• Team nominated: The Health and Safety Committee
• Organisation: Trivallis

Statement of support

The Health and Safety Committee (HSC) at Trivallis plays a crucial role in supporting the senior leadership team (SLT) by ensuring the effective management of health and safety (H&S) across the organisation. The HSC is responsible for overseeing and integrating the health and safety arrangements for both Occupational (People) Health & Safety and Landlord (Premises) Health & Safety. The committee's role is to ensure that health and safety practices align with Trivallis' 'Building Brighter Futures' strategic goals. This is achieved by monitoring key performance indicators, promoting a positive safety culture, leading by example, and providing assurance to the board that health and safety is being effectively managed.

The HSC is co-chaired by the director of people and the corporate director of repairs. They are supported by the head of H&S, key staff from various service areas, and a trade union representative. This diverse representation ensures a comprehensive approach to H&S management across the organisation.

In 2023, the HSC identified a concerning trend, of an increase in speeding incidents among staff driving one of Trivallis' 121 fleet vehicles. Despite previous initiatives, speeding incidents remained high, with 157 instances involving 56 vehicles in December 2023. Concerns were raised by the trade union, noting that the method of monitoring speeding could potentially distract drivers, increasing the risk of road traffic accidents.

The introduction of a new Welsh government law reducing speed limits from 30mph to 20mph on certain roads provided an opportunity for the HSC to review and refocus on this issue. The HSC tasked the head of H&S and the transport manager with reviewing the management of speeding, considering road traffic legislation, the South Wales Police (SWP) ‘Road Smart’ campaign, and consultations with the trade union (GMB).

The review underscored the importance of preventing speeding for the safety of staff, tenants and members of the public, particularly pedestrians, who are most vulnerable in traffic accidents. The proposal emphasised the need for a robust process that allowed drivers to focus on safe driving rather than constantly monitoring their speed. The HSC recommended formal action against staff who consistently exceeded speed limits, integrating this approach into existing HR policies.
The new speeding process developed by the HSC ensures that speeding incidents are managed fairly and consistently across the whole organisation. The process involves several key roles. The transport manager is responsible for checking the speeding instances report, discounting anomalies, such as those caused by closely located roads with different speed limits, and providing support to supervisors and line managers throughout the speeding process. Supervisors investigate speeding incidents by reviewing the data, addressing any anomalies with the transport manager and the Quartix tracking system to ensure accuracy, and discussing the issue with the responsible driver. They complete a speeding investigation form to document their findings. The team manager then reviews this form, checking for anomalies and discussing any issues with the transport manager if necessary. Based on this review, the team manager decides the appropriate outcome, which could range from no further action to initiating a formal disciplinary process.

The new process allows fleet drivers to:

• Comply - with the highway code
• Reduce - the prevalence of speeding,
• Reduce - the occurrence and severity of road traffic accidents
• Create - a safer environment for pedestrians
• Promote - Trivallis’ and its driver reputation within our communities.

The new speeding process was rolled out in February 2024, with comprehensive meetings held for all fleet drivers, supervisors, and line managers, supported by the trade union. The initiative provided clarity on responsibilities and reinforced the importance of adhering to speed limits.

Outcomes and achievements

The impact was immediate and significant. In January 2024, there were 151 speeding incidents involving 52 vehicles. By March 2024, after the new process was implemented, this had dropped to 24 incidents involving 13 vehicles. The positive trend continued, with just five incidents involving four vehicles recorded in July 2024. Additionally, vehicle accidents decreased from five in January 2024 to three in July 2024, all of which were attributable to third parties.

By aligning this initiative with Trivallis’ ‘Building Brighter Futures’ strategic goals, the HSC has demonstrated how targeted, data-driven actions can result in meaningful, positive change. The ongoing success of this programme underscores the importance of continuous monitoring, employee engagement, and collaboration with key stakeholders to maintain and improve safety standards.

The HSC's proactive approach to addressing speeding has led to a substantial reduction in incidents, improving road safety for staff, tenants and the wider community. This initiative not only enhances Trivallis’ reputation among tenants and other road users but also contributes to creating safer environments within the communities we serve. The success of this initiative highlights the effectiveness of the HSC's stewardship and commitment to fostering a culture of safety at Trivallis.

