The Manchester Skyline:
This skyline is familiar to everyone in Trafford, especially with the very obvious Betham Tower near the Tree. The skyline reminds us that we are part of the Manchester area and is a symbol of the wider world outside Trafford Housing Trust.
Risk Awareness:
THT recognises the importance of effectively managing risk in its many forms to ensure the continued success of the Trust in delivering its aspirations.
Caring and Capable People:
The Trust strives to recruit and retain caring and capable staff who are passionate about delivering excellent services.
Innovation and Creativity:
We will strive to find new solutions to old problems, use our imagination, be inventive and resourceful, pushing the boundaries to make a real difference to the quality of life in our communities.
Values Driven:
Here at THT our values are very important to us. They are what we live by:
- Being responsive, respectful and responsible to our customers and others
- Being fair to everyone in our dealings with them
- Being open and honest in everything we do
- Innovating to bring new solutions to old problems
- Motivating our staff and those we come into contact with to give of their best
- Caring about what we do and the people we do it for
The Right Tools for the Job:
The Trust will invest in buildings, technology, good governance and highly motivated staff as the essential ingredients that combine to produce an effective and efficient organisation.
Visible Leadership:
The Trust will bring direction and focus to neighbourhoods, inspiring them to achieve their economic and educational potential. We will bring drive where it is needed and guidance and support.
The Sun:
The sun is copied from our THT logo and embodies our aspiration for THT, bringing light, warmth and energy to our neighbourhoods. The sun's rays explain how we hope to do this.
The Person with the Pick Axe:
This man is breaking new ground. He is striving confidently forward to crack open barriers and obstacles.
The Person with the Treasure:
This man has been working in the community and his endeavours and hard work have brought reward – he has dug up a hidden treasure. This might be a different way of delivering services, a new partnership which helps tackle a long standing issue, a new job or a new friend, a feeling of belonging, a community event.
People in the Background:
This part of our picture depicts a vibrant community living and working together to improve their neighbourhood. These people are residents, customers, tenants, partners, staff, visitors, passers by – all part of a community that feels clean and safe and where diversity is celebrated. All these people have the THT sunshine on their T-shirts. They are all bringing light, warmth and energy to their community.
The Signposts:
These signposts are a reminder of our first Corporate Plan (2005 – 2010). The three signposts marked where we wanted to be at three stages of our development. The first signpost said “fit for purpose” which was where we wanted to be by 2007, the second said a “two star organisation” – our aspiration for 2008 and the final signpost, for 2010, pointed at three goals, firstly a “diverse range of services with top quartile satisfaction ratings from customers”; secondly “effective partnerships which created strong, cohesive neighbourhoods” and finally “a dynamic and efficient business”.
The Tree:
The Tree was the visual representation of our last Corporate Plan (2006 – 2010). The heart in the centre is our Mission Statement. It reminds us of where we have come from. The roots represented the inputs to the organisation – leadership, competency, culture and infrastructure and the trunk identified our business processes – customer management, service delivery, partnership working and research and development. The apples were the “fruits”, our business objectives.
The Houses:
The houses characterise our housing stock in Trafford – they are different types and different shapes; some are high rise, some are low rise, some are part of a terrace, others are detached ….. all are someone’s home. The different coloured doors signify choice.
The Shoots Under the Flowers:
These young shoots represent potential new service ideas or business developments. Some of these will grow and be strong while other will wither and die.
The Bees:
The bees are what bring us our “buzz”. They are working with all our business objectives to pollinate ideas and help bring them to fruition.
Involving Residents:
What we are trying to achieve:
A new approach to involving our tenants, leaseholders and residents.
What we will be doing:
Developing and agreeing
- New arrangements for involvement and scrutiny
- New processes and ways of working to support these arrangements
- New locally agreed standards
What we will produce from our work:
- New agreements for customer for engagement and accountability
- Publicised dates for meetings and events where customers can get involved
- New ways for customers to access information and reports
Customer Driven:
What we are trying to achieve:
Better knowledge about our customers so we can provide services that more closely meet their needs.
What we will be doing:
We will develop and agree with tenants and leaseholders;
- Collecting data about customers that will help us shape services
- Taking time to understand individual customers
- Taking time to understand the differing needs of groups of customers
What we will produce from our work:
- Better services which meet the needs of individuals
- Services that meet the needs of groups of customers
Great Basics:
What we are trying to achieve:
Consistently good services that give value for money.
What we will be doing:
- Working with tenants, to identify the services that most matter to them and choosing to spend money on these
- Looking at ways to reduce expenditure by introducing more cost-effective ways of working
- Looking at how technology can reduce expenditure
- Learning form other organisations about how things can be improved
What we will produce from our work:
- Targeting expenditure on the services that make the most difference to customers and the community
- Better value for money
Community Led:
What we are trying to achieve:
Making more of a difference to communities by understanding how they want money spent in their neighbourhood.
What we will be doing:
- Delivering existing projects, including new homes and the Old Trafford development programme
- Supporting the Community Panels to deliver future projects that meet priority criteria
- Measuring and reporting to communities and partners how their money has been spent
What we will produce from our work:
- New homes for rent and shared ownership
- Effective community panels distributing money in ways that are transparent and help communities
Engaging Partners:
What we are trying to achieve:
Working with other organisations in the area to achieve great neighbourhoods.
What we will be doing:
- Learning about other organisations working in Trafford and talking to them about how we can help each other to deliver health, educational, social or economic benefits for our customers and customers in Trafford
What we will produce from our work:
- Strong partnerships with statutory organisations such as the council, police, fire service and NHS which bring benefits to our neighbourhoods
- Strong partnerships with private organisations such as the Trafford Leisure Trust that can deliver benefits to our customers
- Strong partnerships with voluntary and informal groups working in our communities
Motivated People:
What we are trying to achieve:
Great staff that are committed to meeting the needs of our customers.
What we will be doing:
- Recruiting talented individuals
- Giving learning, training and development opportunities to ensure that our staff are knowledgeable and skilled in delivering services
- Focusing on effective leadership
- Reviewing Governance structures
What we will produce from our work:
- A well trained, skilled, knowledgeable, motivated staff team who deliver excellent services
The People with the Measure:
This is a reminder of the importance of ensuring that we measure up to our customers aspirations at all times. It also illustrates the importance of monitoring performance, progress and continuous improvement.
The Person with the Watering Can:
This person represents every employee within our business. It is every employee’s responsibility to water and thereby nurture all our business objectives so that they come to fruition. They must cultivate and cherish, encourage and develop.
The Basket of Apples:
Our previous Corporate Plan (2006 – 2010) was the tree in the background of this picture. The corporate objectives were represented by apples and this basket symbolises our key successes over the first five years.
The People Tending the Flowers:
These people are nurturing our communities and helping them thrive and grow. These people characterise our community leaders and representatives who encourage and promote our neighbourhoods so that they continue to flourish and prosper.
