Change in action: Working together on corporate planning with Greatwell Homes

Working in partnership to overcome obstacles 

Greatwell cannot meet all community needs on its own – securing the active support, expertise and resources from other statutory services, the voluntary and business sectors and local networks has been crucial.  
 
Key players in delivering the corporate plan include local schools, charities, churches, police and North Northamptonshire Council. 
 
The closure and withdrawal of many charitable and voluntary services due to public spending cuts has made the organisation’s local presence more important than ever. 

Measuring progress 

Some of the items from the plan that Greatwell has achieved so far include:

•  ‘Area-based’ team working established, including digital mapping to pinpoint and monitor fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour hotspots, tree surveys and metrics to grade every neighbourhood.
• Intensive 12-week community programmes run with families, including parenting and anger management skills, food packages and creative activities, with awards to recognise exceptional personal commitment.
• The percentage of colleagues who would recommend Greatwell Homes as an employer increased by 9% (from 72% to 81%) and staff turnover almost halved.
• Agile and flexible working embedded, with average sickness absence reduced by almost two days per employee per year (from 7.86 to 5.96 days).
• 60 residents were recruited and trained to be local ‘Green Ambassadors’.
• Providing home aids and adaptions for older residents and those with disabilities through Invisible Creations.
• Improved monitoring, use and reporting of diversity information across the organisation and with external partners.
• An action plan to build on Greatwell’s existing Investors in the Environment Bronze accreditation to achieve IIE Silver, and create new ‘green’ job opportunities.
• An expanded apprentice scheme, including training roles in maintenance and operational support teams.
• The decision to meet an identified need for extra care accommodation by redeveloping a 20-home sheltered housing scheme to provide 57 mixed tenure properties. 

Future ambitions 

The experience of delivering the plan and its supporting strategies so far has demonstrated the need to keep getting closer to residents and communities and to ensure we have accurate information about the condition of our properties – technology and data can support this further. 
 
Working with local agencies has been hugely beneficial, resulting in a collective impact greater than the sum of the individual parts. Greatwell is committed to continuing and building on these partnerships, particularly with the unitary local authority to minimise planning delays. 
 
We recognise the need to further embed equality, diversity and inclusion best practice throughout our services. 
 
Tracking progress against all the objectives in our corporate plan will help ensure consistent, sustainable achievement, and most importantly, ensure that we’re reflecting back on the Tenant Satisfaction Measures and what residents value most.