resident annual report

Our Annual Report 2012I I

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Accord Group Our Annual Report 20122 Accord Group

Our Report 2012 3

Foreword page 4

Our journey page 6

Our homes page 8

Our customer care page 16

Our repairs page 22

Our neighbourhoods page 28

Our involvement page 34

Our governance page 38

Value-for-money page 41

Our money page 44

Our future page 48

Our extras page 50

Have your say page 54

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Our Report 2012 5

Welcome to your annual report.This year’s report has seen more involvement from customers than ever before. From taking photographs to interviewing staff, we have been very involved because now, more than ever, customers have a real say and can work with our landlords and the Group as a whole to shape the services we receive.

Written by customers for customers, this report gives details and information about the Accord Group from a customer’s point of view. We have worked in partnership with the Resident Engagement team to create a document so that everyone can understand what happens within the organisation and the full range of services that are available.

Each member of the annual report team has taken a specific topic to research and report back on. It was a real challenge but so rewarding. We hope you enjoy reading this as much as we have enjoyed writing it for you. You can find out more about our journey on the following pages.

The next report is already in planning and we would encourage all fellow residents to take part and get involved. To register your interest, email [email protected]

See you all next year.

Photographs of residents and the community, taken by Charlotte Roper and Yvette Thompson.

Barbara Timmins

Yvette Thompson

Sue Priest

Robert Vaughn

Claudette Bonnet

Asma Mulla

Charlotte Roper

Kath Hodson

Chris Bishop

Maureen Kearns

Stuart Anslow

Bromwyn Shayler

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Accord Group

Our A

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Accord Group

Our R

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January W

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istributed across

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Engagem

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portunities available for us to be part of the A

nnual Rep

ort team.

March

Trainin

g. W

e were invited to

a number of specialist training

sessions in order to help us carry out our tasks. These included a beginner’s guide to M

icrosoft Word, top tips for

interviewing people, w

riting articles and an introduction to the design suite.

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April –

May

The w

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s. We w

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own articles, discussing and

subm

itting our work to our

buddies. All of our w

ork was

then collected and a draft copy w

as produced.

July R

evie

w. A

de-brief meeting

was held to sign-off all our

work, review

the process, and

listen to feedback and learning outcom

es from us all.

FebruaryT

he fi

rst meetin

g. A

ll of those who w

ere interested w

ere invited to a b

riefing session where feedback on the 2011 A

nnual R

eport was review

ed and a timetable for actions w

as set. Key

content themes w

ere identified from

the Hom

es and Com

munities

Agency’s (H

CA

) new regulatory fram

ework. This fram

ework has

replaced the previous Tenants Services A

uthority (TSA

) document.

Each of us w

ere asked to cover a specific topic.

Drag

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After the success of last year’s

Dragon’s D

en event, mem

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the Com

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pitched three d

esign ideas to a group of us from

our Annual

Report team

. We grilled the

Com

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with a

variety of questions about value-for-m

oney, design style

and green credentials and

finally voted on each concept

to choose a winner.

Briefi

ng session

s. We w

ere invited to a drop-in session for a briefing about our subject areas and our roles w

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oles ranged from journalists,

photographers and researchers to writers, designers and proof-

readers. Each of us from

the Annual R

eport team w

as assigned a buddy, (a staff m

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ith our work). C

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buddies w

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Our Report 2012 9

Our homesThe Accord Group is one of the largest housing and social care organisations in the Midlands, providing affordable housing and health and social care to 50,000 people and employing nearly 4,200.

“I found the experience of visiting the schemes and learning about the Group’s care and support services very enjoyable. It’s helped me to understand more about care and support and the great variety of services provided.”Maureen Kearns

The Group has over 11,000 homes. Over 7,000 of these are rented properties. We also have over 1,000 shared ownership properties, where customers own a percentage of their home and rent the rest from their landlord.

Another significant part of our portfolio is our sheltered housing and care and support properties. Maureen Kearns visited a couple of schemes to learn more about the variety of services on offer. Her article is below.

The Accord Group has in excess of 60 care and support schemes providing a wide range of services for people with many different needs and abilities. Care and support services include help around the home, meal provision, health management and much more.

Falcon House is a Caldmoreaccord scheme which works with people who have problems with substance misuse, such as drug or alcohol addiction. They can accommodate eight residents between the ages of 18-59. Each individual has their own support worker and there are staff on site.

During my visit, residents told me that they were ‘treated with respect’ and felt that Falcon House was ‘clean and homely.’ Staff added that they also work to support service users to learn new skills with the aim that they move on to independent living, hopefully within 26 weeks.

In addition to the traditional care and support services, there are a whole host of health and well-being services provided across the Group including lifestyle services, gymnasiums, fitness classes and a catering and nutrition team. The aim of these specialist teams is to work alongside care and support and housing services staff to increase opportunities for health improvement and well-being for the Accord Group’s customers.

In particular, the Group specialises in dementia services and provide safe, warm and welcoming environments at their dementia cafés support groups.

The cafés give people with dementia, their family members and carers opportunities to come together, share experiences and get advice and information from professionals and guest speakers. Dementia cafés are hosted for two hours per month at 14 different venues across Sandwell, Walsall and Dudley.

by Maureen.

Maureen Kearns.

Dementia cafe.


Our Report 2012 11

Life-changing livingLindsay Griff in lives in a Redditch Co-operative Homes (RCH) property in Oakenshaw, with her partner and six year old daughter Demi Lee.

Lindsay first arrived at RCH some 10 years ago as a homeless vulnerable 17-year old, on referral from Redditch Borough Council and was offered a home to rent.

Lindsay says;“As a tenant of an RCH home, you sign an agreement to attend meetings and be prepared to participate in the work of the co-operative.

“I was so grateful of the kindness and support I received from the RCH community. I became actively involved in the co-operative’s work which helped improve my knowledge and personal development skills. I also enjoyed the social aspect of the co-operative and have made many long-standing friends.

“After a career break I decided to return to work and applied for a post at RCH. I was successful and now work full time for RCH as a co-operative services officer. My experience of living in co-operative, has stood me in good stead as I can relate to residents; understand their issues and offer help and support. I am really pleased that I’m now able to give something back.”

The Group also specialises in co-operative housing. Sue Priest interviewed staff and residents from bchs (Birmingham Co-operatives Housing Services) and Redditch Co-operative Homes (RCH) to find out more. She writes...

bchs and Redditch Co-operative Homes are both part of the wider Accord Group and have developed over 50 housing co-operatives and community-led housing projects since 1997.

