KHTS to become part of the First Ark Group
KHT and KHT Services (KHTS) have announced that they will now sit under the Group name of First Ark.
KHT are the first housing association in the country to do this and the new structure will further empower tenants and reduce costs.
KHT and KHTS are now one arm of the First Ark Group, which will be able to move into a range of non-housing activities that will allow the Group to embrace the Governments change and Big Society agenda.
First Ark Group Chief Executive Bob Taylor said: “We are already working on delivering the Big Society and empowering residents to set up social enterprise which was a key aim within the new structure.
“We have embraced the localism agenda and we are taking advantage of the freedoms and flexibilities which that agenda offers with our new structure – empowering individuals, shaping communities and putting residents at the heart of defining and helping to deliver local priorities.”
Below you find a number of First Ark strategies. Please take a look at them.
Branding Strategy - click here
Communications Strategy - click here
Corporate Social Responsibility - click here
First Ark website - click here
KHTS win Considerate Constructors Award
KHT Services has won a Bronze Considerate Constructors Scheme 2011 National Award for its work on the contract with Villages Housing Association. Selection for the Awards came from the top 7% performers in the country.
The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) is a non-profit organisation founded to help improve the image of the construction industry. Sites and companies that register with the scheme are monitored against an eight-point Code of Considerate Practice, designed to encourage performance beyond statutory requirements. These categories are: Considerate, Environment, Appearance, Good Neighbour, Respectful, Safety, Responsible and Accountable.
Our work with Villages Housing was particularly commended for the high standards reached in six of the eight categories, and also for its exceptional achievements in the ‘Environment’ category.
The award is a credit to KHT Services and to the site team so well done to everyone involved!
New KHTS Chair - Maggie O'Carroll
A leading figure in women’s enterprise has been appointed chair of KHT Services (KHTS).
Maggie O’Carroll (left) will help to take the business forward and also hopes to foster entrepreneurship within social housing and KHT’s social enterprise activities through her new role.
She is a leader in women’s enterprise and is the founder and Chief Executive of the award-winning, Liverpool-based social enterprise The Women’s Organisation, which is now the largest women’s economic development agency in the UK.
She has been actively involved in women’s enterprise research and influencing economic development and social inclusion policy on an international, national and regional basis.
Maggie brings significant experience of commercial enterprise to the KHT Services board and she will also sit on the First Ark board, taking a lead on social enterprise activities which the Group intends to strengthen and promote.
She is a Business Studies graduate with a Masters in Community Enterprise from Cambridge University. She also lectures part time at the School of Management at Liverpool John Moores University and is a visiting entrepreneurial expert to Simmons College in Boston in the USA.
Maggie, 43, who lives in Liverpool, said: “I am very pleased to be joining the board of KHT Services.
“I hope to work with the team to grow the business so that we can deliver more effective services to our tenants, but also deliver more on social outcomes for our communities in terms of job creation, training opportunities and apprenticeships.”
KHT Services provides housing repair and maintenance, including gas servicing and repairs across the North West, and as a social enterprise invests its profits in the communities in which it works and into the development and improvement of the services which it offers.
KHT Chief Executive Bob Taylor said: “We are very happy to welcome Maggie to KHT Services and we know her expertise and experiences in business and enterprise will help it to prosper into the future.”
KHT Services Ltd the trading subsidiary of Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT) has showcased its commitment to social enterprise to organisations from across the North West.
KHT Services, together with Knowsley Council, held a stand at the In Business for Good - Social Enterprise North West Trade Fair at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral on Thursday, November 18 – which was also Social Enterprise Day.
The event included a series of workshops, guest speakers and the opportunity to network with organisations in the social enterprise sector.
Louise Harris, Head of Social Responsibility , said: “This was a fantastic way for us to meet people doing great things in social enterprise.
Social Enterprise is something we have been fostering in our communities for some time and we believe it is going to become an important model for businesses in the future.”
The KHT Group is a great supporter of social enterprise – businesses which plough money back into communities – and manages a Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) that invests in social enterprises as a way of creating jobs and providing training opportunities for local people.
KHT has been in charge of commissioning part of the WNF on behalf of The Knowsley Partnership for the last 18 months.
The WNF has so far invested in existing social enterprises in the area, such as Prescot Oasis, which provides gardening and decorating services, and has helped Knowsley Enterprise Academy launch NEET TV (Not in Education, Employment or Training)– a video production company providing jobs for young people across the borough.
These investments have already created 10 apprenticeships and 52 training places for NEET young people.
KHT has also encouraged homecare social enterprise CASA – Care and Share Associates Ltd, which already operates in four locations across the North West – to set up in Knowsley using WNF cash. This will create a further 40 jobs and it is hoped it will start up in the New Year.
KHT is also setting up a unit for social enterprise (USE) to provide support and guidance for existing social enterprises and those looking to set one up, which will be developing over the next nine months.
Bob Taylor, Chief Executive at KHT, said: “Knowsley has a thriving social enterprise sector and is a national leader in the successful development and support of social enterprise.
“The USE will be a one stop shop to help social enterprises develop in Knowsley.”
Bob Taylor, added: “Social enterprises are an incredibly important tool in helping communities work themselves out of the economic downturn.
For many people social enterprises offer job and training opportunities that might not otherwise be open to them.
This is the time for social enterprises and housing associations to come into their own to build the ‘Big Society’ and galvanise people into playing a part in changing their communities for the better.”
