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Vernon Jackson, Chief Executive

Andrew Greenhill, Chair of VHA

David Shortall, Chair of VCHA

Annual Report 2010/11In the 2009/10 Annual Report we told you that The Tenant Services Authority had introduced six new national standards that we were expected to meet. We told you how we were already meeting them but more importantly, how we wanted to improve our services to you in 2010/11.

Inside is a reminder of the standards and an update showing our performance against them.

The report also includes some graphs which show how our performance compares to other north west housing associations.

We can assure you that the Board and staff are committed to continual improvement in service delivery and involving customers is essential if we are going to get it right. We would like to thank all staff and residents for their commitment to helping us achieve these continued improvements.

Following feedback on the format of last year’s Annual Report, we have changed the way we present this information. We hope that you find this new format interesting and informative.

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Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard

There are three areas covered by this standard as detailed below.

1. Customer service, choice and complaints

2. Involvement and EmpowermentIn 2010/2011 our priorities were to:-

Support the Tenant’s Scrutiny panel to function independently.

The Scrutiny Panel is well established, it has reviewed our repairs service and their findings will be publicised later in the year.

Encourage more tenants to be involved and increase the number of tenants engaged in activities across the estates and increase the number of residents

who wish to attend training opportunities.

We now write to every new tenant inviting them to talk to us about the number of different ways they can get involved and tell us what they expect from Villages. We have advertised residential and non residential training courses for our tenants and have seen an increase in the number of residents who got involved and who went on training.

In 2010/2011 our priorities were to: -Resolve 85% of complaints within 21 days.

We did not meet our target, resolving only 64% of complaints in 21 days. As a result of this disappointing performance we have tightened procedures and amended our targets. Pleasingly, to date, our 2011/12 performance is encouraging with 86% of complaints being resolved within 16 days.

Review our complaints standard and update our information leaflet.

We reviewed the complaints policy and introduced improvements including a new 16 day target. The complaints standard will be amended and published later this year following expected new guidance from our regulators, the Tenants Services Authority (TSA).

3. Understanding and responding to the diverse needs of tenantsIn 2010/2011 our priorities are to: -

Review our community activities to make sure we are welcoming to all our customers.

We welcomed many new customers from different backgrounds to our gala days and other community events.

Review our service standard for resident involvement.

We reviewed and amended the service standard for resident involvement with the Tenants’ Forums, and will be publishing this new, revised standard soon.

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Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard

% of Tenants Satisfied That Their Views Are Being Taken Into Account

8386

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2010

2011Highly Satisfied

Low Satisfaction

% Tenants Satisfied Overall with Services Provided by Villages

8791

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

20102011

Highly SatisfiedLow Satisfaction

% Tenants Satisfied with How Enquiries are Dealt with Generally

83.3

90.9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Highly SatisfiedLow Satisfaction

20102011

This is how Villages Housing compare to other Social Landlords across the North West of England

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The Neighbourhood and Community Standard

In 2010/2011 our priorities were to:-

Continue to work with partners to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities.

In June this year we were delighted to announce that Villages won 3 categories in the North West’s ‘What We Are Proud Of Awards’, ‘Best Partnership’, ‘Best Impact on Residents’ and ‘Overall North West Winner’. In the first 18 months of the Safer communities initiative (SCI) overall crime reduced by 35%.

The number of new ASB cases in both Stockbridge Village and Fitton Hill in 2010/11 was 95. The SCI has helped to reduce high level ASB and crime in Stockbridge and the ASB cases now reported are mainly low level neighbour / noise nuisance.

Review our communal cleaning services in consultation with tenants in Fitton Hill and include tenants in selecting the new

contractor.

In May 2011, with the help of tenants, we appointed a new cleaning contractor in Fitton Hill, Howards Domestics, until 31st March 2012. Feedback from tenants has been very positive.

Encourage tenants to help us inspect communal areas and let us know if we are meeting a good cleaning standard.

Tenants in Stockbridge inspect communal areas of multi-storey blocks with caretakers monthly, whilst tenants in other apartment blocks are regularly surveyed to see are they satisfied with the standard of cleaning of communal areas.

Encourage more Fitton Hill tenants to become street representatives.

Tenant feedback with the quality of cleaning in both estates is very positive; The Neighbourhood Team (TNT) in Oldham has recruited more street representatives.

Continue to take an active part in the regeneration of Stockbridge and Fitton Hill.

Regeneration in Stockbridge is underway, the environmental improvement programme in Fitton Hill is completed.

Register the office Stockbridge as an official hate crime reporting centre.

The Stockbridge office is now an official ‘Hate Crime’ reporting centre.

