BEST COMPANIES SPECIAL JUNE 2021 - Housing Quality ...
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BEST COMPANIES SPECIAL JUNE 2021
We know that North Wales Housing is a great place
to work, but being listed as ones to watch is great
recognition of this.
Thank you to our amazing people who make it a great
place to work. Every day they go above and beyond, and
we would like to thank and recognise them for that.
We don’t intend to stop. We want to make NWH an even better
place to work.
✓ We offer careers in Housing, Finance, Development,
Maintenance, HR, Customer Services, Marketing and more
✓ We’re very supportive in your career – We support your
professional development and also support you if you want to
improve your Welsh
✓ Achieving a good work/life balance – We offer flexible working
arrangements where we can
✓ Health and wellbeing is important to us
✓ We offer a free employee health assistance scheme
✓ We have signed the Time to Change pledge. Leaders and Health
and Wellbeing champions are ‘I-Act Promoting positive mental
health and wellbeing’ trained
2 HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE
MARCH 2021
Contents June 2021
Published by:
HQN
4
Housing’s Best Associations to 10 Places 2 & 3 Rockingham House
St Maurice’s Road
Work For 2021 11 Places 4 & 5
York
6 1st place 12 Places 6–25 YO31 7JA
Editorial:
Alistair McIntosh
Mark Lawrence
Email:
mark.lawrence@hqnetwork.co.uk
Tel: 07523 920010
Advertising:
All enquiries to:
ellie.salsbury@hqnetwork.co.uk
Tel: 07542 860095
Design:
Sam Wiggle
Next issue of HQM out July 2021
HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021 3
Housing’s Best Associations to Work
For 2021
After a year like no other, being named as one of Each employee within an organisation is invited to
‘Housing’s 25 Best Associations to Work For in the respond to a series of statements using a seven-point
UK’ is a truly special achievement. To compile the scale where they can express how much they agree or
Top 25 list, Best Companies surveys thousands of disagree with a particular statement. These responses
employees each year to determine the organisations are combined to produce a Best Companies Index
with the highest levels of workplace engagement. (BCI) score, recognised as the UK standard for
Organisations in the sector continue to demonstrate employee engagement. These scores are then ranked
an investment in their people, performing well in areas against other organisations within the same sector to
such as strong management and connected teams. produce the list.
Using a rigorous methodology, organisations This year, over 7,200 employees from across the
are measured across eight factors of employee sector gave their views.
engagement (see graphic).
My Manager
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How employees feel about
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ing
and communicate with
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The extent to which How employees feel about
employees feel their the head of the organisation,
organisation has a senior management and the
positive impact organisation's values and
on society principles
My Company
Fair Deal
How happy employees The level of engagement
are with pay and benefits employees feel with their
job and organisation
How employees feel about How employees feel about
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stress, pressure at work training and their future
wt
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and life balance prospects
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Employees’ feelings towards on
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4 HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021
Top scorers in 2021 one factor out of the eight that didn’t improve
overall in comparison to the previous year, and that’s
For 2021, the top-scoring factors for listed organisations ‘Personal Growth’. In particular, there was a decline in
relate to ‘My Team’ and ‘My Manager’. This suggests employees feeling the training they’ve received hasn’t
employees feel positive towards their immediate been as great a benefit to them personally.
colleagues and feel supported by their direct manager. Of course, with the challenges of the pandemic,
The top ten housing organisations have excelled organisations may not have had the resources to
compared to their rest of list when it comes to invest in ongoing learning and development, or they
inspirational leadership and senior teams making might have had to adapt training methods. That said,
decisions based on sound moral principles. Employees there’s still been an improvement in certain statements
have confidence in their leaders and believe that their related to this factor, such as employees feeling that
organisations have a strong social conscience. their job overall is good for their personal growth.
