Synergy Housing launches OPENHousing as part of 3 Star Rating Objective

Synergy Housing Group has launched our OPENHousing system after identifying a need to build a single database to serve its member organisations.

Until recently, East Dorset Housing Association, Purbeck Housing Trust and Weymouth and Portland Housing ran their operations through separate IT packages.

However, in a bid to standardise and improve its services, the company set about developing the new group wide system. And following its launch the integrated OPENHousing system has proved a huge hit with both staff and tenants alike.

Derek Wilkes, Synergy's IT Development Manager: "Operating three separate databases was proving difficult for many reasons. Obviously it created significant duplication of effort in areas such as maintenance and upgrading, while it also meant the three organisations were working out of sync and operating differently to each other...

...as Synergy grows and develops, it is vital that everyone works together, allowing performance to be monitored and improved across the group. The benefits to staff are enormous and with that comes an improved service...the savings made are then passed directly on to our tenants. We have delivered the project on time and within budget, and the scope for improvements in the future are huge with things such as text messaging, on-line bidding for Choice Based Lettings and much more planned for the months ahead. The cost of the new system ...would have been a least double had the vast majority of the work not been done in-house."

Graeme Stanley, Chief Executive, welcomed the new system as "an excellent project from which both staff and tenants will benefit. Synergy is determined to provide a three star housing service by 2012. Having a state of the art IT system, accessible to staff across the organisation, will ensure we are able to maximise the efficiencies of the group structure for the benefit of our tenants."

Full story please click here

For further details about our OPENHousing system and how it can help your organisation please contact our Account Management team on 01635 550088 or click here to request a call back.

Conrgatulations Wrekin HT: Customer Service Award!

Congratulations to all involved at OPENHousing customer Wrekin Housing Trust - winners of the Shropshire Business Awards Customer Service Award!

Jane Brookes, Director of Housing at The Wrekin Housing Trust said: "We are thrilled and honoured to receive the Customer Service Award. In our tenth anniversary, this is a great recognition. We will continue to work hard to ensure our customers, staff and partners all receive the same great standard of customer care."

In addition to evidence of great customer service, the judges were also impressed with the Trust's emphasis on customer involvement and feedback, a host of dedicated shops and contact centre and a commitment to interact with young tenants through devices such as Twitter and a mobi site.

Full Story: Please click here

CLG Pulls Plug on Improved Energy Efficiency

Inside Housing Magazine is reporting that the government has put the brakes on plans to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings, but promised to look at the issue again in the future.

The Communities and Local Government department had dropped its requirement for extra eco-work to be carried out on any house that was refurbished or extended. That principle of ‘consequential improvements’ has been cut from its consultation on changes to part L of building regulations.

John Fiennes, the director for sustainable buildings and climate change at the CLG, insisted that it has been taken out to allow new housing minister John Healey to consider the proposals. Speaking at a conference on Wednesday, Mr Fiennes said: ‘We can see the part that consequential improvements have to play. It is not off the agenda but it is a question of how. It is about making the transition of the minister smooth: we needed to get part L out.’

However, the government needs to act quickly, if it is to stay in line with European policy in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Europe is moving ahead with consequential improvements and aims to bring them in by the end of this year.

Full Story here

OPENHousing Customer Congratulated by No. 10

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has written a letter to Worcester Community Housing (WCH) to congratulate them on their success of being one of the first 100 organisations in the country to achieve the government's new Customer Service Excellence (CSE) standard.

In a letter to Customer Experience Champion Gemma Mundy from 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown said: "Please pass on my congratulations to everyone involved - to be recognised for this challenging standard is a tribute to your organisations customer service culture."

"Your achievement demonstrates that you have recognised the importance of developing an in-depth understanding of your customers' needs. Consultation and customer insight is vitally important if we are to continue to make the improvement we all want to see in public services."

Head of Customer Services and Involvement Di Smith (shown in picture with PM letter) said: "We really do deserve to be rewarded with the CSE standard as we have worked very hard over the last few years to deliver and sustain a high-quality, customer-focused service. It is very pleasing to know that the enthusiasm and dedication of staff has been justly recognised by the Prime Minister."