People living in a co-operative are able to get more involved than normal rented customers. They are encouraged to be actively responsible in business management, planning and property repairs to their homes and work collectively in partnership with other residents and the landlord to benefit their homes and improve their communities and homes.

Co-operative lifeColin and Dorothy Harris are residents at Breedon Gardens in Redditch. They have lived in their Breedon Co-operative bungalow for 10 years and are really proud of their involvement and the achievements of their co-operative.

The residents at Breedon Co-operative are responsible for the successful management and maintenance of their homes. They are successful in the following ways:

1. Breedon is renowned for its low level of arrears due to the strength of its committee and its desire to tackle any arrears at an early stage.

2. Repairs budgets have remained stable and healthy due to the care that all the residents take with their properties and the willingness of the committee to appoint proactive repairs officers who engage with the office staff regularly.

3. Breedon Co-operative has not had any issues of anti-social behaviour in the last two years.

4. Empty properties are rare as people enjoy living at this co-operative.

When asked to summarise life in a co-operative home they both agreed “It’s about everyone being involved, mucking in together and caring - it’s all about community spirit.”

Photograph taken by Sue Priest.

Sue Priest.

Lindsay at work at RCH.

by Sue.

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Our Report 2012 13

Photographs of our residents, taken by Charlotte Roper and Yvette Thompson.

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Our Report 2012 15

Value-for-moneyThe Group sometimes has issues with vandalism which means that we often have high security costs to protect empty properties.

However, recently the Group has been using Guardians (carefully vetted professional individuals) who live in vacant commercial or residential properties to protect them for temporary periods. The Guardians act as an early warning system to the landlord in preventing or detecting vandalism, theft of fixtures and fittings, burst pipes, electrical faults and weather damage. The Guardians are not paid to live in the homes, which has saved the Group thousands of pounds.

The f igures

In 2011/2012, an internal group was set up to look at improving the re-let times of empty properties. There were a number of recommendations that staff implemented helping us to let our homes more quickly.

For example, Moseley and District reduced the time a property is empty from 19 days in 2010/11 to 10 days 2011/12. Below are the average figures across the Group for how quickly properties are re-let.

It is important to note that Caldmore and Accord are still reported as separate organisations because the figures are as of March 2012, a month before the partnership was formed.

Lettings - what’s new?This year a Lettings Action Group has been set up to:

• Share best practice across all organisations in the Group

• Identify where improvements can be made and ensure plans are in place to make them happen

• Undertake regular policy reviews and make recommendations for amendments.

The Accord Group adds...

Organisation General needs Supported housing

Accord 19 33

Ashram 17 31

bchs 20 N/A - No supported housing

Caldmore 5 18

Fry N/A 20

Moseley and District 10 66

Redditch Co-operative Homes 13 N/A - No supported housing

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Our Report 2012 17

Our customer careA key contact point for all customers is the Customer First contact centre based at the West Bromwich off ice. Rob Vaughan interviewed Head of Customer First, Nev Gill, to f ind out more about what happens in the centre. He writes...

With changes across the Group, will Customer First maintain the 20 second response time for calls?Yes. We believe that the 20 second target is set at the right level to ensure that customers are not made to wait for a long time before their call is answered, as well as allowing Customer First to operate efficiently.

The current response time of 20 seconds is an average over the month, and allows for the fact that there will be occasions when we will be busy, such as Monday mornings and other times when we are quieter.

Naturally, we will always review this to improve performance, and the customer experience.

Customer First handle our repairs calls but how do they classify a repair as urgent, routine or an emergency? As part of the new contract for responsive repairs, which will be handled by Lovells, we will be moving away from the standard emergency, urgent and routine categories. Instead, we will first diagnose if the repair needs to be done within a very quick time-scale. We would describe these types of jobs as ones where the damage presents an immediate threat to the property or the individual if it is not repaired immediately. All other non-emergency repairs will be given an appointment based on when is most suitable for the customer. We feel this will improve customer satisfaction levels as residents get an appointment time that suits them.

Are Customer First staff under pressure to maintain targets?Customer First staff are not measured on how long they take on calls, which is what most contact centres tend to look at. We want to focus on giving a good customer experience, and more importantly giving correct and accurate information.

As the Group has grown we have seen more calls and emails come into Customer First, so we increased our staffing levels to accommodate this too.

Working in Customer First can be stressful given the amount of calls and emails staff have to handle, as well as other tasks. This is something that we continually review to make sure that we don’t overload the team.

Rob Vaughan.

Customer First contact centre.

“As the Group has grown we have seen more calls and emails come into Customer First, so we increased our staffing levels to accommodate this too.”Nev Gill, Head of Customer First

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Our Report 2012 19

Could Customer First be run more eff iciently, or improved in any way?Yes, we can always work more efficiently and we can always improve. We review our performance regularly and based on the feedback we receive we make improvements.

Recently, we removed the voice activation system as customers felt that it didn’t work, or it frustrated them. However, this change made the service worse as it took longer to answer calls. We have now reinstated voice activation but shortened and changed the message to allow customers to dial a direct number if they know it.

We have also extended our operating hours between 8am and 8pm to be more available for customers based on feedback. We are always open to suggestions as our primary objective is to improve the customer experience.

What is the percentage of calls resolved at f irst contact and what is the target set?Customer First has two major enquiries from our residents:

1: Dealing with repairs.

2: Helping with enquiries regarding an anti-social behaviour matter, rent account or letting.

If we look at our performance on repairs, our resolution at the point the customer calls is above 90 per cent. Our target is to resolve 80 per cent of all calls at the time the customer calls.

In terms of the other enquiries, our percentage of calls resolved at the time a customer calls is around 65 per cent, which means we need to look at how we can improve our knowledge to resolve the queries, or ensure that we can transfer the call to someone who can help at the time the customer calls.

I believe that all staff should be able to be contacted during working hours, not have voice mail turned on as it can be very frustrating. Will this issue be resolved?The issue around voicemails is a valid one and something that we do need to consider when looking at what can be done to improve the customer experience.

As mentioned above, one of the areas that causes us not to meet the 80 per cent target is sometimes due to us not being able to speak to the relevant person, who may be out of the office as part of their daily duties.Therefore, we will look at how we can minimise the use of voicemails so that customers get their enquiries resolved quicker.

Is there anything else we need to know about?From 1 September, 2012, a Group-wide customer service strategy and new complaints and compliments procedure was launched. The key elements of both policies are built around the Group’s core customer service principles of care, commitment and trust.

