TRANSFORMING NORTH GLASGOW into somewhere people want to live, learn, work, visit and invest is the aim of ng homes. Set up in 1976 by a group of residents to save their homes from demolition, it is now a social housing provider responsible for nearly 7,000 properties. As well as owning more than 5,400 homes to rent and managing 1,400 others, the association plays a leading role in rejuvenating the areas it covers. It has formed a social enterprise company, ng2, which employs local people and provides services such as painting and repairs. Although there were 12 redundancies last year following changes to the housing services department, all were voluntary. The workforce remains loyal and 82 of the 106 employees have five or more years' service. Staff who do not take any days off sick are rewarded with an extra two days holiday. Those who “hold the fort” while colleagues are absent also receive time off. A housing officer makes an average of £31,225 and enhanced maternity and paternity packages are available. Staff are happy with their pay and benefits, scoring 84% positive, third among small not-for-profit organisations. They also believe they are paid fairly compared with others in similar roles (77%, third). As well as making its properties more energy-efficient, ng homes is responsible for an award-winning project to increase recycling, which includes chutes for recyclables in multi-storey blocks of flats. Chief executive Robert Tamburrini was named Scottish Social Enterprise Leader of the Year in 2012 and his team finds him inspiring (76%).
