BUSINESS PLAN 2017 2018 - Blackpool-Coastal-Housing
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2017
2018
12017
2018
INTRODUCTION:
Our Business Plan is the product of much thought We live in uncertain times
as the events of 2016 have
demonstrated and such
Surveys of our customers and
staff have been positive and
offer us the reassurance that
“The best way to
predict the future is
and work with our shareholders, the Council, our uncertainty is the one thing most
companies are challenged by
when setting strategic direction.
we are getting it right. Our
sole shareholder, the Council,
recognises our delivery has to create your own”
board our staff and our customers as we plan Fortunately Blackpool Coastal
Housing (BCH) enters 2017/18
been strong and increasingly
wants us to play a role in What follows is a flavour of what
we have achieved so far, an
how we go about our business in the next twelve
with a strong year behind us, service areas beyond our core
we have grown in confidence housing remit, particularly with analysis of our operating context
and feel well placed to meet the vulnerable groups. and a description of our key
priorities so that all stakeholders
months and beyond.
challenges that will inevitably
be thrown up as we go through After the events of 2016 no one are clear where we intend to
the year. will, with any confidence, seek focus our efforts in the 2017/18
to predict the future but we year. The fine grain detail of
Our board have spent time know at BCH that our recent our work plans and budgets
reviewing our performance and performance gives us a strong are contained in appendices to
operating context and have base to develop from and we this document, in the form of
restated their commitment to intend to follow the maxim, directorate service plans.
our published vision and values.
2 32017
2018
OPERATING CONTEXT:
Furthermore for towns like Nationally the economy, while Locally our shareholder, the
Blackpool, a squeeze on public avoiding recession, is still Council, faces a tough year
expenditure has hit those vulnerable and faces a degree of further, large austerity cuts
communities and individuals of uncertainty following Brexit in 2017/18, with smaller cuts
who are most in need. and the ensuing debate about occurring in the following
the way the UK will negotiate its two years. The time has long
BCH is predominantly about
The last 12 months has been a successful one for
exit from Europe. At a national passed since such cuts could be
delivering first class and level the outlook for housing is termed efficiency savings. The
affordable, social housing but starting to appear more positive. focus is now on key priorities
the objectives set by the board
BCH, albeit in difficult circumstances. The social
The obsession with supply and radical service redesign to
have recognised the need for us and home ownership, while help meet the needs of local
to build that service on stable still influencing government communities. BCH as a trusted
and economic context for the country has been
communities that can aspire policy, is being interpreted in delivery partner will be working
to better, more sustainable a more pragmatic way, which closely with many parts of the
futures. Achieving these goals has resulted in social housing Council to help them meet the
tough with an extremely, slow growing economy,
will mean we can run a more now being seen as part of challenges they face over the
successful business and meet the solution as opposed to a next few years.
the requirements of our sole problem. We have seen the
polarisation between the north and the south
shareholder the Council. recent announcements on ‘Pay
The economy remains to Stay’ becoming voluntary Key Context Issues:
and the sale of high value voids,
and between large and small cities and towns,
dependent on visitors and their • BCH has developed
spending power, which requires being reconsidered by way
a strong culture of
a relatively low skilled workforce, of a five year pilot, as positive performance and delivery
indications for social housing,
as well as widespread, political turmoil.
often employed on short term and is on an upwards
contracts. The civil service sector albeit the remaining challenges trajectory that needs to
has been under significant of the imposed four year rent cut be maintained
pressure to reduce costs with a pose serious implications for our
• We have a clear set of
consequent negative impact on long term financial planning. We
objectives set by the
earnings and wage levels. The await the promised White Paper board and agreed by the
success of the local economy is on Housing with more optimism shareholder
a fundamental pre-cursor to the than would have been the case
last year. • Emerging government
prosperity of our communities policy on housing now
and in turn has a direct impact presents opportunity, not
on our business performance. just threats, and BCH is
well placed to maximise
its role in the local housing
market
• Our role as a key delivery
partner for the Council
in non-housing areas
will form a significant
element of our work in
the next year
4 52017
2018
PERFORMANCE
next four years. We have, by • 97.3% of all repairs were
way of a dividend, agreed completed on time (top Key Performance Issues:
to return £500k to the quartile) and the average time
• Our financial context
Council next year to assist to re-let a void property fell remains tight with a
with their pressures. This to 25.6 days from more than standstill management fee
is not a sustainable option 30 the previous year (3rd for the third year running,
BCH spends some considerable effort to measure
beyond next year so we will quartile). The Operations and which means we will
invest considerable time in Lettings teams are focused have to manage in year
reviewing where BCH could on reducing void turnaround inflation increases through
performance and compare itself to other providers,
deliver existing Council further in the forthcoming increased efficiency
priority services at a lower year as we strive to become a measures.
