancy Support

Manager Julie Dower (far right)at the TPAS Awards

“In 2012/2013 our customer inspection and

improvement panel inspected 2 areas: voids and

complaints. From these inspections 25

recommendations were approved by the Board,

of which 19 have already been implemented.”

“The Housing Partnership has been operating

successfully from Murton Resource Centre and is

offering services to local residents, including IT

facilities, advice, and directions to other services.”

East Durham Homes offer excellent learning

opportunities for customers. One example of

something I’ve taken part in is ‘stop loan sharks’

training. I learnt how to recognise a loan shark and

how to report them. I got a certificate at the end

of the course. I know other people have done an

Active Learning for Residents qualification which

is a great opportunity.

Gemma Pyle is presented with her certificates

We can’t talk about customer involvement

“We have carried out skills and interest

analysis for new customers who get involved and

developed annual training plans to support them.

In 2012/2013, 3 tenants successfully completed

the Community Action Level 2 Award offered by

the Chartered Institute of Housing. Two panel

members were among the first to complete the

Level 3 qualification in Resident Scrutiny.”

MAD day at Thornley

East Durham Homes make a real point of ensuring

the workers keep mess and disruption to a

minimum. And, once the decent homes work is

done, people receive decoration vouchers to help

towards the cost.

It’s clear the decent homes teams are working

hard to achieve all their targets on time and to

a very high standard.

I really believe that East Durham Homes go the

extra mile to ensure repairs are ‘right first time’.

This is taken very seriously. If a repair isn’t sorted

out on the first visit, it is fully investigated. Over

the years, this part of the service keeps improving.


I am chair of the home service review

panel and have been involved in it for

5 years. I joined because I was interested

in finding out more about the plan for

improving homes in our area. I started

coming along to meetings and asked lots

of questions. I realised that East Durham

Homes do listen to the concerns of

customers, take note and take action.

There’s a real 2-way discussion about what’s going

to be done, where and when. Staff really listen to

customer suggestions and explain things clearly

and honestly.

People who are having decent homes work done

get the opportunity to choose their bathroom,

kitchen, fireplace, flooring and tiles; and there’s

a good choice. The work can be messy but the

tradespeople clean up at the end of every day.

Quality ofaccommodation andrepairs and maintenance

To ensure vulnerable customers get high priority, we continue to fitaids and make adaptations as part of the decent homes programme.

Home standard

David James

Quality of

By David James from Horden

11For all enquiries freephone 0800 032 0835For all enquiries freephone 0800 032 0835For all enquiries freephone

A kitchen before and after decent homes work

1,760 properties were made decent exceeding

our target of 1,500 properties for the year.”

“At the end of 2012/2013 the decency level was

at 59%, passing the half-way mark.”

“East Durham Homes were recognised as one

of the four regional finalists for the category

Client of the Year’ at the North East

Constructing Excellence Awards in May 2012.”

Steel houses at Eastlea in Seaham before

and after large -scale external refurbishmentand after large -scale external refurbishment

“In August 2012 we received the great news

that the Homes and Communities Agency

confirmed the decent homes backlog

funding for the next 2 years (2013/2014

& 2014/2015).”

"We have put a new contract in place to

make improvements to customers' homes."

“Following recommendations fromour

scrutiny panel , we have implemented

significant changes in our processes to

improve communication on repairs”

“In 2013/2014 we’re looking to introduce

handheld technology to streamline

processes evenmore”

Durham County Council's lettings system

is very fair. If people tell East Durham

Homes their personal circumstances and

requirements, a lot can be done to help

them find a home that suits their needs.

East Durham Homes work hard to make

sure houses are re-let quickly so that

properties aren't left empty for long.

People can come to East Durham Homes if they

need advice on finances. If they get into arrears

East Durham Homes will listen and offer support

through budgeting advice and welfare benefit

checks. Staff are highly trained in these areas and

their training is continual as things change and

move on.

It’s a worry when you hear of more people

resorting to payday loans and loan sharks. The

staff at East Durham Homes direct customers to

the Credit Union which offers affordable loans and

simple savings schemes.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what your

situation is, the staff at East Durham Homes will

try and help as much as they can, and I find them

to be very professional and supportive.

