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!

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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