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The Neighbourhood and Community Standard

Satisfaction With the Neighbourhood as a Place to Live

91.8

79.6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2010

2011

Highly SatisfiedLow Satisfaction

Continue to promote resident involvement and empowerment;

Resident involvement and empowerment is continuously promoted; applications from local groups for ‘Community Budget’ funding has increased this year.

We recently sent tenant, Liz Sharpe, on a course, she said,“The residential Antisocial Behaviour course at Trafford Hall that Villages Housing organised for us was insightful and enlightening. The course was for three days, so it wasn't rushed and the pace was just right for us. The facilitators said they hadn't had a group like us before; we were so enthusiastic and interested in the subject! We now want to share what we have learned with other residents. I would recommend courses at Trafford Hall to everyone!"

Positively promote Stockbridge Village and Fitton Hill as places people choose to live and work;

In our 2010 STATUS survey, 9 in 10 tenants (91.8%) told us that they are satisfied with their area as a place to live.

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The Tenancy StandardIn 2010/2011 our priorities were to: -

Introduce Choice based lettings in Knowsley.

Choice Based Lettings in Knowsley is due to commence in 2012.

Give new tenants a greater choice of fixtures and fittings.

New tenants who move in to properties that have not yet been refurbished now have a greater choice over fixtures and fittings such as kitchen units, tiles and flooring where possible.

Maximise income from rents so we can continue to deliver and improve services.

In 2010/11 we improved upon our 2009/10 rent collection performance by collecting 101% of rent due, our target was 100.6%.

Help tenants pay rent on time and identify and offer support to those with financial and other difficulties.

We have referred 20% more tenants to the Tenants Extra Support Service (TESS) in Stockbridge Village between 2009 and 2010. In Oldham we continue to work with support services to help tenants who may be at risk of losing their tenancy.

Increase the number of tenants paying charges by direct debit.

The number of tenants paying by direct debit has increased slightly by 1.98%, we will continue to promote this method of payment.

Review the use of the cash counters.

Following consultation with tenants and taking their comments on board, we have decided that our cash counters will remain open.

Continue to develop working relationships with local Housing Benefit Departments.

We have a good working relationship with Housing Benefit Departments in Knowsley and Oldham and we are working closely with them to advise tenants who may face challenging times ahead because of the Government’s ‘Welfare Reform Strategy’.

% Rent Collected

100.4101

92

94

96

98

100

102

104

106

20102011

High Performance Low Performance

It should be noted that any rent collected above 100% is excellent performance

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The Tenancy Standard Average Relet Time - Calendar Days

31

26

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

20102011

The successful repairs performance in 2010 was not repeated in 2011 and this has had a negative impact on our re-let times. However, we have worked hard since March 2011 to improve performance and pleasingly, to date, we are getting empty properties relet within 21 days.

High Performance Low Performance

% Tenants Who Consider Villages Good at Keeping Them Informed

87.391

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100 20112010

High PerformanceLow Performance

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The Home Standard

In 2010/2011 our priorities were to: -Ensure that all our properties meet ‘decent homes’ standards.

All our properties meet ‘decent homes’ standard.

Develop and publish a 3 year programme for planned works.

We are developing a 3 year programme for planned works which we will publish by March 2012.

Work with tenants to review opportunities for tenant involvement in planned programmes and publish a service standard.

We have consulted with tenants to develop a new ‘planned works’ standard which will be published before March 2012.

Monitor access to the repairs service via the website. www.villages.org.uk

We would like more tenants to report repairs on the website, so we will continue to promote this service.

Review repair costs to ensure we provide a cost effective, high quality service.

We will have a new repairs contract in place for 2012 which will incorporate the priorities for quality and cost which are important to tenants and Villages Housing.

Work with tenants to identify repair priorities, improve appointments made and kept, get repairs right on the first visit and ensure the repairs service meets the individual needs of tenants.

The Tenant’s Scrutiny Panel have undertaken a review of the repairs service and will be making recommendations for improvements in appointments made and kept, quality of service and completing a repair on the first visit. Access to our current repairs service is flexible and we work with the contractor to ensure that it meets individual tenant needs. % of All Repairs Completed in Target Time

95.8

98.5

88

90

92

94

96

98

100

102

2010

2011

High Performance Low Performance

Disappointingly, the “year end performance” (up to March 2011) was not as good as it was in for 2010. We continue to work with our current repairs contractors to improve the repairs service for our customers. We will take the opportunity to work with tenants when we review any new contracts for 2012/13 and we’ll be inviting many different businesses to give us a price and tell us what quality of service they could deliver.

