Welcome
Over the past year, we have recognised the impact that the cost of living crisis has had on our tenants and our communities and our focus remains on improving our core services and supporting households wherever we can.
We continue to develop our approach to financial inclusion, addressing fuel poverty and promoting tenancy sustainment, recognising where the challenges lie, and offering support to our customers wherever possible.
There have been a number of highlights in the last year. In the summer of 2023, we carried out a bi-annual customer satisfaction survey, interviewing 1,361 tenants (40% of Association stock) providing us with valuable feedback on our services and the expectations of our customers. We continue to work collaboratively with our Lemon Aid service to try to mitigate the impact of the cost of living crisis to our tenants.
Our MOCBP Fund continued to support and award small grants to various groups in North & East Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway.
During the year, a total of 24 funding awards were made to a range of organisations in Ayrshire and 12 were awarded to Dumfries & Galloway groups.
We are proud that we can offer assistance to organisations providing valuable services across the communities that we serve, reinforcing our mission to being More Than Just a Landlord – Making Our Communities better places.
We recognised the challenges faced in delivery of new homes against a backdrop of unprecedented increases in costs and significant price rises. In 2023, a decision was taken to scale down development activities to allow costs to stabilise and grant to be reviewed to better support project delivery.
During the year, we still completed 148 new affordable homes, with 238 new units on site during the course of 2023/24.
Our new Direct Works Repairs service has been operational for two years. We continue to monitor performance to ensure we achieve high customer satisfaction levels and look for ways to further improve the services we provide.
Our planned maintenance spend in 2023/24 was £2.4m which allowed us to continue our programme of heating, kitchen and bathroom replacements as well as new windows and doors to our properties. As we move forward, our priority will continue to be delivering significant improvements across our stock, focusing on improving homes we own and manage. We were also supported by the Scottish Government to deliver a project in Dalry to improve energy efficiency through external wall insulation (EWI). The £2.3m project was supported by £1.02m from the Scottish Government’s Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund and has helped 97 tenants by making their homes cheaper to heat.
We will continue to work closely with our partners across North & East Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway and, in light of the challenges we face, we will continue to seek opportunities wherever possible to work effectively with stakeholders.
We look forward to the year ahead, and we remain committed to continuing to deliver high quality services across all of our areas of operation.
Janet Strang
Chairperson
Janet was re-elected Chairperson following the Annual General Meeting in the Summer 2024. She is currently the longest serving Board Member having joined the
Association in April 1994. During this time, she has held numerous roles such as Chairperson and Company Secretary within the Board of Management and Sub Committees. Janet held the position of Chairperson from 2016 to 2020 and after completing her fifth consecutive year she was elected as the Company Secretary for the 2020/21 session. Janet was elected as Vice-Chair of the Board of Management in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Brenda Johnstone
Vice Chairperson
Brenda was re-elected to the position of Vice Chairperson following the Annual General Meeting 2024.
Brenda joined the Board of CHA in August 2017. From 1989 until 2010 she was employed by Marie Curie Cancer Care. Brenda is a community activist and has held several high profile and demanding fundraising posts.
Drew Hall
Secretary
Drew joined the Board of Management in April 2019. Drew was re-elected to the position of Company Secretary following the Annual General Meeting in September 2024.
He was formerly a Service Manager with Inverclyde Council responsible for Environmental Health, Housing Strategy/Standards/Conditions, and the Community Safety Partnership. Drew is also Fellow and past President of the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland.
Board of Management Members
Retirement of the Group Chief Executive
Frank Sweeney
Following almost 35 years of dedicated service the Board of Management, Executive Management Team and Staff would like to thank Frank for his phenomenal contribution to the Association as a whole.
Executive Management Team
Linda Anderson
Interim Group Chief Executive
Executive Director of Development Services
Linda commenced employment with the Association in April 1990 as a Development Officer. A Chartered Member of the Institute of Housing (C.I.H.C.M) and holder of the Diploma in Housing Studies she has over the past 34 years played a key part in the remarkable growth of Cunninghame Housing Association.
Jacqueline Cameron
Executive Director
Housing and Property Services
A passionate housing leader with experience in developing, delivering and transforming housing services, Jacqueline joined Cunninghame Housing Association in January 2022. Prior to this she worked in local government for 19 years, holding various senior housing positions.
