Performance
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Performance
We are passionate about performing to a high standard and continuously improving services for residents and their communities.
Performance is managed in a number of ways listed below. You can use the links below to go directly to information, or scroll down.
- Effective governance (through the Board and its sub-committees),
- Co-ordinating a range of improvements through the deliver of our Service Improvement Plan,
- Working with others to deliver best practice and benchmark ourselves against others,
- Delivering recommendations made by the Audit Commission and Housing Corporation,
- Managing performance internally against a set of key performance indicators and targets,
- Embedding the above in our employee management and appraisal systems.
All of the above are informed and influenced by a growing range of resident involvement and other feedback mechanisms.
A Board of local volunteers meets on a bi-monthly basis with senior staff to oversee the development of the organisation and the level of service to residents. The Board has an Operations sub-committee that supports its work.
The Board has a strategic role in leading the direction of GHA, and is responsible for developing and agreeing our Business Plan.
Since October 2005, we have had a Service Improvement Plan that supports the Business Plan. This contains details of all our activities that aim to provide a better service to our residents and their communities. This includes targets, projects and outcomes. This helps our staff to remain focused on service improvement and prioritise resources effectively.
The Service Improvement Plan is updated monthly, and reports are provided to the Board, managers and staff on progress being made.
Examples of improvement activities delivered are shown in the table below
2008
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Publication of repairs handbook to all residents.
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January 2008
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Launch of new website, enabling residents to view their repairs and rent accounts on-line.
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February 2008
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| Revise Resident Involvement Action Plan | May 2008 |
| Launch "Have your say" database | May 2008 |
| Review effectiveness of new aids and adaptations service | October 2008 |
| Improve transfer and mutual exchange options and promote to residents | December 2008 |
| Develop budgeting advice, skills and services to residents | December 2008 |
2009
Develop a customer care strategy June 2009
Appoint a Board champion for equality and diversity June 2009
Review success of estate inspections June 2009
Publish and measure new service standards July 2009
Review and re-publish planned maintenance programme October 2009
Deliver STATUS survey action plan March 2010
We participate in a number of networks and partnerships to implement and inform best practice within the sector. Examples include:
- South West iN Business for Neighbourhoods Network: This is a network of housing associations working together to deliver services to local communities,
- South West Personnel Group: This group supports our human resource function to deliver best practice,
- South West Resident Involvement Forum: This forum aims to promote best practice and a resident-focused ethos for housing associations,
- Various RSL forums across our area of operations, e.g. Gloucester RSL Forum.
We contribute to two benchmarking clubs.
We are a member of Housemark, and use their data to help us understand how our costs compare to the sector. In addition, staff regularly use the best practice that Housemark generates, including the use of the interactive forums.
On the development side, we are a member of SWASH, a benchmarking club to improve performance using data available from south west RSLs and other sources.
We were re-inspected by the Audit Commission in July/August 2008, and were pleased to receive one star with promising prospects for improvement.. Their recommendations on how we can improve have been incorporated into our Service Improvement Plan.
A copy of the Audit Commission’s findings can be found by clicking on the image or title link below:
We have an agreed set of KPIs that are used to monitor performance. These include levels of rent arrears, staff turnover, repairs response times, and financial indicators. Targets have been set against each indicator, based on our current position and benchmarking against other housing associations of a similar size. Our current performance can be found on the performance update page.
We have retained our Investors in People status, which recognised the effective structure of staff management and leadership in the organisation. Performance is managed on a day to day basis though the following mechanisms:
An Executive Group of senior managers, which meets every fortnight.
- Directorate Managers' meetings, which co-ordinate activities within each directorate.
- Team meetings, which support individual teams to meet their goals,
- An annual appraisal and six-weekly one-to-one system that supports each member of staff to perform and develop.
All of the above use the Business Plan, Service Improvement Plan and KPIs to help manage and improve performance.