Allocations, rent and tenure


“Staff from finance and income

management worked together on a

‘lean systems review’ of their work to make

efficiencies and improvements in our services.”

“In 2012/2013 we have re-let 826 properties.

Of these, 555 went to new tenants,

222 went to existing tenants and 24 were

mutual exchanges.”

“We have worked closely with Durham County

Council and the Durham Key Options partners

and reviewed the lettings policy to take into

account the impact of welfare reform.”

“We have advertised homes across the

county weekly and on the Durham Key

Options website.”

“Registered applicants can bid for a home on

the website, by phone, or text, through

digi-tv or the smartphone app.”

“We are registered with the national

HomeSwapper mutual exchange service,

which helps you find suitable people to

swap your home with.”

Tenancy standard

Joan Zettle

Allocations, rent and tenure

By Joan Zettle from Horden


“In 2012/2013 our vulnerable applicant officer

helped 618 people with additional needs to

successfully get a new home.”

“During 2012/2013 we gave free welfare

debt advice to 1,469 customers. This advice

identified £336,053 in housing or other

welfare benefits for customers.”

“In 2012/2013 we secured 50 charitable fund

grants for our customers, worth £10,000.”

“During 2012/2013, as many as 137 customers

received extra support in the first year of

their tenancy.”

"Between November 2012 and March 2013 we

contacted 2,342 customers to advise them how

welfare reform would affect them and what

help was available."

“Our customers rate our tenancy sustainment

and vulnerable applicant services as excellent,

with scores of 9.27 and 9.36 out of 10."

“In October 2012

we launched MyPlace,an online self-service portal that

allows customers to manage their

tenancies online, 24 hours a day.

Customers can view rent balances,

print rent statements, make rent

payments, inform us of any change

in contact details or special

requirements, report repairs

and send instant

messages.” “In December 2012 we held a door-knock event

in Peterlee alongside the Credit Union and the

Illegal Money Lending Team to give residents

important information and advice about saving

money and energy.”

“Our partnership working with these

organisations has been highlighted as good

practice, by the National Federation of ALMOs."

Money team ready to give advice


Dennis Gilbertson

As part of being on the neighbourhood and

community service review panel, I’ve been out

and about with Stuart Wood, the Senior Estate

and Regeneration Officer, to give my views on

things that need work and how we can get it

done. I’ve been involved with getting funding

approved for a tarmacked area in Seaham, a

fencing project in Murton and many more

improvements. East Durham Homes really do care

about making estates better and encouraging

customer input.

People would be surprised how much East

Durham Homes do to stop anti-social behaviour

and keep our estates in good condition. Staff

respond quickly and are spot on.

Even if you can’t give a lot of time to being

involved with East Durham Homes, I encourage

you to go on an estate walkabout. You can

highlight any concerns and find out what can be

done and when, and who’s responsible for it.

Estate management,partnership working andanti-social behaviour

“We have worked with Durham County Credit

Union and East Durham Partnership to develop a

pilot initiative to support customers back into

work and in buying furniture.”

Neighbourhood and community standard

East Durham Homes is doing a very good

job. They have a really good presence in

the neighbourhoods. They clear away

rubbish and help people out when they

need it.

My area is really well looked after and there’s little

anti-social behaviour. I live among privately

owned homes and East Durham Homes have a

good link with those residents too. It’s important

for everyone on the estates that they keep their

gardens tidy and in good condition too.

I’m a volunteer for Victim Support, and East

Durham Homes have an excellent working

relationship with them as well as many other

agencies including the fire service, STEP (Support

Tenants, Eviction Prevented), BLISS mediation

services and Derwentside Domestic Abuse Service

(DDAS).

“We established links with the Foundation of

Light, Acumen and the National Careers Service to

provide a group of our younger customers with

an employability course called ‘Back in the Game’.”