Di added: "The assessor had some amazing things to say about us and the work we do for our customers, which is great, but there is still more to come! We will continue to work to do all we can to make sure we give them all they expect and more."

Two OPENHousing Customers Win Prestigious Awards

Two IBS OPENHousing customers have been recognised with prestigious awards this week:

Sandwell Homes receives Housing Excellence Award
Sandwell Homes were one of only seven RSLs to be recognised with a Housing Excellence Award sponsored by the Audit Commission and announced at the CIH Annual Conference this week.

The winning organisations have all demonstrated that, in the areas inspected, they provide services where strengths significantly outweigh any weaknesses. Since 2000, only four per cent of housing inspections have achieved this score.

This year the Awards were presented by Housing Minister John Healey.He said: These awards are well-earned. They are testament to the practical housing help these organisations offer day in day out, that makes such a difference to people's lives.

Audit Commission chief executive, Steve Bundred said: The organisations that are receiving their awards today are delivering excellent housing services to their tenants and residents..they make a real difference to the lives of people that live in their communities.

Wrekin Housing Trust CIH IT Team of the Year
Wrekin Housing Trust was the winner of the IT Team of the Year in the 2009 Housing Heroes awards. The Trusts IT team was nominated because of the innovative IT systems currently being used for the benefit of Tenants.

The awards were organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the ceremony hosted by Michael Portillo - Congratulations to everyone involved.

Tribal Report Rates IBS OPENSystems "Quality Software"

A report into the "Current use of systems and technology by Housing Associations" by Housemark and Tribal consulting has given the OPENHousing team and customers a boost just before CIH Annual Conference by stating that:

“ IBS OPENSystems has a reputation for good quality professional services and good support, combined with good quality software…”

If you are visiting the Harrogate CIH Conference this week visit our stand in Hall A and meet some of the OPENHousing team - you might even get a piece of our 30 year Anniversary cake - or win a Kindle e-reader! - please see posting below for details.

Follow our OPENHousing team at CIH2009 on Twitter!

For those of you who can't make it to Harrogate this year there is no need to miss out on the action! You can now follow our OPENHousing team via our new Twitter site!

Just click the link below and follow our tweets and keep up to date! If you are interested sign up to follow us - we are aiming for 50 followers before the end of the Conference!

Take me to Twitter!

Healey signals switch over 'workshy tenants'

New housing minister John Healey speaking at the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) in Harrogate said he doesn't want to take away the homes of unemployed council tenants who are not looking for work.

Mr Healey used his first speech as housing minister to signal a clean break with the controversial stance taken by his predecessor but one Caroline Flint over unemployed council tenants.

Full Story

HCA Announces new 1300 home deal at CIH2009

The Homes and Communities Agency has set up a partnership with Norwich City Council to jointly develop around 1,300 homes in the city.

Under the terms of the deal, the HCA will put in £7.5 million, and Norwich will put forward land. Profits from the 12-year scheme, which could be as much as £80 million, will be reinvested in regeneration schemes in the city.

The HCA’s regional director for the east of England, Terry Fuller, outlined the details of the initiative at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Harrogate conference yesterday.

’This initiative has the potential to deliver a wide range of benefits to the city and its people for decades to come,’ he said.’It’s is about reimagining the way we deliver… and demonstrates what the HCA and local authorities can do in partnership together.’

HCA chief executive Sir Bob Kerslake added that the deal with Norwich was an example of ‘something which we’re working to see replicated in other regions of the country in the coming months’.Contracts for specific sites in Norwich are expected to be signed in the autumn.

Inside Housing Story

CIH Investigates Flexible Tenure

Inside Housing Magazine is reporting that The Chartered Institute of Housing is looking at flexible forms of tenure that could alter while a tenant remains in a property.

Kellie Beirne, a CIH council member and housing strategy manager at Torfaen council, said the institute has started work looking at ‘fully flexible tenure’.

The institute prompted outrage from some members last year when it released a policy paper suggesting tenants could be subject to regular reviews of their status, and face higher rents if their circumstances improve and they do not wish to move.

