SOCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT Enhancing Lives Together we ll maximise our social impact

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1 SOCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT Enhancing Lives Together we ll maximise our social impact

2 About Social Impact Residents, staff and board members can make a positive difference to our communities - one team working together We re aiming to step up and generate outstanding Social Impact. We re working hard to fulfil merger promises to support Optivo residents and communities. Our Social Impact activities underpin the enhancing lives element of our mission Our focus is inspiring residents to fulfil their potential through confidence, skills, jobs, and health and wellbeing activity. To give immediate focus we re adopting a guiding Social Impact Statement 2018/20. This sets the direction for work over the next nine months. During this period we ll deliver on activities and we ll also work with residents to develop a fuller Social Impact Strategy and action plan, driving our work and service offer in the long term.

3 A year of achievements In our first year as Optivo we ve made strong progress: 1,045 people progressing into jobs or further training 4,745 people on community training programmes and activities 98% satisfaction rates for participants 269 regular community volunteers 6,700 residents supported with financial and money advice 8 million unclaimed benefits accessed for residents 2,687 digital training sessions delivered 6,009 households signed up to free Optivo online services, MyAccount 125 households provided with intensive tenancy sustainability support 39m community Social Impact value delivered in 2017/18 Quality recognition We re delighted some of our current projects and activities carry quality award recognitions: Our Fresh Visions Charity projects supported: 304 vulnerable children and young people in Optivo communities. 104 were victims of domestic abuse. The Neighbourhood Furniture Store provided: TPAS National Award 2018 Excellence in Employment Skills & Training Award Landlord National Responsible Business Award 2016 Inspiring Young Talent Global Business Excellence Awards Community Initiatives EU Skills Service Quality Standard Retained our top Platinum grade 1,000+ people access to affordable furniture.

4 Social Impact Statement 2018/20 Our approach to Social Impact is to support and inspire residents to fulfil their potential through confidence, skills, jobs, and health and wellbeing activity. This Social Impact Statement frames our work as a leading UK community services provider. We ll focus our action on: 1. Jobs, training and skills 2. Volunteering, health & wellbeing 3. Empowering people to develop their futures 4. Involving, assisting and supporting people 5. Developing partnerships We operate in some of the UK s poorest neighbourhoods. We ll develop our activities and projects to address residents needs and priorities, using local community insight. We ll run our Social Impact activities in line with our CORE business values: Customer Focus One Team Respect Enthusiastic. We ll commit money, people and resources to support delivery of the statement. Our investment in Social Impact is extremely precious. We want to make every penny count. Our over arching approach to Social Impact is closely linked to our Resident Involvement, Diversity and Our People Strategies. Our Social Impact work will help us deliver commitments to Homes England Neighbourhood and Communities Standard on improving neighbourhoods and tailored preventative community safety work. We re committed to targeting resources to create successful neighbourhoods and community cohesion. This enables us to both give residents more opportunities for their future and also creatively address community concerns like anti social behaviour (ASB).

5 Involving, assisting and supporting people Developing partnerships Jobs, training and skills Empowering people to develop their futures Volunteering, health and wellbeing

6 PRIORITIES FOR OUR WORK 2018/20 1. Jobs, training and skills Our top priority is supporting residents into secure jobs. We ll develop and implement a new Optivo resident employment support service offer with 2,000+ participants on employment support activity each year. We ll: Support 870+ people into jobs and training in 2018/19 Increase this work to support 1,000+ people a year by 2019/20 Successfully deliver our Love London Working programme for 200 participants Mobilise our residents enterprise and business startup activity, including the Increase Programme for 300 participants Start new Midlands employment support activity.

