Gold Service – Residents Incentive Scheme Andrea Spamer – Legal Services Manager

Background…  Irwell Valley is a traditional Housing Association operating in inner-city areas across Greater Manchester  We own approx 7,500 properties across 11 Local Authority areas  Working in areas of deprivation, traditional and established methods of service delivery did not meet our challenges  In 1998, we took a radical, modern and innovative approach to working with some of the country’s most deprived communities

Pre Gold…  Generic housing management teams  80% of time spent on less than 20% of residents  Majority of time spent chasing arrears  No quality time given to engaging with our residents  Poor performance indicators – 60% of residents in arrears  High turnover  Customers receiving the same service regardless  Low level customer satisfaction

Introducing Gold Service…  Rewards positive behaviour and restores pride- recognising the silent majority.  Offers incentives and privileges  Focuses on rights and responsibilities  Concentration away from negative expenditure  Radically improves performance – income up and rent arrears down  Enhances opportunities for customers  Increased customer satisfaction  Motivates colleagues and customers alike

Incentives…  Bonuses of £52 per year  Membership bonuses; competitions, benefits  Enhanced bonuses for community groups  Education, training and employment opportunities  Low cost home insurance  Enhanced repairs service  Solid Gold loyalty bonus

Results…  Specialist teams and motivated colleagues  Clear links between payments and services  Rewarding residents, not punishing them  Radical improvements in performance – income up and rent arrears down  Improved neighbourhoods and community spirit  Changed negative behaviour into positive behaviour  Rewards loyalty, reducing turnover and relet costs  Increased customer satisfaction

Financial Inclusion…  Support at early stage for vulnerable residents  Dedicated Financial Inclusion Officer  CAB partnerships and surgeries  Housing Benefit liaison; joint working and job shadowing with Local Authority partners  Close working relationships with banks and credit unions  Back to work training courses and initiatives  Educational support; books and computer equipment  Encourage residents off benefit and into work  Local employment opportunities

Conclusion… “Gold Service provides a new vision, a new deal and a new arrangement that encourages residents to fulfil their responsibilities in exchange for the privileges and extra services that Gold Service can offer”.

Questions ? Further information on the benefits of Gold Service can be obtained from our website irwellvalleyha.co.uk