![Housing Plus Group logo](sites/default/themes/housingplus/logo.png)
Latest Blogs
Chief executive Sarah Boden describes her personal highlights from the last financial year.
When I look back, I’m filled with enormous pride about what Housing Plus Group has achieved. With the highest regulatory ratings of V1 for viability and G1 for governance, we are a strong, effective Group delivering on our commitment to provide the best possible homes, services and care for our customers.
Our wonderful colleagues, boards and partners have ensured that we have delivered strongly against the challenging targets set in our corporate plan.
Property director Stephen Collins decribes how Property Plus puts the customer at the heart of everything they do.
We’re committed to delivering an outstanding repair and maintenance service to over 12,000 customers across Shropshire and Staffordshire. We work hard to ensure we exceed our customers’ expectations and regularly partner with them to develop and improve our services.
Feedback from the last STAR survey told us that repairs are a number one priority for tenants and something that they felt we could improve upon.
Neighbourhoods director Jan Goode explains how people are at the heart of the neighbourhoods directorate.
Managing 12,000 homes, we are more than a landlord because we are driven by a social purpose.
We set out to transform lives, build communities and provide the services our customers need. In 2018/19, we focused on three key themes to help us achieve those objectives.
Care and support director Les Clarke describes how a fabulous team always ensures excellence.
Each year, I think that the marvellous Care Plus team – the care and support workers, coordinators, retirement living staff, tenancy sustainment team, our office administrators and managers – can’t do any more.
And every year they amaze me; excelling themselves to deliver even better care, support and retirement living for our customers.
People and transformation director Louise Wagstaff outlines how we have continued to grow over the last year; employing more people to deliver more services and offering opportunities and development to our colleagues.
We now employ more than 600 people, all committed to doing the best for our customers.
Tell us about your job
I’m 18 months old and in the last part of my training to be a guide dog. I go to school in Shrewsbury and lodge with Jacky Ruston who works as an income team leader for Severnside Housing.
How did you get into housing?
After twelve years with the same employer, Ken, 61, found himself out of work soon after having a stroke. Ken, who grew up in Wellington in Shropshire, also suffers from depression.
Tom Prior, 20, lives with his parents who are Severnside customers. Last year Tom, who has Asperger’s syndrome and mild autism, got in touch with the employment and money advice team for help with his budgeting skills.
“I wanted to feel confident that when I’m ready to rent my own place, I’ll be able to manage my money and pay my bills on time.” he explained.
John faced ill health and redundancy and they had to leave the privately rented home they had occupied for the previous four years, when it was put on the market.
As a direct result of your STAR survey feedback we have launched a new rapid response triage repair service that ensures all emergency repairs are dealt with as swiftly and efficiently as possible.
Originally part of a pilot project, the new rapid response triage repair service represents a very significant change to our responsive repairs service.
Jake Rotherham is a software engineer with Social Telecoms. He is based in the community interest company’s headquarters in Shrewsbury but his work involves quite a lot of travelling, which appeals to someone who doesn’t like to be in the same place for too long.
“I gave up my previous job and spent six months seeing the world. I got a huge amount out of the experience and wouldn’t do anything differently but to be honest, I hadn’t expected to find it as difficult to get back into employment.
“I was in a really bad place. I’d been addicted to drugs; I got into trouble and eventually became homeless. I knew that underneath it all I was still a good person who had made some mistakes. I just couldn’t find my way back.”
Luke had a big incentive to get his life on track because he wanted to play a bigger part in the life of his little girl. He had people on his side, too. Severnside Housing had opened a Digital Den in the neighbourhood where Luke grew up. They helped him turn a few good turns into a growing business.