The greatest differentiator between nationally listed
housing associations compared to non-listed housing
organisations is the ‘Leadership’ factor, where there Additional findings
was found to be on average a 10.07% difference in
scores. When compared with non-listed associations, An additional observation within the housing sector
employees in listed organisations felt more strongly is their commitment to Equality, Diversity and
they had confidence in the Inclusion (EDI). Organisations
leadership skills of their senior have shared what they’re
managers and that the leader “This year, over 7,200 doing to support EDI within
of their organisation was the workplace. Some have
employees from across
inspiring. focused on developing
Getting a Fair Deal on pay is the sector gave their views dedicated EDI steering
another strong differentiator responding to topics ranging committees or working
between listed and non-listed groups to ensure people are
housing organisations. Those from their interactions treated fairly and to tackle
listed appear to renumerate with senior leaders, inequality, whilst others have
employees fairly for their roles delivered specific training in
and responsibilities, as well as through to personal growth areas such as unconscious
paying fairly in comparison to opportunities and wellbeing” bias and working towards an
other organisations for similar inclusive recruitment process.
roles. Some organisations are
working to become LGBTQA+ or disability champions,
with others recognising and showing support to
Year-on-year changes initiatives such as Anti-Bullying Week, World Mental
Health Day, Black History Month and Pride.
Indeed, when comparing housing associations that
surveyed both in the BCI 2020 survey and BCI 2021
(January – March 2021), the ‘Fair Deal’ factor saw the In summary
greatest increase in score, showing that being paid
fairly has had a positive impact on how employees feel Overall, it’s encouraging to see the achievements
about their organisation. housing associations have made over the past year.
Other factors that have increased year-on-year are They’ve delivered strong leadership and
‘Leadership’ and ‘My Manager’. This upswing can management through difficult times whilst also
be attributed to employees feeling confident in the financially and emotionally supporting employees.
leadership skills of their senior managers and feeling If organisations can continue to improve, particularly
supported by their managers. around Personal Growth, these workplaces will likely
Wellbeing, which has been so pivotal during the see increasing engagement levels and demonstrate
pandemic, also saw an increase when comparing the outstanding best practice.
two surveys. Findings show in relation to wellbeing Over the following pages, we’ll look at the
specifically, employees are not feeling as under organisations that have made Housing’s 25 Best
pressure to perform well at work with fewer looking to Associations to Work For in 2021 and look at some
move on from their jobs. of the things they’ve done in relation to employee
Generally, for the housing sector, there was just engagement to secure a place.
HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021 5
Stockport Homes
After its recent success being crowned as the UK’s Best Recovery and transformation
Company to Work for in the Housing Sector in 2021,
Stockport Homes Group explains why engagement As a landlord, SHG manages Stockport Borough
is so fundamental to its culture and how an inclusive Council’s 11,500 homes, along with 800 in its own
approach enabled it to embrace the challenges of the right. It delivers related services for homeless people,
pandemic. sheltered accommodation residents, and people with
Surrounded by a team of socially distanced disabilities. It has a team of 650 staff, over 30,000
colleagues and with a brightly coloured balloon bridge customers, and a turnover of £50m.
in full vision, Helen McHale, CEO of Stockport Homes To continue providing its essential services
Group (SHG), exclaimed her joy as the organisation throughout the pandemic, the organisation’s mission
was named the UK’s Best Company to Work for in the of ‘One Team, Transforming Lives’ really came to the
Housing Sector in 2021. fore. It put a robust ‘Recovery and Transformation
On a live Zoom call from its Stockport Head Office Plan’ in place to safeguard its team members’ safety
on Friday 21 May, McHale told TV presenter Dan Walker and wellbeing, whilst maintaining staff engagement
just how proud she was of all her team and the ways and ensuring business continuity despite such
they’d adapted to the challenges presented by the last challenging circumstances.
15 months, as part of an interview for Best Companies SHG says it was the collaborative and inclusive nature
Live, a special broadcast during which the winning of this plan that meant colleagues and customers
organisations were revealed. were the centre of focus throughout the pandemic.
“It’s been really difficult, but also really good,” It provided much needed support to its employees
McHale explained. “Obviously, an organisation like to allow them to continue to work effectively by
ours delivers services to very vulnerable customers undertaking individual welfare calls and keeping them
who needed us during the pandemic, but, at the same connected with regular communications and virtual
time we had to consider keeping both them and our events, such as a ‘Colleague Festival’ and a ‘Festive
staff safe. This meant we had to learn whole new ways Ball.’
of working and being really flexible. We’re now going Thanks to the plan, SHG has also embraced new
to take the best of these new practices and continue technologies and advanced its approach to flexible
to use them.” working to support team member wellbeing. Under
its ‘Maximising our Potential’
initiative, the organisation
embraced giving employees the
opportunity to work in the ways
that suit them best, taking into
account personal circumstances
and caring responsibilities. This,
it says, has enabled it to maintain
high levels of customer satisfaction,
enhance its 100% attendance
record, and increase its headcount
by continuing to recruit throughout
the pandemic.
