Lewisham Homes is an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) that took over the running of some Lewisham Council homes on 22 January 2007. It is one of a number of solutions Lewisham Council has chosen to improve housing services and deliver the Decent Homes Standard (DHS).
We manage 13,500 social housing tenancies and 5,000 leasehold properties within the borough, as well as 3,400 additional properties which we are managing on an interim basis. This interim arrangement is in place while other proposed investment options are being decided by residents; for example, ballots for stock transfer.
We are a non-profit making company and the Council is the sole shareholder. The Board of Management consists of 15 members including Councillors, tenants, leaseholders and independents.
The Government has advised all Arms Length Management Organisations making applications in Round 6, including Lewisham Homes, which had not yet got a two star rating by the Audit Commission, that they would not be able to access Decent Homes funding until 2011/12.
This announcement means a delay in the commencement of work in Lewisham by about six months. To access this funding we must get two stars in our inspection in June 2010.
Mission statement
To deliver great housing services for thriving neighbourhoods.
Strategic objectives
- Improve services to an excellent standard
- Instil a value for money (VFM) culture throughout the organisation and demonstrate business efficiency
- Improve customer satisfaction
- Improve our homes to the Decent Homes Standard
Positive about Disability
We have been awarded the Positive about Disability accreditation which is awarded to employers who demonstrate to the Department of Work and Pensions (Job Centre Plus) that they have achieved, and are committed to, continually achieving 5 commitments relating to the employment of disabled people.
The 5 commitments are to:
- Interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job
- Ensure a mechanism is in place to discuss, at any time, but at least once a year, with disabled employees what can be done to ensure that they can develop and use their full abilities
- Make every effort to ensure that when employees become disabled, they stay in employment
- Take action to ensure that all employees develop the appropriate level of disability awareness needed to make these commitments work
- Conduct an annual review on what has been achieved and plan ways to improve upon them. The report is then forwarded to the Department of Work and Pensions
Customer Service Excellence
The Government wants public services for all, that are efficient, effective, excellent, equitable and empowering – with the citizen always and everywhere at the heart of public service provision. We were awarded the Customer Service Excellence award in 2009.
Investors in People
Investors in People (IiP) is the UK national standard that sets out a level of good practice for the achievement of organisational goals via staff training and development. We achieved IiP accreditation in 2009.
