Accreditation
The Group and its members are accredited by a
number of organisations. Some are regulatory, some voluntary. Here
are more details about them.
Housing Corporation
The
Housing Corporation is the government agency that funds new
affordable homes and regulates housing associations in England.
Every housing association with more than 250 homes is continuously
assessed on its performance under the Regulatory Code, which judges
viability, governance and management, and on how well it has used
any Corporation funds it has been allocated.
Somer scored a full set of ‘green’ traffic lights
for compliance with the Housing Corporation’s regulatory code in
2007. It assessed four key areas using a traffic light system to
judge them – red, amber and green, along with sub-categories within
each colour. The Group received green lights for viability,
governance, management and development.
See the
Housing Corporation assessment in full.
Housing Corporation
website.
Audit Commission
The Audit
Commission helps housing organisations to improve their services.
They do this for local authorities, ALMOs and housing associations
through audit, inspection and research functions. They also work
with the Housing Corporation to help improve the performance of
housing associations.
Somer Community Housing Trust's last inspection was in 2004 when
it was judged to be 'a good service that has excellent prospects
for improvement'. You can read the full report by following the
link below.
Somer Community Housing Trust report.
Audit Commission
Website.
Housing Ombudsman Service
The Housing Ombudsman Service considers complaints
against member organisations, and deals with other housing
disputes. All registered social landlords in England are members by
law. It will consider any complaints about shortcomings in the way
homes are managed, but only after the complainant has completed the
internal complaints procedure of the landlord or agent.
Housing Ombudsman
Service website
National Housing Federation
The National Housing Federation represents 1,300
independent, not-for-profit housing associations in England and is
the voice of affordable housing. Its mission is to support and
promote the work that housing associations do and campaign for
better housing and neighbourhoods.
National Housing
Federation website
iN business for neighbourhoods
Friendly neighbours, local shops, schools,
healthcare, jobs, places to relax and good public transport -
that’s what makes a place somewhere you’d be happy to bring up
children and grow old. Where you see the 'iN business for
neighbourhoods' logo, you will find a housing association that has
made a set of promises – to customers, neighbourhoods and
excellence. Somer Housing Group's members have made this promise to
put neighbourhoods first.
iN Business for
neighbourhoods website
Supporting People
The
Supporting People programme offers vulnerable people the
opportunity to improve their quality of life. It aims to do
this by providing a stable environment which enables greater
independence.
It delivers high-quality and strategically planned
housing-related services which are cost effective and reliable, and
complement existing care services. The planning and development of
services will be needs led. Supporting People is a working
partnership of local government, service users and support
agencies.
Supporting People website
Investors in People
IiP
is the only
quality mark to focus on people and has become widely recognised
since its launch in 1990. Assessors look at how well an
organisation manages and develops its staff to improve performance
and meet objectives. Somer Housing Group achieved
IiP
in 2007 and will be reassessed
every three years to make sure it is still up to the standard.
Investors in People
website
Positive About Disabled People
The Disability Symbol is a recognition given by
Jobcentre Plus to employers based in Great Britain who have agreed
to take action to meet five commitments regarding the employment,
retention, training and career development of disabled
employees.
Jobcentre Plus website
Construction Clients' Charter
By signing up to the Construction Clients’ Charter,
construction industry clients make a clear statement of their
commitment to improve their own performance. Charter Clients do not
just pay lip service to culture change but are prepared to measure
their progress against an agreed programme with increasingly
demanding targets.
Charter website
matrix
The
matrix Standard is the national quality standard for any
organisation that delivers information, advice and/or guidance on
learning and work. The standard consists of eight elements, four
focused on the deliver of the service and four focused on how it is
managed.
matrix
Standard website