Our aim is to deliver services that customers want, when they want it, in a way that suits them best. The complaints and compliments policy will help to measure whether or not we deliver on these commitments and where improvements can be made. The goal is to place customers at the very heart of what we do.

Last year, we can report that we met our timescales for resolving complaints as per the table. Next year, because of the new procedures, we will be reporting our figures slightly differently as the timescales will be led by individual customer’s needs.

by Rob.

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Our Report 2012 21

Organisation Complaints resolved within timescales

Accord 100%

Accord care and support 100%

Ashram 100%

Ashram care and support 100%

*bchs 0%

Caldmore 100%

Caldmore care and support 100%

Fry 100%

Moseley and District 100%

Moseley and District care and support 100%

Redditch Co-operative Homes 100%

*Although this figure is low, it refers to only one complaint which is still ongoing.


Value-for-moneyWorking with the contractors, improvements to the repairs process has seen issues resolved first time, rise by 20 per cent. This reduces the number of calls chasing up repairs, which saves time and money for the customers and the business. Over the next 12 months a texting system will be introduced as another way to contact Customer First with certain queries.

FairnessBetween 1 April, 2012 and 31 March, 2012, the Group handled enquiries in 18 different languages via Language Line. The most popular language was Bambara, a language spoken by people who originate from Mali.

Did you know?From time-to-time, Nev Gill, Head of Customer First, works on the phones to help the team manage the call volume, especially around Bank holidays.

Photographs of residents and the community, taken by Charlotte Roper and Yvette Thompson.

Nev Gill, Head of Customer First.

The f iguresThe Accord Group adds...

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Our Report 2012 23

What process is followed to select a contractor?For larger contracts there is a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) which assesses the company who are proposing to tender. This process includes a financial evaluation and collecting references from existing clients. Contractors who successfully complete the PQQ process are then invited to tender for the work.

Contractor’s bids are assessed by a combination score of quality and price. The weighting given to these two selection criteria will vary according to the nature of the contract. For example, we have an 80:20 price/quality ratio for planned works and a 60:40 price/quality ratio for responsive repairs where there is a higher volume of work and a longer-term working relationship.

Each bidder is scored against the same pricing criteria and the same method statement assessment criteria in order to ensure fairness and transparency in the process.

In addition, a reality check visit is carried out on each bidder for higher value contracts and the assessment of the findings from the visits are used as an additional methodology to assess the quality of the bid. For our new contractors, residents were involved in all the stages.

The contract award is made to the highest scoring contractor and confirmation is sent to all bidders in writing. Each contractor has the opportunity to receive more detailed feedback if required.

Where do you feel your priorities lie in terms of selecting contractors?The priority when selecting contractors is to ensure that the Accord Group obtains the best quality at an affordable price. The challenge is to deliver a high quality service to residents both in terms of workmanship and product and to do this within budget.

It is also important through contracting to deliver the overall aspirations of the Accord Group, such as creating job opportunities for residents, regenerating communities and meeting our environmental aspirations.

Our repairs

This year the repairs contract has changed and sees Lovell and Status provide the service for the majority of the Group. Barbara Timmins interviewed Mark England, Head of Corporate Asset Management, to learn more about the new contract and the process the Group had to follow. Barbara writes...

How are contracts arranged and obtained?Contracts are arranged to cover a variety of repairs and maintenance works, such as day-to-day, repairs to empty properties (void works), service contracts for things like lifts and individual planned maintenance programmes, from window and door replacements to kitchens and bathrooms. Work can be combined, particularly where there is a clear overlap of skills, for example in kitchen and bathroom replacement programmes.

Contracts are obtained through competitive tendering which means that a specification of works is drawn up against which each bidder has to put in a price.

In addition, each bidder has to prepare a statement which illustrates how they deliver the work and what extra value they can bring to the contract. This extra value could be through creating local employment opportunities or through recycling and using sustainable materials. This way the contractor can be chosen both on a price basis but also on other factors.

Barbara Timmins. Mark England.


Our Report 2012 25

Have any changes to your team been made in-line with the new process and contractors?We have restructured our team to operate as a more Group-wide service. We also created new roles within the team as shown in the structure below.

Is there anything else that you think is important for customers to know about the procurement process?The procurement process can appear to be a long and complicated affair. The process is driven to a large extent by the requirement to meet European procurement rules.

Customer involvement in the process is critical to successful tendering as it ensures residents voices are heard when scoping out the aspirations of the contract and when selecting the successful contractor.

The Group ran several customer workshops across the various stages of the process to ensure customers had a say in shaping their services. John Gorman, a resident of Moseley and District Housing Association, championed customer involvement by playing a full and active role in the procurement of two key contracts. He gave over 100 hours of his time. In the current financial year, we will be procuring service contract work including door entry and lift maintenance. If residents wish to be involved, they can contact Sue McAleese on 0300 111 7000 to register their interest.

And f inally Mark, what do you enjoy most about your job?I enjoy the interaction with the team and key external people including residents and contractors. I enjoy the opportunity that the job gives me to change people’s lives through improvements to their homes and through the creation of job opportunities.

I enjoy working on green issues and external funding opportunities to bring more resources into the business.

Say what?The Group sometimes use different words for different service definitions.

First time f ixA repair is called a ‘first time fix’ when both of the factors below are achieved:

• The repair was completed on the actual date of the appointment that the works were due to be done

• The repair is fully completed when no further works are required.

Right First time Is achieved where there is no recall due to a defect during the defects liability period – this is 12 months in the case of most of our contracts.

by Barbara.

Resident John Gorman.

Senior Surveyor

- New Initiatives

Keith Lanchbury Rubery Owen

Compliance Admin team

leader Barbara Young Rubery Owen

Surveyor - DTD

Graham Willis Caldmore

LSA Admin Natalie Butler

Darlaston

Surveyor - DTD

Sylvia Crosdale Moseley and

District

Contract Admin

Shahid Zaman Ashram

Surveyor - DTD

Sean Ratcliffe Darlaston

Contract Admin

Mina Bhakta Rubery Owen

Surveyor - Voids

Mark Lewis Moseley and

District

Contract Admin

Itesha Springer Moseley and

District

Surveyor - Care and

Support Dan Whistler Rubery Owen

Contract Admin

Sarah Bagnall Rubery Owen

Surveyor - DTD Trainee

Emma Cunningham

Ashram

Surveyor - Voids

Kelly Williams Caldmore

Stock Condition Surveyor

Mahmud Nadat West Bromwich

Stock Condition Surveyor

Tanvir Akhtar West Bromwich

Stock Condition Surveyor Mike Price

West Bromwich

Head of Assets

Mark England Rubery Owen

PA to Head of Assets

Sue McAleese Rubery Owen

Senior Stock Portfolio

Colin Maltby West Bromwich

Asset Manager -

Works Dave Livesey

Ashram

Asset Manager -

Compliance Gary Taylor

Rubery Owen

Customer Liaison Officer Wendy

Saunders West Bromwich

Systems Admin

Dean Saunders West Bromwich

Senior Surveyor

Terry Cashmore

Ashram

Contact Management

Admin Taj Kaur

. .. . .. ...

