Delivering WHQS
This issue of WHQ has delivering WHQS as its theme; rightly so, given the original intent that all social housing should reach the standard by 2012. Reports from the Wales Audit Office and the Welsh Government have indicated that while major amounts of investment have achieved significant improvements in the quality of social housing across Wales, the deadline of 2012 will pass with many homes yet to reach WHQS – estimates suggest 60% of social housing will reach the standard by March 2013. And a small number of authorities have no viable business plan for achieving the standard. This is a significant challenge, not just for these landlords, but for the Welsh Government in its system stewardship role.
Delivering the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard – a journey with no end
Introduction
Almost 10 years ago, Carmarthenshire County Council invited tenants to tell us about their homes – not only about the bricks and mortar, but also how their homes affected their health, their future and their communities. Tenants were also asked to give their views on the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS), which was being developed by the Welsh Government.
This was in 2003 and in the two years that followed, these same tenants helped the council to develop and launch the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard (CHS) – an ambitious £203 million programme to retain and invest in 9,200 homes, the health and well-being of all our tenants and countless communities.
Tenants told us that they wanted the CHS to focus on:
- service standards for the management and maintenance of their homes and communities
- the property construction standard to ensure their homes were of good quality, safe and affordable
- delivering actions to develop sustainable, clean and green homes and communities reflecting the specific needs of the area
- increasing health benefits to tenants and cost benefits to local health services by improving housing and support
The CHS was set at a higher standard than the national standard, with additions including installing carbon-monoxide detectors and feature fireplaces to all homes. The standard was also adapted for sheltered housing and environmental improvements.
Both tenants and the council realised that delivering the CHS was not just about managing homes and improving the environment. It was clear that our investment would bring wider health, economic and environmental benefits to our communities. It was also recognised that this would only be achieved if tenants, communities, council departments, the private sector and a range of other agencies worked together to maximise the impact – an impact that could be felt for generations.
Taking a breath
When we reflect on where we are today, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate the amount of investment that we are talking about – the CHS investment programme will exceed £200 million by 2015, supported by £106 million of borrowing. But this is only part of a wider Housing Revenue Account Business Plan over the next 30 years, as well as an Asset Management Strategy that will account for over £450 million of capital and £1.4 billion of revenue expenditure.
In addition, a huge benefit to tenants in Carmarthenshire was the political and corporate support that has, and continues, to be received. Carmarthenshire has a track record of managing large investment schemes such as the Regeneration Masterplan (£500 million) and the Modernising Education Programme (£270 million). This level of support and can do attitude to make significant improvements should not be underestimated and is certainly appreciated by tenants.
Involving tenants
Tenants were involved from the start in developing the CHS and set up their own consultation group. Tenants were responsible for agreeing the approach to delivering the CHS, including the physical works to their homes and the timetable for delivering the work. Tenants were clear that a component based approach spread across the county over the period of the works to 2015 was the fairest approach. Tenants also determined the choices of kitchen and bathroom designs and what assistance and support would be given to all tenants throughout the process, developing their own Major Works Agreement as a method by which to monitor progress. To date, we have completed nearly 50% of the work programmes and are well within our targets to hit 100% by 2015.
As the CHS has been implemented, tenants have pro-actively developed their own Environmental Standard that defines standards for front and rear gardens and open spaces. The tenants have been instrumental in the development of Local Environmental Plans (LEPs) that complement the Environmental Standards by targeting the needs of local areas. All environmental projects delivered have met a clear local need and we have been able to access more than £500,000 of match funding for these projects as well as providing work placements for Future Job Fund trainees.
Finally, the tenants appreciated that their involvement needs to be sustained and have recently developed and written their own Tenant Involvement Plan. The main focus is to actively encourage new tenants to become involved in the CHS through new schemes such as Time Banking, whilst also encouraging existing tenants to stay involved. They are planning to review their Tenant Involvement structure to assess its suitability for post-2015 planning.