Ms Beirne said the system now being assessed by the CIH wouldn’t require tenants to move on as the flexibility ‘could apply to the property that they are in’.

Full story

Conference told two thirds of SP contracts at Risk

Two thirds of Supporting People contracts are at risk following the removal of funding protection for the programme, CIH Conference delegates were warned today.

Domini Gunn-Peim, national lead for vulnerable communities at the Audit Commission, said: ‘We know from our research that two thirds of SP contracts are due to end after 2009.

‘So there’s a real issue about the risk to two thirds of the current contracts.’

She added: ‘The best-performing local authorities are already in negotiation to renew these contracts. But we do on an increasing basis come across providers who don’t have a contract in place and who are very concerned about the future sustainability of their services and most importantly, [about] the future housing-related support to the vulnerable people they serve.’

Ms Gunn-Peim outlined some of the main findings of a review of the £1.6 billion Supporting People programme, conducted by the watchdog last year and due for publication by government in the autumn.

To find out more about our SP Solutions visit our stand during the CIH Annual Conference, email OH@ibsopensystems.com or call our Account Management team on 01635 550088

For the full story please click here

CIH President: Housing Creating An Unequal Society

CIH President, Steve Benson, will use his opening address to call on the sector to shape a new future for housing, which would require not only major changes to the housing market, but also efforts to change public attitudes on different forms of housing.

In his speech, Mr Benson will say that there are growing numbers of people who have virtually no housing options available to them, and the issue will only get worse with the current boom-bust approach to housing - characterised by periods of unaffordable price increases, followed by negative equity.

Mr Benson will go on to say that there needs to be new and radical approaches to housing which embrace issues such as tax, how housing is allocated and creating a level playing field for renting. He will also moot setting a target for reducing housing waiting lists, NHS-style.

Win a Kindle e-Reader at CIH 2009!

Newark & Sherwood Homes joins IBS OPENSystems to Enhance Service Delivery

Newark and Sherwood Homes has signed a £250,000 contract with IBS OPENSystems. The adoption of IBS’ OPENHousing and OPENContractor solutions is expected to further streamline the running of the Arms Length Management Organisation’s (ALMO) properties, drive efficiencies and enhance its service to tenants. The solution will go live in March 2010.

Having successfully put in place the measures needed to achieve the Decent Homes Standard for its 5,500 housing stock, Newark and Sherwood Homes decided not to rest on its laurels and set about plans to further improve service delivery. The criteria for the new system was that it needed to be more effective and easy to use to allow the ALMO to maximise its service delivery to residents.

Steve Feast, Business Services Director, Newark and Sherwood Homes, said: “The process of choosing a suitable supplier was extensive and we made sure that the approach was very much user led. We chose IBS’ OPENHousing and OPENContractor solutions not only because the product met our needs but also as we liked IBS’ approach to implementation through fast and easy steps, and its reporting functionality to allow uncomplicated access to detailed information."

“We are looking to make efficiency gains of in excess of 10% through using IBS OPENSystems’ solutions, and we plan to reinvest the savings back into the business to help our tenants and other customers. What’s more, in today’s climate it is prudent to make sure that business processes are in the best possible shape to tackle any future negative effects of the economic downturn.”

For further details on how OPENHousing or OPENContractor can help your organisation pleas ecall our Account Managment team on 01635 550088 or email OPENHousing@ibsopensystems.com

OPENHousing@CIH 2009

It's that time of year again when we all pack our bags and head to Harrogate for the Annual CIH Conference and Exhibition. We will be updating these pages with our latest news and views.

In the meantime please click the image here to see a copy of our CIH Newsletter which contains some of our plans for the event this year.

We will keep you posted on how you can save time at the Conference by pre-booking a meeting or demo with one of our team and how you can walk away with a fantastic new gadget!

The OPENHousing, OPENContractor and OPENFinancials teams will be available in Hall A, Stand 44A - come and join us and get our viewpoint on the latest industry developments.