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Our Report 2012 27

Value-for-moneyBy moving to a process called Average Job Cost (AJC) the Group has saved time and has become more efficient by reducing the amount of invoicing processes from 50 to eight.

The Group has also achieved value-for-money for residents by focusing on the use of energy within homes. A number of programmes, aimed at tackling both energy use and costs and producing on-site electricity, are currently either underway or in contract negotiation stages.

The largest of these programmes is a Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP) funded scheme, where the Group is about to start works on 1,018 homes. This programme incorporates the installation of a variety of insulations and boiler installations which see ‘A’ rated gas central heating systems replace older electric versions. This work is being funded through energy companies and all eligible homes will see significantly reduced fuel bills and a warmer environment.

Continuing with the theme of energy efficiency, the Group is also planning for a large-scale Photo Voltaic (solar panels) installation programme. The fitting of solar panels onto our roofs moves the Group into electrical energy generation. Customers with panels get to use the electricity that is generated, saving on average £130 per year on their electricity bills.

The f igures

Organisation Emergency Urgent Routine Homes with an repairs repairs repairs up-to-date completed in completed in completed in Gas Safety target % target % target % certificate %

Accord general needs 100 99 98 100

Accord Care and Support 97 98 96 100

Ashram 99 99 99 100

Ashram Care and Support 99 99 94 100

bchs 100 98 98 100

Caldmore 100 98 98 100

Caldmore Care and Support 96 97 95 100

Fry 100 99 100 100

Moseley and District 100 99 96 100

Moseley and District Care and Support 100 96 97 100

Redditch Co-operative Homes 100 100 100 100


Due to the change in contracts, the Group did not collect information on appointments kept, first time fix and satisfaction during 2011/12. However, from next year you will see more emphasis on this type of information. This change is a direct result of what our customers have told us is most important to them.

Fairness We ensure fairness by advertising opportunities effectively to provide equality of opportunity.

When pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQs) and invitation to tender documents are issued, the work programme and quality assessment criteria is clearly specified to ensure all contractors are assessed on the same basis.

Lovell contractors at a local event.


Did you know? Your new contractors are more than happy to get involved and meet with customers. Look out for them at local fun days, conferences and seminars.

Staff from Status meet residents.


Our Report 2012 29

Our neighbourhoodsThe Accord Group is committed to bringing neighbourhoods and communities together. In the past the Group has demonstrated a variety of innovative ways to get people interested and engaged. Asma Mulla reports on her f indings from across the Group below.

Neighbourhoods and locality working In preparation for the introduction of the Government’s new Localism Act, in November 2011, the Group has been working to re-shape the way it delivers services so that they have much more of a neighbourhood presence.

In an effort to become more mobile and to reach out into neighbourhoods, the Group invested in ‘The Buzz’. This is a specialist vehicle which is used by staff across the Group to take staff and others out onto the road and into your community. This allows customers to access advice and support in regards to their tenancy on their doorstep and also allows the Group the opportunity to build local face-to-face relationships with customers.

Working in our neighbourhoods During 2011, both Ashram and Caldmoreaccord launched two neighbourhood pilot projects in Caldmore, Walsall and Bordesley Green, Birmingham.

Both pilots will run for three years and aim to work with local people and agencies to develop ways of coming together and improving the community. The case studies on the next page give examples of the work done so far.

‘Your Caldmore’ pilot project With a strong group of local people already active in Caldmore, staff focused on trying to identify people who may still not be engaged but who had skills and ideas to offer. Therefore, a community based survey, the ‘100 conversations’, was launched with the help of volunteers.

A series of events and activities were then scheduled:

• Every year staff, residents and local partner agencies come together to organise the Caldmore Village Festival. This is a large-scale event which helps bring the local community business and services together

• Various initiatives such as a volunteering service, a community garden and other community facilities and events, enable residents to be more involved in their community, and improve work and training opportunities for local people

• Work with local schools is designed to enhance the experience of their pupils, build confidence and make links with local families

• Caldmoreaccord have been participating in projects organised by Walsall Education Business Partnership at local primary schools. In May, students took part in an Olympic-themed team challenge, where the students were tasked to create new and imaginative ideas for sports that could be played in the Olympics.

• The Village Hub in Caldmore was launched in May 2012. The Hub offers information, training workshops, local help and advice for Caldmore residents and the wider community, opportunities for artists to exhibit their work, workshops, clubs and social events.

Future plans include setting up a community website and recruiting two community organisers who will work from within the community to encourage interest in local issues and develop community groups.

Asma Mulla.

Inside the Buzz.

Say what?Locality is the word the Group use to describe a particular neighbourhood, area, place or district.

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Our Report 2012 31

The f iguresThrough ‘100 conversations’, residents of Bordesley Leisure Gardens told us the following:

• 62.5 per cent were happy living in Bordesley Leisure Gardens

• 44 per cent of residents are active (such as engaging in sport and hobbies)

• 25 per cent of residents suggested that they would be willing to get involved in community activities (such as clean up’s).

Did you know? Did you know a member of Caldmoreaccord’s neighbourhoods team was commissioned to paint a mural for the famous film star Julie Christie in the early 1970s.

‘Your Bordesley Green’ pilot projectThe Bordesley Green Partnership steering group which is chaired and administered by Ashram Housing Association is made up of local residents and partners (such as other housing associations and the police). Whilst still relatively new, the group has overseen a number of activities such as:

• A door-to-door survey, with a ‘100 conversations’ taking place to understand why local residents love their community and their ideas and aspirations for the future

• Two neighbourhood roadshows to bring local residents and agencies together to start prioritising their local issues using lots of interactive and participatory activities. The priorities that came out of this include:

• Create a cleaner and better environment

• More community events to promote community spirit

• Work with partners to help make Bordesley a safer place

• Develop facilities and activities for children and young people

• Launch a community newsletter as a way of sharing local news and events. The first edition was released in January.

