Industry News
Regulator to consult on ‘new’ value for money scorecard
E
ngland’s social housing regulator is to consult social landlords on a new Value for Money Standard, designed to improve
their efficiency and making cost and performance comparisons easier. Based on a limited suite of indicators,
believed to be between eight and 10, the new system would see the current system of self assessments being scrapped, while greater transparency and reporting is being encouraged. The Homes & Communities Agency are
relying very much on the work already done voluntarily by a group of housing associations, who agreed a suite of 15 indicators or metrics and use these in a VFM scorecard. More than 200 HAs have been taking part in a pilot exercise to trial their use. The full suite of 15 indicators in the trial
cover conventional financial measures such as operating margins, gearing and overheads, but also include customers’ overall satisfaction, the percentage of rent
collected, property occupancy rates and the ratio of responsive repairs to planned maintenance expenditure. Speaking at the Social Housing Finance
Conference in London before the general election, Julian Ashby, chair of the HCA’s Regulation Committee, said the new standard will still require a strategic approach to value for money, encourage investment in housing and improve the transparency of reporting.
Code of practice Mr Ashby said the regulator will consult on a value for money code of practice with the aim of helping associations to better understand the standard. He conceded that “greater clarification” of the Value for Money Standard could have been “helpful” in the past. The HCA’s proposals have been backed by
the previous Government and the National Housing Federation. At the same conference, Mr Ashby
highlighted that an overwhelming percentage
“The new system would see the current system of self assessments being scrapped, while greater transparency and reporting is being encouraged”
of the sector’s forecast surpluses from commercial activities, such as building for outright sale or market rent, are due to come from a small number of HAs, perhaps as few as 20. He added “Our analysis suggests that a
relatively small number of providers will be carrying out the overwhelming bulk of non- social housing activities. For the most part we find that reassuring, rather than the reverse. If non-standard activities are being carried out by experienced specialists, in particular those who are large and financially strong, then they have good prospects of managing it competently and of coping with unexpected market conditions or other adverse circumstances.” But Mr Ashby also warned that the regulator
is not as “reassured” by a “small number” of medium to large associations that have, or plan to have, “substantial non-housing activities, particularly relative to their size” after tracking this activity against the providers’ financial strength.
NORMANDY BIN BAY SCREENS
Do you want to bin ongoing maintenance costs in your recycling areas?
Maintenance free Easy to clean – jet washable
Louvre style panels prevent the build up of unpleasant smells in the bin areas
Made from Govaplast® - the leading brand of recycled plastic
Environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing
Available colours: Panel heights from 1.2m – 1.8m GOplasticLtd QUALITY RECYCLED PRODUCTS
For details of our full product range - fencing, decking, seating, planters, bins, bollards, please visit our website
info@goplastic.co.uk
www.goplastic.co.uk Tel: 02920 864 095
22 | HMM July 2017 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
New Vision Homes
Stroke City Housing
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
