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Tenants’ Annual Report 2020

South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust


Introduction

Welcome to the South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust Annual Report 2020.

The report is divided into sections which give you information on how the company has performed in the last year and what will be improved in the coming year. Paper copies of the report are available on request for those who are not yet online – please call 0300 123 66 33 to request a copy.

Why do we need an Annual Report?

The Regulator of Social Housing is the regulatory body responsible for social housing in England and setting out what is expected of registered housing providers. The standards which have been set are outlined in the Regulatory Framework for Social Housing.

South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust (STHVT) is responsible for ensuring that these standards are met in a clear and accountable way. The Annual Report sets out the standards expected how the organisation is delivering services to you as a customer.

Our Homes and Developments

All South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust (STHVT) properties are completed to a very high specification. All properties are modern throughout and have been designed to suit various individuals and offer a very high standard of living for tenants. Within South Tyneside the organisation provides new and refurbished family homes and starter homes.

Listed below are the various property types located across the borough.

Biddick Green, South Shields

A development including 18 new 2 and 3 bedroom homes.

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Simonside, South Shields

A selection of 20 Bungalows

Friar Way, Stanley Street and High Street in Jarrow

A selection of 2 and 3 bedroomed apartments, bungalows and houses.

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Joseph Collins House, Jarrow

48 bedroom apartments (mix of 1 and 2 bedrooms) for independent living for those aged 55 and over.

Riverside apartments

50 bed apartments (mix of 1 and 2 bedrooms) for independent living for those aged 55 and over.

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Trinity South, South Shields

30 homes mix of 2 and 3 bedroom houses and 2 bedroom apartments

West Way, South Shields

33 properties with a mixture of bungalows, family homes and apartments.

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Wark Crescent, South Shields

A development of 6 apartments

Salcombe Avenue, South Shields

A development of 20, 2 and 3 bedroom houses

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Lakes Estate, Jarrow

35 properties with a mixture of houses, bungalows and apartments.

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Various one off properties across South Tyneside

South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust is continuing to develop empty properties across the borough and bring them back into use, regenerating areas and develop sustainable communities. The relationship with Homes England has continued during 2019/20 and additional funding has been secured and has been utilised to continue to regenerating unused homes.

Over the course of the year, further properties have been purchased in Masefield Drive and Reynolds Avenue, South Shields.

Before refurbishment After refurbishment

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New developments in South Tyneside increased STVHT property portfolio during 2019/20.

Edhill Avenue, South Shields

4 properties, including 2 apartments and 2 bungalows. These properties are independent living units.

Beach Road, South Shields

Before - The property had been derelict for 7 years.

After refurbishment – 4 apartments

Photos from inside refurbished Beach Road: Kitchens and Bathrooms

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New for 2020

There are further developments planned for South Tyneside during 2020. Whitburn Towers will be completed by July and this development will consist of 36 one and two bedroom apartments for over 55’s and is being delivered by South Tyneside Homes working in partnership with Tolent Construction Ltd and Homes England.

The scheme covers 3 floors and a separate annex block and is further complemented by a communal hub and scooter storage facility.

Whitburn Towers, Whitburn

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A new development consisting of 1 bed and 2 bed apartments

Examples of kitchens and bathrooms in Whitburn Towers

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Involvement and Empowerment Standard

The regulator says we should: Provide opportunities for customer involvement and empowerment Support customers in their ability to scrutinise and improve services Understand and respond to the diverse needs of customers Have a focus on good customer service, choice and complaints that is clear,

simple and accessible to customers

Live Chat has proved to be a successful form of communication for customers and has been expanded to other teams including Housing Solutions, Income and Welfare Support.

Call waiting times have been a challenge with 36% of calls being answered in 30 seconds. To address this South Tyneside Homes have implemented changes to the telephony system and rationalising shift patterns to better suit customer demand

STHVT can also be followed on facebook, where customers are able to keep up to date with latest news on up and coming new developments. There was 1313 likes on facebook, please follow Facebook.com/sthousingventurestrust. There was also an increase of 84% website page views totalling 11,027 page views for 2019/20.