Future plans include the appointment of a dedicated neighbourhood development officer and youth worker, the roll out of community clean-up days, the setting up of a community website and the development of a youth programme in an effort to run more locally based sports activities for young people.

Estates week clean up.

Planning for Real assist with community consultation.

Advertisement for ‘100 conversations’.

‘Your Bordesley Green’ newsletter.

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Our Report 2012 33

Stuart Rochelle, Locality Team Manager at Caldmoreaccord, summarised the Group’s approach to anti-social behaviour and the role partner agencies play;

“The Accord Group is committed to dealing with complaints of anti-social behaviour and supporting the complainants every step of the way. We work locally with partner agencies, such as the police and local authorities to effectively deal with anti-social behaviour and make our communities a safe and cohesive place to live. Using an early intervention approach with perpetrators of anti-social behaviour, we ensure that they are able to change their behaviour.”

Partnership workingWorking with other agencies and residents is a good way to ensure the Group’s work compliments the local objectives and the wider needs of the neighbourhood. Stuart Anslow reports on how the Group forms partnerships to tackle anti-social behaviour. He writes...

Anti-social behaviour has become an increasingly discussed topic for people over the last 15 years. Under the Labour Government, former Prime Minister Tony Blair introduced Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs), that were designed to correct minor incidents that would not ordinarily warrant criminal prosecution.

The Accord Group takes tough measures to ensure that residents are able to feel secure in their homes. In addition to a tough approach, the Group also engages with residents to identify and tackle anti-social behaviour.

One such example of resident engagement was the ‘walk and talk events’. Paula Southall, Resident Engagement Officer at Caldmoreaccord, said:

“This walk about is a chance for residents to raise any concerns that they may have about their community, from anti-social behaviour to fly tipping. All residents can give their ideas for how their area could be improved.”

Caldmoreaccord also teamed up with the police to introduce CCTV cameras in response to concerns raised by residents about anti-social behaviour.

After the CCTV was introduced, Caldmoreaccord asked teenage residents to produce posters to inform people that CCTV was in use in the area.

Moseley and District Housing Association have also launched a support group, in partnership with the local police and other organisations. This is for residents who have concerns about anti-social behaviour and provides them with a platform to air their views and get advice.

Participants have the opportunity to get vital and confidential information and support, as well as listen to guest speakers from other organisations such as the police and victim support.

Stuart Anslow.

CCTV poster designs.

Partnership working with the police.

Fairness factThis year the Accord Group became a third-party reporting centre for hate crime and have trained staff to report it to the police via a special website.

This means that residents, or other members of the community, can report hate crime to us, without needing to go to a police station.

Hate crimes and incidents are perceived by the victim to be motivated on the grounds of age, race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability.

Hate crimes may include:

• Physical attacks

• Threat of attack

• Verbal abuse or insults.

Hate crime in any form is wrong. That is why it is important that if hate crime happens to you or someone you know, that you know you can report it.

If you want to report a hate crime, you can visit or phone any of our main Accord Group offices.

Did you know?On average 23 cases of anti-social behaviour are reported each month.


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Our Report 2012 35

Our involvementIntroductionThis year has been a very exciting year for our resident engagement service. Due to the demand of (and the development of new) resident engagement activities, the team has now gained two new members of staff. With the help of our Group Residents Panel, we have developed a new ‘Get In’ brand and a flexible menu of engagement.

There are ten key activities contained within the menu:

Your resident engagement team

Through the installation of our new measuring software, TP (tenant participant) Tracker, in April 2011, we know that our new approach is working. We have seen the largest increase (an extra 325) of residents getting involved. We still have a way to go, and with important changes to housing ahead of us, we will continue to ensure that our engagement activities meet the priority needs and aspirations of customers.

Figures as of March 2012. The larger figures are reflective of landlords within the Accord Group that have more housing stock.

Organisation Average Average Average number of number of number of involved engagement people per residents activities recorded activity

Accord 120 444 15

Ashram 18 22 9

bchs 3 10 1

Caldmore 29 38 5

Fry 23 33 3

Moseley and District 69 190 12

Redditch Co-operative Homes 1 2 1

Resident Conference 2011 at the

Black Country Living Museum.

Great Resident Awards 2011.

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Our Report 2012 37

Thomas Wakef ield, a Caldmoreaccord resident, answers key questions about his role as a scrutiny and improvement advisor.How did you hear about the Resident Inspector Project?I first heard about the Resident Inspector Project at the Accord Group’s annual Residents Conference in September last year. The event was very helpful and interesting and it gave me the encouragement to get involved, so I signed up to the Resident Inspector Project.

Prior to signing up to the Resident Inspector Project, had you been involved with any resident engagement activities provided by the Accord Group?Yes, many years ago I used to be involved with Caldmore Area Housing Association Ltd Residents Committee and more recently their Customer Panel.

Did the Accord Group provide any sort of training to help you in your role as a Resident Inspector?Yes, I attended the resident-led inspection training programme which was run over five sessions. The training covered various aspects from the basics of the different types of inspections to carry out, to mock mystery shopping exercises, action planning and report writing. There was also a mini assessment on the final session, which was very useful.

What have you been up to since f inishing the training?Since the training programme has finished, the resident inspectors have been comparing the first response teams from five housing associations, including the Accord Group. We are looking at comparing email, letter and telephone responses as well as the different ways residents can get in touch with the housing associations. I have been to a couple of planning meetings where I have been involved in drafting questionnaires and carrying out mystery shopping exercises over the telephone.

What skills and experiences have you gained from being involved with the Resident Inspector Project?Since signing up to the Resident Inspector Project, I have been able to renew skills and experience in team working, communicating with peers and others, work planning, preparing and carrying out surveys.

Did you know?Every member of the Resident Engagement team has a great sense of humour; we get on well and complement each other. It’s well known in the office that three of the four of the team are not morning people – only Joan comes in at 9am singing!

FairnessWe have made sure that our ‘ways to get involved’ booklet has opportunities for residents to get involved, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and/ or sexual orientation.

Value-for-moneyResident Engagement staff across the Group have been demonstrating value-for-money in the following ways:

• Including the key messages in the annual report (particularly in interviews)

• Organising finance training with involved residents

• Having residents select the report design and distribution based on value-for-money best practice

• Using volunteer inspectors, which adds value to services at a minimal cost – (in comparison to how much other organisations would charge for mock inspections)

• Saving around £23,000 on the Group newsletter and using it to add value for residents by reading about the Group

• Working together with other organisations to offer training for residents

• Running four joint/Group resident projects this year, which is 90 per cent up on last year.

