Some very special guests joined celebrations marking the first anniversary of a new housing and care group for Staffordshire and Shropshire. One-year-olds William, Dawson and Marley shared the birthday party fun with Housing Plus Group chief executive Sarah Boden.
Housing Plus Group brought together Severnside Housing and South Staffordshire Housing Association in a group which also includes Property Plus, Care Plus, Severn Homes and AWE. The not-for-profit organisation has become the largest housing provider in the area and its acclaimed at home care service is about to be extended into Shropshire.
“I was delighted to share our first birthday with William, Dawson and Marley,” said Sarah Boden. “It has been a very special year for all of us and like them; we have taken our first steps towards a very exciting future.”
Housing Plus Group had plenty of reasons to celebrate. In its first year the Group won national awards for its repairs and maintenance service and its carers have been recognised as some of the best in the country.
Some far-reaching changes have also taken place, aimed at ensuring that customers receive the same quality of service wherever they live. In October the Fair Landlord framework will be launched in Shropshire. Fair Landlord policies have helped Property Plus invest £14m annually improving homes in Staffordshire, installing 400 new kitchens and 500 bathrooms each year and carrying out home MOTs on every property, a neighbourhood at a time.
Care Plus, offering retirement living accommodation and care and support to people in their own homes, is also expanding. This year the care teams provided more than 1,000 hours of care and support each week, helping people to live independently in their own homes.
“A big highlight of the year has been meeting residents moving into newly-built homes for rent and purchase,” said Sarah Boden. “There is such a pressing need for new housing in our area and I’m pleased that we have already started to deliver on our promise to provide more new homes in Staffordshire and Shropshire.
“It is important to all of us that we are making a difference to people, families and communities. We aren’t just handing over the keys to a new home, we are changing lives. That is why we are marking our first birthday with the launch of a new film focussing on the impact of our work. I hope that people will take the opportunity to watch this film, full of inspiring stories and interviews, on the Building Our Future area of the Housing Plus Group website.”