In 2010/11 the average Energy Efficiency of our properties was 63.3. SAP ratings run from 1 to 120 – the higher the score, the more energy efficient a property is. The average SAP rating of homes in England is 50.6.

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The Value For Money Standard

% Residents who Consider Rent to be Value for Money

75.7

86

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2010

2011

High Performance Low Performance

In 2010/2011 our key VFM priorities were to: -

Complete all the actions outlined in our VFM action plan and report to the Board.

The action plan had 44 activities of which 59% were completed. The remaining 41% have been started and will be completed before March 2012. The Board were regularly updated on VFM issues throughout the year.

Encourage staff to generate ideas and plans about how Villages can achieve better VFM from existing and future services and contracts.

In 2010/11 staff generated 62 VFM ideas, 44 of which were implemented, resulting in savings of approximately £560,000.

Consult our customers and staff about which services they feel demonstrate VFM.

Members of the Tenant Scrutiny Panel have been provided with VFM awareness training on the principles of value for money and the links to Villages strategic priorities. The Association’s status survey in 2010 identified that 86% felt VHA’s services were VFM.

In 2011/12 our aims for VFM are to:• Embed Value for Money across the organisation;• Maximise Value for Money by delivering excellent services that are right first time, every time;• Ensure all projects and capital programmes are planned and well managed;• Maximise efficiencies and delivering the service our customers expect.

• Maximise Value for Money by delivering excellent services that are right first time, every time;

BEDROOM Average Assured

Average Secure

Combined Average

VHA VHA VHA 1 Bed £52.75 49.65 52.52 2 Bed £59.96 54.06 59.19 3 Bed £76.55 62.64 72.35 4 Bed £81.36 67.75 75.60 5 Bed £85.08 69.13 78.70

Average Rent by Property Size For VHA and VCHA

BEDROOM Average Assured

Average Secure

Combined Average

VCHA VCHA VCHA 1 Bed £67.16 £51.00 £64.57 2 Bed £76.48 £56.11 £68.88 3 Bed £87.15 £63.93 £69.73 4 Bed £100.97 £100.97

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The Governance and Financial Viability Standard

Villages Housing has a group structure made up of Villages Housing Association (VHA) and Villages Community Housing Association (VCHA). Each Association has its own Board, made up of independent professionals and local residents.

The role of the board is to make sure that that the Associations’ assets are secure and funds used properly by having proper systems, policies and procedures for staff to follow. They are also responsible for setting annual budgets and monitoring performance.

Details of Board members can be found on our website www.villages.org.uk

We are members of the National Housing Federation which is the professional body for Social Landlords in England.

Villages Housing Association has adopted the National Housing Federation’s Code of Governance with the exception that we do not insist that Members retire from the Board after 9 years. VHA intends to implement the 9 year rule on a gradual basis and will be fully compliant by 2015.

VCHA has decided that it does not intend to adopt the 9 year rule.

In 2010/11 we:• Kept our green light for governance and financial viability from the TSA and the Association’s Auditors;• We performed within budgets in the financial period 2010/11.

In 2011/12 we want to continue this performance.

The Tenant’s Services Authority expect Landlords and tenants to work together to raise standards. ‘Local Offers’ were developed from the ‘National Standards’, but the emphasis had to be on specific local issues.

From December 2010 to February 2011 we held a series of consultation events and invited all tenants to tell us what mattered most to them and what we could do to improve services.

On 1st April 2011, we delivered our Local offers to residents in Stockbridge and Fitton Hill. We listed these in a separate A4 leaflet which was included in the Spring 2011 Our Times. You can request a copy at your local Villages office or you can download a copy from our website www.villages.org.uk

The leaflets outlined the areas we have agreed with tenants that we will work on between April 2011 and March 2012. After only 4 months, in Stockbridge, 25 of the 29 local offers (86%) have been completed or are in progress. In Fitton Hill, 29 of the 34 local offers (85%) have been completed or are in progress and will be completed by March 2012.

We will continue to feedback our progress to tenants via “Our Times”.

Fred Jones is the Chair of the Tenant Scrutiny panel and a Villages Tenant from Fitton Hill. He says, “As part of the Tenant Scrutiny Panel, it's our job to review various parts of the business of Villages Housing. As tenants, we decided that our priority was to review the repairs service first. It has been hard work but we have had enjoyed doing the review on the repairs service and we've had the chance to meet lots of other Villages tenants and staff who we've never met before. Our report is due out soon, and whilst we have identified some areas where we think Villages can improve, on the whole Villages are offering a good repairs service to their tenants."