Estate management,

By Dennis Gilbertson from Peterlee


“In 2012/13 our Neighbourhood Enforcement

Team dealt with 498 reports of anti-social

behaviour. We resolved almost 97% of these cases.“

“We have helped with‘restorative justice’work,

which reduces the need for victims to go through

the criminal justice system and also reduces the

risk of anti-social behaviour being repeated. Of the

498 cases opened during 2012/2013, only 2% were

re-opened following further complaints. “

“We have performed with consistent success in

court actions, getting 3 injunctions, 3 demoted

tenancies and 8 possession orders in high-level

enforcement cases.“

“We have referred 26 cases of anti-social behaviour

to the independent mediation service.“

“We held a series of ‘Make the Most of your

Money’ events at Shotton, Wingate and

Blackhall in partnership with the Credit Union,

Careers Advice, Acumen and East Durham Trust.”

“Our Neighbourhood Enforcement Team was

recognised as one of the top 3 in the country at

the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group

(SLCNG) Awards 2012 in The Team of The Year

category. Following this we were visited by the

Home Office to look at our best practice.”

“In November 2012 we

launched a Social Enterprise:

‘SHED2’ to provide a

low-cost decorating service

to customers and

employment opportunities

for local young people.”

“144 Estate Walkabouts were carried out with 74

having resident involvement”.

“3,904 actions were taken as a result of estate

walkabouts including dealing with untidy or

overgrown gardens, minor repairs, cleansing

or litter issues”.

“107 jobs were completed through the

handy-person service”.

“We have carried out a review of the

handyperson service and satisfaction levels

were excellent with a rating of 9.13 out of 10”.

“1,060 safety checks were conducted on our

flat blocks throughout the year”.

“At the end of 2013 there were 256 customers

included on the garden maintenance scheme.

During 2012/2013 37 new customers joined

the scheme”.

“In 2012/2013 we dealt with 418 tree complaints

and collected 103 van loads of green waste”.

New fencing erected at Hovingham Close

All the staff at East Durham Homes

understand the importance of saving

money. I’m part of the value-for-money

panel and it’s clear there’s lots being done

throughout all levels of the company to

get the most out of the resources available.

East Durham Homes are responsible about spending

their money and have a good reputation for this. In

2012/2013 they gave refresher training to all staff on

value for money and stressed the importance of

recording and communicating efficiencies.

There’s been a move towards using email more for

customer correspondence, which is saving printing

and postage costs. Last year, the Insight magazine

was reduced to 3 editions a year from 4, but I still

feel we get enough information from that and it

made a saving.

Improvements in the website have helped East

Durham Homes be more efficient. People can find

lots of information they need online rather than

asking a member of staff.

Customers can (and do!) make many suggestions

for efficiencies too. It’s a really open process.

To save money, customers attending groups and

meetings with East Durham Homes use pooled

cars and taxis. Members of the mystery shopping

group have agreed to meet bi-monthly instead of

monthly. They still make a great contribution, but

have saved money on hiring their meeting place.

I’m a member of the customer improvement

inspection panel and a big part of our work is

looking at how East Durham Homes achieve value

for money in all different aspects of the business.

And it’s not just about saving cash: value for

money also means improving customer satisfaction

and experience and getting the most out of the

resources available. In 2012/2013 we recommended

ways of improving communications on repairs,

which led to some really positive changes that

saved time on phone calls and unnecessary call-outs.


Durham Homes be more efficient. People can find

money also means improving customer satisfaction

resources available. In 2012/2013 we recommended

Annual Report 2012/2013

“By using the expertise of our staff and Board to

deliver certain training, we have saved £7,840.”

“In 2012/2013 we have reduced the cost of

subscriptions by £51,957.”

“By reducing the number of editions of Insight

in a year from 4 to 3, we have saved £10,500.”

“By matching people with houses adapted to

their needs, we have saved £232,153.”

“We have saved £23,456 on annual

servicing by converting back boiler units.”

“In 2012/2013 we’ve made a saving of £11,932

by reducing printing and postage.”

“We compare our performance and costs

with other housing providers to see how

well we’re doing and whether we can

learn from them."

Value for money standard

George Dowse

By George Dowse from Peterlee

“By outsourcing flat-block

cleaning, we’ve saved £6,173.”


“In 2012/2013 our value for money target

was £410,222 – we actually saved £427,000.”

“Our value for money service review panel

is made up of customers and staff, and is

chaired by a tenant. They meet quarterly to

review procedures and ensure we promote

and provide good value for money.”

