tenants handbook
Section One: Background
ABOUT NEW CHARTER HOUSING TRUST GROUP
BACKGROUND
New Charter Housing Trust Group was formed in March 2000 to take over the housing stock from Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council following a vote in favour of the transfer by the Council's tenants.
We are a not-for-profit organisation, which means that any surplus cash is used to improve homes and services for our tenants.
New Charter Housing Trust Group is made up of:
New Charter Housing Trust
New Charter Homes
Aksa Housing Association
Gedling Homes
New Charter Building Company
New Charter Housing Trust, New Charter Homes, Aksa Housing Association and Gedling Homes are registered providers of social housing. They are regulated by the Tenant Services Authority which took over from the Housing Corporation as the government watchdog in December 2008.
New Charter Housing Trust is a company limited by guarantee and is the Parent Company. The Trust has overall responsibility for the governance and strategic direction of the Group.
New Charter Homes owns property in the Tameside area of East Manchester. It is a subsidiary of the Group and is a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Aksa Housing Association is the Group's BME (Black, Minority and Ethnic) subsidiary. It owns properties in Oldham, Manchester, Bury and Tameside. It is a Charitable, Industrial and Provident Society registered with the Financial Services Authority.
Gedling Homes owns property in the heart of Nottinghamshire. It is a subsidiary of the Group and is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee.
The subsidiaries are responsible for ensuring repairs and investment and other housing services are provided within their own geographical areas.
New Charter Building Company is a subsidiary of New Charter Housing Trust and is a company limited by guarantee. As well as undertaking investment and repair works for the property owning subsidiaries, the Building Company also undertakes work for external organisations. The income from this external work is reinvested within the New Charter Housing Trust Group.
HOW THE GROUP IS MANAGED
All companies within the group are managed by a board. The boards are made up of different people, known as board members.
Tenant Board Members are elected by tenants. They are chosen by tenants and no one else.
Local Authority Board Members are nominated by the Council.
Independent Board Members are appointed and are chosen for their specialist skills and experience, such as law, accountancy and finance.
Executive Board Members are appointed from the Group Management Team.
New Charter Housing Trust
Eleven Board Members consisting of:
6 Independent Board Members
2 Tenant Board Members.
2 Local Authority Board Members.
1 Executive Board Member
New Charter Homes
Nine Board Members consisting of:
3 Tenant Board Members
3 Local Authority Board Members nominated by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
3 Independent Board Members, one of whom will be nominated down from the Trust Board
Aksa Housing Association
A maximum of fifteen Board Members consisting of:
14 Board Members (with a maximum of 1/3 tenants)
1 Executive Board Member
Gedling Homes
Twelve Board Members consisting of:
4 Tenant Board Members
4 Local Authority Board Members nominated by Gedling Borough Council
4 Independent Board Members, one of whom will be nominated down from the Trust Board
New Charter Building Company
Five Board Members consisting of:
4 Independent Board Members
1 Executive Board Member
All board members have the same rights and responsibilities as each other. Board members can change from time to time. Click here to find out who sits on our boards, or ring us on 0161 331 2000.
OUR VISION, VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS
This is our vision
Great Homes Great Neighbourhoods Great People
This is what we value:
Genuine: We care that we are being genuine and honest with people.
Respect: We value people's differences and are considerate to their needs.
Excellence: We enjoy being the best and encourage innovation to always improve.
Achievement: We are proud to be a learning organisation and celebrate the personal development of our people.
Together: We work collectively to achieve the best results.
These are the behaviours we expect from our staff:
Manages expectations -
by being honest and genuine when communicating with customers. Staff do this by making sure they manage customer's expectations; saying yes when they can deliver, but also saying no when it is appropriate.
Genuinely cares –
about everyone, especially their customers and will go above and beyond to offer support, guidance and protection
Values differences –
respects all people, regardless of difference. Working hard to break down barriers in communities, challenging prejudice and creating solutions that are accessible to all.
Builds trust and empathy -
by getting to know customers, partners and team mates by asking relevant questions, listening carefully and having conversations that build empathy and trust
Enjoys work -
by loving what they do and by doing their job and making a contribution, staff are making a difference to others.
Thinks innovatively -
by looking for a better way of doing things, and contributing their ideas, thoughts and feedback to ensure the business is always improving and it is a better place to work
Challenges and learns –
is willing to challenge the status quo in order to deliver to the highest standards, showing real determination to see it through. Learn from every situation, listening and responding to coaching whilst maintaining a desire to develop themselves and those around them.
Makes things happen -
by constantly looking to deliver to the highest standards. Staff make reasoned decisions for their team and the business without constantly referring to their Manager for permission
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY
New Charter Housing Trust Group is fully committed to achieving fairness and equality for all tenants regardless of their race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender or gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age or disability.
Our Equality and Diversity Strategy ensures that the different needs of these groups within the community are met by us through appropriate and responsive service delivery. In order to achieve this all our employees and Board members receive regular training and development regarding equality and diversity.
ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK
This handbook is for New Charter Homes tenants only.
Gedling Homes and Aksa Housing Association also produce handbooks specifically for their own tenants.
Further information, and/or help and advice in case of difficulty
in using the
system, including problems, can be obtained by sending an email
to the following
address. Please give as much information as possible.
Email: contact@newcharter.co.uk
