We delivered a significant planned works investment programme during the year but were affected by inflationary cost increases across our operations as well as higher levels of reactive repairs. This reduced our capacity for investment and our immediate priority for the new financial year is to complete the investment works that were deferred. We will also be focusing on critical mechanical and electrical works to help us Our Portfolio Review Programme is providing us with a better understanding of our property portfolio. We have completed strategic reviews of 38% of our properties and as well as classifying assets as long-term investments, we have identified a range of development opportunities. As part of this programme, we are gathering large volumes of stock condition data which means we are better informed about the physical condition of our properties and the works that are required to ensure they remain fit for the future. better control repairs expenditure. Optimising our property portfolio Transforming our approach to property delivery Our size and scale mean that we can use our supply chain to deliver improvements in both service outcomes and costs. We are re-procuring our responsive repairs and asset investment contracts across eight regional contracts which will be supported by a new technology platform to drive efficiency, value for money and consistency of service as well as enhancing our colleague and resident experience. The new contracts will go live in early 2025 and are expected to deliver savings of between £5m and £7m per annum from 2026. Retrofitting As part of the legally binding target for carbon emission reduction, we have committed to building the foundation and capabilities for running an effective retrofitting programme, ensuring our stock remains compliant with the current energy performance targets, meeting EPC C by 2030. Adopting a fabric first approach to improving energy efficiency, we are undertaking retrofit surveys and developing our retrofit modelling and technical capabilities alongside engaging with our residents and colleagues on how best to deliver upgrades to residents’ homes. We have utilised funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) to commence a programme of retrofitting works which aims to bring 341 of our less energy efficient rented homes up to at least a band C. This includes works such as cavity wall and loft insulation, window and door replacements, upgraded electrical heating systems with ventilation and low energy lighting. 2 Strategic Report including Operating and Financial Review
Driving efficiency In 2023, we refreshed our ONE Plan programme which is made up of a series of initiatives that support our strategic objective of being ‘More Efficient’. Our aim is to make services better, more affordable and simpler for our residents. Our new technology platform is the foundation for delivering these changes through new, modern digital solutions with faster and easier access, processes and communication channels. Our provision of self-serve, automated dashboard reporting has commenced across our housing operations, and will continue to be rolled out to other parts of the business over the coming year. Our colleague portal ‘My Job’ is now live and offers access to some of our applications from a mobile device so that colleagues can carry out activities such as approving orders, managing annual leave and completing on-line training. Our resident portal, which will enable access to information that is personal to a resident and at a time that is convenient for them, has been paused while we work on the most effective way to incorporate our new property repairs solution. We will of course continue to provide access to services for residents who are not digitally enabled. We are reviewing our housing service and how we manage our lettings and arrears with our residents to ensure we provide the most efficient and effective service. We are centralising the management of service charges to provide greater expertise from a single point of contact, reduce the administration time and ultimately reduce the overall cost for our residents. Our contact centre in the Bradford support hub has been restructured to offer a more holistic service to our residents, providing advice and support for all customer-related services and queries, and our complaints team has grown in size to ensure we are able to resolve issues quickly and effectively and prevent their recurrence. Our implementation of digital care planning and digital medication management across all our care homes is well underway, meaning that we are spending less time on administrative activities and more time with our residents providing person-centred care. Our properties We are committed to offering properties where people love living in later life, both now and in the future. Our Asset Management Strategy sets out how we manage our assets to ensure that we create more and better homes for our residents. Climate change is bringing new risks to our buildings as we look to reduce energy use, reduce carbon emissions and mitigate our impact on the environment - our response to these challenges is articulated in our Environmental Sustainability and Net Zero Carbon Strategy.
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