We also encourage our residents to travel by public transport or car share when possible, this helps us keep the cost of travel expenses down.

Thomas Wakef ield.

Within our new menu of activities, one of the main priorities for this year has been about developing ‘scrutiny’ activities for residents. The scrutiny and improvement advisors (otherwise known as our ‘Get In:sight’ project) was launched in November 2011.

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Our Report 2012 39

Chris Bishop explains governance from a customer point-of-view. His article is below. Governance is the word used for the people who run all the projects and make the decisions about what residents need and what they can get involved in. They listen to people’s views and make the right decisions to ensure services are the very best they can be.

The Government has said they would like housing associations, such as the Accord Group, to work more with residents on deciding matters that concerns residents.

At the present moment the Group are changing the structure of how the Board works. They have brought in a Group Scrutiny Panel which consists of a number of residents and service users. The panel has an input into the different decisions the Board make and see if things could be done better.

There are also the Resident Inspectors. These residents make on the spot checks to survey different areas and decide if improvements need to be made.

For an insider view, I asked Board member of Fry Housing Trust, Roger Clough, a few questions:

How long have you been a Board member and what changes have you seen in the level of resident involvement with the Board during that time?I’ve been a Board member of Fry Housing Trust since being invited to join back in 2004. Since then, the Board has taken on a resident member from the wider Accord Group and has encouraged the development of Fry Voices Together. This has forged an effective channel of communication between members and service users. This collaborative approach underpins our work.

With ever-increasing budget cuts, how do you think resident involvement in governance will be funded?Effective and successful social landlords will, at all cost, seek to protect their resident involvement infrastructure from Government cuts. It is not an especially costly element of service and the gains from having a thriving network of resident involvement in place far outweigh any short-term savings. I would therefore expect organisations to view this as ‘non-negotiable’ and find innovative ways of protecting this service area from current and ongoing cuts.

Chris Bishop.

Roger Clough.

Our governance

Say what?Governance is the framework of rules and practices by which a board of directors ensures accountability, fairness, and transparency in a company’s relationship with all its stakeholders. Stakeholders include financiers, customers, management, employees, Government and the community.

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Our Report 2012 41

In the next few years, how do you think resident involvement in governance will change? The nature of Fry Housing Trust, with short term occupancy, makes full resident involvement that much more difficult to achieve, than in what you might call mainstream housing associations. Boards, on the whole are reducing in member numbers and they mirror the changing business world in which they operate. As this change continues to evolve, it is crucial to have a structure in place to ensure residents’ views are heard at the highest level and that their capacity to influence the decision making process is both clear and upheld. The Trust has this in place and I expect the level of resident involvement to continue to grow within the organisation over the next few years.

If a resident has a project idea could it become a Group service?The Board and management at Fry Housing Trust are open to all ideas for improving or extending the service we provide to our clients. Obviously any new idea would have to be fully costed, business planned and generally road-tested, but if it works, there is no reason not to incorporate it into what we do, whether suggested by a resident or anyone else for that matter.

Did you know?Governance is not just limited to housing, it extends into other companies and across the globe.

“ Boards, on the whole are reducing in member numbers and they mirror the changing business world in which they operate. As this change continues to evolve, it is crucial to have a structure in place to ensure residents’ views are heard at the highest level and that their capacity to influence the decision making process is both clear and upheld.” Roger Clough, board member

Value-for-moneyIntroductionWe all know at the moment how hard it is to make ends meet with the current economic situation and the Accord Group is no different. It has to make the best possible use of all its resources, money, staff and time, whilst still ensuring that residents get a very good service.

Resident Kath Hodson, has done some investigative work around what the Group is doing for value-for-money and social return on investment. She reports her findings below.

My first question when asked to do a piece on value-for-money was “Well what does that mean then? Is it just about saving money?” I asked a few of my neighbours what they thought it was and they didn’t really seem to know, so I knew my first job was to understand it myself and my second job was to be able to explain it to other people so that they would understand it too.

Thankfully I was taken under the wing of Colin Maltby, who has been heavily involved in the Group’s value-for-money campaign.

Colin talked about how the Group had tried to make value-for-money more interesting as there was a general feeling amongst staff that it was boring and not something everyone had to get involved with.

There was already a value-for-money group of eight people who met regularly, but it needed to have a new lease of life to encourage everyone across the Group to think about working better. This was when the Make It Count campaign was born. The idea being that whenever anyone did anything they had to think about ‘doing the right things in the right way, for the right reasons and for the right cost’ This is called the three E’s:

Economy - the right cost

Eff iciency - the right way

Effectiveness - the right thing, done the right way

Board member in action.

Kath Hodson.

Colin Maltby.

by Chris.

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Our Report 2012 43

To launch the Make It Count campaign, the team embarked on a series of staff awareness-raising sessions to sell the message, the meanings of the three E’s to get people to think practically what they could do to make it count.

These sessions were very well received and people started to send examples to the team of how they had made it count. Here are a few examples of what people were doing or planned to do.

• By buying all the gas and electricity for all the offices and schemes in bulk through one supplier, £120,000 savings were made

• Undertaking ‘conference calling’ to reduce time spent in meetings and travel costs.

The Make It Count team also set up a section on the computer system to share information and help make processes more efficient. This has been particularly helpful in dealing with anti-social behaviour cases to ensure residents get a more efficient and effective service by, for example:

• Tracking of ‘hot spot’ areas

• Taking quick snapshots of case details to improve the process of reporting and communication of key issues both to residents and other staff

• Increasing security and reliability of storage to help with confidentiality of information

• Automatically generating letters to tell the customer what staff have done and what they will do next. This involves data only being entered and recorded once, improving efficiency and allows for a quick response to the resident. The system also prompts phone-calls to residents with an update.

• Allowing residents to provide feedback which can be analysed very quickly

• Improving performance of the team due to better reporting mechanisms that help them in their day-to-day jobs.

After meeting with Colin, my next task was to try and get to grips with a new concept within the Accord Group, Social Return On Investment (SROI). To do this I met with Natalie Jones, Head of Business Transformation at Ashram Housing Association, part of the Accord Group.

SROI is a framework that has been used by other organisations to measure the social value generated by the work an organisation does. The Accord Group has not been involved in measuring SROI before and so are trialling it with a project at Ashram which seeks to get people back into work or setting-up their own businesses.

