This year we strived to deliver positive social and environmental outcomes, publishing our first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, measuring our impact on areas including climate change and sustainability, corporate governance and human rights.
The values that make us different
Because we are a not-for-profit landlord, you can trust us to be inspired and guided by our values in everything we say and do.
Our values are clear statements about who we are and what makes us different. They shape the decisions we take and the way we behave. They were created to set out how we work with each other and with our customers, every day.
Our values are: Communication, Learning, Accountable, Respectful, Inclusive, Trust and You. The most important value is You. That is because customers are at the heart of our work and we are listening to your views.
Making our website more accessible to you
Did you know that our website offers 24/7 accessibility support? Access speech, reading and translation assistance at any time by simply clicking the accessibility icon from any page of our website.
Globally, 1 in 7 people live with a disability. For many, this means they experience barriers when they’re online. By adding the ReachDeck toolbar to our website, we’re giving you the choice to experience this website in whatever way is best for you. You can choose to have the information read aloud, enlarge the text, simplify our pages, and more.
Carbon monoxide alarms
All our homes were fitted with carbon monoxide alarms this year and we are using ground-breaking technology to protect our customers from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Our contractor, Phoenix Gas Services attached a barcode gas safety ‘tag’ to the gas meter in all our properties with a gas supply. This smart tag records information about any boiler and gas appliances.
An engineer visiting a home for a safety check, service or repair, will touch their mobile device against the tag. This automatically verifies their certification and gives customers the reassurance that only Gas Safe Registered engineers are carrying out this crucial work.
Regular testing by you is also an important and efficient way of making sure these alarms are working correctly.
You must not prevent your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms from operating in their intended manner. Please do not tamper with, damage or remove them, or cover them up.
A responsible landlord
We set out to make a positive impact in Staffordshire and Shropshire. We are committed to building more affordable homes and helping customers and communities succeed, through investment and support.
We want all our newly-built homes to achieve an energy performance rating of B or above along with reducing fuel costs for residents where possible by using new technology such as air source heat pumps. We are improving the energy efficiency of existing homes so that they are rated C or above.
We are reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, using more electric vehicles and installing charging points. We also prioritise recycling, diverting 1,994 tonnes of waste from landfill in 2022/23. And if you have visited our Acton Court, Parker Court or our Knights Way offices, you will have noticed the solar panels on the rooves.
We have a responsibility, too, to create positive relationships with our customers and the people who live in our communities. We recruit from the local area and want our customers to feel that their views are respected and acted upon. In 2022/23 we introduced a new Director for improving the customer experience.
This year we measured our performance in our first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report.
The Homes Plus My Community Fund
The My Community Fund is a Homes Plus initiative to support grassroots and community projects. You can apply for a grant from the fund by telling us about your idea and how we can help you make a difference to our customers and the wider local community.
We prioritise projects that benefit the communities in which we work, our customers and their neighbourhoods.
Organisations already sponsored by the My Community Fund have provided training and learning opportunities for local people, created a new allotment and sensory garden for older residents and restored a community bowling green, to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of members and help bring people together.