cost, generating a saving top performer. • There will be a continuing
we share this information with staff, customers,
to the Council that will be focus on making our
sustainable. • We have reduced our costs property costs more cost
through greater efficiency effective. The work to
the board and the shareholder with the intention
• We conducted a staff survey when it comes to property date has allowed us to
this year to measure progress repair with average responsive become competitive this
and were pleased to see high repair costs dropping from year in winning external
of using it to learn, adapt and improve.
overall levels of satisfaction £81.27 in 2013/14 to £60.26 in building contracts and our
and an improvement from the 2015/16 (top quartile). Over plan is to grow this area
last survey three years ago. the same period, our average of the business alongside
Maintaining good levels of cost to bring our voids back delivering additional
staff satisfaction will be vital as into use has fallen from just Council contracts.
There are numerous reports • We have sought to open • We operate within tight the business moves forward, short of £5k to £3.2k (3rd • We will retain a focus
with substantial detail on our up our services to external financial parameters but across the business on
particularly as the economic quartile), although this is
website, for the purposes of review through accreditation, again have delivered our stabilising communities
climate remains tough. still to be worked on if we
the business plan, just the key and in the last year have current plan within budget, and individual tenancies,
are to become top quartile
highlights are referred to so seen existing accreditations with surplus funds being • We continue to collect in recognising this benefits
compared to other providers
readers can get a feel for where for lettings and rents be transferred to reserves excess of 99% of all rent the business as well as the
that we benchmark with.
we have the building blocks in renewed while still retaining for future investment. The due despite the difficult individual.
place to progress and where our Anti-Social Behaviour prudent management of the financial position faced by • We continue to be in the • As we work with the
we need to focus our efforts (ASB) accreditation. In the last Housing Revenue Account our customer (top quartile top quartile for low housing, Council on new ways
to improve. Where a figure is few months of 2016, our Gas (HRA) has also resulted in an performance). management costs and low of delivering Council
quoted for performance there is Servicing function became increase in reserves, albeit overheads, which is a product services, we will also
also a reference to show where the first housing provider to in the context of threats to • In excess of 98% of all ASB of an embedded culture that review the capacity of our
that places BCH in comparison achieve UKAS accreditation. our long term business plan cases are satisfactorily focuses on Value For Money in management structure to
with the nationally, collated posed by the government resolved (2nd quartile). all areas of the business. ensure we can continue to
benchmarking data, collected by decision to cut rents for the improve performance.
HouseMark.
6 72017
2018
KEY PRIORITIES AND
It is clear the board and our sole Being an excellent provider of To be an efficient and effective
shareholder want a continuation housing: business:
of our strong performance as the
We will, We will,
major social housing provider in
Blackpool but we will also need • Renew our lettings system in • Maintain our focus on a
TARGETS FOR 2017/18
to stretch ourselves as we work conjunction with our partners cost effective management
in greater partnership to deliver to provide a more flexible and structure, but will review the
more Council services and rise easier to access system while senior structure dependent
to the challenge of the yet to be still meeting priority need. on the amount and scale of
published Housing White Paper. services we take on from the
• Seek to establish a housing Council.
Much of the detail of what BCH based, leaving care provision
will deliver in the next year that successfully transitions • Maintain our income collection
BCH is starting to operate from a position
is contained in the individual young people in care into rates.
service plans, which will in turn independent living at a
lower cost and with better • Focus on reducing our
shape the individual work plans
of strength but at the same time faces a
outcomes. property costs through
of staff at all levels and much of
operational efficiency and
that work will be a continuation
• Seek to use our acquired managing demand by
of the good practice that has
challenging, operating environment with a
knowledge to set up a resilient reducing voids and transfers.
developed over a number of
homelessness service in our
years. • Continue to invest in staff
hostels in conjunction with
continuing degree of uncertainty.
Housing Options, based on training and creating a positive
This plan is intended to give all
a minimum stay in specialist work environment where
our stakeholders a clear, high
accommodation in favour individuals feel valued and can
level overview of what they can
of an early placement into a thrive.
expect from BCH in 2017/18.
The following points reflect the secure tenancy. • Retain a focus on developing
confirmation of our vision, values a competitive trading account
• Investigate how using secure
and priorities for the next five that will contribute to financial
tenancies with additional
years, as agreed recently by the stability and the retention of
housing support can provide
board. The highlighted actions jobs.
an alternative to current
under each heading below are
provision for those most in • Integrate the remaining
the areas we intend to deliver on
need of social care. elements of the Council’s
in addition to the core business
we are successfully delivering building services section into
already. our Operations Team focused
on day to day repairs and
maintenance.