I think the Accord Group has many wonderful stories to tell of how the work they do has changed people’s lives and Social Return on Investment is about measuring the difference made and putting a value on it. It is not really about money, but the Accord Group needs to know that the money they do spend on projects, puts some value back into society.

This first pilot is evaluating Ashram’s employment and skills service to see what type of impact it is having on tenants who have accessed the support and guidance of a jobs and skills coach.

The impact on tenants of both the Make It Count campaign and the Social Return on Investment pilot is about tenants holding the Group

to account for the services received and also about helping to design new services so they are fit for the purpose they are intended.

In the coming months, the Group wants more tenants to be involved in the Make it Count campaign and there will be regular articles in your residents newsletter ‘Our House’ to keep you informed.

The f iguresOne of our teams started to use scrap paper to take messages and print internal reports. Over the last few years, on average the team have saved 15 reams of paper per year – which is an amazing 7,500 sheets!

This annual report cost just 89p per issue to produce and print. This is 10p cheaper than last year.

Did you know? The annual rent setting formula used by the social housing sector is determined by the retail price index (RPI) which is set by a Government department called the Office for National Statistics.

by Kath.

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Our Report 2012 45

Our money

In order to remain f inancially stable for the future, it is important the Group can balance its money carefully. On this page we report on how we spend your rent and how much money the Group has.

How every £1 of your rent is spent

Pence

Services, care and support 37

Interest 24

Management costs 13

Day to day repairs 17

Planned repairs 7

Bad debt and voids 2

Consolidated income and expenditure accountFor the year ended 31 March, 2012 2012 2011 £000 £000

Turnover 63,286 61,797

Cost of sales (583) (228)

Operating costs (50,214) (48,389)

Operating surplus 12,489 13,180

Surplus on sale of properties 134 (26)

Interest payable (10,912) (10,698)

Taxation (13) (16)

Surplus for the year 1,698 2,440

Operating costs is the money spent on managing and repairing properties, as well as the running costs of the office and staff salaries.

Surplus on sale of properties is the money the Accord Group has received from selling houses and flats under the Right to Buy and other similar schemes, less the value of the properties.

Interest payable is the total interest charged on loans, minus the interest received on bank deposits.

Net current assets and current liabilities These are the amounts owed to the Group and by the Group in the short-term.

Other fixed assets This is the value of all the Accord Groups other fixed assets. For example, equipment, computers and furniture.

Consolidated balance sheetAs at 31 March, 2012 2012 2011 £000 £000

Fixed assets

Properties 355,299 343,392

Other fixed assets 7,600 7,673

Total fixed assets 362,899 351,065

Current assets 31,167 25,918

Current liabilities (17,672) (16,291)

Net current assets 13,495 9,627

Total assets less current liabilities 376,394 360,692

Audit Report The above is an extract from the Accord Group’s full accounts, which have been audited by Grant Thornton UKLLP and have received an unqualified audit report. You can get a copy of the full accounts from the Accord Group website.


Spread designed by Charlotte Roper and Yvette Thompson.

Consolidated means the accounts for all of the Accord Group organisations are added together with any transactions between them taken out.

Turnover is the income the Accord Group receives, including rent, care and support services and sales of shared ownership and other properties.

Surplus means the Accord Group has made a surplus this year. This means more money has been received than spent. Any surpluses are reinvested in improving our services.

Fixed assets are the things that the Accord Group owns, like properties, equipment, computers and office furniture.

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Our Report 2012 47

Average rents 2011/2012

Organisation Rent £

Accord 78.02

Ashram 91.29

bchs 77.24

Caldmore 79.97

Fry 73.20

Moseley and District 81.57

Redditch Co-operative Homes 73.30

Black Country 75.03

Bromford 76.36

Midland Heart 76.27

Trident 73.06

Friendship 76.00

Family 67.56

Organisation % of arrears % of arrears (expected HB (HB payments payments deducted) not deducted)

Accord 4.20 2.00

Accord 3.68 1.33 Care and Support

Ashram 6.33 3.43

Ashram 5.14 2.27 Care and Support

bchs 9.18 6.62

Caldmore 4.74 1.49

Caldmore 7.64 5.30 Care and Support

Fry 4.68 2.50

Moseley and District 6.47 2.41

Moseley and District 3.35 0.44 Care and Support

Redditch 7.41 5.33 Co-operative Homes

2012 2011 £000 £000

Long-term loans 298,348 284,344

Reserves 78,046 76,348

Total 376,394 360,692

The section below shows how the Accord Group funds its operations.

Manjula Chauhan.

Long-term loans In order to buy and build homes, the Accord Group had to take out loans (like a mortgage). The Accord Group uses its loans to build and buy new homes.

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Our Report 2012 49

Some of us have heard that there may be changes to our benef its – how will this affect us?Your benefits are changing. If you receive Housing Benefit, Job Seekers Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or a range of other benefits this will affect you. Although all the new rules haven’t been finalised, we do know what some of the changes will be and how they could affect you. We advise that you take action now to ensure that you are ready for these changes.

The Government wants to simplify the welfare system and is doing this by replacing the range of benefits and tax credits currently available with one benefit, Universal Credit.

What you need to know:• The introduction of Universal

Credit will be phased, starting from October 2013 to December 2017

• From April 2013, if you are of working age, your Housing Benefit will be reduced if you live in a council or housing association property that is judged as being larger than you need. This means you will have to make up the shortfall. The size of the cut depends on how many extra bedrooms you have in your property.

• To claim Universal Credit, you will have to apply on-line, so you will need internet access

• Universal Credit will be paid monthly in arrears directly into a bank account - you need to make sure that you have an account to receive payment

• If you currently receive Housing Benefit, it is usually paid directly to your landlord. Under Universal Credit, it will be paid directly to you and you will be responsible for paying your rent to us. We recommend that you do this by direct debit.

• There will be a cap on the amount of benefits an out-of-work household will receive. This is likely to be a maximum of £350 per week for a single person and £500 for a couple. This will include money to cover your rent.

What are you doing to support customers through these changes?We can help you access:

• Bank accounts

• Affordable credit

• Fuel bill discounts

• Debt advice

• Household contents insurance

• Budgeting advice

• On-line or discount buying.

We want to work with customers to minimise the impact on their finances and to do this we need all customers to tell us about changes to their household so that we can keep our records up-to-date.

How can residents access these services or need to get advice?You can contact your housing officer and ask any questions. Across the Group we have dedicated teams who are happy to discuss any issues you may have. We can also signpost you to local organisations who may also be able to help.

