Crowd Sourced Constitutional Convention

For those of you who were at CHC’s Annual Conference in November last year, you may recall both Matthew Taylor and Lee Waters challenging us as a sector to stop waiting for others to change things or stop waiting for others to do things and get on and do it ourselves...

This call came at a time when the constitutional promises that had been made to the people of Scotland following the referendum were generating a much broader debate about the powers we have and, more importantly, the powers we want here in Wales. Couple this with the challenges we as a sector and tenants are facing, and it seemed that the forthcoming General Election would be a lost opportunity if we didn’t make the right calls for change in those non devolved areas which have such an impact on our communities. So, for this reason, CHC made the decision to become a partner in the Institute of Welsh Affairs' Crowd Sourced Constitutional Convention.

This is a debate about the future of Wales. The direction of travel for this debate is not set in stone and we are inviting people to respond to the draft plan. CHC will be involved in all aspects but we will specifically be facilitating the discussion around ‘What makes Wales a fairer country?’. We anticipate certain parts of the welfare state being a key focus in this debate. At CHC, we want to translate the discussions around constitution, devolution and powers into the reality of delivery. As a sector, we have an in depth understanding of existing policies, processes and procedures surrounding key areas of welfare and crucially understand the direct impact they have on individuals and communities. Therefore, when we ask ‘What do we want our communities to look like?', we’ll also be asking, 'What’s stopping us from getting there?' and 'What needs to change?'.

So during the next eight weeks, we hope you will get involved and that you will encourage your colleagues, friends and family to share their views and join the debate to shape a fairer Wales.

Go on, what are you waiting for? ... Permission?!


Sioned Hughes
Director of Policy and Regeneration

A call for action!

We have always maintained that the UK Government’s welfare reform programme will have devastating consequences for communities in Wales.

It therefore came as no surprise when a recent Wales Audit Office report published evidence stating that welfare reform is having an adverse and disproportionate effect in Wales. The report found that a greater proportion of Welsh social housing tenants have had their housing benefit reduced than elsewhere in the UK, with 51% of tenants reporting an increase in personal debt. This was backed by evidence from social landlords showing a £5.3m increase in rent arrears in the first six months of the removal of the spare room subsidy and the introduction of the benefit cap.

For some Welsh social housing tenants, the welfare changes will have created a level of hardship and a spiral of social and economic deprivation that will be hard, if not impossible, to break.

This is easier to understand in the context of:

·                     higher (on average) unemployment than anywhere in the UK

·                     a heavy reliance on the public sector as an employer

·                     households paying 5% more for electricity than the rest of UK 

·                     higher rates of digital exclusion than other UK regions - 39% of social housing tenants have no access to PC 

·                     a five-fold increase in the use of foodbanks over the last 2 years – 29.7% by people who had experienced welfare benefit delays

·                     a £4.1m cut in specialist advice services, despite increasing need 

In 2013, the Welsh Affairs Select Committee also published evidence highlighting how the spare room subsidy had been a “policy failure” in the Welsh Valleys where, effectively, a social housing tenant moving to a smaller property in the private rented sector would cost the tax payer more money.  

  

So what are social landlords doing?

60% of Welsh social landlords have reported an increase in management costs as they refocus their resources to manage welfare changes. Most landlords are also prioritising tenants affected by the spare room subsidy to move, more tenant profiling, providing low level money advice and budgeting services, and investing significant amounts of money in awareness raising, and have programmes in place to help tenants back into work. A rise in rent arrears and the increased costs of managing welfare changes still means, however, that Welsh housing associations and local authorities are struggling to find effective and sustainable solutions to the challenges they face.

These challenges will be exacerbated by direct payments and the roll out of Universal Credit unless action is taken now. We need more control over welfare and the flexibility to provide: 

·                     choice to tenants about payment options 

·                     more investment in specialist services such as Your Benefit Are Changing - a service that demonstrates high levels of success in mitigating the worst effects of welfare reform

·                     local solutions tailored to local needs  

CHC and others have been highlighting the negative impact of welfare reform on Wales for some time and we will continue to make the call for a fairer welfare system for Wales to prevent further deprivation. Prevention is always better, and definitely more cost effective, than cure.