“To help customers save money, we have

produced an energy saving guide. The booklet

also helps them keep their homes in good

condition and prevents unnecessary repairs.”

For all enquiries freephone

We want to give the best possible value to our customersin return for the money they pay us. Our servicesshould be the best they can be for the money wecan afford.

The Homes and Community Agency, has a value-for-money standard. In July the Board decided we shouldwork closely with our customers to assess ourselvesagainst the standard.

Our assessment:• Shows what value for money means in

East Durham Homes.

• Shows how we are involving customers, Boardmembers and staff in a cultural change that seeksimprovements on value for money from year to year.

• Explains our strategy (ie, the big picture not thefine detail) on value for money and how we useour resources. As a company we need to fullyunderstand and explain our needs and costs.This will help us provide affordable services.

• Explains our arrangements for ensuring we give valuefor money by:- running value-for-money and customer inspectionand improvement panels that fully involvecustomers and staff and make recommendations,such as extra tools for the estate vans and moreinspections of empty homes

- mystery shopping to monitor our services- comparing ourselves against others in thesocial housing sector (called ‘benchmarking’),which helps us learn where we can improve

- investing in our staff and writing a set ofvalues that become part of everything we do.

• Gives examples of where we have achieved value formoney – some of these are highlighted in the restof this section .

• Shows that we learn from our own successes andmistakes and those of others.

We plan to further improve our value for money.For example, we can:- harmonise future strategies across the 3 housingproviders involved in the current ‘stock options’ process

- develop ‘business cases’ for new initiatives- better measure the social impact of our projects.

Our Board is made up of equal numbers of

tenants/leaseholders, council representatives and

independent members.

The Board has 3 sub-groups, called panels, that

focus on improving important areas. Panel

meetings are open to the public. The panels are:

· customer service

· finance and human resources

· audit and risk.

Board meetings take place every other month in

community venues throughout the East Durham

area. They are open to the public and advertised in

our newsletter Insight and on our website.

“Good governance is theorganisation’s backbone soit’s important we get it right.

The governancearrangements at EastDurham Homes are excellent.We comply with all the

standards, we have achieved highly in theindependent appraisal and each of us bringsspecialist areas of expertise to the organisation.

We’ve been kept well informed about the stockoptions process and there’s lots of good workgoing into managing it properly.”


Marion Brunskill, Tenant Board Director

“At East Durham Homes,customers are at the heart ofeverything. From our servicereview panels right throughto the Board, customers areinvolved in decision-makingthroughout all aspects and

levels of the company. We take equality anddiversity very seriously and this is central to whatwe do internally and when providing services toour customers.

Careful consideration is given to the allocationof resources and we use the funds we have tomake the best possible impact and prioritisethe people who need it most.

The approach of the Board is very transparentand accountable and that’s why we take theannual independent review very seriously.

In 2012/2013 customers and staff have beenwell represented throughout the stock optionsprocess and we will ensure this continuesmoving forward.”

Margaret Oswald, Tenant Board Director

“The Board is a tight knitteam and we work on astrategic level. The future isgoing to bring challengesparticularly with welfarereform, and it continues tobe important that the Board

works well together on the big decisions.

A big achievement for 2012/2013 has been thework on value for money. We’ve completed aself-assessment to ensure value for money is astrong theme everywhere. It’s crucial that wedeliver the best services possible within theresources available.”

Warwick Rothesay, Tenant Board Director

East Durham Homes is a private, not-for-

profit company controlled by a Board of

15 directors. East Durham Homes is an

Arm’s Length Management Organisation

(ALMO) that is owned by and reports to

Durham County Council.

“From governance, to staff, tocustomers, at East DurhamHomes there is a lot of positivity.I thoroughly enjoy my role onthe Board and I’ve been givenexcellent training to ensure I’mwell equipped to do the job.

There’s a lot of teamwork and all people areapproachable. We believe in partnership working.”

Thomas Wareing, Tenant Board Director

Governance and financial viability standard


Staff member, Stuart Wood, who has MS, and his

family were presented with the cheque for £4,912

on behalf of the Chair's Charity: Understanding

Childhood Multiple Sclerosis Campaign.