During 2019 Ventures Housing Trust celebrated 5 years of providing new homes. Celebratory birthday events were held in two locations in Jarrow and South Shields to celebrate providing 404 new properties. A key part of these events were to highlight how the organisation has been performing but more importantly to allow customers to give their feedback to review, shape and improve services moving forward. The events included a presentation of STHVT story so far and a customer workshop to capture views on

What has improved/changed in the last year As a tenant, what are your top priorities How do you see STHVT progressing in the Future

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South Tyneside Homes our management agent have made a number of improvements to the ways in which customers can get in touch to report and access information. Customers can use a variety of contact and reporting channels, to suit their needs and preferences, including face to face, online, email, phone and text.


Another main feature of the events was to develop the appetite for an involved customer panel, after the events, 5 customers expressed a wish to become an involved customer.

Overall the events were well received and feedback from the events was available on the STHVT website. A digital YourView survey and a postal survey were also hosted simultaneously to the events to understand customer’s perceptions of Ventures accommodation

YourView is a digital platform which has been developed to allow customers to give their views online and earn rewards. To see how you can get involved, visit the YourView page of the website.

If you would like to express an interest in getting involved, please contact the Involvement team on 0300 123 66 33 or email [email protected].

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mailto:[email protected]


Tenancy Standard

Under the requirements of the regulator’s standards, STHVT is required to:

Allocate properties in a fair, transparent and efficient way and have ways for tenants to mutually exchange

Offer tenancies in a way that makes best use of stock Develop and provide services that will support tenants to maintain their

tenancy and prevent unnecessary evictions

All STHVT properties are completed to a very high specification offering high quality homes for customers. A large proportion of the housing stock is newly built meaning and are very energy efficient, helping the organisation reduce its carbon footprint. There are also a number of properties which have been purchased from the private sector and refurbished to a high specification.

Homes are mainly designed for those aged over 55 or for families that live with someone with a disability and there are properties which are starter homes.

All homes are allocated through Tyne and Wear Homes in accordance with the STVHT Allocations Policy which aims to make best use of the housing stock in a fair transparent way. Just 1.11% which equates to just under £26,000 of rent lost last year through the re-let process which demonstrates that homes are re-let in an efficient manner and significantly the turnover rate is low at 0.35%.

Customers are able to mutually exchange via Tyne and Wear Homes with another South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust tenant or someone who rents a property from other landlords subject to agreement. South Tyneside Homes our management company have introduced a new mutual exchange app called House Exchange

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The Housing Exchange app should make it easier for STHVT customers to swap their home if their circumstances change and their home is no longer suitable for their needs.


There were 36 Ventures properties let during 2019/20. New customers receive a wide range of support to support them maintain their tenancy, this includes welfare support, rent advice, repairs and general guidance on maintaining homes and the sustainment of tenancies.

Furthermore, all new customers receive Tenancy Support Visits from local Neighbourhood Officers. These visits provide tenants with an opportunity to discuss how they are managing in their new home and any issues which they may have.

STVHT works closely with South Tyneside Homes, South Tyneside Council and other agencies to ensure support is available to those who may need assistance paying their rent or managing their tenancy. The aim of this is to ultimately prevent unnecessary evictions.

During 2019/20, rent collection remained high with 100.91% of rent was collected which includes collecting any rent due and reducing the level of rent arrears. This is vital to ensuring that the company continues to operate.

If you are struggling to pay your rent, or you would like some support, please get in touch with the Income and Welfare team on 0300 123 6633.