Amanda Oliver
Head of Policy and Research

You can read the CHC Group’s response to the report here, and you can read the report itself here

Employment and Skills Week - housing is a rare case of economic growth

Five years ago, i2i launched the first Can Do Toolkit in response to demand from the housing sector for practical help to capture the power of housing investment for local people and communities. It wasn’t a new idea. In my TPAS Cymru days, I had the privilege to be shown the work of the Young Builders Trust who, in partnership with Cardiff Community HA, had set up a training and employment project for young people who were then able to move into the homes they had helped build and refurbish. Many other associations and local authorities have been involved in similar schemes over the years.

The difference now is that this approach is standard for most housing associations and local authority landlords across Wales. Our annual survey published in March showed that the housing sector, by adopting the i2i approach, had created 5,135 jobs and training opportunities - 1,365 every year. And this happened at a time when the Welsh economy has struggled with recession. Compare housing with the steel industry, a sector close to my heart as the proud son of a steelworker. Tata Steel employs just under 4,000 at its Port Talbot works and is the largest single site employer in Wales. In July, a further 400 redundancies were announced. The contrast with housing is evident both in terms of the numbers and the direction of travel – housing is a rare case of economic growth.

The other good news is that where housing has led the way, others are following. The recently launched Community Benefits Guide from Value Wales (you can obtain a copy from communitybenefits@wales.gov.uk) has adopted the Can Do Toolkit ‘double default’ approach, making targeted recruitment and training the first ‘ask’. Our motivation remains to make real and lasting differences to people's lives. In the words of my i2i colleague Gareth Jones, community benefits are:

‘a long term solution to bring employment, economic and social gain to disadvantaged populations to help break the cycle of poverty and promote equality and inclusion.’

This is a long haul, made worse by welfare reform, austerity and more looming public service cuts. What can’t be denied is that housing continues to lead the way in the most challenging of times. CHC and its members, local authorities, contractors, small businesses and communities themselves have contributed to this success and learnt huge amounts in the process. We deserve a collective pat on the back. And then we need to refocus and move on, build on what we’ve achieved and keep our eye on the prize of long term, economically vibrant communities across Wales.

Keith Edwards, Director
CIH Cymru

This week is Employment and Skills Week, run by the Community Housing Cymru Group in partnership with CIH Cymru and NIACE Cymru. 

'But what does a Policy Officer actually do?'

Imagine doing a job where your Mum thinks you work for the government, your younger brother thinks you go the pub with the First Minister, and your Gran asks whether you're able to get her a new house on the cheap. It doesn't get any easier when it comes to meeting new people either. Nobody knows what a policy officer does. They know we have meetings, and we like coffee, and it's verging on something political so they're not really interested anyway.

It's hardly the greatest stigma of our age, but policy types get a bad rap. Our colleagues in comms are always waiting on us, our friends in political parties think we're a bit boring, and our parents don’t have a clue what we do!

I'd worked in the Assembly, and on campaigns, and I'd flirted with a career in comms, so all these assumptions about the mysterious policy folk weren't new to me. Starting out at CHC, I was anxious not to become one of those 'bods'. Ten weeks on a Go Wales placement couldn't hurt though, could it? And how much could there really be to know about housing?

I very quickly learned that many of my assumptions were wrong. I found myself at CHC with lots of great people who were passionate and impatient for change. And, whisper it, the people in policy weren't boring either! Oh, and there really was quite a lot to learn about housing...

Three years in policy at CHC was an education. It was the trip to the House of Lords in my first week to campaign against the welfare reforms; it was the constant reminders about why we do this job as I heard the money advice team ask some of the toughest questions anyone will ever ask another person. It was successfully protecting the Supporting People budget last year, and wondering why my 'normal' friends weren't as excited as I was in the pub that night. It was becoming an overnight expert in devolution as we prepared to make radical calls to the Silk Commission. And it was the occasional campaign defeat too. And trying to understand the Lobbying Bill. And the Conservative MP who still replies to complain every time I use 'bedroom tax' in an email. And it was digesting the ever changing Welsh Government budget sheet – ‘what have they called social housing grant this year?!”