Patricia Thornhill,

Governance Manager,

was recognised at

The Excellence in

Governance Awards

2012 in the category

Company Secretary of

the Year (Not For Profit).

Keith Gallagher retired

as Chair of the board

after 10 years’ service.

The annual ‘Keith

Gallagher Award for

Scrutiny’ was launched

and the 2013 winner

was Mr Brian Smith.

Paul MainsChief Executive

Michael DoyleDirector ofNeighbourhoodServices

Rachel TaylorDirector of Financeand SupportServices

In May 2012, a full

independent Board

appraisal led to an ‘A+’

rating being presented

by Simon Ramshaw,

partner for Anthony

Collins Solicitors LLP.

Executive Management Team

In 2012/2013 the day-to-day running of East

Durham Homes was managed by the Chief

Executive, Paul Mains, with a team of 2 directors.

In 2012 the Board elected a new chair, Paul Morganand vice-chair, Michael Bell. We also recruited new

tenant and independent Board Directors.

Tenant/

leaseholder

representatives

Marion Brunskill

Ray Lamb

Margaret Oswald

Warwick Rothesay

Thomas Wareing

Independent

representatives

Michael Bell

(Vice-Chair)

William Fullen

John Hewitt

Paul Morgan (Chair)

Ian Youll

Council

representatives

Bob Arthur

Geraldine Bleasedale

David Boyes

Ralph Liddle

Board Directors at 31 March 2013

Keith Gallagher presenting

the award to Brian Smith

Simon Ramshaw and

Keith Gallagher

Paul Morgan (Chair) and Michael Bell (Vice Chair)

East Durham Homes Limited is a company limited

by guarantee; the company’s sole member is

Durham County Council. East Durham Homes

was incorporated on 20 February 2004 and

commenced trading on 1 April 2004.

East Durham Homes is an Arms Length

Management Organisation (ALMO) of the County

Council. The company’s main activities are the

day-to-day management and maintenance of

the council’s housing in East Durham.

Results for the financial yearIncome

We had a turnover of £16.70m (2012: £16.57m).

Below you can see the activities that generated

income for us.

Introduction and background

20 East Durham Housing Annual Report 2013

Management fee for day-to-day

management and maintenance

of the council’s housing stock

Income for managing and

completing improvement work

to the council’s housing stock

Income for services to organisations

other than the County Council

Total 16,566

15

2,412

14,139

Operating costs

The operating costs for the period were

£15.8m (2012: £16.1m). The breakdown of

our costs is shown in the graph:

9,000

8,000

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

-1,000

£'0

00

Repairs andmaintenance

(including managing repairsand improvements works)

£8,299

Central services(including office

accommodation, financeand communications)

£3,734

Housingmanagement

£4,075

Year to

31/03/12

£’000

Year to

31/03/13

£’000

Where money is spent

2012/2013

Total £15,798

This showsthat we get99.8% of ourincome fromthe council.

Year to

31/03/13

£’000

Total 16,699

30

2,888

13,781

Financial summary 2012/2013

Pensionadjustments

(£310)£'000

East Durham Homes Annual Report 2012/2013


Most of our income comes from the council. The

council pays the management fee and provides

some of the income for improvement work to

council homes, from the Housing Revenue

Account. The income to the Housing Revenue

Account comes mainly from rents, which is

dependent on the number of properties the

council has. The number of properties the council

has falls every year as a result of the Right to Buy,

and the fact that some of the properties that

people don’t want to live in have to be

demolished.

We are committed to providing services that give

good value for money, and we will continue to

review our costs to ensure that the organisation

can continue its work. During the financial year

ending 31 March 2013, we put in place several

schemes to reduce our ongoing organisational

costs, to ensure the company can continue in the

long term.

In this financial year we had a surplus of £288,192

(2012: £7,288 deficit) after interest and tax. This

includes disclosing the company’s pension

liability, as required by Financial Reporting

Standard 17 (FRS17).

If we exclude our pension liability, then for this

financial period there is a surplus of £628,192

(2012: £142,712). Our reserves have increased to

£2,762,244 as at 31 March 2013 (£2,134,052 as at

31 March 2012). This information is in the balance

sheet. The reserve is for emergencies,

contingencies and business planning. We intend

to use some of the reserves to help us provide our

Decent Homes programme in 2013/2014.

