1. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Value for Money Discovering Excellence Day 13 April 2009

2. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Value for Money Understanding costs Cost benchmarking VfM Project Group Financial management Efficiencies Resource Pool Customer engagement Telling the story

3. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Audit Commission NH has a clear and robust understanding of its costs …. Effective financial management enables the organisation to deliver services that reflect clearly identified customer priorities …. Benchmarking reports are used to identify areas for improvement …... This approach is supporting resources to deliver frontline, customer facing services

4. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Understanding costs Key requirement Stepping back and asking questions Different measures Budget Housemark Benchmarking cost Weekly cost indicators Ensuring Managers understood their costs also Development of model

5. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Cost benchmarking Use of Housemark Only a can opener Understand the cost drivers 2007-08 benchmarking £500 management cost per unit £2,100 total cost per unit Board agreement over targets http://www.housemark.co.uk/hmkb2.nsf/1/2450D0 6849F4D302802575630033B049

6. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Costs – Level 1

7. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Costs – Level 2

8. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Costs – Level 3 Local Services £125 Surveyors £71 Back Office! £140

9. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Costs - Analysis

10. www.northwardshousing.co.uk VfM Project Group Representative of the organisation VfM reviews Cascade briefings Suggestion scheme Intranet Getting the message out It’s your responsibility!

11. www.northwardshousing.co.uk

12. Financial management Own financial system from day 1 Its “our budget” Cultural changes Finance team and budget meetings “We will try to do” attitude Regular Board and Sub-Committee reporting

13. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Efficiencies Capital Programme - £1.6 M Revenue - £1.3 M 2007-08 (target £800,000) Service Level Agreements 34 down to 17 (now 12) On those remaining, cost reduction £580,000 Allowed to keep under Management Agreement Enabled mainstream funding of the warden service Audit trail of how used

14. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Resource Pool Clear and transparent mechanism for efficiencies Bids from Managers, Teams In January 2008 opened up to Area Panels Changing Panel composition Simple form Must identify tenant or community benefits £482,000 spent to date Smallest award £300 for garden shed at scheme Largest award £150,000 on environmental projects

15. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Resource Pool

16. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Customer engagement Business Planning and Budget Events 2007 event based on Budget Game Reappraisal of spend on Environmental and Resident Involvement 2008 event Pot of Gold £30,000 per Area Panel Youth Activities Green spaces and environment Safer lighting and security

17. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Tenant Priorities 2007

18. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Pot of Gold

19. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Telling the story Confident and self aware Embedded understanding VfM Project Group Understand costs Consistent message Beginnings of participatory budgeting [Procurement, Budgeting, Strategy, AES, Financial Plan]

20. www.northwardshousing.co.uk VfM Assessment Housemark discussions May 2006 Embedded VfM Governance Financial stewardship Performance management Procurement Customer focus Self aware but self assured

21. www.northwardshousing.co.uk VfM Assessment Governance Financial stewardship Performance management Procurement Customer focus Jun 2006Nov 2009

22. www.northwardshousing.co.uk Steve WoodAlison Foster Director of Business ServicesHead of Finance s.wood@northwardshousing.co.uka.foster@northwardshousing.co.uk 0161 227 30180161 227 3010 Northwards Housing Hexagon Tower 6 th Floor Crumpsall Vale Blackley Manchester M9 8ZS thank you for listening