• Team nominated: Housing Services Team
• Organisation: Hafod

Statement of support

After the pandemic and the implementation of Renting Homes legislation, Hafod’s housing team has focused on reinvigorating its neighbourhood coaching model with the coaches leading the way.

This began by running workshops to give coaches an opportunity to pull apart the existing model to ensure strong coaching foundations could be established.

Using their own words and experiences, a clearer definition of Hafod’s coaching offer was formulated, with the principles articulated in a ’coaching wheel’. The coaches recognised these principles and characteristics in themselves.

The full definition of Hafod’s coaching model has been presented at executive and board meetings, demonstrating with clarity and passion the work that the coaches carry out each day to engage and collaborate with contract-holders to empower, engage and set expectations. Each coach exemplifies these behaviours daily and work together as a team to strengthen the coaching offer to customers in a meaningful way.

Hafod’s coaching model is strengths-based, neighbourhood-focused and relational. Coaches are the key link between Hafod and our customers, but their focus is not simply on bricks and mortar or collecting rent. As important as these things are, we know a safe home, income maximisation, good health and stable communities are key to a person’s overall wellbeing, and when this happens, ‘traditional’ housing management almost takes care of itself.

Two task and finish groups were established - ‘Measuring coaching’s impact’, and ‘Coaching culture and development’.

These began as listening exercises, for the coaches to share how they believe the coaching offer could be enhanced in ways that are very real to our customers. The focus began at the beginning. Whether it was a new customer, or new coach, how could coaching matter to them?

In just three months’ the coaches have achieved:

Measuring coaching’s impact:

Capturing customer voice that focuses on their outcomes, not an assessment of the services we provide. Ethical storytelling. Reassessing what ‘good’ looks like by putting customer’s wellbeing ahead of traditional housing targets.

Redesigning pre-allocation forms and restructuring our post-let visits to include meaningful coaching questions and proactively identify support needs. These offer customers the opportunity to begin their coaching journey from day one.

Colleague guides focused on coach-identified themes of health and wellbeing, financial control, digital skills, community involvement, accommodation, and training and employment.

Coaching culture:

Induction handbook covering the first six to 12 months for new colleagues, to embed the coaching model and principles and offer opportunities for new starters to adopt and contribute to the coaching model straight away. A key element here was to introduce a ‘buddy’ system, so new coaches could learn firsthand how Hafod’s coaching offer works in practice, whilst bringing their authentic selves to the role.

In-house training was created, based on the coaches’ feedback of training gaps. Focusing on the ‘Hafod coaching model’ allowed the team to create bespoke training based on a variety of coaching models in order to take a person-centred approach to coaching as well as being adaptable, proactive and reactive with their customers.

A coaching temperature check was undertaken to ensure housing services colleagues were at the centre of developing their roles within the coaching offer.

Coaches have contributed to procedure development, which has ensured that coaching and wellbeing are embedded in Hafod’s housing processes. This work continues as the team members consider their roles through a coaching lens.

In addition, we have developed an exciting learning exchange with Bromford who led the way on the neighbourhood coaching approach. This has enabled both organisations to share knowledge and coaching methods. The team is dedicated to making coaching a central focus of all it does to keep learning through reflection and customer feedback.

Outcomes and achievements

The work carried out by coaches in developing and embedding the coaching model directly benefitted customers in Hafod’s 2023/2024 ‘Here for you’ and financial wellbeing campaigns:

• Cost of living newsletter: (Get involved – www.hafod.org.uk).
• Christmas gift-drive: reaching 125 customers/282 children.
• Energy advice/winter warm packs: reaching 26 families.
• Back to school essentials: reaching 186 families/366 children: £11,000. Back to School Essentials Fund now open! – www.hafod.org.uk.
• ‘Go Local’ summer events: visiting over thirty communities to host picnics, resident fun days, and chips and chat. A community bus was used in the Vale to enhance reach.
• Coaches proactively used Hafod’s Hardship Fund to help mitigate customers’ financial hardship, and in turn positively impact their quality of life, mental and physical health and increase overall life chances and opportunities. Hardship Fund support 2023/24: £87,218.
• Coaching budgets: coaches each have £500. Examples of spend:
  • Community: providing plants, food items, stationary, resident social events etc.
  • Individual customer: paint vouchers; bicycle to get to college.