8 92017
2018
KEY PRIORITIES AND TARGETS FOR 2017/18
(CONTINUED)
To assist our customers to enter To use our community To make sure we use BCH To work in partnership and To create new housing choice: • Seek to support the access to
work and training: development role to improve expenditure to support our engage others in our priorities: key worker accommodation
We will,
neighbourhoods: other priorities: for the Victoria Hospital staff
We will, We will,
• Seek to pilot a system build being recruited from overseas.
We will, We will,
• Continue to provide support • Continue to lead the Choice development on the former
to key groups to get them • Continue to work with • Use the Housing Revenue based lettings partnership garage site at Hammerton • Review our options for
closer to the labour market. LeftCoast to use new and Account (HRA) to match fund of social housing providers Place to test the viability of development on the cleared
innovative ways to engage bids to European funding across the Fylde Coast. the product in the Blackpool Grange Park site.
• Provide volunteering with our residents and build to increase ways of leading market.
opportunities through the • Work with Lancashire • Review the role of Dunsop
a sense of community, with our residents into work and
Community Action Team Constabulary to increase • Review our options for dealing Court and options for
a particular focus on Hawes training.
(CAT) team as it moves resilience within Jobs Friends with poor performing and remodelling, to make the
Side.
to a new management • Review all our contracting and Houses. inappropriate, low demand facility more efficient and cost
arrangement. • Extend the range of arrangements to see what stock, starting with the effective.
opportunities through which additional value can be • Place a priority on developing Troutbeck development on
• Lead the delivery of the our staff give two days of their provided. collaborative projects with Mereside.
European Social Investment time to community action. adult and children’s social care
Fund (ESIF) funded • Continue our financial support and health. • Ensure we take advantage
programme to get vulnerable • Champion new ways of of both safeguarding boards of opportunities to grow our
clients into work. reaching and working with to ensure key challenges • Champion a “Housing First” stock by acquisition where
our customers through our around children’s and adult model of provision as a way we have strong financial and
• Work with the college to involvement team. safeguarding are maintained. of dealing with the most strategic reasons for doing so.
provide basic skills courses in vulnerable in our community.
the community as a stepping • Work to increase the access of • Utilise our existing expenditure
stone to work or further study. tenants to digital services, and and expertise to bring in new • Work with the Blackpool
broaden the ways in which our sources of funding where Housing Company to develop
core service can be accessed appropriate. joint solutions where there is
digitally. mutual benefit, to preventing
• Develop a cost effective avoidable duplication of
support service and pathway resources.
to secure housing for those
presenting as homeless as
the current, commissioning
budgets disappear.
10 112017
2018
SUMMARY: We cannot however afford to be complacent as we face a testing economic
environment and the Council, along with other partners, still has to grapple
with deep and damaging cuts, which will inevitably limit the scope and
BCH has a proven track record for quality of service provision.
consistently, good delivery in many areas. Our Board has reiterated its commitment to our vison and values, which are
borne out of the imperative to provide good quality, social housing in stable
and thriving communities. To achieve our objectives in the current climate we
will increasingly have to be innovative, collaborative and use our experience
and skills to deliver on the wider agenda set for us by the board and our
shareholder. Our recent performance suggests we can deliver despite the
tough climate and this plan and the associated service plans will seek to
deliver on that ambition.
12 132017
2018
VISION AND VALUES
The company is overseen by a Values: • To improve our
board of twelve (Four elected neighbourhood environments
We will go about our work with:
members, four tenants and
four independents), has its own • Integrity and honesty • To make sure we use our BCH
dedicated staff and is funded expenditure to support our
• A clear accountability other priorities
by a fee paid from the Council’s
organisationally and
Blackpool Coastal Housing is a wholly owned
Housing Revenue Account. The • To work in partnership and
individually
board of BCH set the strategic engage others in our priorities
direction for the company taking • A focus on being a caring
company set up by Blackpool Council to manage
into account the context set by organisation • To create new housing choice
the Council and external factors,
and the management team • An aim of empowering staff The behaviours that will help
drive change include:
its social housing stock and provide related
and staff are responsible for and customers
delivering this strategy. • Listening
• An objective of building
services to its tenant and leaseholder customers.
The board reviewed its aspiration • Being positive and energetic
vision and values and set a
Priority areas for the next five • Being creative and innovative
number of priorities last year
years:
which continue to guide the • Working in collaboration
organisation and the content • To be an excellent provider of
of this plan for 2017/18 and the housing • Being enterprising
direction of the business over
the next 5 years. • To manage and maintain our • Taking a pride in working for
stock to a decent standard BCH
Vision:
• To be an efficient and effective • Being fair
“INSPIRING PEOPLE business
• To assist our customers to
• Showing respect and
compassion
TO BUILD BETTER enter work and training
COMMUNITIES” • To use our community
development role to improve
neighbourhoods
14 15Blackpool Coastal Housing Coastal House 17-19 Abingdon Street Blackpool FY1 1DG enquiries@bch.co.uk www.bch.co.uk
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