Housing Stock
31st March 2024 totaling 3,520 properties
North Ayrshire – 2,433
East Ayrshire – 671
Dumfries & Galloway – 416
Building Our Communities
The Association completed 147 new homes during 2023/24 with other projects at various stages of delivery.
The following provides detail on some of the new build developments and their status.
Bridgehousehill, Kilmarnock
No. of units – 101
On Site – July 2022
Overall completion – July 2024
Garven Road, Stevenston
No. of units – 20
On Site – September 2023
Overall completion – September 2024
Stanfield Farm, Eastriggs
No. of units – 74
On Site – August 2024
Overall completion – Early 2026
Communication Improvements
Keeping our tenants informed via social media, text and email.
Began exploring a brand new mobile app for tenants.
Created ‘My CHA’, a tenant specific area of our website.
Our People
As of March 2024, CHA recruited:
24 New Staff
33 Total New Staff
9 New Staff
Customer Engagement
Engagement with tenants and other customers is core to providing high quality services that meet the needs of our communities. During 2023/24 we began a journey of improvement in customer engagement, which continues to be a strategic priority for the Association. Improvements during this year include:
Tenancy Sustainment
We created a new approach to tenancy sustainment.
Working Together
We have introduced a joined up approach to our Housing, Financial Inclusion and Fuel Poverty Services.
Online Options
We have created an option for tenants to report matters such as tenancy alterations and home improvements online.
Factoring
Our service provides invaluable support to tenants and owners in mixed tenure blocks.
459 Homes Factored
Complaints
Complaints give us valuable information to improve service provision and customer satisfaction. Our Complaints Handling Procedure allows us to address a customer’s dissatisfaction and may help us prevent the same problem from happening again.
Handled well, complaints give our customers a form of redress when things do go wrong and can help us improve services.
Wherever possible, we deal with complaints at the frontline, meaning that the staff member who receives the complaint is empowered to address the reason for the customer’s dissatisfaction within a maximum of five working days.
There were 7 complaints upheld during 2023/24; 3 were upheld with learning points and we have taken steps to improve processes as a result.
There were 7 complaints upheld during 2023/24:
3 of the 7 complaints were upheld with learning points and we have taken steps to improve processes as a result.
The average time in working days for a full response
3.5 days
Ist Stage Complaints
10.3 days
2nd Stage Complaints
Housing Management
As our stock spans three local authority areas, we are a member of three common housing register partnerships:
Re-let 199 existing properties.
Let 148 new build properties.
447 formal offers of housing, with a 20.36% refusal rate.
Supported 39 tenants with exchanges.
Average of 8.36 days to re-let.
Our estate management approach aims to support tenants to live in attractive communities, and ensure we remain an appealing landlord to our housing applicants. We carry out regular estate inspections to ensure a high standard of grounds maintenance and cleanliness.
We recognise the harm that anti-social behaviour can cause individuals and communities. Addressing anti-social behaviour is a core responsibility as a social landlord.
247
Complaints Reported
100%
Complaints Resolved
Income Management
During 2023/24 we updated the communications to our tenants around rent arrears, to ensure they are simple, provide the right information and highlight support services available.
We aim is to support tenants to sustain their tenancies and to deal with rent arrears at the earliest opportunity.
Gross rent arrears have reduced last year from 4.04% to 3.75% of rent due.
Repairs Service
Our Direct Works Serice continues to undertake the majority of repairs in our homes.
Direct Works completed 95.639% of all repairs right first time, in 2023/24.
Aids and Adaptions
We believe it is important to help people who have mobility issues to live independently and be able to stay within their home. In 2023/24:
Adaptions Completed
Grant Funding For Adaptions
Days to complete
Investment In Our Homes
Our approach to asset management looks to ensure our tenants live in quality homes that meet their needs. We want to make sure homes meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS),
94.32% of our properties meet the SHQS at March 2024, an increase of almost 9% from the previous reporting year.
A £2.3 million project managed jointly with a consultant committed to giving reasonable warmth and drive the cut of carbon emissions was completed in 2023/24. 97 of our Dalry homes had external wall insulation (EWI) installed, supported by £1.02m from the Scottish Government’s Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund. The project aimed to improve the energy efficiency of these homes, making them cheaper to heat and lowering energy bills for tenants.
