MEETING THE CHALLENGE to provide affordable homes and create thriving communities can be difficult, but staff at Muir Group Housing Association are up to the task. The credit crunch has affected the association's move into shared ownership properties, as mortgages are more difficult to obtain, and that led to one redundancy last year. But low interest rates have created savings of £200,000, reallocated to improving existing homes. Muir Group gave staff a 1% pay rise last April, while many housing associations were freezing salaries. The firm wins our special award for innovation in employment practice and employees can apply to the Staff Activity Fund for £100 towards non-work-related study. Recent claimants have signed up for lessons in karate and windsurfing. Community housing officers earn £23,890 and our employee survey shows staff are happy with their pay and benefits with a positive score of 75%, in eighth place among small charities and public sector organisations. Staff say they are paid fairly compared with others in similar associations (72%) and for their responsibilities (68%). Benefits include childcare vouchers, subsidised sports facilities, free parking and refreshments. The workforce of 171 people stay an average of more than seven years and a quarter have worked for the association for more than 10 years. After five years, staff gain an extra three days' holiday. They can also ask for a day off when they get married or move house and can buy and sell holiday allowance up to a maximum of eight weeks. Everyone has the choice of signing up to a Medicash scheme to help to pay for specialist healthcare or complementary therapies. Lone workers are protected by GPS phones or other technology linked to a monitoring system to alert the emergency services in a crisis. The association, based in Chester, has 28 sites across the Midlands, northwest and Wales and looks after 5,000 properties. Staff feel they have the support they need to provide a great service (75%). John Bellis, the chief executive for the past 19 years, is highly regarded by employees, who believe he runs the association on sound moral principles (84%). Staff have confidence in the leadership skills of their managers (76%). Study towards formal qualifications in relevant fields is fully funded and time off is allowed for classes and exams. Eight staff are currently working towards degrees or accountancy qualifications. muir.org.uk
