Emma Young Individual Empowerment Knightstone Housing

1. Emma YoungIndividual EmpowermentKnightstone Housing 02nd December 2015

2. What we do… Individual Empowerment Individual Empowerment offers support to residents to meet their needs and aspirations, and provides them with opportunities to empower and improve their lives. The support the service provides to our residents: Into work volunteering or training Manage their tenancy, finances and home life Over come social isolation using our Digital outreach workers and sign posting to club and groups depending on their interests, allowing residents to get involved in their community make friends and improve health and wellbeing.

3. Welfare reform strategy – (September 2014 to March 2017) Where we want to be: Primarily we want to ensure that arrears levels continue to be stable and our income stream can be relied on in the long term. This objective is more important than ever as we face four years of government imposed annual rent reductions. At the same time, we want to, a) Give residents the advice and support they need to respond to the above challenges and sustain their tenancies. The HAILO report concluded that “housing association landlords have a direct interest in helping tenants manage … to ensure they remain viable as businesses”. And the Direct Payments Pilot concluded that face to face contact is the most expensive, but most effective and necessary form of contact to make. b) Ensure that staff are well briefed, trained and supported to “make every contact count” and maximise rental income. c) Further improve our related policies and practices. d)Demonstrate more clearly the impact of our welfare reform strategy and key interventions within it.

4. Welfare reform strategy – (September 2014 to March 2017) How we are going to get there:: • The plan will be fully developed, delivered and monitored by an inter-departmental project team. This reflects important learning from the Direct Payments Pilot which concluded that a whole organisation approach is key to managing the risk presented by Universal Credit direct payment of housing costs to tenants. • The plan covers, • Leadership and co-ordination • Communications • Continued work to manage the impacts of Universal Credit, the Bedroom Tax and Benefit Cap • Experian rental exchange • Financial inclusion & income maximisation • Young people • Exemptions from Universal Credit and other reforms • Arrears prevention and recovery • I.T. system improvements • The continued development of our website and communication channels with residents.

5. Welfare reform strategy – (September 2014 to March 2017) How success will be measured :: The key success measures for this whole strategy will be: Gross arrears below sector average and stable Accounts in credit At least 70% of residents continue to say they would speak to us if struggling with money Tenancies ending for negative reasons, where welfare reform is a factor, including evictions for rent debt and tenancy turnover or abandonment leaving bad debts. We have a welfare reform action plan showing the activities taking place along with a time line the purpose and the success measure. All different parts of the business are responsible for completing and taking ownership for their role in the action plan.

6. Welfare reform RISK matrix for Personalisation calls and survey.

7. Any questions? For any other questions regarding any of the topics in my presentation on our social impact report. Please contact me on Emma Young Individual Empowerment Team Manager Knightstone Housing Direct Line:: 01934 526351 Mobile :: 07896 179987 Web:: Knightstone.co.uk