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Home Standard

The regulator says we should: Provide a quality of accommodation that meets the Decent Homes Standard Carry out a cost-effective repairs and maintenance service to homes and

communal areas Meet all relevant legal requirements that provide for the health and safety of

the occupants in their home

All South Tyneside Ventures Trust homes are new or extensively refurbished and are above the Government’s Decent Homes standard. There is a planned maintenance programme to ensure all properties are maintained to these high standards.

Any queries for customers living in a new property, any repairs and maintenance queries should be referred to the Scheme Developer during the first 12 months – details are included in Home User Guides which are provided to customers as part of the sign-up process when they receive the keys for their home.

Images of kitchens and bathrooms in Ventures properties

Any repairs after the first year are carried out by South Tyneside Homes. Customers can report repairs 24 hours a day in a variety of ways including:

Online via http://www.southtynesidehomes.org.uk/article/9843/Contact-us using the Live Chat option.

By telephone to South Tyneside Homes’ Customer Service Centre on 0300 123 6633

Online via the website By email to [email protected]

Overall performance of repairs and customer satisfaction remained good during 2019/20. With 99.69% of emergency repairs attended to within the 4 hour timescale

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mailto:[email protected]

http://www.southtynesidehomes.org.uk/article/9843/Contact-us


and the repairs and maintenance team carried out 100% of urgent repairs within the government guidelines. During the year there was a total of 1468 repairs completed costing just over £183,000 and 88.16% of these repairs were completed right first time demonstrating an efficient and effective repairs service delivered by South Tyneside Homes.

A number of improvements have been made to the repairs services provided by South Tyneside Homes which is helping to ensure that repairs are carried out as efficiently as possible which allows money to be better used elsewhere.

South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust is committed to designing properties that customers can live in for as long as possible and can be easily adapted to suit changing needs ensuring all customers, including the elderly and disabled can remain independent in their homes. To do this South Tyneside Homes’ Property Services teams work in partnership with South Tyneside Council’s Occupational Therapists who can carry out home surveys to assess what adaptations are required if any.

Keeping you safe:

South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust has a number of dedicated teams to keep customers safe in their home and ensure that the organisation complies with all statutory requirements. All new customers are provided with a Tenants Safety Handbook when they sign for their new property and this information is also available on the South Tyneside Homes website https://www.southtynesidehomes.org.uk/article/61496/Staying-safe-in-your-home}

Gas

Last year, an annual gas service (or safety check for new customers) was completed on all South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust properties. This process is vital to ensure all customers are safe in their homes and the organisation complies with legal requirements and unnecessary heating breakdowns are prevented. It is really important that you allow access to your property to complete an annual gas service, keeping your appointment keeps you safe!

Electrical

All South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust properties have been extensively rewired to ensure that all electrics are safe and working correctly. An electrical inspection and testing programme will be put in place to regularly check properties every 5 years once their electrical system is 10 years old.

Asbestos

All buildings are fully compliant with asbestos regulations. All new build properties do

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https://www.southtynesidehomes.org.uk/article/61496/Staying-safe-in-your-home


not contain any asbestos as these materials can no longer be used in construction.

Fire safety

All buildings and communal areas have a fire risk assessment, fire alarms and emergency equipment. These are regularly tested to ensure that these are maintained to the required standards. Sprinkler systems are installed in our two residential apartment blocks.

As ongoing commitment to providing safe, quality accommodation, STHVT have recently upgraded existing fire detection systems to Riverside Apartments and Joseph Collins.

Upgrades include a fire alarm system which allows emergency crews to activate a specialist alarm which will ring through all properties and tell residents to evacuate the whole building.

“Voice sounders” within the properties and communal areas give clear verbal instructions to residents and visitors, in the event of activation.

Lifts

Where lifts are installed within buildings, these are regularly inspected, tested and maintained to ensure that they remain compliant with legislations. Any repairs or faults are dealt with in a timely manner.

Water

All buildings have a water management regime in place to ensure water safety is maintained. A management programme has been developed and commenced to carry out risk assessments to domestic properties where water systems are inspected. As part of the process, customers are provided with fact sheets to ensure that their water systems are used in a safe manner.

