SUPPORTING PEOPLE CONFERENCE 17 June 2014 TONY RUDDY Chief Executive Ark Housing Association

ARK HOUSING HOMELESS SERVICES

CHARITABLE PURPOSES The association is formed for the benefit of the community. Its objects shall be to carry on for the benefit of the community: “the business of providing housing, accommodation, assistance to help house people and associated facilities and amenities for the prevention or relief of poverty or for those in need by reason of youth, age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage…. …any other charitable object under the law of Northern Ireland that can be carried out by an Industrial and Provident Society registered as a housing association by the Department”

OUR VALUES Existing Respect Honesty Integrity Social Conscience Equality Diversity New Probity Respect Integrity Diversity & Equality Excellence

MYTH BUSTERS! Some organisations are looking at whether they can ‘afford’ to pay the living wage? TUPE Rules protecting the pay and conditions of staff transferring prevent the introduction of LWR Paying the LWR will make us less competitive! The LWR will cost jobs and lead to redundancies!

Operating for over 10 years LWR has lifted 45,000 people out of poverty 80% of employers believe the LWR has enhanced quality of work and reduced absenteeism by 25% 66% believe that the LWR has had a positive impact on recruitment and retention 70% felt that it contributed to increased awareness of their organisation as an ethnical employer THE FACTS

IN WORK POVERTY

CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY

CHILD POVERTY

CHILDREN AT KEY STAGE 4

SOCIAL CARE & SUPPORT SERVICES

WE CARE

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

THE BOTTOM LINE NMW verses LWR LWR £7.65ph NMW £6.31ph Difference £1.34ph = £49.58 per week = £2, per annum PERFORMANCE RELATED PAY AWARD Director* £55,000 10% Difference £2.86 ph = £105.77per week = £5,500 per annum

WHY BECOME A LWR EMPLOYER? Average Earnings in NI are 16-18% lower than rest of UK Higher proportion of NI work force on low earnings and part time work Higher proportion of NI population in fuel poverty Food prices 30% in NI since 2008 There are few barriers to achieving LWR accreditation; the choice is fundamentally a moral one

Living Wage Rate Employer Where do we stand as an organisation on the moral compass? Are we losing sight of our social purpose? Do we need to continue accepting a low wage business planning culture? “It’s a difficult issue for some, but if we all did nothing, nothing would ever change” Anne Hichey Chief Executive Wales & West Housing

ARK HOUSING

“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity; It is an act of justice” Nelson Mandela

ARK HOUSING