Helen McHale, CEO, Stockport Homes
6 HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021
Stockport Homes Group employees celebrate being named the UK’s Best Company to Work For in the Housing Sector
Embracing the new Covid-19, thanks to a strong foundation of exceptional
leadership and planning together with sound health
Despite having to quickly pivot to the new ways of and safety practices.
working in its ‘Recovery and Transformation Plan’, SHG However, above all else it recognises the
used the challenges of the situation as an opportunity importance of its people, saying its greatest pride is
to consider the way it works and delivers its services in the “overwhelming heart, soul and resilience” of
in future. its colleagues, who have fully embraced the spirit of
In particular, it says the success of the digital its ‘One Team’ culture, and mission of ‘Transforming
technologies it implemented – such as the ‘My Online’ Lives’; overcoming their own difficulties to support the
portal, which allows customers to access services most vulnerable in their communities when they need
remotely – will remain in place, as will the use of Office it most, whatever it takes.
365 and virtual platforms for its team members to stay
connected.
It’ll also continue to embrace guidance it A continuing journey
implemented around safely returning to the office.
Called ‘Stay Safe Considerate Colleague’, the Now, with the accolade of the UK’s Best Company to
document allows employees to safely use SHG’s new, Work for in the Housing Sector in 2021 to its name,
purpose-built head office whilst ensuring compliance as well as maintaining its three-star accreditation for
with the latest government advice on office-based ‘world class’ levels of employee engagement based on
working. SHG says the ability for colleagues to return Best Companies’ index score, SHG says it’ll continue
to this space was particularly important to support to build on its success.
their wellbeing and connectivity. It believes that through its strategies, values, and
the commitment of its team members, it’s enhanced
an already high performing working environment and
Heart, soul, and resilience has proven to be adaptable and forward thinking.
This, it says, is something that’ll be a huge asset as it
Looking back on the past 15 months, SHG says it’s continues the next steps of its journey.
proud of the ways in which it took on the challenges of
HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021 7
HQN Accreditation Would you like to demonstrate that your service has been scrutinised by a reputable, independent organisation, and been found to meet exacting industry standards? The HQN Accreditation scheme provides the framework to achieve this. It will ensure the confidence of customers, clients and partners. HQN Accreditation recognises and rewards organisations who: • Understand and support their customers and communities – recognising and valuing diversity • Deliver excellent customer service for tenants • Operate efficiently and sustainably, making the best use of resources available • Show a commitment to developing and sustaining strong partnerships • Show innovation and are proactive in looking for opportunities to improve
MIST –
Maximising Income;
Sustaining Tenancies
Repairs and
Gas
Maintenance
DLO / Contractor
Leasehold
Lettings
Management
Estate
Management
The HQN Accreditation mark is a
visible sign that your organisation
not only meets or exceeds good
practice standards, but is also proud
to offer a best-in-class service to its
tenants and residents
hqnetwork.co.uk/accreditation
2 Weaver Vale Housing Trust
Weaver Vale Housing Trust is a large-scale voluntary transfer housing association, formed in July 2002, operating
in Cheshire. It owns over 6,200 homes – plus garages, shops, and community play areas – and places its people
at the heart of all it does by investing in its employees, assets, services, and communities.
The association recycles and renews 97.6% of all its waste, both from head office and trade staff jobs and
activities. Since 2013, solar panels at the Northwich Head Office and those on customer homes have generated
12,014,665 kWh of electricity, preventing CO2 from entering the atmosphere and generating £8,000 of green
energy income in 2019-2020.
Everyone gets carbon literacy training and there’s training for trade staff on renewable technologies. The target
at Weaver Vale is for all new homes to use only clean energy by 2025 and to achieve a net zero-carbon position
by 2050.
Weaver Vale has a caring and family orientated
culture. It’s been a Top 100 Best Company to Work
For over 12 consecutive years.
Customer satisfaction is monitored through
Weaver Vale’s STAR (Survey of Tenants and Residents)
survey, with the latest results showing 92% customer
satisfaction – the best ever outcome. Staff care for
one another, too. The trust says: “There are so many
opportunities to be involved and make a difference,
and all roles present the opportunity to be as rich
and full as the participant chooses.”
