CIH Cymru sponsorship feature – Welsh Housing Awards 2014

 

Welsh Housing Awards 2014

This year’s awards, sponsored by Lovell, were a successful combination of good practice and a good time, as the Welsh housing community celebrated in style at the Vale Hotel in November

The Welsh Housing Awards are principally a tool to showcase innovation and share learning within the sector and across the industry. Winners were from local authorities, registered social landlords, contractor partners, politicians, housing professionals and social enterprises. From North, South, East and West Wales the awards evidenced the length and breadth of what we do in Welsh housing!

It is a huge achievement to be shortlisted for the awards. The competition grows annually because Welsh housing develops and invents every year. We are the sector that embraces change, continually improves, and makes a difference to tens of thousands of people across Wales. Congratulations to all of those shortlisted and especially to this year’s winners.

Award	Winner		What the judges said	Also shortlisted
Campaign of the year sponsored by Keepmoat And People’s Choice award sponsored by Wates	Go Girls Charter Housing and Bron Afon Community Housing		As ‘a positive and proactive approach to domestic violence prevention’, the judges recognised that the project ‘raises the aspirations of young women by supporting them into education, training and employment’	Ziggies: RCT Homes Project EYE: NPT Homes
Best innovation by a local authority sponsored by Ian Williams	Personal housing planning pilot Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council		Calling it a ‘fine example of a local authority working collaboratively with the third sector’, the judges felt the pilot provides ‘ high quality and consistent advice to people in housing need’	The Bardsey and Ty Nesaf projects Ceredigion County Council
Most community focused contractor sponsored by Melin	Local spend local benefit M Delacey and Sons		The judges commented that ‘this small but committed contractor has made an impressive contribution to Welsh housing, and communities, by investing in local apprenticeships and undertaking community regeneration pilots’	Get into construction Jehu Project Services Community works R&M Williams Wear2Work Blake Morgan
Housing-led regeneration sponsored by Bron Afon Community Housing	Former Barry Magistrates Jehu Project Services		The judges were impressed by the project’s outstanding design and felt it was a superb example of bringing a landmark town centre site back in to use for housing and wider economic benefits.	Community food box Rhondda Housing Association Regeneration of Loudoun Square Cardiff Community Housing Association
Development of the year sponsored by Kier	Maes y Waen, Penmachno Cartefi Conwy		The judges thought this ‘high-quality state of the art scheme is meeting a very acute rural housing need’ whilst ‘using local labour and safeguarding the community of Penmachno’	HWB Dinbych Grŵp Cynefin Restoration of the historic Vulcan House Wales and West Housing Association
Empowering communities sponsored by Bouygues UK	Board succession project Newport City Homes		The judges were impressed with the project’s record in ensuring new recruits are available and ready to take on the board member role	Making a real difference Tai Calon Community Housing Space Saviours  Valleys to Coast Housing
Innovative procurement sponsored by Blake Morgan		Arbed 2 scheme manager South Wales Melin Homes	The judges commented that ‘Arbed 2 has shown outcomes at all levels with measurable value to Welsh SMEs and communities’ and praised the community fund idea as ‘an innovative one’ with outcomes that ‘far exceed the standard’	Better procurement Tai Calon Community Housing From the ground up Valleys to Coast
New idea of the year sponsored by mi-space		North East Wales Homes Flintshire County Council	The judges praised the North East Wales Homes idea as ‘an innovative and fleet-of-foot response’ and added that ‘Flintshire are taking risks and making a real difference’	Go4IT RCT Homes Reducing Landfill Bron Afon Community Housing Faith in affordable housing Housing Justice
Promoting equality and accessibility   sponsored by RNIB Cymru & Tai Pawb		New gypsy site at Kings Meadow in Brecon Powys County Council	Not only is Kings Meadow the first local authority-owned gypsy site built since 1997 but the judges felt the project was ‘an impressive collaboration between partners to provide an eco-friendly scheme in the heart of a national park’	DRIVEN First Choice Housing Association Croesawfa Cantref Foyer Cymdeithas Tai Cantref Own Two Feet Living Bron Afon Community Housing
Housing Hero Sponsored by Carrick		Tenancy Solutions Team, Charter Housing	A whole team of housing heroes! The judges said ‘this small team of dedicated individuals is making a huge difference…an excellent example of professionalism, teamwork and personality combined with incredible results’  Congratulations John Rhys Bevan, Kate Thomas and Jerome Fanfare!	Natalie Hughes, Caerphilly County Borough Council Kara Foulkes, Wales and West Housing Nerys Veldhuizen, Cartrefi Conwy
Politician of the Year Sponsored by Wales and West HA		Carl Sargeant, AM Welsh Government minister for natural resources.	As housing and regeneration minister Carl delivered Wales’ first Housing Act and championed new approaches to tackling domestic abuse across the sector and beyond. For these reasons the judges chose him as the winner for making a ‘huge contribution to Welsh housing over a relatively short period of time’.
Outstanding contribution to Welsh Housing, sponsored by Cartrefi Conwy		Keith Edwards, Executive Director, CIH Cymru	From tenant participation campaigner and champion of a Welsh one-housing system, to establishing the ground-breaking i2i community benefits in procurement project, Keith Edwards is truly ‘a giant in the housing world!’

