“The Investors in Excellence Standard has proved to be not just a framework for continuous improvement to help the whole group to track service improvements over time… but a catalyst for engaging staff in making a real difference to the services we deliver to our customers”
Chris Ashton, EMHA Managing Director
East Midlands Housing Group (EMHG) was the first organisation to be certificated against the new version of the Investors in Excellence Standard – and we are delighted to say met all the requirements necessary.
“Once we could see the new focus on what matters most to an organisation and the more intuitive layout it was an easy decision to make to move quickly to the new version of the sSandard” comments Joanne Tilley, Executive Director (Group Support).
EMHG is a not-for-profit group of housing associations providing 17,000 affordable, sustainable homes and housing services across the region, via five partner associations: East Midlands Housing Association (EMHA), Foundation Housing Association (FHA), Midlands Rural Housing (MRH) and Three Oaks Homes (TOH). Three Valleys Housing (TVH) has recently joined the group and will be included in the recertification in 2013.
Within the Social Housing sector, there has been a reduced emphasis on external scrutiny by regulators with the importance now being placed on co-regulation and self assessment. Inspection within new regulatory regime brings with it an increased risk of failure to benchmark performance and ensure continuous improvement.
“The adoption of the Investors in Excellence Standard will help to manage this risk by providing a structured framework for all continuous improvement activity giving assurance to all of our key stakeholders” commented Mrs Ashton. “The option to benchmark outside of our sector was another key factor in choosing Investors in Excellence.”
EMHG provides homes for rent and low cost home ownership and housing related support services for vulnerable clients such as those with mental health problems and teenage parents. It also provide sales and marketing services for other housing providers through the Hello Homes brand and management services for rural housing associations.
The Standard provides a framework for continuous improvement within the Group. It replaces the Group’s programme of service reviews, and will help the Group and its operating businesses to track service improvements over time and to benchmark these against other organisations both within the social housing and the private sector.
Congratulations once again to EMHG on their achievement!
To find out more please contact +44 (0)121 746 3150 .