Learning exchange with Bromford has allowed both organisations to share knowledge and coaching methods. Paul Taylor (Bromford) wrote a blog following the session: ‘Hafod led regarding income coaching: Hafod x Bromford: A Coaching Collaboration — Bromford LAB.’

• Team nominated: Complex Case Panel
• Organisation: Newport City Homes

Statement of support

In 2023, Newport City Homes (NCH) introduced a cross-department complex case management team to assist colleagues and customers to take actions and access support that promotes the safety and wellbeing of customers, their families, colleagues, and wider community.

The challenges faced by many social housing customers are significant. With greater pressures on available health, social care, and community safety resources; customers who experience multiple life challenges often find themselves falling through the cracks in service provision, potentially placing themselves and others at increased risk of harm. With the threshold for accessing statutory services ever increasing, many NCH customers who need support were not receiving it.

Chaired by the housing support manager, the complex case panel is made up of association experts including fire safety, health and safety, surveying function, maintenance, older living, and neighbourhood management. This interdisciplinary team meets monthly or more dynamically if a referring colleague feels that a situation requires it - and is committed to supporting colleagues and customers through the effective coordination of services delivered to them and their families.

The panel is empowered to make decisions to align and coordinate resources and service delivery arrangements, including removing barriers and blockages to prioritise customers identified as being at increased risk or in most need. This includes engaging with statutory partners with shared priorities to escalate support needs that:

• Promote the safety and wellbeing of customers, others living in the home, neighbours, and wider public living in the locality
• Ensures homes are safe, warm, and maintained in line with FFHA requirement.
• Prevents and minimises any requirement for tenancy enforcement or consideration of eviction.
• Identifies learning for the future.

To inform and challenge decision-making, both at the time and subsequently, the panel has adopted a framework based on a nationally recognised decision-making model. A six-step approach is used proportionate to the seriousness of the support needs identified for the panel to understand:

• What information is known and what more information is needed
• The needs and support requirements identified for the customer, wider customers, community, and colleagues
• The policies, guidance and good practice that can help inform actions
• What actions have been taken and what more can be undertaken to help customers live well in their homes?
• How the actions and work undertaken to date align to the values of the association of being inclusive, trusted, collaborative and active
• Ensure that any actions and decisions and rationale are clearly documented.

The panel approach is to deliver timely interventions aimed at preventing crisis and promoting safety and wellbeing. Services delivered to customers to date includes enhanced fire safety arrangements, the fitting of adaptations, supporting customers to move to homes that better meet their needs, intervention from the association’s hoarding support team, essential maintenance and gas compliance work, and the treatment of damp and mould.

The panel discharges cases from the programme when it is evidenced that: 

• The level of support provided has improved the customers situation, reduced risk and the customer requires less-intensive ongoing support, or;
• All support has been offered and actions taken to promote safety and reduced risk, and ongoing monitoring can be undertaken by the neighbourhood manager.

The panel completes an impact assessment to understand how effective the delivery of support or interventions have been in promoting safety / minimising risk and identify learnt lessons for the future. The panel acknowledges that risk is dynamic and changes over time and colleagues are encouraged to refer a customer into the panel for further consideration of support if the risk profile changes.

Outcomes and achievements

This team provides a targeted, community-based, pro-active approach to support that involves case identification, assessment, service planning and coordination. This has improved the experiences of customers and their families, supporting better life circumstances and service outcomes, reducing the utilisation of crisis interventions, while enabling a more preventative and ultimately more cost-effective approach to helping customers thrive in their homes. 

In the last 12 months the panel has supported 21 customers and their families to improve their lives including: 

• Five customers experiencing significant mental health conditions
• Eight customers experiencing hoarding tendencies
• Five homes with property condition issues
• Two customers creating a noise nuisance
• One customer presenting a high fire risk.