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Neighbourhood and Community Standard

The regulator says we should: Keep neighbourhoods and communal areas clean and safe Work with relevant partners to promote social, environmental and economic

wellbeing Work with partners to prevent and tackle anti-social behaviour

South Tyneside Homes manages neighbourhoods on behalf of South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust. South Tyneside Homes works in partnership with numerous agencies and organisations to develop and improve the lives of residents and the areas in which they live.

The Handy Estates team collected over 2223 tonnes of waste to keep areas clean and tidy last year. Throughout the year, the #lovewhereyoulive campaign continued to be a strong theme. This campaign was developed in partnership with South Tyneside Council and South Tyneside Homes to encourage customers to take pride in their local communities. Local campaigns have taken place during the year to raise awareness of issues including litter picking and dog fouling.

Please contact your Neighbourhood Officer to find out what is happening in your local area and how you can get involved.

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South Tyneside Homes introduced a Photobook App during the year to keep communities safe and clean and assist Neighbourhood and Housing Plus Officers to carry out fire safety checks on blocks and Housing Plus schemes. The app enables officers to photograph hazards and report information efficiently and allow appropriate action to be taken.


The Community Safety and Tenancy Enforcement team within South Tyneside Homes works in partnership with Northumbria Police, Tyne and Wear Fire Service and Environmental Health to prevent and tackle anti-social behaviour issues across the borough. The team is working more closely with Councils Enforcement Team to use business intelligence to focus our resources. Staff are able to issue Fixed Penalty Notices to those who commit offences, but this is a last resort and the team focus on having positive conversations and encouraging customers to respect their neighbourhood and neighbours. The NoiseApp continues to be a permanent tool for customers to gather evidence of any noise nuisance that they may be experiencing.

During the year, there were 23 cases of anti-social behaviour cases reported for Ventures Housing Trust, all were responded to within timescales.

To discuss any issues or concerns in your local area, please contact your local Neighbourhood Officer on 0300 123 66 33.

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Rent Standard

The regulator says we should:

Set our rents in line with government guidance and give you information about our rents.

Most rents are set under the Homes England affordable rents policy. Property rents are set at up to 80% of rents charged by the private sector for similar properties in a similar area to ensure that properties are affordable for tenants.

Results from a satisfaction survey during 2019/20 showed 77.08% of customers were satisfied that rent paid was good value for money. During 2019/20 the average general needs rent was £100.26 and the weekly service charges was £7.18. Net rental income for 2019/20 was £2,410,276, which is an increase from last year of £480,205 which is due to the increase in housing stock.

Housing Ventures Trust has agreed a 30-year business plan which shows the long term confidence of the company. Due to our significant investment, the Company will show losses for the first 10 years of its existence but will start to produce annual surpluses during that time with the Company moving into an overall break-even after 10 years. All surplus money which is generated will be reinvested into properties and neighbourhoods.

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Governance and Value for Money Standard The regulator says we should run the business well by:

Meeting legal requirements Being clear about who is responsible for each part of the business, and

how decisions are made so we can be held accountable to you Manage our money well

The Board is responsible for ensuring that South Tyneside Housing Ventures Trust meets the legal requirements set out by the regulator. In addition, it also takes ultimate responsibility for performance and for setting the strategic aims for the Company to make sure that money is spent wisely.

The Board is made up of 6 independent members, who are recruited for their specialist skills and knowledge, 2 members appointed by South Tyneside Council and 1 tenant. The Chair is elected and appointed on an annual basis.

Value for Money Standard

The regulator says we should publish evidence in the statutory accounts to enable stakeholders to understand the provider’s:

Performance against its own value for money targets and any metrics set out by the regulator, and how that performance compares to peers

Measurable plans to address any areas of underperformance, including clearly stating any areas where improvements would not be appropriate and the rationale for this.

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