CIH Annual: Customer Dinner Invitation

A date for your diary! Our customer dinner during the 2009 CIH Annual Conference, will be held on Wednesday 17 June at the famous Brios Italian Restaurant in Harrogate. You can reserve a place or places below, and are welcome to join us from 7.30pm an entertaining, informal evening with some great Italian food and hospitality!

For further details and to reserve your place(s) please click here

Full details of our plans CIH 2009 will follow shortly in further posts.

Results of Blog Survey

Thank you to all who voted in our first "OPENHousing Blog Survey"!
The question was:"What information would be useful on the OPENHousing Blog?"
The results of votes cast were:
41% Product & Market Updates
26% Events news
19% OPENHousing "Tips & Tricks"
14% Customer comments and feedback

We will be making some chnages to our future posts to reflect these results. The survey question for May will be posted shortly

OPENHousing boosts Service Delivery for Parkway Green

We are pleased to announce that Manchester–based housing trust, Parkway Green, has signed a £150,000 contract with IBS OPENSystems. Our OPENHousing solution will streamline management of Parkway Green’s properties, drive efficiencies and enhance its service to tenants. The solution will go live in July 2009 for 50 users.

Future Product Implementations Planned

Following go-live of OPENHousing, Parkway Green plans to implement IBS’ OPENMobile solution for field based staff in order to extend the benefits of OPENHousing and enhance service to tenants even further.

Please click here for the full details of this announcement

If you would like further details about our OPENHousing or OPENMobile products please click here

Housing advice goes on offer in health centres

Housing advice will soon be on offer next to medical services at some of London’s new polyclinics.

The first seven polyclinic health centres have opened in London and will offer GP services plus additional healthcare services. All 31 London primary care trust areas will open similar clinics over the next five years.

They will also offer wellbeing and support services such as benefits and housing advice.

If you have any comments about this concept please add your thoughts below.

Housing Market Recovery?

Despite the UK property market's deepest and most sudden slump in living memory. There are some who are beginning to suggest a corner has been turned!

Industry reports show house prices are currently down by about 20% from their peak in the summer of 2007 and completed sales in the UK during February were half the level seen 12 months before, at just 42,000. However, mortgage approvals - a key indicator of near term trends - for the same period were up for the first time in 6 months, this coupled with an upward trend in new inquiries is giving some hope for the future!

Most "professionals" gave up trying to predict housing market trends months ago, and some small twinklings of light at the end of a very long tunnel are hardly a reason for developers to pop the champagne corks. The general consensus seems to be of scepticism towards any claims of recovery with some experts even suggesting a further 20% fall this year and another 10% during 2010!

So it seems that despite the best efforts of our ever optimistic Estate Agents friends, there are still a few bumps in the road ahead!

Welcome to the OPENHousing Blog!

Thank you for joining us at our new OPENHousing blog

We hope to use these postings to bring you up to date and relevant news regarding IBS OPENSystems, the public sector housing market and interesting viewpoints on the latest developments that impact our industry.

If you have any comments on the articles included in this blog, please feel free to contribute at the bottom of each section - however, you will need to become a member to add any comment, which you can do simply by entering your details in the box at the top of the page*.

We hope you enjoy this new feature and find what we publish of interest - intially it will be a process of trial and error as we develop the type of articles and news we post so your input will be glady received. This month you can let us know the type of information you would like to read on our blog by voting in our online survey in the top right hand column.

Thank you - we look forward to your contributions.

*Please note all comments will be moderated before being published

FREE! Product Briefings - Cardiff

Product Briefings 19 May 2009 Millennium Stadium Cardiff.

We'll be hosting a product briefing for existing customers at the Millennium Stadium on 19 May 2009. Areas covered will include:

• OPENHousing a look behind the new features of Version 8.0 including Energy Performance Certificates,SMS Texting and Debt Management
• Mobile Working and OPENContractor
• Document Management and Workflow

For further details or to pre-register please click here or speak to your Account Manager

Housing association turnover exceeds £10 billion

The housing association sector turnover exceeded £10 billion for the first time in 2008, according to the Tenant Services Authority's (TSA) Global Accounts.

Launched today at the National Housing Federation Finance Conference by Chief Executive Peter Marsh (pictured), the Global Accounts 2008 (April 2007 to end March 2008) demonstrate the sector to be in sound financial health and growing in a balanced way.

