Introduction
As we step into this exciting new chapter, we’re proud to share our strategy with you. It’s boldly ambitious but grounded as it sets out our aspirations for building connected communities where everyone can live well. And it will guide us over the next few years, so we keep our eyes firmly fixed on this vision.
It is shaped by the lived experiences and voices of our residents – they’ve told us what matters to them. That insight drives our mission, it will fuel our momentum and will constantly inspire us to reach higher.
Our colleagues are at the heart of this journey too. Their care, passion and deep connection to south-east Wales are our greatest strengths. This place is their home too, and that shared commitment shines through in everything they do.
Rooted in the communities we serve, we bring together collective experience, local knowledge, strong networks and meaningful partnerships. These are the ingredients that will allow us to walk alongside our communities and support their growth.
Now, as we move forward as Hedyn, we do so with energy, purpose and a deep sense of responsibility. This strategy marks a confident beginning, built on strong solid foundations and guided by the values that define us:
- to do the right thing
- make it happen
- be the difference
We are Hedyn
The merger of Melin and Newport City Homes brings together two strong organisations, to create Hedyn. We now own and manage over 15,000 properties in south-east Wales, and we’re committed to accelerating and increasing our influence throughout the region. Hedyn gives us the potential to deliver even more.
But we know that merger alone is not enough. To create transformational change, we need to make it happen through action, through ambition, through people and plans. Our increased financial strength, improved efficiency, and greater organisational resilience increases the opportunities available to us. Through leveraging our scale, we can achieve more and have a positive impact on our customers, communities and colleagues.
We’re ready to embrace innovation. We’re going to challenge conventions, to meet the evolving needs of our customers. We’ll invest not only in homes, but we’ll support the well-being and resilience of our residents, both now and for future generations. In doing so, we’ll deliver meaningful impact and exceptional value to those we serve.
We want to create a future where safe, sustainable and affordable housing is a reality for all. We want our communities to thrive. We want to empower our colleagues to be the difference.
How will we do it? By adopting ‘the Hedyn Way’.
The 'Hedyn Way'
Our organisational principles are:
- Place-based services that provide value for money for our customers and residents by designing and delivering services around their needs, with digital service choices.
- Value colleague well-being, providing a great place to work, where colleagues are supported to learn and empowered to deliver effective, customer-focused services.
- Manage our business and services in an environmentally sustainable and inclusive way.
- Always consider opportunities for growth and improvement and actively seek partnerships and collaborative approaches to maximise and communicate our impact.
- Effectively manage risk, ensuring value for money, and enhancing business resilience and financial capacity.
- Have uncompromising adherence to the highest standards of safety and legal compliance.
The operating environment
Our world is rapidly evolving, presenting both challenges and opportunities. Now, more than ever, we must stay informed and responsive to the changes around us.
We’ll remain steadfast in pursuit of our vision and agile in the tactics we use to achieve our priorities. By being flexible in our delivery, we’re able to respond to the volatile environment, adapting how we act to avoid adverse outcomes, and seizing opportunities. This agility allows us to deliver meaningful impact and exceptional value to our customers and communities.
Wales is facing a housing crisis, and there’s an urgent need for affordable homes. We’re committed to tackling this challenge head-on by providing high-quality homes, and we welcome the increasing regulatory standards for building safety. These ambitions need a combination of further investment and our focus on increasing our capacity.
Economic conditions and higher costs have significant implications for us all, making it essential for us to optimise our efficiency. Additionally, the public-sector funding crisis is impacting vital community services, making strong partnerships more important than ever. New challenges and opportunities will need new skills and talent, and we’ll invest in a future-ready workforce.
The global response to the climate emergency is not proportionate to the challenge. We’re dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint, improving energy efficiency, and building sustainable communities. Technology gives us the chance to do more, do it efficiently, and to do it better. We understand the costs and risks of technological innovation and cyber security, and the bigger risk of failing to modernise. We have the appetite to exploit technology for the benefit of our association and our customers.
