The Housing Corporation announced a new bid round for its Innovation and Good Practice (IGP) programme 2007-2009.
The IGP programme is a revenue grant administered by the Housing Corporation to encourage the development and testing of new ideas and proposals and to generate and promote good practice in the delivery of housing services within the housing association sector. Since 1995, the Housing Corporation has invested over £75 million through its IGP programme. Over ten years, the IGP programme has funded a range of pioneering projects, developed innovative solutions and highlighted good practice.
The five new themes for the 07/09 IGP programme are:
This year, the Corporation is encouraging bids for proposals for large projects in the range of £50,000 to £100,000. Projects seeking smaller contributions of £20,000 to £40,000 will also be considered.
The criteria to be applied to the assessment of bids can be found at www.housingcorp.gov.uk.
Key timetable dates are as follows:
The Corporation also launched the publication Ideas into Action, which showcases many of the projects it has supported through IGP since 2002. Copies of this research and innovation compendium can be accessed from the Housing Corporation website at www.housingcorp.gov.uk.
Audit Commission local authority inspection reports released during September 2006 included the following:
Birmingham City Council (Supporting People)
Zero-star poor service with promising prospects for improvement.
Broxtowe Borough Council (Landlord Services)
One-star fair service with poor prospects for improvement.
CityWest Homes (Westminster Council ALMO - Housing Management Services)
Three-star excellent service with excellent prospects for improvement.
Cornwall County Council (Supporting People)
One-star fair service with promising prospects for improvement.
East Hertfordshire District Council (Housing Services)
Two-star good service with promising prospects for improvement.
Leeds North East Homes (Leeds Council ALMO - Housing Management & Maintenance Services)
Two-star good service with promising prospects for improvement.
North Warwickshire Borough Council (Landlord Services)
Zero-star poor service with uncertain prospects for improvement.
Wansbeck District Council (Repairs & Maintenance)
Zero-star poor service with promising prospects for improvement.
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (Supporting People)
One-star fair service with uncertain prospects for improvement.
There was only one Audit Commission RSL inspection report released during September 2006:
English Churches Housing Group
One-star fair service with uncertain prospects for improvement.
September 2006 saw the publication of the first two Welsh housing association inspection reports by the Wales Audit Office:
Pontypridd & District Housing Association is providing good or excellent services in nearly all areas, although it needs to address weaknesses in the management of gas servicing. The report notes the Association has the characteristics of a continuously improving association that is raising the standards of delivery.
The report identifies several areas of good practice, including joint working with Cynon Taf Housing Association and Rhondda Housing Association to produce Living in Harmony, an information leaflet on anti-social behaviour for tenants.
Other examples of good practice include:
Valleys to Coast Housing Association has made clear progress since it was established in September 2003 but it is still too early to form any lasting judgements and a re-inspection is planned for 2007. The Association was formed following the first large-scale voluntary transfer of housing stock in Wales. Although clear progress had been made, at the time of the inspection in November 2005, services and arrangements for securing continuous improvement were still evolving.
The report notes that the Association has a good business plan in place, which aligns corporate objectives with financial resources. However, there is scope to develop performance management arrangements to enable evaluation of the service standards being delivered. Although the Association has a performance management framework, a lack of data at the time of the inspection constrained the evaluation of performance in some key areas.
The finalists for the 2006 UK Housing Awards were announced:
Excellence in Delivery Efficiency:
Kettering Borough Council; Northern Ireland Housing Executive; Anchor Trust; Broadland Housing Association and Reidmark ebusiness Systems; Advantage South West.
Excellence in Delivery Regeneration:
Metropolitan Housing Trust; PLUS Housing Group; Soha Housing; Wrekin Housing Trust; Twin Valley Homes.
Excellence in Support & Care Solutions:
Bield Housing Association; South Liverpool Housing; Borough of Telford and Wrekin Home Improvement Agency, Your Homes Newcastle; Stafford Women's Aid.
Excellence in Delivering Safer Neighbourhoods:
Sheffield Homes; Servite Houses; Berrybridge Housing (The Riverside Group); Bolton at Home; Homes for Islington.
Excellence in Tackling Homelessness:
English Churches Housing Group; Birmingham City Council; East Thames Group; Wychavon District Council; Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd & Conwy Housing Services.
Excellence in Delivering Mixed Communities:
Your Homes Newcastle; Anchor Trust; West Midlands Kick Start Partnership; Midland Heart.
Excellence in Promoting Community Cohesion:
Testway Housing; London Borough of Southwark; Regenda Group; Luminus Group.
Excellence in Skills Development:
Derwent and Solway Housing Association; Wales and West Housing Association; North Lanarkshire Council; East Thames Group; Thomas Vale Construction.
Excellence in Community Empowerment:
Dane Housing; Harden Housing Association, Birmingham City Council and Thomas Vale Construction; Swan Housing Group; Longwood Park; Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Excellence in Making the Case for Housing:
Pennine Housing 2000; Rhondda Housing Association; Richmond Housing Partnership; Black Country Housing Group; Liverpool Housing Trust.
Outstanding Achievement in Social Housing Wales:
Fairlake Properties and Newport Housing Trust; Integrate; Cadwyn Housing Association; Seren Group; Charter Housing Association.
Outstanding Achievement in Social Housing Scotland:
Scottish Council for Single Homeless; North Lanarkshire Council; Clackmannanshire Council; Cunninghame Housing Association; East Dunbartonshire Council.
Outstanding Achievement in Social Housing Northern Ireland:
Habinteg Housing Association; North and West Housing; Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
The Awards are organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing. The Awards Ceremony will take place on 9 November, at the Hilton Hotel in London. For further information, telephone 02476 571111.