Policy was far from the boring drag I’d been told about; partly because working with the people at CHC meant even the longest strategy document or the driest task and finish group would turn out OK, and partly because I was representing a sector that really was about ‘more than bricks and mortar’. Over the course of three years, you can see that policy really can make a difference to people’s lives if we’re given the opportunity to channel it – it’s the basis of great projects and successful campaigns. It’ll change your political views and your outlook on life. But as I head off to my new policy role at NIACE, I’m still not sure my Mum knows exactly what I do…

Aaron Hill 

Aaron is leaving CHC after three years to work for NIACE Cymru as Policy and Public Affairs Officer. Good luck in your new role, you'll be missed! 

Your Big Book of Benefits

It was with mounting trepidation that I approached Llandrindod for the launch of Your Big Book of Benefits on 9 April. It was great to have the chance to explain myself and the book at CHC’s Welfare Reform Strategic Day and to witness Paul Langley’s shameless sales techniques, but thought I would explain a bit more about the book in this blog post.

Your Benefits are Changing is a way of acting together and I was delighted to join with the campaign to do something practical. The YBAC team liked our Big Book of Benefits and Mental Health for its practical toolkit content and friendly informal approach to give people the tools and knowledge to make a difference.

Your Big Book of Benefits is a broader, more comprehensive and more generic version of that same approach. Beneath its friendly cover – alternative suggestions included ‘Don’t Panic’ – there lurks 400 pages. BUT be not afraid – this is most definitely not a tome for the expert only.

Within it you will find full but simple explanations, practical page by page advice for filling in some of the trickier forms, sample completed forms, what to do next, Ten Top Tips, Benefits family trees (and I mean actual trees… well, pictures anyway) and case studies of a slightly mystical bent – Gandalf, Merlin and Hagrid all feature.

At the beginning you will find a useful overview of the system and the changes and a simple three step suggestion – with examples – as to how to navigate the complexities of an ever changing landscape of some 50 benefits.

This book is for the non expert with no prior knowledge assumed. It’s for housing officers and support workers, and tenants themselves. Of course, in this its first year, there may be the odd rough edge or something you feel could be better explained. If you have a comment, suggestion, spot an error, want to say what could be dropped or ought to be included, please let us know. There’s a feedback form in the back to make Your Big Book of Benefits truly yours.

And it’s not just a book! Dates will shortly be announced for a summer run of training days linked to (and using) Your Big Book. If you’ve read the book, why not see it live?

It’s been heavy going at times, with much cursing of Windows and Publisher 2013 in the wee small hours as .pdfs didn’t quite do their thing. However, though full of the ‘if only I had time to do this’ or ‘tweak that’ doubts of an anxious new parent, I allow myself some pleasure and small pride that it has got here.

I hope you and Your Big Book will be very happy together and that you can make a real difference in troubled times.

You can order your copy here. 

So long and good luck!


Tom Messere
Author of Your Big Book of Benefits

Hopkins v Hopkins... the debt debate

I watched the recent Channel 5 Debt Debate, shouting at the TV like so many others. Is the country full of irresponsible borrowers who are too ‘stupid’ to know what they’re doing and too ‘irresponsible’ to care? Katie Hopkins thinks so, but Kath Hopkins knows differently.

Debt is not just about reckless borrowing for PS4s and Christmas presents. It’s about life events that cause a drop in income; about struggling to pay rent, council tax, utility bills and food; about not being able to save because you have so little to live on and about lack of availability of advice services at an early enough stage to help prevent debt.


Here are the details of my last five clients... Are they the people portrayed on the debate?