3 Regenda Homes
Regenda is a housing association managing over 13,000 properties in the North West. Most of these are social
rented homes and the company also has more than 30 independent living schemes for older people, and 160
supported homes.
Regenda Homes, with its head office in Liverpool and neighbourhood offices in Fleetwood and Oldham,
aims to support its residents to ensure they’ve the best possible quality of life, in healthy, safe, prosperous, and
sustainable communities. The name comes from a combination of ‘regeneration’ and ‘agenda’, reflecting the
social landlord’s history of regenerating buildings and neighbourhoods. It operates across 28 local authorities.
The company is a registered society for the benefit of the community, formerly known as an ‘industrial and
provident society’. It works with a range of partner organisations and its core purpose is to regenerate places to
create opportunities for people.
Regenda also aims to achieve value for money
– one of its core values – in all that it does, using its
resources and assets economically, efficiently, and
effectively to deliver its strategic objectives and meet
customer expectations. Performance is regularly
assessed by the executive team and board.
The organisation’s CEO, Dr Michael Birkett, sent
weekly email updates to staff providing information
about its response to the pandemic. He also advised
in every update that if any staff member had any
concerns, they should feel free to contact him
directly on his mobile.
10 HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 20214 Abri
Last Christmas, housing association Abri gave a £250 Christmas thank-you to all employees, except the senior
leadership and executive team, to acknowledge how well everyone had continued to do their job despite the
pandemic. The gesture also recognised the important role everybody has to play at the not-for-profit organisation,
which provides 35,000 homes for 80,000 residents, from those working out-and-about keeping communities
spick and span to the development team making sure new homes are the best they can be.
Trying to keep things feeling a little bit normal has been key to keeping up morale and at Hampshire-based Abri,
which was formed as a result of the merger between housing providers Radian and Yarlington, creating one of
the largest housing associations in the south of England.
The trades team were involved in the launch of its new name, which means shelter, and modelled their
rebranded uniforms in a fashion show at the virtual
conference watched by 1,100 staff, who were all sent
goody bags to mark the change. The annual staff-run
pantomime also went ahead, albeit virtually, with a
reduced cast delivering a socially distanced version
of Scrooge spreading some much-needed Christmas
cheer amid the pandemic gloom.
Abri, which builds, owns, looks after, and sells
homes that people can afford to rent or buy, is
passionate about tackling the housing crisis and
building thriving and sustainable communities, and
prides itself on being a workplace where everyone
has a chance to belong, grow, and thrive.
5 Curo
The virtual annual awards ceremony at housing association and housebuilder Curo was hosted by comedian
Tom Allen, famous for his sartorial elegance. Staff, though, had the option of dressing up or down for the
occasion. In another departure from the normal event, employees were all sent hampers of goodies and wine for
their meal, and were encouraged to bring the family along to join in the celebrations. In addition to the normal
nominations for colleagues, chief executive Victor da Cunha was presented with an award for his care, support,
and leadership throughout the pandemic.
One of the largest landlords in the South West, the Bath-based not-for-profit organisation provides homes as
well as care and support services across the West of England for more than 25,000 customers. It manages more
than 13,000 homes and builds hundreds of new ones every year.
Curo reinvests surpluses from its commercial
housebuilding and lettings businesses into its social
purpose, which is to make communities thriving,
sustainable places where people want to live and
work.
The leadership team set up a daily ‘COBRA-
style’ call during lockdown, which fed into a daily
emails from da Cunha, who did a Friday online chat
where anyone could join for an hour to share what
had been happening to them, or just talk about
non-work things. In addition to sending staff care
packages in the first lockdown, Curo also delivered
winter warming hot water bottles, fluffy socks, and a
personalised mug to them in November.
HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021 116 Melin Homes
Melin Homes does much more than just put a roof over people’s head,
and during the pandemic its staff went the extra mile to support the local
community through volunteering and fundraising events. These ranged
from online ‘laughter workshops’ and mindfulness and exercise classes
for teachers, to raising £16,000 for a local hospice through fun activities
including the senior management team doing dares, from ice bucket
challenges to TikTok dances. The large not-for-profit enterprise, formed
in 2007, manages more than 4,000 homes across South East Wales and
provides a range of services to help people and communities thrive.