12 customers have been discharged by the panel on the basis that the situation has improved, risk of harm reduced, or the wellbeing of the customer has increased to the point where intensive support is no longer required.

The complex case team support customers with the most complex support needs and who are at the highest risk of harm. The significant improvement to customers lives and ongoing support provided to those who find themselves in the most challenging circumstances makes them worthy applicants for the team of the year award.

• Team nominated: Community Income Team
• Organisation: Valleys to Coast

Statement of support

Valleys to Coast is proud to nominate the community income team for the ‘housing team of the year’ award. This dedicated team of 13 colleagues manages rent accounts for 6,000 homes across Bridgend, demonstrating exceptional proactivity, teamwork, and resilience in their service to customers.

One of the standout qualities of the community income team is its forward-thinking approach. It is already anticipating future challenges, such as the impact of the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment on elderly tenants. In response, the team is developing a proactive support project to help those over state pension age continue paying their rent during the colder months. This initiative will not only provide guidance on managing bills but also ensure these customers are receiving any benefits they may be entitled to, ensuring they remain financially stable despite losing this critical support.

Another of the team’s approaches is its deep engagement with customers. Every year, the team collects an impressive 998 responses from its 6,000 customers, asking them whether they believe their rent offers value for money. To ensure the team gathers diverse feedback, it targets specific areas each year, focusing on customer groups that may not have responded previously. This ongoing dialogue allows the team to better understand customer needs and refine its services to meet them more effectively.

Despite the growing cost of living crisis and its impact on tenants, the community income team has consistently maintained low rent arrears. In 2023, they kept arrears at an impressive 2.27 per cent. Even in 2024, as financial pressures increased, the team successfully limited the rise to just 2.63 per cent. This is a remarkable achievement and highlights their dedication to customer support and wellbeing.

In the face of significant challenges, the team has shown incredible resilience. Between April and June 2023, a three-month system breakdown resulted in the loss of critical data. However, rather than allow this issue to derail their work, the team worked tirelessly to restore the system, maintain communication with customers, and continue offering support without disruption. The team’s ability to keep customers informed and reassured during this time was crucial to its success.

In addition to the technical challenges, the team faced the departure of two long-serving colleagues, each with over 20 years of experience. This could have been a destabilising moment, but the team members pulled together, supporting one another through the transition and continuing to deliver high-quality services. This close-knit collaboration and mutual support were key to overcoming this hurdle.

The team’s innovative community engagement efforts further set it apart. It has moved beyond traditional feedback channels, instead employing creative methods such as ice-cream van events, community skip days, and informal drop-in sessions where customers can raise concerns about their rent and discuss their needs. These initiatives have made it easier for customers to engage with the team and for the team to understand the issues tenants face.

Crucially, the community income team has adopted a restorative approach to managing rent arrears. Instead of focusing on enforcement, they prioritise building trust and relationships with customers, working together to find solutions before problems escalate. This compassionate approach has resulted in zero evictions over the past three years, demonstrating their commitment to keeping customers in their homes and preventing homelessness.

In summary, the community income team at Valleys to Coast consistently demonstrates proactivity, resilience, and a customer-first approach. Their ability to keep rent arrears low, engage meaningfully with customers, and develop forward-thinking solutions like the Winter Fuel Payment support program puts them in a great position for the ‘housing team of the year’ award.

Outcomes and achievements

The community income team at Valleys to Coast has achieved outstanding results for both the organisation and its customers. It proactively collected 998 responses each year from its 6,000 customers, focusing on whether rent represents value for money. This feedback informs the team’s service improvements and ensures it is meeting the evolving needs of its customer base.

Even amid the challenges of the cost of living crisis, the team maintained rent arrears at just 2.27 per cent in 2023, with only a slight increase to 2.63 per cent in 2024, well below the national average. This forward-thinking approach has led the team to develop a project that will support elderly customers after the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment, ensuring they can continue paying rent and accessing all benefits to which they are entitled.

Through creative community engagement initiatives like ice-cream van events and drop-in days, the team has built strong connections with customers and improved their rent services. Moreover, their restorative, customer-first approach has resulted in zero evictions over the last three years, reflecting a deep commitment to tenant stability.