Client 1 – Ill health meant this person could not work and had to claim benefits. He fell into mortgage arrears. His mortgage company said they would only accept interest only payments for six months, so now he has to pay £375 per month to cover the repayment part of his mortgage. He receives £303pm Employment Support Allowance. He hopes to be able to return to work but cannot afford to pay priorities at present from the £5.77 a week he has left.

Client 2 – Her husband suffered a stroke. He had been self-employed for many years, but is now unable to work. She has had to cease working in order to be his full time carer. They have mortgage and utility debt. They do also have non-priority debt, but have taken responsibility for it and have a payment plan via Step Change, but are still struggling to pay for essentials.

Client 3 - Worked solidly since leaving school until a mental health condition meant he was unable to continue working at age 47. He is managing to pay all of his priority bills but has catalogue debt and a very high oil bill as he is not on the mains gas supply. He tried to get advice, but had only heard of the Citizens Advice Bureau and, as his local office had closed, he thought there was nowhere else to  go.

Client 4 – Her husband was made redundant then, shortly after, found he had a critical illness. She needs to care for him full time so is unable to work. They have utility arrears only and are struggling to pay bills.

Client 5 – Separated from her husband, she is unable to work due to a disability. She applied for PIP in September, but is still waiting for a decision. Meanwhile she is surviving on £70 a week ESA. She only owes the council for dinner money as no-one told her she was eligible for free school meals.

Yes, Katie Hopkins, in an ideal world we would all work in well paid jobs. We would all save up for non-essential purchases. We would all insure against ill health and redundancy. However, I live in the real world and this just isn’t possible for most people who live here too. Wages are stretched too thin to be able to think about saving. Sickness and redundancy insurance are non-priorities and not available to the self employed.

Not all debt is due to reckless spending and irresponsible lending, it’s also caused by not having enough money to be able to manage day to day. Are people who work and borrow from the bank to buy a car so they can travel to work any better than the person who buys a sofa from Brighthouse? No, they are just the same. They are just luckier to have more options available to them.

Saving is even harder for those on benefits. How can you save when you have £70 per week to live on and are not able to find work or are not in a position to look for work due to ill health or caring responsibilities? How can you save when out of your £70 a week you have to pay £23 'bedroom tax', £10 gas, £10 electric, £10 water, £3.50 TV licence and £5 child support, leaving £8.50 for food, travel, phone and clothes?

What were your thoughts on the Debt Debate? Do you agree with Katie Hopkins or with Kath Hopkins?


Kath Hopkins
Money Advisor 

Support Nick Bennett at the CEO Sleepout in Cardiff

On 27 March I’ll be joining more than 70 business leaders including five chief executives from the housing association sector, namely Michelle Reid - Cynon Taf, Duncan Forbes - Bron Afon, Andrew Lycett - RCT Homes, Cathy Davies - Hafan Cymru and Chris O’Meara - Cadwyn, sleeping rough as part of the first ever CEO Sleepout in Cardiff.

Every penny from our first hand experience of living on the streets will help the homeless, stock food banks and genuinely reach out to those facing severe hardship. A wide range of projects will benefit from the event including Llamau and Cardiff Foodbank.

As Chief Executive of Community Housing Cymru (CHC), campaigning on behalf of our members and their tenants throughout Wales, I know only too well that welfare reform is placing a huge financial burden on some of the poorest in society.

Reforms have meant that people pay for 'spare' bedrooms with no alternative accommodation available, it has removed disability benefits from those in need, and imposed sanctions on those who don't find a job despite the shadow of economic downturn still looming over many of our communities.

We know that 350,000 people are affected by welfare reform in Wales, 35,000 of which are affected by the ‘bedroom tax’, so it is inevitable that placing these pressures on those most in need will lead to more homelessness.

When you think of homelessness, you may have an image of someone sleeping rough in a shop doorway and sadly, for many, this is still the case. However, there are lots more people who are homeless in the non-traditional sense, who spend their time sofa-surfing on a friend’s or family member’s settee because they can no longer afford a bed nor a home of their own anymore.