7 Broadland Housing Association
Keen to ensure staff furloughed during the pandemic still felt involved,
Broadland kept in regular contact and encouraged them to take part in
welfare calls to vulnerable tenants, as well as team meetings. The not-for-
profit organisation, which provides more than 5,100 homes across Norfolk
and North Suffolk, also introduced a monthly online survey to see how
its workforce was coping and what it could do to help them. Broadland
knows that to create thriving neighbourhoods and communities, looking
after the wellbeing of staff is a priority, so it introduced flexible working
and organised a fun social calendar.
8 Golden Lane Housing
While Covid restrictions limited how much volunteering staff at Golden
Lane Housing could do, they did whatever they could – from litter picking
and delivering essential supplies to vulnerable people in the community,
to completing garden makeovers so tenants could sit outside in the nice
weather during lockdown. Golden Lane Housing works with adults with
learning disabilities, providing supported housing around which they can
build their lives. It was established as an independent charity by Mencap
in 1998 to help tackle the immense challenges that people with a learning
disability face in finding a home.
9 Accent Housing
Making a difference and improving people’s lives is part of the job at Accent
Group, which has been providing roofs over people’s heads since 1966.
Today, the housing association owns almost 22,000 properties across
the north, east, and south of the country, which are home to more than
35,000 residents. A registered society for the benefit of the community,
Accent has plans to build many more. Looking after staff so they can look
after residents is a priority for the organisation, which has an employee-
led group which organises a calendar of activities to boost the health and
wellbeing of the workforce.
12 HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021Number 6 in 2021!
in Housing’s 25 Best Associations to Work For
Melin Homes have entered The Sunday Times Best Companies Lists for the last six years.
20 6 87
2021 is the first year we have been on three lists, with Giving Something Back remaining our highest category.
Best Companies is fantastic reward and recognition for all the hard work of our dedicated and caring staff.
Our people know that we aim to do our best for our residents and the communities we work in. The last 14
months have been unprecedented and we felt continuing with our Best Companies journey was more
important than ever.
Here’s what some of our staff had to say when asked:
What makes Melin
a great place to work?
“Even though most of this year we have been in lockdown and
working from home, Melin has made every effort to make us
feel valued and included, with lots of postal surprises!”
“Employees are constantly appreciated for the work they do.
There is team spirit and you get a great sense of belonging to
the organisation.”
“The people, it’s a great place to work! I have been here since
2001 so say no more.”
“I feel supported in my role and appreciated. It’s been a very
tough year for everyone. I feel extremely lucky to be able to
work from home in these difficult times. My line manager and
team manager have been supportive throughout. Not only do
we look after our residents, we look after each other.”
“Melin is an outstanding place to work. I am encouraged and
empowered to carry out my daily role. We are looked after as
individuals, with a wide range of benefit options which support
my mental health, wellbeing and keeps me motivated. The Zest
initiative has been the bed rock of looking after staff welfare
for a long time with many initiatives to keep me fit and well.”
Paula Kennedy, Chief Executive at Melin said: “Being placed at number six on Housing’s 25 Best Associations
to Work For list is something to be really proud of. These awards really matter to us at Melin because they
are based on how staff genuinely feel about where they work. I would like to thank everyone at Melin for
making it a fantastic place to work, their dedication over the last year has been inspiring under such difficult
170521_01
circumstances.”
www.melinhomes.co.uk @melinhomes Photos were taken before Covid-1910 Kingdom Group
A ground-breaking project to tackle the vicious circle of homelessness
and unemployment was launched by Fife-based Kingdom Housing
Association in 2019, which other associations have since adopted. The
‘Naumann Initiative’ gives homeless people a job, a home, and support
with sustaining their tenancy. The project continues at Kingdom this year
with the provision of two career pathfinder traineeships and three housing
advocacy worker vacancies. In keeping with its mission of providing more
than a home, Kingdom, formed in 1979, supplies a variety of enhanced
services to tenants and delivers community initiative projects.
11 RHA Wales
RHA owns and manages over 1,800 homes. The group has been the main
provider of new social housing in the area in recent years, delivering over
350 new homes since 2015. Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary
it’s now one of the longest-serving social landlords in Wales, with over
40 years’ experience of delivering high-quality services to tenants and
stakeholders. The team of 70+ staff work with partners to deliver more than
just housing. The organisation strives to build sustainable communities
and improve the quality of life for tenants by increasing opportunities for
employment and skills, and by promoting social inclusion.