This year more and more organisations have been tasked with ensuring customers are f inancially included, but what does that actually mean? Claudette Bonnet interviews Amanda Wilson, Income Recovery Manager for Moseley and District Housing Association to find out more. Her interview is below.

What is the meaning of the term ‘f inancial Inclusion’?Financial inclusion is about customers having equal access to financial services and products and access to information, allowing them to make informed choices to achieve and maintain financial stability and improve their quality of life.

During this year, the Group has been doing work to help customers build upon their financial confidence. As part of this work, the Group has asked all customers a number of questions as part of the ‘Getting to Know You’ survey. From the information received, we will be rolling out a number of projects and campaigns about money.

How did you become involved?I am the manager of the Income team at Moseley and District and along with my team, it is imperative that while our priority is to collect the rent and service charge payments, we also try to ensure that residents have the knowledge and skills to make the most of their money through clever budgeting.

Why is it important that people know about money and gain f inancial conf idence?It is very important that all residents across the Group are aware of what services are available to them. This will help them to:

• Plan for the future and cope with financial pressure

• Deal effectively with financial distress, should unexpected events lead to financial difficulties

• Manage their money on a day-to-day basis by getting advice on better options such as direct debit payments and managing the daily challenges that everyone has from dealing with debt to paying bills on time.

Our future

Claudette Bonnet.

by Claudette.

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Our Report 2012 51

Our extrasAccord AddVentures – employment support serviceThe Accord Group is much more than a housing provider and now offers support and guidance for those residents who need advice or help into employment. Fifteen year old Bromwyn Shayler investigated the new service and reports on her f indings. She writes...

Accord AddVentures was set up to provide a programme of employment and enterprise support for residents and service users. Within this service, residents are able to improve their skills and knowledge to help them to achieve their aspirations and move towards employment

It is possible that if more than one resident has a similar idea, they may be able to combine their knowledge and create a business together, thus improving their knowledge base and give each other support.

Speaking to Alix Drysdale, Development Officer at Accord AddVentures, I found out that there is a lot of advice and support available to do with a variety of areas of business and employment. Support available for employment includes;

• One-to-One support from a coach

• Training and support

• Job search

• Personalised plan

• Work experiences/apprenticeships with our contractors.

Support available for enterprise and self employment includes;

• Access to business planning support

• Access to grant support

• Advice and guidance

• Signposting to external support agencies.

Each resident is assessed individually, because everyone is different. For example, someone could have all the qualifications they require, but they need help setting out a proper business plan, or someone might need help improving their numeracy and literacy, or getting experience in the field that they are looking to move in to. For more information about Accord AddVentures speak to your housing officer about how you can book and appointment with your local jobs and skills coach.

Cherise Case Study, Resident from Birmingham Cherise requested support from the employment and skills service after receiving a flyer in the post about it in February 2012. At her initial assessment meeting it became clear that she had lots of previous experience within the hospitality and retail industries. However, she had been looking for work for nearly a year without much success.

Her employment coach supported her to edit her CV to make it stand out from the crowd and demonstrated to her some new ways she could find open job opportunities. She was also supported to write tailored covering letters to send with her CV. After two months of a reinvigorated and focused job search, Cherise attended an interview for a position working within the event staff team at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.

Cherise was successful in gaining a position and after a few weeks working within the event team, her professionalism and enthusiasm was identified and she was offered a full time permanent position working at the reception of Edgbaston Cricket Ground in June 2012. Cherise says she is enjoying every moment and is thankful for the support she received from the employment and skills service.

Cherise in her new job.

Bromwyn Shayler.

by Bromwyn.

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Our Report 2012 53

Volunteering and apprenticeshipsThe Accord Group volunteer service was set up in January 2011. By combining services across the Group, it offers a vast choice of volunteering opportunities to residents.

The service is in great demand and is accessed in the main, by people looking to gain experience to assist them into work. However, there are a small group of volunteers who want to offer their skills to support people in their local communities.

Since the service began, the Group has been able to assist many people, either to volunteer across the organisations or at other local businesses or organisations.

The Group is committed to continuing to offer as many volunteer roles as we can across the Group and offers assistance to our customers to gain valuable experience. Volunteering roles have ranged from helping out in the kitchens at care schemes to administration work in local offices.

To find out more about volunteering, contact Irene Casserley on 0300 111 7000 extension 7203 or email [email protected]

Did you know?There are 83 active volunteers across the Group

Out of the 83 volunteers, nine of them are residents. Out of these people, one has found temporary paid employment which may lead to a permanent post and one is hoping to develop a social enterprise with support from AddVentures.

The Accord Group also has a strong commitment to recruiting apprentices. The Group employed 11 apprentices in 2011, some of whom are still with us in full-time jobs. Others went onto find full-time employment or do further qualifications.

Volunteers in action.

Accord Group apprentices.

“Volunteering allows me to develop my interpersonal skills and build my self confidence.” Ibrahim Shittu

“Being involved keeps me feeling young. Volunteering is a privilege and a joy and I hope I can do this for a few more years to come.” Janet Ball

“Volunteering gives me the work experience I need to gain a qualification.” Valerie Duncan

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Our Report 2012 55

Have your say!The Annual Report 2012 has landed and we hope you like it...

How does it look? Yes No• Do you like the format? • Do you like the photographs? • Did you find it easy to read?

Any other comments:

Is it interesting?• Did you like how the Group and organisation specific information is displayed? • Is there enough performance information included? • Is there enough financial information included? • Is the complaints information useful?

Is there any topics you’d like more or less of? Let us know in the comment box below:

Can you help us next time?• Do you want to help us with next year’s Annual Report?

Let us know what interests you in the comment box below:

Last but not least...What are the top three things we can do next year to make it better?

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3.

Thanks for giving us your views.

Please return this to: Resident Engagement team, Accord Group, 178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B70 6QG. For more information about the report or to learn about how you can get involved next year, call us on 0300 111 7000 extension 2067 or 2064, or email [email protected]

Printed onto part-recycled paper using environmentally-friendly inks.

Tel: 0300 111 7000 Fax: 0121 358 9011 Email: [email protected] First, Accord Group, 178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, B70 6QG

Do you need this document in another language or format? Tick the box next to the language or format you need and send it to the address below.This leaflet is also available in large print, braille, audio and easy read formats.

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Our Annual Report 2012

The Accord Group178 Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 6QG

Tel: 0300 111 7000 Fax: 0121 358 9011 Email: [email protected] Web: accordgroup.org.uk

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