The day before the CEO Sleepout and my taste of homelessness, I’ll be at the Tai 2014 Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru (CIH Cymru) Conference. I’ll be launching the CHC and the Welsh Local Government Association joint research report on ‘Partnership Working and Homelessness’.

The research was commissioned to specifically focus on identifying opportunities to develop partnership working in light of the new homelessness duties set out in the Housing Bill. It seeks to highlight best practice and address some of the key challenges partners face in delivering homelessness services. The report is intended to act as a toolkit for Local Authorities and Housing Associations and we hope that, by highlighting how barriers have been overcome in a variety of areas, this will increase consistency and help in meeting the needs of the growing homeless population in Wales.

Another real cause the CEO Sleepout raises money for is to stock food banks, which have become a vital way of life for many. Food bank usage has grown dramatically due to a cost of living crisis with stagnant wages, inflation and increasing fuel and food costs.

In 2011/12 a total of 16,000 people sought help from a food bank, and latest figures (2013/14) have seen an increase in usage to 67,000.

The reality is that many more people in Wales are one step closer to homelessness, and many more are living in poverty, than ever before.

We’d all like to think that we could turn to someone for help, so if you are in a position to donate to a cause which helps makes a difference to real people’s lives, please donate to the CEO Sleepout.

I’d be grateful on behalf of those whose lives will be enriched by your generosity if you would sponsor me online at: https://www.justgiving.com/nick-bennett13


Nick Bennett
Chief Executive, Community Housing Cymru Group

Silk - as smooth as it sounds?

After more than two years of consultation and evidence gathering, the Silk Commission has now published two reports which focus on devolution in Wales. Part I, which focused primarily on tax powers, was released on 19 November 2012 and Part II, which focused on the powers of the Welsh Assembly, was released this week on 3 March 2014. Altogether, the Silk Commission has recommended significant constitutional changes that would provide the Assembly in Cardiff with more power - power that will be taken away from Westminster.

The Silk Commission was made up of voluntary members who researched how the Assembly works and how it could be improved. It was set up by the UK Government and its members comprised a representative from each of the four main parties in Wales as well as independents, so agreeing on its recommendations should be easy, right? Not quite. Part I, which was supposed to be the less controversial part, caused tensions between Westminster and Cardiff and brought about tensions within the parties themselves. The ‘lockstep’ on income tax powers (you can’t lower taxes for the poorest without doing so for the richest and vice-versa) was particularly problematic as the Welsh Conservatives found divisions within their own party and significant divisions with the UK party. Meanwhile, Labour appears to not support income tax powers at all and have been dubbed the ‘party of anti-devolution’.

Silk Part II has published 61 recommendations in all, including the devolution of policing, youth justice, energy projects and water. The report also says that the current ‘conferred powers model’ (being told what powers you do have) should be replaced with a ‘reserved powers model’ (being told what powers you don’t have, as in Scotland). Also, like every report before it, the report has called for more AMs to cope with the extra powers. This is a particularly sore topic for everyone involved, especially the electorate. What comes as a disappointment, though not as a surprise, is that the Commission has not called for the devolution of welfare which could have given the Welsh Government the chance to right the wrongs of the UK Government’s pernicious welfare changes (benefit cap, ‘bedroom tax’, Universal Credit) which disproportionately affect people in Wales.

Part II is set to be much more controversial as cross-party support in the Senedd is unlikely. Even more unlikely is any real cooperation between Cardiff and Westminster unless the 2015 General Election returns a UK Labour Government, giving them free reign to do what they wish in Wales. So why is Part II so controversial? It comes down to principles. Should the Assembly be more powerful? If so, how? Plaid Cymru have said that the recommendations do not go far enough, while the Welsh Conservatives have been hush-hush about it as of yet, no doubt because agreement between Conservatives seems difficult to achieve when it comes to Wales.

The Welsh Government hopes that the recommendations will be met in full and will be fully implemented by 2020/21, while the UK Government has all but confirmed that any major reforms will have to be carried out by the government elected in 2015. With tensions already high, talks on Part II are sure to split parties further while it is the people of Wales who suffer from a stunted devolution settlement, the victims of partisan politics and a long-lasting stranglehold of power.

