Our marketplace
Accord recognises the operating environment continues to change. Successful business planning is based on
a foundation of understanding of the current and future political, regulatory and economic environment and
the ability to shape and influence local, regional and national policy. Our understanding is based upon work
including:
n Analysis of the housing and social care markets including regular sector/peer benchmarking.
n Developing and maintaining relationships with key partners through regular and ongoing dialogue.
n Research into the local demographics and how demand for our services might change in the future.
n Consultation and dialogue with staff and Board members and external stakeholders.
n Ongoing proactive dialogue and relationship building with regulatory bodies.
n Understanding of the political, economic, social, legislative, environmental and technological drivers for change
in our sector.
n Robust risk analysis of the activities we are engaged in.
n Consultation with our customers to maintain and develop excellent services.
Our analysis of the operating environment suggests that the key factors and drivers are:
n Ensuring value for money is achieved and demonstrated but is built on a foundation of quality service provision.
n The increasing necessity for greater integration between housing, health and social care.
n Increase new homes supplied to address a growing homelessness problem and to meet housing need.
n Modern, agile services which continue to respond to the ongoing retraction of the public sector, notably Local
Authority commissioning.
n Working with customers to help them understand and manage increasing financial pressures.
n Increased transparency and accountability to customers, service users and communities.
n The need to work collaboratively with commissioners to solution-led services focussing on the needs of the
commissioner, the community and service users.
The social housing sector is now in the second year of the rent reduction regime. Rent reductions
of 1% were applied to 2016/17 rents, with a further 1% reduction budgeted for in 2017/18. For
Accord this means financial pressure of £5m in the first two years of rent reduction, and around
an additional £14m over the following two years – a total financial exposure of circa. £19m. The
driver for the rent reduction regime was to highlight the government’s expectations of the sector
to provide increased value for money by delivering more for less. In response to this, Accord has
simplified its organisational structure and continues to undertake detailed reviews of operating
models and back office services. New ways of working and delivering excellent services continue
to be considered across all core services and Accord is well placed to manage the financial
pressures associated with the rent reduction regime at the same time as being committed to
increase new housing supply.
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Accord Housing Association