Approach to energy issues
As in many other areas, fuel poverty is an issue that has required focus in Carmarthenshire. The tenants insisted that components such as windows and doors and loft and cavity wall insulation should be completed first and this has been done. This has resulted in many tenants saving £200-£300 per year in heating bills, with a resultant impact on improving health and well-being. We have already achieved an average SAP level of 67 in tenants’ homes and developed the Carmarthenshire Home Energy Service to provide advice and assistance to households.
We have also looked at the options for homes which are non-traditionally constructed, with a full options appraisal undertaken on each of the sites. This has resulted in some demolition as well as repair and maintenance in order to regenerate the whole community. A whole site solution was felt to be very important and has involved assistance for owner occupiers to upgrade their homes from Welsh Government Renewal Areas funding and the Council Fund. Alongside investment through the LEPs and supported by ARBED funding and external funding from utility companies, this approach is transforming our non-traditional sites.
Finally, we have developed the CHS Sustainability Strategy to make sure that the investment programme will reduce CO2 emissions, promote health and well-being in our communities, minimise waste, encourage recycling and conserve the natural environment.
Understanding the health impact
Our Health Impact Study is the first of its kind in Wales. An on-going study being carried out in conjunction with Cardiff and Swansea Universities, its main aims are to:
- identify and measure any health benefits experienced by our tenants following the CHS works, looking specifically at tenant perceptions around housing quality and satisfaction, thermal comfort, fuel poverty and physical and mental health
- identify any potential links between improved housing conditions and cost savings to the local health service
Early results comparing tenants’ perceptions between 2009 and 2011 are very encouraging:
- 85% of tenants reported that their home was suitable for their needs in 2011 compared with 73% in 2009
- 41% of tenants reported that it was easier to meet the cost of living in their homes compared to 10% in 2009
- 30% of tenants reported that they hadn’t visited their GP at all in the past 3 months in 2011 compared with 17% in 2009
Getting the programme delivery right
This investment has provided a fantastic opportunity to feed, develop and grow a sustainable workforce with opportunities for all. As well as providing a secure base from which local contractors have been able to develop and safeguard jobs in times of economic downturn, we realised that the CHS had the potential to create training and employment opportunities for tenants and young people across the county.
Working with partner organisations, we have been able to develop several projects – Building Your Own Future in Sir Gâr, which offered community-based taster courses in basic construction skills, Next Steps, an innovative competition-style process which offers a full-time paid apprenticeship and Building Cadetships, which offers training and education tailored specifically to higher-level learners and tradesmen.
The CHS has enabled the local development of a skilled workforce, the growth of several local contractor firms and a more consistent management of the supply chain. The Contractor Framework, which acts as the ‘umbrella’ for the management of the investment and opportunities, was awarded the Construction Excellence in Wales Award for Integration and Collaborative Working in 2011.
Good governance and leadership
Delivering the CHS wouldn’t have been possible without getting the governance and leadership right and continually reviewing it to ensure it is still fit for purpose. From the start, the CHS has been promoted as a significant corporate project with buy-in from all stakeholders.
We have been extremely fortunate in developing strong partnerships between tenants and political and officer leadership across all divisions and departments. We set up a Housing Services Advisory Panel as the project board, made up of six tenant representatives, six members and senior officers, chaired by the Executive Board Member for Housing and Building Services. This is supported by a CHS Steering Group that provides strategic direction and corporate leadership which includes Directors and Heads of Service from across the authority in its membership.
We also continually challenge where we are and have recently completed a full review of the 30 year HRA Business Planning model and its assumptions, as well as a review of project governance to ensure we are getting it right.
Final reflections……
We started by saying that the CHS was a journey with no end. If we are serious about setting standards that are continually improving services, delivering better quality homes, regenerating communities and, as a local authority, building new homes, (we are currently planning to build up to 39 new bungalows as part of the Business Plan), there will be no end.
For more information, contact Jonathan Morgan JMorgan@carmarthenshire.gov.uk