How we are doing

Delivering performance

Rent collection and Arrears control

Rent collection and arrears targets for 2006 / 2007

Empty property

Percentage Voids

Average Turnaround Times

Void management targets for 2006 / 2007

Repairs Performance

Targets for 2006 / 2007

Correspondence

Complaints

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Delivering Performance

Riversmead is committed to continuous improvement of its services. We review our performance indicators to ensure that they are both relevant and meet our business obligations. Key performance indicators are reviewed on a quarterly basis by senior managers and are also reported to the Association’s Customer Services Sub Committee each quarter, where detailed scrutiny takes place.

We are also a member of Housemark, a benchmarking organisation, which allows us to compare our performance with other Housing Associations and Councils.

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Rent Collection and Arrears Control

Riversmead take early action on rent arrears to prevent a build up which tenants then find difficult to manage and could result in them losing their home. We encourage a payment culture from the initial sign-up of the tenancy agreement.

Our staff have access to information systems which provide reports on a weekly basis and upon which both informal and formal action is based.

Actual collection rates for the past four years are set out below (in percentages):

	2003/ 2004	2004/ 2005	2005/ 2006	2006/ 2007
Rent collection	97.48	97.6	94.56	95.48
Arrears control	2.52	2.4	4.59	4.31

Note: 05/06 figures are not readily comparable with those of previous years as we are required to use a different formula

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Targets for 2007 / 2008
%
Rent collection	Greater than 96.1%
Arrears control	Less than 3.4%

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Empty property

We endeavour to minimise the period any home is empty for. It is important to ensure homes are provided for people as swiftly as possible thus minimising the time spent in temporary accommodation for example and also reducing potential rent loss.

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Percentage voids available at year end (31 March)
	Actual	Target
2003/2004	0.58	0.5
2004/2005	0.5	0.5
2005/2006	0.8	0.5
2006/2007	0.4	0.5

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Average Turnaround Times (in weeks)
	Actual	Target
2003/2004	4.30	3.50
2004/2005	4.90	4.50
2005/2006	4.7	4.50
2006/2007	4.9	4.50

Our performance for non older persons voids was 4.3 weeks, compared with a target of 3.5 weeks. Increasingly we are finding it is taking longer to let older persons vacancies due to issues around the demand for such vacancies. The average turnaround for older persons voids was 6.1 weeks compared with a target of 5.5 weeks.  Our performance towards the year end however was encouraging, with better turnaround periods from November onwards.

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Void management targets for 2007 / 2008
Category	target
Voids	1.45% of total stock in management
Average turnaround time	3.5 weeks (general needs), 5.5 weeks (older persons), 4.5 weeks (overall)

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Repairs Performance

Riversmead undertakes responsive repairs within the time-scales set out in the Tenant's handbook. These targets exceed those required by the Housing Corporation.

	ACTUAL %*
	2003/2004	2004/2005	2005/2006	2006/2007
Emergency (24hrs)	99	99	97.8	96.7
Urgent (3 days)	98	98	94.2	96.5
Rapid (7 days)	98	98	95.0	96.6
Standard (21 days)	99	100	94.5	93.5

* % of order completed within target

Service Standards for responsive repairs have been increased on previous year due to repair performance now being measured from receipt of service request to completion of works. Previously performance was measured from the point of raising the order to completion of the works.

Housing Corporation’s Service Standards for Responsive Repairs:

• Emergency – 24 hours
• Rapid – 7 days
• Routine – 31 days ( 1 Calendar Month)

Riversmead’s Service Standards for Responsive Repairs

• Emergency – 24 hours
• Urgent - 3 days
• Rapid – 7 days
• Routine – 21 days

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Targets for 2007 / 2008
Category	Target
Emergency	98 % within time
Urgent Rapid Standard	95 % within time

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Correspondence

As part of our commitment to tenants and other customers we aim to answer all correspondence within ten working days, if we anticipate that a full answer will not be possible within ten days we write acknowledging receipt of the letter and provide an estimated response time for a full reply.

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Complaints Handling

There were 33 complaints received during the 2006/2007 financial year. All of the complaints were resolved without being taken further than Riversmead’s Chief Executive.

See Making a complaint.

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