Your Homes Newcastle first in North East to get top marks from Commission » Housing » 24dash.com

Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) is providing an excellent service which has excellent prospects for further improvement, according to an independent report which will be released shortly by the Audit Commission.

On a scale from zero to three stars the Audit Commission gave the arms length management organisation (ALMO) a three star excellent rating, making it the first housing organisation in the North East to achieve this accolade.

Yvonne Davies, the Audit Commissions Head of Housing in the North, said: YHNs customers, staff and board have worked hard together to enhance existing services and to develop new ones and fully deserve recognition as the north easts first three-star housing organisation. We were particularly impressed with their work on supported housing and financial inclusion. Customers are firmly at the heart of everything YHN does and this, along with its strong track record, gives us great confidence that improvement will continue.

The inspectors found:
 

• Residents and service users are at the heart of YHNs business and their involvement is having a significant impact with a range of positive outcomes achieved. 
• Commitment to customer care is strong and customer satisfaction is increasing. Meeting customers' diverse needs is successfully embedded into day to day activities.
• YHN is providing a range of high quality supported housing services which is well integrated with housing management services and is indicative of the holistic approach that YHN takes in meeting the needs of its more vulnerable customers.
• Resourced plans are in place to achieve YHN's own Modern Homes standard with tenants actively influencing the investment programme. The responsive repairs service is well managed and customer focused with high satisfaction levels. 
• Financial inclusion is integral to YHNs approach to income management and its approach to debt recovery is customer centred and supports tenants to remain in their homes.
• The Your Choice Homes choice-based lettings scheme is well established and customer oriented with proactive help available to vulnerable applicants.
• The approach to anti-social behaviour is effective. Victims and vulnerable perpetrators are well supported and customer satisfaction is high.
   

Areas which need attention include:
 

• It is taking too long to let vacant homes, even when long term vacancies are discounted.
• Some disabled customers needing adaptations may be waiting longer than necessary because applications are not sufficiently prioritised or tightly controlled.
   

YHN manages Newcastle City Councils 30,500 homes and provides services to around 1,100 leaseholders through an agreement that began in 2004 which was extended for a further five years in February 2008. The agreement covers housing management and maintenance services, delivery of a major home improvement programme, allocations and supported housing services.

The full report will be published early in July and copies will be available from Your Homes Newcastle or on the Audit Commission website at www.audit-commission.gov.uk.