The sector grew faster than in the previous year, with turnover up by 10.7%, the value of housing association properties up 10% to £85.2 billion, and surplus before tax up 21% to £328 million.


Other highlights of the 2008 figures include:

• Operating costs have grown more slowly (by 8.4%) to £8.1 billion, leading to an increase in operating surplus of 11.2% to £1.6 billion
• Levels of voids and bad debts reported by associations remain at historic lows, suggesting continued strong demand for their properties, together with good performance on rent collection.

Please click here for the full report

NHF - social housing waiting lists set to soar in recession.

The number of people on housing waiting lists looks set to soar to a record high by 2011 as the recession fuels demand for social housing, it was warned today.

The National Housing Federation expects an additional 200,000 households to join waiting lists during the coming two years, pushing the total number waiting for accommodation up to a new high or around two million.

It warned that rising unemployment and a growing number of home repossessions would have a dramatic impact on waiting list numbers during the coming two years.

Social housing waiting lists have soared by 55% during the past five years, with 1.77 million people on them in 2008.

For the full article please click here

NHF Finance Conference & Exhibition 18 & 19 March 2009

The IBS OPENSystems team will be available for informal meetings and product demonstrations of our OPENFinancials product on stand number 120. You may also like to join us for a complimentary cocktail on Wednesday evening!

If you'd like to pre arrange a meeting or demonstration (or a cocktail!) please click here

IBS OPENSystems in the News

IBS OPENSystems are featured in the latest edition of Housing Technology covering our new business wins with Central Bedfordshire Council and Midlothian Council.

To view an electronic version of the magazine please click here to subscribe.

Glasgow Housing Association to pilot CBL

Glasgow Housing Association is piloting a choice-based lettings system in the west of the city.

GHA homechoice will enable around 10,000 people to register an interest in homes which become available in west Glasgow.

The three-month pilot will replace the previous points-based allocation system, which has been used for nearly three decades.

To request details of the IBS OPENHousing Choice Based Lettings module please click here or call your Account Manager on 01635 550088

TCPA proposes plan for "Developing in a Downturn"

Leading planning and housing charity, the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) is to set out an ‘Agenda for Action’ on ‘Developing in a Downturn’ and ‘Planning for the Upturn’.

The TCPA has produced a ten point draft discussion document calling for councils and housing associations to join forces to act as planner-developers to deliver homes in the recession.

“We must acknowledge that the old model of housebuilding is broken. The reality is that people delivering development now will be in the public or voluntary sector.

Local authorities with partners such as Housing Associations will be the new planner-developers and ventures such as local housing companies (LHCs) should be backed because the private sector will take time to recover from the recession.” TCPA Chief Executive Gideon Amos OBE

For further details please and to read the full article from www.24dash.com click here

Newark & Sherwood Homes announce implementation

We will shortly commence implementation at Newark & Sherwood Homes. The Nottinghamshire based Hosing Association will be using the OPENHousing, OPENContractor and OPENMobile solutions.

Please click here to request further details

Click here to visit Newark & Sherwood Homes

New business model required for HA's

David Montague, Chief executive of L&Q Group told the Chartered Institute of Housing’s south east conference that the collapse of the UK’s housing sector meant that Housing Associations need to develop new business models to survive the changing market conditions.

Click here for further details

Cartrefi Conwy choose OPENHousing

Cartrefi Conwy has chosen our OPENHousing and OPENContractor products. OPENContractor implementation will start in April 2009 and is due to go live in October 2009. Cartrefi Conwy will also use OPENMobile, OPTITIME and Bar-Coding.

To request further details about this project please click here

Visit the Cartrefi Conwy website here

DCLGA under fire

According to a report by MP's sitting on the the communities and local government committee, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLGA) lacks the skills needed to put vital policies into operation. The DCLG, headed by communities secretary Hazel Blears, was established in 2006 and has a budget of about £34bn.

For further details please click the links below

BBC:- MP's criticse Housing Department
24Dash.com - DCLGA under fire
Inside Housing - CLG under fire

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