Our priorities
Customer
An exceptional customer experience for our residents.
We value the relationships with our customers, and make sure that the customer voice shapes our services. We keep our promises and get things right first time, so that our residents enjoy the customer experience.
Investing in our homes so they meet the aspirations of our residents now and in the future.
We will:
- Maintain an uncompromising approach to building safety, keeping our customers safe and making sure our homes are free from damp, mould and condensation.
- Deliver an ambitious decarbonisation programme to improve the energy efficiency of our homes and prioritise affordable warmth.
- Invest in modernising our homes to make sure they’re desirable and maximise asset performance and lifecycle value.
- Deliver a first-class repairs service that gets things right first time.
Tailor services to meet our residents’ needs, staying local, real and relevant to support them in living their best lives.
We will:
- Deliver place-based and person-centred services that fulfil our promise to our customers.
- Make sure customers have equal access to our services by recognising and responding to their individual needs.
Listen, learn and act on the customer voice to deliver great services.
We will:
- Embed the customer voice to drive our decision-making and improve how we work.
- Provide a consistent customer experience through services shaped by the customer voice.
Community
Sustainable homes in thriving and connected communities.
Our commitment to our social purpose is what allows us to make the difference we’re here to make. We’ll work with partners who share our ambition to create connected and thriving communities by tackling inequality, opening up opportunities, and empowering people.
Engage with our communities to deliver place-based regeneration by building on the strength of our communities.
We will:
- Foster collaboration, partnerships and networks within and beyond our communities.
- Create solutions that use existing resources efficiently and are owned by our communities.
We’ll revitalise our communities where appropriate and, where they no longer serve our customers’ needs, we’ll explore and implement redevelopment solutions.
We will:
- Engage with our communities to design regeneration opportunities that put people first.
- Implement a dedicated programme to regenerate existing communities.
Create high-quality, mixed-tenure developments, embracing placemaking to create connected, safe and welcoming spaces where people want to live, work and learn.
We will:
- Address housing shortages by building affordable homes for people of all income levels.
- Make sure new developments are environmentally friendly and affordable to heat.
Colleague
Empowered and trusted colleagues
Our people are the heart of Hedyn. And our progress is determined by the climate we create to empower and inspire our colleagues to be the difference. Our colleagues are passionate about our vision, and they’ll make that vision a reality.
A climate where colleagues have the freedom and the tools to do the right thing at pace.
We will:
- Embed the colleague lifecycle, making sure that the right people with the right skills are in the right roles.
- Establish a secure, healthy, safe and supportive work environment that supports colleagues to thrive.
Learn from the experiences of our customers and colleagues and use this to support our continuous improvement.
We will:
- Promote continuous learning to equip the organisation to respond to the world changing around us.
- Empower colleagues, using technology and insights, to deliver tailored and proactive services.
Our dedication to a sustainable future, being equitable and inclusive, and fulfilling our social purpose is reflected
in everything our colleagues do.
We will:
- Drive environmental sustainability, reduce environmental impact and support a greener future across everything
we do. - Build an equitable and inclusive organisation by embracing diversity and eliminating barriers to create a better customer experience.
Capacity
Maximising our capacity to achieve more.
To achieve our ambition, we’ll provide improved capacity by making efficient and effective use of our resources.
Operational efficiencies, insight and planning that focuses on what matters gives us the capacity and resilience to deliver our ambition.
We will:
- Drive continued improvements in operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Use our insight and planning to prioritise high-impact activities.
We’ll develop innovative solutions to help us achieve our goals, using new technology and fresh ideas to be different and forward-thinking when needed.
We will:
- Drive operational efficiency through digitisation and artificial intelligence.
- Harness the power of partnerships to deliver smarter solutions and better results.
Use our increased capacity to deliver enhanced opportunities for our customers, communities and colleagues.
We will:
- Invest in our capacity to develop future-proof delivery solutions that improve the customer experience and our financial strength.
- Use our resources where they can make a difference.