Local Offers

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Our Performance 2010/11Economic Status of

Household VHA

Percentage VCHA

Percentage Full time work 25.6% - Part time work 6.0% - Job seekers allowance 31.2% - Retired 5.2% 46.1% Not seeking work 18.0% 3.9% Student 1.2% - Unable to work 10% - Long term sick/disabled - 46.1% Other 2.8% 3.9% Total 100% 100%

Bedrooms VHA VCHA 1 285 25 2 1152 59 3 866 8 4 128 1 5 15 - Total 2446 93

Breakdown of General Needs Stock by Bedroom Size

Source of Referral

VHA Number

VHA Percentage

VCHA Number

VHA Percentage

Direct Applications

227 80.8 19 73%

Nomination - - 1 3.9% Transfer 37 13.2% 5 19.2% Other 17 6% 1 3.9% Total 281 100% 26 100%

VHA100% of VHA properties have a valid gas certificate.In 2010/11 we sold 3 properties under the Right To Buy. We also carried out 14 evictions.We carried out major repairs adaptations to the value of £106,896.

VCHAVillages Community Housing Association (VCHA), is the charitable subsidiary of Villages Housing Association and has a portfolio of 165 properties.

In 2010/11 we sold 1 property under Right To Buy.

100% of Villages Community Housing Association properties had a valid Gas Safety Certificate.

We carried out major repairs adaptations to the value of £26,172.

Repair Classification

VHA Percentage completed

within target time

VCHA Percentage completed

within target time

Emergency 99.4% 98.9% Urgent 94.8% 95.2% Routine 99.7% 99.7%

Tenancy Type

VHA Percentage

VCHA Percentage

Secure 1.4% 3.9% Assured 10.7% 3.9% Starter 87.9% 92.2% Total 100% 100%

New Tenancies

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Financial Information 2010/11

Income and Expenditure Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2011

Balance Sheets asat 31 March 2011

Group VHA VCHA Group VHA VCHA

2011 £’000

2011 £’000

2011 £’000

2010 £’000

2010 £’000

2010 £’000

Tangible fixed assets

Housing properties at cost 28,393 24,263 4,130 27,004 22,951 4,053

Less:

Social housing grant (11,973) (9,277) (2696) (11,095) (8,381) (2,714)

Depreciation (2,746) (2,472) (274) (2,407) (2,165) (242)

13,674 12,514 1,160 13,502 12,405 1,097

Other fixed assets 1,077 1,062 15 1,112 1,092 20

Investments - - - - -

14,751 13,576 1,175 14,614

13,497 1,117

Current assets

Debtors 1,192 1,202 69 759 823 84

Cash at bank and in hand 331 140 191 1,208 1,108 100

1,523 1,342 260 1,967 1,931 184

Creditors: amounts falling due within 1 year 4,048 3,942 (120) 7,229 7,155 (148)

Net current asset/(liabilities) (2,525) (2,600) 140 (5,262) (5,224) 36

Total assets less current liabilities 12,226 10,976 1,315 9,352 8,273 1,153

Creditors amounts falling due after one year 16,807 16,790 82 13,709 13,709 74

Pension liabilities 479 479 - 960 960 -

Revenue reserves (5,060) (6,293) - (5,317) (6,396) -

Capital and reserves (5,060) (6,293) 1,233 (5,317) (6,396) 1,079

Total capital and reserves 12,226 10,976 1,315 9,352 8,273 1,153

Group VHA VCHA Group VHA VCHA

2011

£’000

2011

£’000

2011

£’000

2010

£’000

2010

£’000

2010

£’000

Turnover 10,110 9,641 619 9,824 9,378 594

Less operating costs:

Depreciation of buildings (362) (329) (33) (339) (307) (32)

Other operating costs (8,985) (8,646) (489) (11,235) (10,934) (449)

Operating surplus / ( Deficit) 763 666 97 (1,750) (1,863) 113

Surplus on disposal of housing stock 67 65 2 - - -

Surplus on disposal of land 28 28 2 2

Surplus / (Deficit) on disposal of other fixed assets 2 2 (1) (1)

Surplus / (Deficit) on ordinary activities before interest and taxation

860 761 99 (1,749) (1,862) 113

Interest receivable and other income 6 11 - 1 7 -

Interest payable and similar charges (904) (904) (5) (875) (875) (6)

Gift aid - (60) 60 - (60) 60

Surplus/(Deficit) on ordinary activities before taxation (38) (192) 154 (2,623) (2,790) 167

Tax on deficit on ordinary activities 4 4 (2) (2)

Surplus/(Deficit) for the financial year after taxation (34) (188) 154 (2,625) (2,792) 167