Planned Maintenance
In 2023/24 we spent £2,405,638 on planned maintenance projects. This included investment in:
Homes with
New Bathrooms
Homes with
New Bathrooms
Homes with
New Windows
Homes with
New Doors
Homes with
New Heating Systems
Cyclical Maintenance
Our Grounds Maintenance Contractors
Our Gas Servicing and Repairs Contractors
Undertaking the planned programme of electrical safety checks.
“The workers were very good. They cleaned up every time before they left. They were very efficient and made no mess”.-Mrs C, Ardrossan
“First class job, very happy with CHA and all they do for us in social housing! Very satisfied”.-Mr O, Largs
Finance
Click the button below to view the Association’s 2023/24 Annual Accounts
Awards & Recognitions
The Association is delighted to be re-accredited with Investors in People Platinum, reflecting the hard work and commitment of all staff involved.
Outstanding Contribution to Tenant Participation
The Association was delighted to announce that Ian Macpherson, Community Engagement & Participation Officer, was awarded ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tenant Participation (Housing Staff)’ at the TiS Awards 2023. The award was sponsored by the Scottish Government and recognised Ian’s exceptional dedication and commitment to advancing tenant participation practices within the housing sector.
Ian’s achievements reflect his passion for enhancing tenant participation within the housing sector. His innovative strategies, coupled with a profound understanding of tenants wants and needs, have set a benchmark for excellence in fostering meaningful engagement between housing staff and tenants.
Dumfries & Galloway Life Magazine Awards 2023
Cunninghame Housing Association sponsored a category at the Dumfries & Galloway Life Magazine Awards 2023
Cunninghame Housing Association was proud to sponsor the Young Champion of the Year at the Dumfries & Galloway Life Magazine Awards 2023, which took place at Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries on Friday 10th November 2023.
Making Our Communities Better Places
With an annual budget of £30,000 (£20,000 for North & East Ayrshire and £10,000 for Dumfries & Galloway) and “Making Our Communities Better Places Fund” awards small grants to local community clubs, groups and individuals who meet our funding criteria. The Board of Management received 49 applications for funding in 2023 – 2024 and awarded a total of 36 grants to the following:
Ayrshire Hospice Fundraising
Staff completed the North Ayrshire Athletics Club 10k raising a total of £196 for the Ayrshire Hospice which was the Association’s nominated charity for 2023/24.
Cash 4 Kids
The Association presented a cheque for £400 along with toys purchased for Cash for Kids who is a grant-giving charity helping local children. Their mission is to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in the community who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect or have special needs.
North Ayrshire Foodbank
The Association presented a cheque for £1,500 along with much needed food to the charity. The Association recognises the difference this will have made to those who need it most.
Social and Economic Development
Our Social & Economic Development (SED) department reports directly to the Group Chief Executive Officer ensuring the Association’s commitment to being ‘More Than Just A Landlord’ and to ‘Making Our Communities Better Places’. The department works with several charities throughout the regions in which we operate to assist them with governance, business planning, financial planning, legal advice, VAT advice and to assist them in attracting funding to deliver projects that benefit the wider communities. The department is also responsible for ensuring continued funding for projects operated by the Association itself including our Lemon Aid Fuel Poverty service, and for the regular reporting to funders on how the project is operating and delivering for our communities.
The SED department continues to deliver and manage the Associations three Enterprise Centres located in Ardrossan. The centres continue to deliver employability, training, housing advocacy, energy advice, community development, community radio, childcare facilities and much more.
We also continue to support the Ardrossan Community Development Trust (ACDT); a local community-based charity who have taken an asset transfer of the land known as Ardrossan South Beach Promenade and are currently redeveloping the land to ensure it can be better used and utilised by the community, residents and visitors alike. During this financial year the department provided some revenue funding and has assisted the Trust in the recruitment of a new Development Officer. We also assisted with planning applications and building warrants in relation to the new build element of the project delivering a brand new Hub On The Prom which will provide a new café and community kiosk where residents and visitors can access free hire of deckchairs, disability wheelers and much more. Beach Huts were also constructed alongside the Hub which will be utilised by the Trust and rented out as small ‘pop up’ businesses throughout the year. The Association’s development department have also assisted the Trust with he delivery of this new community hub by providing advice and access to experienced architects and design teams as well as ongoing development advice and support. The Trust are working hard to ensure the completion of the project for the community mid 2024/25.