Liam Townsend
Political and Administration Assistant

Challenging the Benefits Street stereotypes

The Channel 4 documentary Benefits Street focuses on people living in one particular street in Birmingham – a city where we, the Accord Group, work.

It has immediately become the subject of hard hitting headlines, the hot topic on Twitter and Facebook and reignited a topic that polarises Britain – the benefits system.

Having worked in social housing for 25 years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of people in Birmingham and across the Midlands from many different walks of life.

I’ve met pensioners, young single mothers, women who have fled domestic violence, ex-offenders, people with disabilities and people in low paid jobs, just to name a few.

What do all these people have in common? They’ve all, in some way, needed state support to get by in life and a helping hand at a difficult time. Should they all be labelled as 'scroungers' as a consequence? We don’t think so.


Here are some facts you may find interesting:

• In 2012, 18% of working-age households were workless, but only 2% of cases demonstrated that no one had ever worked – dispelling a myth that we are overrun with generations of feckless families who have never had gainful employment.

• It is estimated (for 2011-12) that 0.8% of total benefit expenditure was overpaid as a result of fraud, again challenging a common view that benefit expenditure is high because of fraudsters and cheats.

• Interesting, the proportion of housing benefit claimants who are in work is rising to fast approach the one million mark. These are those people who work but are on low pay. A sign perhaps that wages are not keeping up with the ever increasing cost of living?

• It is estimated that over 55% of the local government workforce are entitled to some form of in-work benefits* and yet help to provide some of the most essential services in the country.

There will also be a significant percentage of health services workers also in receipt of state benefits. Are these people 'scroungers' too?

It’s time to put down the labels and challenge the knee-jerk assumptions and stereotypes about people who claim benefits.

Concentrating on creating sustainable, well-paid jobs, economic growth and affordable housing that really is affordable, would be far more profitable than constantly attacking those individuals and households for whom a benefit claim is the only way they can survive.

Dr Chris Handy OBE
Chief Executive of the Accord Group (www.accordgroup.org.uk - @theaccordgroup)


*New Policy Institute Report - TAX CREDITS: POLICY ISSUES FOR UNISON

Three things we should learn from Benefits Street

Apart from the unfortunate title, Benefits Street is pretty good.

Having seen the first two episodes I genuinely can’t understand what the fuss is about.

It’s a great piece of commercial television (think – My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding) that’s designed to shock.

And , boy , have we fallen for it.

Primetime TV + Benefits = Bang: The Twitter Liberal Left erupt in a perfectly predictable frenzy.

But by dismissing the show out of hand (I reckon less than 10% of people tweeting about it have actually watched it) we miss vital opportunities.

• We don’t learn from people who are superb storytellers and know how to construct a genuinely populist narrative. (Something the social housing sector has failed to do time after time)

• We don’t learn lessons about the way our organisations have failed to connect with some communities, and have contributed to their social exclusion.
• We get distracted and start indulging in petty campaigns (petitions to get it taken off air – for heaven’s sake!) rather than thinking big and innovating.
  

If we did more listening and a little less talking we would pick up three important lessons:


1. You change hearts and minds with stories not statistics

The past couple of weeks have seen a number of infographics and articles that aim to challenge the actual size of the welfare problem or show that tax avoiders are the bigger issue.

All of which are very interesting and probably correct but serve no purpose whatsoever in moving the debate forward.

Does anybody think that someone with an entrenched belief that welfare is a lifestyle choice gets one of these things in their inbox and says “Oh. I see. I was wrong all along. Apologies”.

Of course not. The producers of Benefits Street know that storytelling trumps statistics every time. As Thom Bartley points out in his latest post:

“The public doesn’t respond to blah blah million lost off a balance sheet, they respond to the story about a mother losing benefit because her disabled kid uses an extra room”


2. Real people tell a better story than professionals

This is the master stroke of Benefits Street. They’ve allowed people to speak for themselves. The professionals who help and, sometimes, hinder their lives are mercifully absent.

