Chief Executive's Report

THIS HAS BEEN A YEAR for taking stock and evaluating the best way of continuing to do what we're good at while still meeting the needs of the most vulnerable members of the Irish community.

Clare Winstanley - Chief Executive

It has been clear for some time that there is a diminishing need for family accommodation for Irish people. But there is plenty of evidence to show that there are still acute housing problems for single older Irish people, especially those with support needs. With our background and special experience we are well placed to do this.

However, like many other BME associations formed in the last thirty years we find ourselves in new territory. The vision of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion whose report was published in 2007 is of a society "where people are committed to what we have in common rather than obsessing with those things that make us different".

Add to this, the choice-based lettings regime, now widely regarded as a big success, where BME landlords can no longer specify their target client group. Not very surprisingly we have found ourselves housing people from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds in all our recently let family housing.

Yet, we continue to let almost 100% of our supported and sheltered homes to Irish people and this is where Innisfree's service counts. We are delighted that we continue to get high ratings for our all our Supporting People contracts and that we have been able to provide floating support to a wider range of clients in the private rented sector.

As a long-standing BME association, we have faced up to some interesting new realities:

We will become less “Irish” as far as family housing provision is concerned;
There is still great need among the Irish community but mostly among older single people;
Local authorities and partner associations still want to work with us;
We still do a good job and want to preserve our Irish identity;
There is growing need among many of the new and emerging migrant communities;
We retain widespread support from all our stakeholders.

At their awayday in November 2007, Innisfree's Board was unanimous in the view that we should retain our Irishness while working collaboratively in partnerships with others to meet the needs of the wider community. We intend to remain in the vanguard and maintain our high standards and good reputation within the community.

Clare Winstanley