Financial Statements 2016 | Page 43

Medium term VFM targets In addition to the 12 month targets outlined above, there are a number of additional VFM targets which are informed by the 2016-2021 Business Plan objectives. fully understand the link between the impact on customers and core housing data – for example driving more customers into employment. By 2021: The Accord Group delivers social value through many ways and activities generating a significant amount of social value added, for example: n Increase the number of homes manufactured at the LoCaL Homes factory and sale of products to external partners n Continued implementation of the strategic stock investment and disposals process achieving 447 units sold n Combine the direct labour teams across the Group and develop a competitive and efficient in-house maintenance team n Significantly environmentally improve existing units ensuring they remain high quality homes and help reduce fuel poverty for customers n Procurement and other efficiency programmes delivering savings to reinvest into core purpose and evidencing high quality services, products and standards n Have reduced office/ commercial building costs and other associated overheads by 20% in order to invest in new services for customers n Have reviewed and where appropriate, updated the Group structure, to ensure an efficient, VFM business delivering its core purpose.   Social and environmental return on assets The Accord Group exists to provide homes and services to those in need and remains fundamentally committed to the communities it serves and recognise the importance of delivering more than simply a core social housing service. Social value n Housing management services: the provision of housing to those in need meets social outcomes. Accord Group provides around 13,000 homes to those in need of housing and it continues to develop a substantial amount of new homes each year to meet this as a growing demand. n Community-based activities: community is at the heart of the Accord Group. Accord is deeply committed to improving the communities in which its customers live. Community housing officers work collaboratively with customers and other partnering organisations to create and nurture sustainable communities. n Care and support services: Accord Group delivers care services to a significant amount of people. The services are delivered to the highest standards to ensure customers receive excellent care services, delivered with consistency and professionalism. In addition to the delivery of services where social value added is wholly embedded in the activity, the Group also operates a number of initiatives which have the specific intention of adding significant additional social value. A number of VFM case studies can be found towards the end of this document. Each of these case studies outlines the inherent social value delivered in the Group’s activities. Social value is the difference that stakeholders experience through change in their lives and can be achieved by utilising and investing resources carefully in order to maximise opportunities. The Group has been able to deliver social value by ensuring that new and existing initiatives align to its values and continues to champion innovative solutions to meeting need at a local level. On a business level there is awareness that delivering social value leads to cost savings and further work will be carried out during 2016 to refine the Group’s social value work, policy and measurement to more Financial Statements 2016 41