Our annual Welsh Housing Awards good practice compendium, sponsored by HouseMark Cymru, includes a project summary of, and the contact details for, every shortlisted project at the 2014 awards.  Wales is the home of collaboration and coproduction- so if you want to find out even more about our amazing #WHA14 winners and finalists then just get in touch! The compendium can now be downloaded free of charge at www.cih.org/publication-free/display/vpathDCR/templatedata/cih/publication-free/data/Wales/Good_Practice_Compendium_2014

 

Frontline Futures: Leading change and making a difference

CIH Cymru is keen to build on the momentum generated from our landmark report Frontline futures: New era, changing role for housing officers, published in 2014. Following consultation with partners we are launching an exciting new course: Frontline Futures: Leading change and making a difference.

This is an 8-week programme that aims to transform the approach of frontline housing staff and improve outcomes for both tenants and the organisation. Featuring three training days, three coaching sessions, a guided action learning set and robust measurement assessments delivered by a team of experts, the aim is to implement the recommendations of the Frontline Futures report. The report made it clear that it is crucial to develop the qualities and build the competencies of the 21^st century housing officer through authentic practice change, enabling participants to influence organisational culture and continue independent practice learning; our brand new programme aims to do exactly that.

CIH Cymru is currently seeking partner organisations interested in taking part in this exciting new programme starting in February 2015. We believe working with housing professionals who are enthusiastic about exploring new methods of working with clients, based on coaching, reflective practice and a client centred approach, will deliver positive organisational change benefitting tenants, colleagues and communities.

CIH Cymru Partnerships

CIH Cymru draws its strength from long standing relationships with housing associations and other organisations across all parts of Wales.  Each CIH Cymru Partner shares our commitment to put housing at the top of the public policy agenda and develop the skills and the capacity of the sector to deliver.

CIH Cymru Partner organisations work with us to:

• Make housing a key corporate priority.
• Promote housing led regeneration.
• Influence Government and others for progressive housing policies
• Identify, share and celebrate good practice.
• Make a commitment to continuous professional development.

They are entitled to a range of support to help deliver effective housing solutions including bespoke policy and practice briefings, discounts on events and training, copies of CIH Cymru publications – and a subscription to Welsh Housing Quarterly.

CIH Cymru would like to acknowledge the support of our partner organisations:

Alelwyd Housing Association Ltd.

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council; Bro Myrddin Housing Association Ltd; Bron Afon Community Housing.

Cadwyn Housing Association; Caerphilly CBC; Cardiff City & County of Housing; Cardiff Community Housing Association; Cartrefi Conwy; Cartrefi Cymundol; Ceredigion CC Environmental Health & Social Housing; Charter Housing Association Ltd; Clwyd Alyn Housing Association Ltd; Coastal Housing Association Group; Cymdeithas Tai Cantref; Cynon-Taf Community Housing Group.

Denbighshire County Council.

Family Housing Association (Wales) Ltd; First Choice Housing Association Ltd; Flintshire County Council.

Grwp Cynefin; Grwp Gwalia Cyf; Gwynedd Council.

Hafan Cymru; Hafod Housing Association; Linc Cymru Housing Association.

Melin Homes; Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association; Merthyr Valleys Homes; Mid Wales Housing Association; Monmouthshire Housing Association.

Newport CC; Newport City Homes; Newport Housing Trust; Newydd Housing Association; North Wales Housing Association Ltd; NPT Homes.

Pembrokeshire Housing Association; Powys County Council.

RCT Homes; Rhondda Housing Association.

Swansea City & County.

Taff Housing Association; Tai Calon Community Housing; Tai Ceredigion Cyf; Tai Pawb; Torfaen County Borough Council.

United Welsh Housing Association Ltd.

Vale of Glamorgan Council; Valleys to Coast Housing Ltd.

Wales & West Housing Association Ltd; Wrexham County Borough Council.

Ynys Mon Housing