BIH Housing Association - Annual Report and Accounts 2006/2007

Recruitment & Retention

During the period 2006 to 2007 there were 22 appointments, which include those appointed to new and replacement posts, as well as temporary positions which have arisen. Internal movement throughout the association has provided staff developmental opportunities in relation to acting-up arrangements, secondments and re-deployment. This had benefited employees and the Association in developing both individual and organisational capabilities whilst actively promoting a continuous learning culture.

The breakdown of the organisation by Department is as follows:

Whilst the workforce has grown, it is pleasing to report that our stability index, that is the number of staff with one plus year’s service with the Association, sits at 86% and our annual corporate staff turnover is 16.2%.

With our growing workforce comes the challenge of assisting our employees to achieve a work/life balance. Our commitment to this process indicates that approximately 10% of our staff currently avail of flexible working arrangements such as job-share arrangements, part-time working, home-working and career breaks.

Training & Development

It has only been through the hard work and dedication of our employees that BIH as an organisation has been able to deliver a high quality of service throughout the year. We recognise that our most important resource is our employees and we depend on employees to do the very best job they can. We believe that by increasing the skills and knowledge of our employees the Association will produce confident, highly qualified staff working as an effective and efficient team and to this end training and development plays a big part in our day to day business. We spent approximately £69,500 on training and development this year. Our department continues to develop and delivering internal training initiatives which provides opportunities for both tapping into employee knowledge and expertise and also assisting in achieving efficiency savings.

The Association will be assessed for re-accreditation of its IIP status in November 2007.

Performance Management

The Association believes that effective management and continuous improvement of its human resources is critical to ensuring the successful provision of a high quality service to both our external and internal customers. The Human Resources department has responsibility for supporting the Chief Executive, the Senior Management Team, line managers and staff members in the effective implementation of the performance management system. During the past year, the Human Resources department reviewed the current process and with extensive consultation with management, designed a new process for implementation in May 2007.

Communication and Consultation

The Staff Consultative Forum continues to proactively assist in the development, review and implementation of a number of policies and procedures within the Association. This key process would not be possible without the enthusiastic involvement of our staff representatives who sit on this forum and who dedicate their time and energy to this task.

Within the past year the Staff Consultative Forum have consulted on 6 employment related policies with a further 2 policies currently out for consultation.

Service Delivery

Management were consulted on the service delivery provided by the Human Resources department and the results this year again have been very positive. In addition Human Resources staff have been involved in collating management feedback and incorporating into the setting of standards and communication of policies. We also plan to bench mark our service provision in August 2007 with other Housing Associations as part of our commitment to continuous improvement.

The Business Support section has again had a busy year in ensuring that the selection, fitting and distribution of a new staff uniform in time for the Annual Conference scheduled for November 2007. The Business Support Section have also played a key role in the smooth implementation of the new telephone system and Flex time system. Monitoring systems for the purchase of stationery and cleaning supplies have also been implemented over the past year which have contributed to significant efficiency savings for the Association.

Awards & Achievements

Congratulations to all staff who successfully gained qualifications in accordance with the Association’s Aids to Study scheme and to those who are continuing with academic courses.

In conclusion, it must be recognised that none of the above would have been possible without the hard work and dedications of everyone within the department, as well as the ongoing co-operation from staff within other departments.