Here’s how we are referred to:

• Letter from Work Programme provider: “What f*****g work programme? I’ve never worked in my life”

• DWP changing payments: “There’s going to be riots soon unless people start getting paid”

• Housing: “These landlords think they are clever (chasing rent). They’ll have to pay to go court and it’ll take you about a year and a half”
  

So – not a great level of advocacy for the agencies who are paid millions to support them.

The residents come across as likeable, aware of their own shortcomings and display a deep sense of community.

It’s refreshing to hear the impact of reforms – positive and negative- untainted by professional bias. We need more of this.


3. The best ideas come from communities

The greatest thing about the programme are the many innovations that residents employ to get through their day to day lives.

These are not people without talent.

They are people who have existed in a system that has concentrated on what they can’t do rather than what they can.

I see more innovation on display on James Turner Street than I see across many organisations. Some examples:

• Neighbourhood mouthpiece “White Dee” using a community favours scheme to get a guy to save money for clothes and not blow it on drink and drugs.

• The “50p Man” who sells household essentials like washing powder in smaller affordable portions. He came up with the idea in prison and dreams of turning it into a national franchise.

• The Romanians turning trash into cash – literally going through bins.
  

One of the problems across the social sector is there’s too much top down innovation and an over reliance on tech based solutions.

We need to listen to communities, seed fund some grass roots projects and get out of the way.

The only real problem with Benefits Street , as Charlie Brooker has pointed out , is that title.

It’s designed to get your back up.

So let’s stop falling for it.

Now is the time for big transformational innovation.

Now is the time for our very best social innovators to work with the residents of James Turner Street and others like them.

• We could fund the likes of White Dee to become a Community Connector.

• We could try a localised approach to job creation and a resident led Work Programme.

• We could create a new deal for tenants rather than just moving them in and leaving them to it.

• We could have a social accelerator programme to scale up business ideas – like the 50p man.

• We could attempt to pilot a whole new system of benefits and help the Government out rather than sitting around willing Universal Credit to fail (Matt Leach outlines just such an approach in his excellent post here)
  

Or we could just get angry on Twitter, do battle with Daily Mail readers and become ever more polarised in our views.

I know how I want to spend my time.

How about you?


Paul Taylor
Innovation Coach

Read Paul's original blog post here.

Intensifying our fight against poverty

As 2013 comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on what the CHC Group and the sector have achieved in 2013. This is the time of year where those of us brought up as part of the Band Aid generation tend to think of those less fortunate. With increased austerity, and the impact of welfare reform and the introduction of the 'bedroom tax', concern for the less fortunate has been at the very forefront of our minds throughout the year.

We held a successful Annual Conference in November, with some clear messages from the Minister on the need to increase supply. So at the end of November I was delighted to attend the Housing Europe network in Denmark and to showcase the Welsh Housing Finance Grant as an example of EU Housing good practice, building 1,000 affordable homes without traditional capital subsidy or traditional bank lending. A real achievement in 2013.

At our Annual Conference, I was also deeply impressed by Sian Williams from Toynbee Hall and her messages about fighting poverty and financial inclusion. Financial education isn’t enough - there has to be access to affordable finance too.

The week after going to Denmark, I took a trip with the Four Feds to Northern Ireland and a tour of Derry and the Bogside to see some impressive housing projects, but also communities exploited by loan sharks. What hit home were the barriers local people encountered in accessing affordable credit, despite the maturity of the credit union movement in Ireland. This is why I’m so proud that members and CHC have worked so well together this year in extending Moneyline services to Merthyr, Swansea and Wrexham and helping so many people through the Your Benefits Are Changing campaign.

When we re-emerge in 2014, I want us to redouble our efforts in fighting poverty and extending social justice. As Sian from Toynbee Hall told us, 'We shouldn’t be worried about welfare reform – we should always have been angry about poverty' … our members are at the leading edge.

You can find out more about the CHC Group's activities over the last year in our Annual Review for 2013. 


Nick Bennett
Group Chief Executive