Support has also been provided to the Ardrossan Community Sports Hub (ACSH). We have worked with the Hub and its partners to develop plans for the management of a 3g pitch being developed by Ardrossan Winton Rovers CIC. Plans are that the new surface will replace the existing turf and allow more access to the community allowing around 350 young people to train in their own Town. The Association provided advice on governance, legal, VAT and more, supporting both organisations in the development of their plans. The new pitch surface and works to improve the stand and lighting are due to be completed late 2024.
The Association also continue to support Annan Rugby Club in the development of their plans to improve their pavilion building and community delivery as a Rugby Club. The Club have had revised plans drawn and we continue to work with them to assist in the delivery of this much needed project which will ensure it better meets the needs of women and children using the facility.
Fuel Poverty
The team have supported over 6,000 more people than the previous year has been testament to the hard work, resilience and self-motivation of the team.
The team support people in many ways such as energy debt recovery rate re-negotiation, billing advocacy, metering advice and advocacy, help and advice in relation to heating systems, debt and grant advice/advocacy, applications to government funded schemes such as Warm Homes discount, referrals to trusted partners for energy efficiency measures and tampered meter support.
Being able to provide all of this to our communities whether they are CHA tenants or tenants of other landlords (private or social) and people who own their property has been invaluable to people during the ongoing cost of living issues we are all experiencing. Although a challenge, the team were delighted to assist more people in 23/24 than they ever have within the previous years that Lemon Aid has been providing support.
Lemon Aid has over 160 regular incoming referring partners across North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. Lemon Aid cross refers to over 100 front line care and support organisations to ensure the people who use our support receive holistic support from many other frontline care and support agencies. In 23/24 we referred 1,221 people to gain support and assistance from our partner agencies such as but not limited to CHAP, Financial Inclusion Partnerships across the 3 local authority areas, North Ayrshire Food bank, The Lennox Partnership, Money Matters, Health and Social Care partnerships, CVO community connectors, and the EAC Universal Credit support team.
15,156
Households Assisted
5,204
Number of Energy Vouchers Issued
2,199
Number of Households Reconnected
1,158,666
Savings of Those Assisted
Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company
During 23/24 CFRC have diverted >14,200 items, amounting to >339 tonnes, of furniture from landfill allowing us to assist >3,500 local residents to furnish their homes, while also providing >£82,300 of discounts and 1974 free items to those most in need. Environmentally this resulted in a saving of over 675 tonnes of CO2; which is equivalent to taking 421 family cars off the road. Additionally CFRC provided full time employment for 18 members of the local community facilitated 6 training placements throughout the year, the success of the ongoing training placements has encouraged NAC Equal team to work in partnership with CFRC to look at starting a pilot training academy with the first placements scheduled to start at CFRC in early 24/25.
CFRC continue to operate a mattress reuse project to increase the number of mattresses diverted from landfill while providing quality low cost reuse mattresses to local residents. Since its initial launch late 19/20, the mattress project has increased each year in the number of mattresses reused at CFRC. During 23/24, CFRC has collected 1173 Mattresses for reuse – a 63% increase on 22/23’s 717, of which we have reused 853 and recycled 159 with the remaining stock carried forward.
Our membership of Circular Communities Scotland Consortium CFRC has allowed us to assist 545 Scottish Welfare Fund clients during 2023/2024 providing a total of 172 Double beds; 81 single beds & 461 Sofas.
To further assist with the cost of living crisis the CFRC Board of Management approved a Cost Of Living Crisis Voucher (COLCV) scheme using CFRC reserves to provide furniture to those most in need that failed to qualify for other assistance or funding. We worked with referring partners throughout Ayrshire and provided vouchers where need was identified. Since the launch of the scheme in December 2022 until the pot ran out at the end of Nov 23 CFRC provided 200 Vouchers to the value of £50,000.
3,349
Number of Households Reconnected
18
Jobs Sustained
328.4
Tonnes Diverted From Landfill
14,222
Items Donated
Thank you for reading CHA’s Annual Report 2023/24
If you would like a physical copy of this report, please click the button below.