12 believe housing
A multimillion-pound cash injection means believe housing, a multi-
award-winning housing association, will build 1,250 new homes, upgrade
thousands more, and extend the support it offers to communities. The
not-for-profit housing association based in Co Durham will use the cash
to transform homes and communities. It’ll double its home-building
programme and spend more than £6m extra on improving the energy
efficiency of existing homes. believe housing prides itself on putting its
tenants and its people at the heart of everything it does. Its mission is to
strive every day to improve on what it did the day before.
13 Thrive Homes
Social housing may not be immediately associated with Buckinghamshire,
Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Oxfordshire, but Thrive Homes knows
the market well. The company owns and manages around 5,000 homes
in those counties. It believes having a decent home and employment
opportunities promotes a sense of self-worth and is the foundation for
a successful and fulfilling life. Thrive describes itself as having a “social
purpose” and its employees enjoy serving the community. Through their
volunteering programme, they offer their time and expertise to local
projects and charities.
14 HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021Proud to be the UK’s
‘Best Company
to Work For’
In a year like no other our teams have gone the extra mile to be
connected, engaged and to deliver excellent services for our customers.
Thank you Team SHG
HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE
MARCH 2021 1514 Queens Cross Housing Association
Queens Cross came to the aid of residents of all ages when the pandemic
confined them to their homes. Arts activity packs were given to children,
while some older tenants were handed digital devices to help them stay
in contact with loved ones. Meals and groceries were delivered to those in
need. Queens Cross was founded in 1976 to improve housing conditions
and became a charity in 2005. The organisation provides mainstream
housing and support services for people aged 60+, young people facing
homelessness, and people with mental health issues. Its core values are
respect, integrity, and aspiration.
15 VIVID
As a provider of affordable homes in the South of England, VIVID put
customer care centre stage during the pandemic and asked staff to
make videos that showcased their pride in their work and the difference
it makes to others. The fun films, which featured parodies of Bake Off,
M&S adverts, ABBA, and Johnny Cash, brought teams together, as well
as providing a reminder of the importance of the work they do. Formed
in 2017, VIVID provides support to 72,000 customers across Hampshire,
Surrey, Berkshire, and West Sussex, and has plans to build 17,000 homes
over the next ten years.
16 Aspire Group
Virtual coffee mornings and a ‘Feel Good’ campaign – including a time-
off pass and paid respite periods for staff working during lockdown – are
just some of the initiatives that have kept spirits high at Aspire Group.
The Group provides around 9,000 homes across north Staffordshire and
south and east Cheshire and its profits are reinvested in new homes,
revitalising communities, and in a range of support services. The group
demonstrates its commitment to its values by encouraging innovation,
promoting cross-organisational working, and being ambitious – not just
for the business but also for the people it serves and its employees.
17 Orwell Housing Association
Orwell cares for the environment as well as its tenants and staff. The
housing association manages not just 4,000 properties but 70 acres of
outside space, including 5,000+ trees and six miles of hedging. All green
waste is now recycled into mulch and compost for use across Orwell’s
gardens and open spaces, rather than going to landfill. The idea came from
staff, reflecting the collaborative culture encouraged by the association’s
leadership. Ipswich-based Orwell supplies care services for older people,
adults with learning disabilities, people facing homelessness, and those in
or leaving abusive relationships.
16 HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021How engaged
are your
employees?
Ask them.
Measuring employee engagement with Best Companies
gives you a unique understanding of how your employees
feel about their working life in the housing sector.
Using our accurate and actionable engagement data, we enable you
to drive genuine, effective change within your organisation – improving
communication, cooperation and managerial behaviour.
Best Companies’ nationally recognised
accreditation programme.
Our data also provides the measurement behind ‘Housing’s Best Associations
To Work For’ list, as well as providing our industry-leading accreditation
standard.
Find out more today by calling 01978 851 220 or visit www.b.co.uk
HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE
MARCH 2021 1718 Family Housing Association
Teamwork makes the dream work at social landlord Family Housing
Association (FHA), where staff pitched in together to make sure the
organisation was able to provide vital care and support during the
pandemic. Based in Swansea, FHA was established in 1975 to meet the
housing needs of families and older and more vulnerable people with a
mission to create strong, vibrant, and resilient communities where people
can live active, fulfilling lives, living independently and safely. Today, it
manages more than 2,800 affordable homes and provides a range of
services.
