SHAPE

Smaller Housing Associations Pursuing Excellence
...and Vectis

SHAPE comprises a group of thirteen small housing associations operating in areas from as far afield as Oxford to Sevenoaks in Kent, and from Bedford to us in the Isle of Wight

The smallest member association manages just over 80 homes, and the largest around 700 (that still makes them small). We at Vectis are somewhere in the middle.

All members have, through a professional network, built up a working relationship with each other for the purposes of comparing performance in our various activities, sharing ideas of best practice, training our staff, and helping solve the kinds of issues that arise from time to time. For example, if there is an area of performance where a member association seems to do really well, whilst others struggle with it, there is opportunity to learn from the methods adopted by the successful one.

Whilst all housing associations, whatever their size, share common attributes, smaller organisations have particular qualities and problems, which the larger ones do not, and it is fitting that we should therefore work towards continually improving our services by sharing these experiences with those with whom we have the most affinity.

SHAPE covers every aspect of housing association work, from housing management (rents, tenancies, resident involvement, anti-social behaviour) to maintenance, and from finance to new development. Its explanatory leaflet and periodic staff newsletter is published on our website.

Our own Chief Executive, Paul Hann, is a past chairman of SHAPE.

SHAPE Members

The Radcliffe Housing Society - Sevenoaks
The Buckinghamshire Housing Association - High Wycombe
Bedford Citizens Housing Association - Bedford
Enham - Nr Andover
Greenoak Housing Association - Woking
Keniston Housing Association - Bromley, Kent
Franklands Housing Association - Haywards Heath
Rosemary Simmonds Memorial Housing Association
Sutton Housing Society - Sutton, Surrey
Thame and District Housing Association - Thame, Oxfordshire
Luton Community Housing association - Luton
South Midlands and Greater London Housing Society - Watford
Vectis Housing Association - Isle of Wight