With a focus on proactive solutions and customer wellbeing, the community income team has proven itself a leader in the housing sector and a deserving contender for the ‘housing team of the year’ award.

• Team nominated: Neighbourhood Team
• Organisation: North Wales Housing

Statement of support

North Wales Housing’s neighbourhood team is a team of 10, made up of a neighbourhood manager, neighbourhood officers, lettings officers and a neighbourhood assistant. The team has developed substantially in the three years since it was created. And the last year has been exceptional in the outcomes that it has delivered.

The team has experienced remarkably significant change and is led by a relative new joiner to North Wales Housing, who was immediately identified as a future and dynamic leader. Teams which were previously operating in distinct geographical areas, have been merged into one team, aligning it to the values of the organisation and the needs of residents. And they have thrived in their ambition to exceed the aspirations of residents, whilst supporting each other.

This has included a pioneering approach in Wales to neighbourhood planning.

The team commissions and delivers services that residents told NWH are most important to them. This has moved their work from a ‘bricks and mortar’ landlord function to work that strengthens and enables communities. They now provide a bespoke service which maximises the opportunities and community assets in neighbourhoods. 

The feedback from residents, during a time when many are facing increasing challenges, is evidenced in the latest STAR Survey results. Residents are more satisfied with their neighbourhoods as a place to live this year than they were the previous year. North Wales Housing moved from being ranked  31st, coming into the top 20 across Wales, at 18th this year. 

A new role of neighbourhood assistant was created this year to support neighbourhood officers in carrying out keeping in touch (KIT) visits with residents, which also promotes tenancy sustainability and advocates early intervention. This is a significant ask of a small team but the positivity with which the visits have been received by residents, and the way the team has worked together has been inspirational. In total, 445 residents were visited in just 10 months.

And that single piece of work identified the following issues:

• 45 safety/hazards
• 34 instances of damage
• 348 repairs
• 135 cases of damp and mould
• 180 reports re community e.g. ASB / neighbourhood feedback
• 57 occupation contract queries
• 111 support needs identified including floating support/mobility/housing options/adaptations
• 53 residents sought welfare support/benefits and money advice/utilities advice/fuel voucher
• 54 showed interest in resident engagement
• And 182 other issues raised.

The team has also reviewed its approaches to major issues which all social housing landlords face, including anti-social behaviour and damp and mould. The whole problem approach and more face-to-face engagement has led to excellent results for residents who have been supported not only with an immediate issue but also with other less obvious ones.    

The new approach to anti-social behaviour (ASB) has included best practice around case management, use of a specialist mediation service, investment in CCTV devices and noise monitoring software. That resulted in North Wales Housing moving from being ranked 30th across Wales for satisfaction in dealing with ASB to 13th this year.

A new approach to supporting residents with damp and mould issues is also paying dividends for residents. Each home, where there has been a damp and mould report, receives a three-month follow-on visit after surveyors address the immediate issue. To date there has been 245 visits, which has helped to identify other issues such as fuel poverty or living arrangements. The robust approach is tenant focussed, considers the whole problem rather than simply looking at technical repair aspects. 

Outcomes and achievements

North Wales Housing’s neighbourhood team has and is making a difference to the lives of its 2,700 residents. It’s already been evidenced in the outputs - significant jumps in national ranking tables, improved homes, greater resident engagement, wellbeing, financial support, community and social cohesion, inclusivity and sustainability.

Undoubtedly, their pioneering efforts in neighbourhood planning have led to maximising community assets, empowering residents and commissioning services individually tailored to each neighbourhood. Underpinning all of that is the needs of residents.

However, it is their human and tenant-centred approach that most effectively demonstrates how lives are being changed one day at a time. And who best to give voice to that than a tenant?

This is Lisa’s story*

“I’m ashamed to say that had you not knocked on the door, I would not have had the confidence to come along to the event. I have a form of agoraphobia that stops me leaving the house alone or unless I know exactly where I’m going. I’m glad I went, my son had a lovely time.”

Lisa* wanted to share her experience to help others grow in confidence, get out and do more in their neighbourhoods.

This sums up the team’s achievements!

*Not her real name.