Ability to deliver the plan

CBH officer measuring a piece of wood with a yellow tape measure

To deliver the vision, aims and outcomes of this HRA business plan, CBH must maintain and develop a clear sense of purpose that places tenants at the heart of its activities, inviting their feedback and acting on that, whilst supporting them to maintain their homes and take advantage of opportunities to enhance their lives. It must maintain strong working relationships with key partners, and ensure employees are inspired and engaged, supported by suitable systems using high quality data.

There are key enabling principles CBH need to continue to develop and put in place to be successful, these include:

  • Embed and strengthen the CBC CBH stronger partnership working, to enable ongoing collaboration between both organisations
  • Offer new opportunities to listen and act to customer voices and embed throughout CBH to improve services
  • Celebrate the diversity of customers and support equality of opportunity for all
  • Engage and inspire colleagues for CBH to be an employer of choice

Embed and strengthen the CBC CBH stronger partnership working, to enable ongoing collaboration between both organisations

CBC and CBH have enjoyed a long and successful partnership. In the context of the national, sector and local challenges in the current environment as set out in this business plan it is, critical the partnership between CBC and CBH continues to evolve so that we are in the strongest position to support tenants, customers and the wider community.

In 2020, CBC undertook a review of its housing services which provided a series of recommendations that presented opportunities as to how the partnership between CBC and CBH could be strengthened and adapted so that both organisations could maximise the potential benefits of closer working. Ultimately the overarching goal by working more closely together is to enhance the collective capacity and ability to deliver for Cheltenham’s communities while also driving efficiencies and improved value for money.

A key enabler of this business plan will be the successful embedding of this partnership working, enabling true collaboration between both organisations. To achieve this, CBH and CBC are committed to using the annual business planning and priority setting processes to ensure resources and capacity are prioritized and targeted to enable successful delivery of agreed initiatives. In addition to this, there is a joint commitment across CBC and CBH to reflect on and review organisational cultures to help support, strengthen, and deliver the ethos of true partnership working. Together we will do this by:

  • Working together closely to embed the new Joint Communications team in both organisations
  • Continuing to work in partnership aligning CBH activities with the CBC Climate Emergency Action Plan: Pathway to Net Zero
  • Sourcing, delivering and embedding social value throughout the communities of Cheltenham
  • Supporting joint cost of living opportunities
  • Delivering shared community priorities
  • Exploring synergies that arise from joint working for example, considering ICT provision and solutions
  • Continuing to work in partnership to improve procurement processes and activities
  • Working closer together on Housing Supply through the county Strategic Housing Development Group and Cabinet Member working group
  • Delivering the final £178k of the agreed £487k of savings of which £309k has already been achieved by CBH

Offer new opportunities to listen to customer voices and embed throughout CBH to improve services

  • Embed and deliver the customer involvement and engagement plan
  • Frequent analysis of data and insight to evaluate effectiveness of this plan and adjust as necessary
  • Use data to target engagement and ensure we listen to a more diverse range of customer voices

Engage and inspire colleagues so that CBH will be an employer of choice

  • Continue to develop CBH’s colleague offer and maintain high engagement levels throughout the delivery of the HRA Business Plan, shaped by regular colleague feedback through Best Companies
  • Continue to support and prioritise colleague wellbeing
  • Provide office accommodation where all colleagues can collaborate closely together while maintaining a hybrid, agile working culture
  • Maintain our physical presence in key communities as well as embedding stronger partnership working collaborative space across both organisations
  • Continue to recruit, develop, and encourage apprenticeship programmes throughout the organisation

Celebrate the diversity of our customers and support equality of opportunity for all

  • Set our ambitions high while challenging our approach to celebrating and delivering equality and diversity throughout our activities and services by understanding the lived experience of underrepresented groups and those who could be discriminated against, making sure their voices are heard, difference is celebrated and that diverse needs are understood and met