7 PRIORITIES FOR OUR WORK 2018/20 2. Volunteering, health and wellbeing Helping people to gain confidence and take greater control of their lives is important. We ll support people who feel isolated or have significant barriers securing work. We ll: Support people on health and wellbeing activities Develop and adopt a new Optivo Volunteering policy and activities Support and host 200+ community volunteers each year on Optivo activities Pilot intergenerational project activities run by community volunteers. Run a set of regional/local health and wellbeing projects supporting isolated or vulnerable people to take more control of their lives Maximise use of Optivo community assets (community centres and spaces); undertaking a review of the schemes and producing a plan for best use of them Deliver on our external partnership community programmes and targets for 2019/20 (Including Swale Youth Partnership Programme and The Heart of Sidley Project Sussex) Start up a Midlands health & wellbeing project.

8 PRIORITIES FOR OUR WORK 2018/20 3. Empowering people to develop their futures We re passionate about supporting people with their personal development, helping vulnerable residents transform their lives. The focus of our work here is through Fresh Visions, our own specialist charity. Working in Optivo regions, the charity focuses on supporting children, young people and adults who face extreme disadvantage as a result of poverty, domestic abuse, lack of education and social exclusion. Our projects help people turn their lives around and build brighter futures by developing the confidence, motivation and skills to achieve their potential. We re boosting Fresh Visions and the impact it makes. Key projects for 2018/20 include: Domestic abuse counselling service expansion Starting a new Build Yourself Programme (young persons development) Developing Motiv8 Sussex youth work and a new Motiv8 health scheme in Hastings Starting a new Motiv8 youth programme for south London. We ll support the work of Fresh Visions Charity to: Support 400+ vulnerable young people during 2018/19 Raise awareness and fundraising support to grow the community activities provided by the charity Explore and design new activities to support communities in Midlands and London.

9 PRIORITIES FOR OUR WORK 2018/20 4. Involving, assisting and supporting people Led by the work of our specialist Financial Inclusion, Digital Inclusion and Tenancy Sustainability Teams, we ll target specialist support for residents. Our specialist Financial Inclusion team are on hand to help residents with money matters and offer benefit advice. We want residents to receive the financial support they are entitled to. Falling into debt can happen to anyone at any time. We ll do everything we can to support residents in preventing this from happening and offer free guidance to help reduce debts and improve budgeting skills. We re committed to supporting our customers on Digital Inclusion, gaining confidence and skills to get online. We ll: Provide training sessions and run group courses Partner with digital skills training expert, We Are Digital, to deliver this training across our regions Continue our campaign to encourage residents to signup and benefit from our free online services for customers, MyAccount. We re committed to helping people in need of significant support to overcome challenges, and work around barriers to sustain their tenancies with us at Optivo. We ll: Provide tenancy sustainability support for our most vulnerable residents including those leaving care and support services Build on our support work where tenancies are at risk with underlying issues such as hoarding.

10 PRIORITIES FOR OUR WORK 2018/20 5. Developing partnerships We ll seek to grow Social Impact activity for residents by developing both strategic and local project partnerships. We ll encourage co-investment in our work from funding agencies and partners. We want to run commissioned or contracted service activities that meet residents needs and suit Optivo s business plans. We ll work to increase residents jobs and skills opportunities with our supply chain businesses. Promoting and encouraging social value within our procurement approach. We ll: Expand on our work securing social value activities and benefits for residents within our tenders and contracts Expand, promote and celebrate residents opportunities via a voluntary Contractors and Suppliers Giving Back Scheme. Within our Development and Asset Management Strategies we recognise the platform housing construction and maintenance provide for residents learning, skills and jobs. We ll Devise skills and job opportunities through development projects Help create skills, learning and work opportunities within our asset and property investment programmes and services.

11 Measuring our impact We re passionate about our social purpose and impact. We ll set out annual success measures and report on progress working towards these. We ll: Work to a Social Impact Key Performance Indicator framework (Service KPIs) Operate Social Value Impact Assessment Systems and tracker impact measures on our community work Regularly report to residents and stakeholders on service progress, including regional or local activities Where possible, track and monitor progress for residents within three and six months of training support Promote and celebrate success of residents/participants in Social Impact activities. By 2019/20 we ll support 1000 people a year into jobs and training.

12 If you d like to find out more please contact us. contactus@optivo.org.uk If you want help with skills or employment we re here to help