The Board of Directors are satisfied that the

company is a going concern.

A summary of the company’s income and

expenditure account and the balance sheet is

overleaf. The audited financial statements

provide the detailed analysis for the period.

A copy of the financial statements is available

from the Financial Controller, East Durham Homes,

2, Meridian Court, Whitehouse Business Park,

Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 2RQ.

East Durham Homes costs Position for the financial year


Durham County Council is developing a

proposal to transfer the ownership its homes to

the 3 organisations that currently manage them

on their behalf – East Durham Homes, Durham

City Homes and Dale and Valley Homes.

The Council and East Durham Homes recognise

that transfer is a big decision but rest assured it

is not a foregone conclusion. Tenants will decide

in a ballot whether transfer happens or not and

over the coming months there will be a major

consultation exercise involving newsletters,

facts sheets, websites, home visits, DVDs, events

and a formal consultation document to make

sure that tenants have the facts about transfer

and can make an informed choice.

And finally…..

Turnover 16,565,711 16,698,651

Operating costs (16,091,641) (15,797,957)

OPERATING SURPLUS 474,070 900,694

Interest receivable 35,306 47,497

509,873 948,191

Interest payable and similar charges (510,000) (650,000)

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES BEFORE

TAXATION(127) 298,191

Taxation (7,161) (9,999)

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR (7,288) 288,192

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets 132,512 56,120

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors 753,296 1,516,081

Cash at bank and in hand 4,352,802 4,231,261

5,106,098 5,747,342

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year 3,104,558 3,041,218

NET CURRENT ASSETS 2,001,540 2,706,124

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 2,134,052 2,762,244

PROVISIONS FOR LIABILITIES

Defined benefit pension scheme liability 16,680,000 17,520,000

RESERVES

Other reserves (16,680,000) (17,520,000)

Income and expenditure account 2,134,052 2,762,244

2,134,052 2,762,244

Balance sheet

Period1.4.11 to 31.3.12

£

Period1.4.12 to 31.3.13

£

At 31.3.13£

At 31.3.12£

Income and expenditure account

The benefits of a transfer would be:

• Transfer is the only way to provide the standard of homes,

neighbourhoods and services tenants want to see.

• The new group of landlords would be able to spend more

money than the council is able to in these difficult

financial times.

• Tenants would still see the same familiar faces as their

new landlord would be the local staff that currently

manage their home for the council.

• Tenants’key rights and entitlements would be protected.

• Rents would be set in the same way as the council

does now.

We welcome the transfer proposal, and with your

continued support we feel we’re in a good position to

make the most of the opportunities it could bring.


East Durham Homes

2 Meridian Court, Whitehouse Business Park,

Peterlee, County Durham SR8 2RQ

Freephone: 0800 032 0835

Direct dial: 0191 518 5497

You can use this local-cost, direct-dial number from

your mobile phone to avoid premium charges, which

your network provider may charge for calling

freephone numbers.

Text: ‘enquiry’ to 07786 207 745

Typetalk: 18001 then the telephone number

you require

Fax: 0191 518 5349

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.eastdurhamhomes.co.uk

Our contact centre is open from 8am to 8pm Monday

to Friday, and from 8am to 12 noon on Saturday.

Please note: for emergencies outside normal office

hours, you can contact us on 0800 032 0835.

Customer outlets:

Peterlee Customer Outlet

29 Yoden Way, Castle Dene Shopping Centre,

Peterlee SR8 1AL

Seaham Customer Outlet

St John’s Square, Sophia Street, Seaham SR7 7JE

Opening times:

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday – 8.30am to 5pm

Wednesday – 10am to 5pm

Friday – 8.30am to 4.30pm

Saturday – 9am to 12 noon (Peterlee outlet only)

@EastDurhamHomes

www.facebook.com/EDHomes1

Contact us

Rememberwe can alsoarrange to visityou at home if youcan’t get to one ofour offices.

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All our publications can be provided in large print, audio tape or

CD, electronically via email or in Braille. We can also provide an

induction loop, BSL interpreter, same-gender interview or home

visits if required. Please contact us on 0800 032 0835.

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