KHT Services Annual Report 2009/10
KHT Services has produced it's annual report for 2009/10.
Click here to download a copy (PDF).
David Cumberland
It is with great sadness that we announce that David Cumberland, a KHT Board Member since 2001 and also KHT Services Chair passed away on Sunday 3rd October 2010.
David was inspirational to many and a key member in developing our tenant involvement and home building programmes. Although an independent member skilled in housing strategy, David was also a champion for tenants and for improving services.
He also helped to shape the growth of KHT Services from small beginnings to a company turning over around £5 million.
For those who knew him a real gent and a community servant, who gave his time willingly for the benefit of Knowsley Housing Trust and the community.
Villages Tenants Day
Villages Housing held their second annual tenants conference at Blackburne House in Liverpool on Wednesday 29th September.
The event was an opportunity for tenants to give their views on Villages Services and to let the Villages team know what they think their priorities should be.
It also gave the tenants an opportunity to hear about new projects that had been planned and also to meet representatives from partner organisations.
KHT Services staff attended the event and chatted with residents over lunch.
Corporate Social Responsibilty
KHT Services operates as a Social Enterprise, which means that profits do not go to shareholders but are instead invested in communities, as well as on internal investment to grow the business in a sustainable manner.
Operating as a Social Enterprise is a key aspect of our Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy. Our aim is to create added value and deliver services which exceed our customers’ expectations.
We have produced a leaflet with information about our committment to you, your customers, and your neighbourhoods.
Click here to download a copy of the strategy (PDF).
KHT Services are CHAS Compliant
KHT Services were recently assessed by the Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS) and we are now CHAS compliant. This means that we demonstrated that we can adequately manage Health and Safety.
Potential customers can check through CHAS that a supplier has the ability, experience and resources to carry out specific work. The buyer will be able to look at things like method statements, specific risk assessments, references, examples of previous similar work, training and available resources.
Gas Servicing for Great Places at 100%
KHT Services are 100% compliant with gas servicing for Great Places Housing Group, a trend which is set to continue.
KHT Services provide Great Places Housing Group with their Gas Servicing along with their Repairs & Maintenance, Voids, and Customer Contact Centre service for around 3,500 homes across Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
The 100% rating has been achieved for the last month and is set to continue in the next few weeks too.
This success follows hot on the heels of the excellent 3-star rating KHT Team received from the mock inspectors.
This is something to be proud of, well done.
A Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT) apprentice has just been name Apprentice of the year.
Steven Dunn works on KHT’s properties and was named apprentice of the year by the Direct Works Forum, which honours housing association staff.
Steven has been working as an apprentice with KHT for three years and previously studied at Carmel College in St Helens.
“I was really surprised to be nominated and even more so to win,” he added.
“I really wanted a career in construction and working with KHT gives me the hands on experience that you can’t get in a classroom. It gives you chance to get experience on the job.
“Apart from the technical information I’ve learnt lots about dealing with tenants, suppliers and contractors.”
Steven has been featured in the Liverpool Daily Post, click here to read more.
Useful Maps
See the link below for maps and directions to find our repairs and maintenance locations at 'Mossbridge Road' in Rochdale and 'Link Road' in Huyton.
To see the map, click here
Villages Short Notice Inspection – Strengths Outweigh Weaknesses on Gas and Repairs
The Audit Commission’s inspection of Villages Housing Association, in the same week as the inspection of Great Places (see below), produced another great result for KHT Services. KHT Services provide the Gas and Responsive Repairs Service on behalf of Villages to their tenants in Merseyside. KHT Services are delighted that the inspection found a real improvement in the delivery of these services to Villages tenants which is the result of excellent partnership working between our two organisations.
To read the summary of the Villages inspection click here
For the full inspection report click here
Great Places - Great Result for KHT Services
KHT Services provide Repair and Maintenance Services for Great Places. After their positive inspection by the Audit Commission we are delighted to see the impact of positive partnership working to improve the quality of the repair services for their tenants.
We particulary want to highlight the sections on the Inspection Report about Gas Servicing and Voids, which are two of the services we provide to Great Places. Both of these services were picked out as strengths by the Audit Commission inspection.
You can read a summary of Great Places inspection by clicking here or read the full inspection report by click here
Partnership working at Tenants Conference
KHT Services were pleased to be asked to participate in the conference that Villages Housing recently held for their tenants in Oldham. The conference was for Villages tenants from Oldham and from Stockbridge Village in Merseyside, where KHT Services provides a Repairs and Maintenance service to around 2,000 homes. The tenants enjoyed an interesting day of sessions and had the opportunity to talk to KHT Services about their views of the repair service as well as enjoy tasting some free cookies and treats on the stand. KHT Services received some really encouraging feedback as well as some suggestions for improvement as we aim to deliver and even better service to our customers.
KHT Services work with Great Places to support Macmillan’s Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning
KHT Services worked in partnership with Great Places Housing Group to help raise money for Macmillan Cancer Research with two events for the charity's 'World's Biggest Coffee Morning' on Friday 25th September 2009.
The events took place in Oldham and Rochdale where Great Places tenants enjoyed a cuppa and a chat and had the opportunity to talk face to face with staff. KHT Services staff welcomed the chance to hear first hand what the tenants think of the job KHT Service are doing and of any improvements that could be made. Overall, the feedback was extremely positive.
KHT Services provides the repairs service for around 3,000 Great Places tenants in North East Manchester.