19 Stonewater
“No meetings at lunchtime” was the golden rule introduced by social
housing provider Stonewater to ensure staff could grab the chance to
take some exercise in daylight during lockdown. Furloughed staff weren’t
left out either: they were sent a wellbeing toolkit, and mental health first
aiders raised their profile across the intranet site to highlight the support
they could offer. With 32,500 homes in England for 70,000 residents,
including supported living for older and vulnerable people and women’s
refuges, Stonewater’s priority was to improve communication to keep the
workforce up to date on developments.
20 Black Country Housing Group
An innovative member of staff at Black Country Housing Group (BCHG)
adapted an empty bedroom in its care homes so relatives could visit their
loved ones after months of being separated from them due to strict Covid
regulations. This allowed families to sit behind Perspex glass in the novel
visiting booth and speak to each other over a phone. Founded in 1974,
this large not-for-profit community organisation employs more than 300
people across its portfolio of more than 2,200 homes and two residential
care homes, and provides not only roofs over people’s heads, but also a
wide range of support and services.
21 Watford Community Housing
Watford Community Housing displayed its dedication to its customers
during Covid by carrying out hundreds of welfare calls. Between April and
September 2020 alone, it completed 752 calls to older and vulnerable
customers. The housing association also awarded £250 welfare grants
to 138 households. Formed in 2007, Watford Community Housing owns
and manages more than 5,000 homes across south-west Hertfordshire.
As a Community Gateway organisation, it puts residents at the heart of its
work, and they’re encouraged to become members so they can vote and
make decisions which help to shape the organisation’s future.
18 HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 202122 Christian Action Housing Association
When a need for affordable housing for rent was identified in north
London in the mid-1960s, the church-based Christian Housing Action
Association stepped into the breach. Today, it manages or owns almost
1,600 homes in Enfield, Barnet, Haringey, and Waltham Forest. Christian
Housing expects its team of 100 knowledgeable professionals to operate
on its shared values of fairness and dedication to community service
and, as a ‘people organisation’, understands that wellbeing is important.
Regular pulse surveys are held to find out what challenges its team
members are facing and if additional support staff are needed.
23 Saffron Housing Trust
Saffron Housing Trust’s people are at the heart of everything it does.
Their motivation, support, and engagement is critical to the delivery of
the corporate plan, which promotes a positive, inclusive, and respectful
culture with a strong focus on service improvement. The organisation
acknowledges how hard its people work and their commitment to its
future. Its exciting engagement and benefits platform means staff can
recognise colleagues and take advantage of a range of discounts. As part
of its ‘Positive Future Strategy’, it prioritises opportunities to get involved
and the happiness of staff.
24 Cheltenham Borough Homes
Formed in 2003, Cheltenham Borough Homes (CBH) is responsible for
the management and maintenance of the town council’s housing stock
and its allied housing the homeless service. Community engagement runs
through CBH’s DNA, making a difference to thousands of lives in this way,
with teams delivering face-to-face wellbeing sessions in a Covid safe way
to vulnerable groups. They’ve also worked with three resident’s groups
across Cheltenham on grow-your-own-vegetables projects and offer the
chance to sign up for online activities alongside CBH staff, including craft
sessions, foodie Fridays, and fitness activities.
25 Tai Calon Community Housing
Jumping in at the deep end, new CEO Howard Toplis took over his role at
Tai Calon Community Housing last year in the middle of the pandemic
crisis. As employees made welfare calls to their vulnerable tenants,
making sure people had food deliveries, Blaenau Gwent’s largest social
landlord rose to the challenge to help local people. Four staff members
were seconded to help the local Covid-19 Track and Trace effort and six
went to help run food banks serving 450 families. Staff also helped with
community projects including upgrading a local memorial garden with
new shrubs.
HOUSING’S BEST ASSOCIATIONS TO WORK FOR 2021 19The HQN annual
conference 2021:
Respecting the resident voice –
are we ready to listen?
13 - 15 July 2021
20 HOUSING QUALITY MAGAZINE
MARCH 2021
hqnetwork.co.uk/eventsYou can also read
