The key objectives and targets which Innisfree intends to achieve over the next five-year period are described below. They have been split into immediate and short term objectives and medium to longer term objectives.

IMMEDIATE AND SHORT TERM OBJECTIVES:

The organisation wishes to pursue the following objectives over the next 1 to 3 year period:

Invest in staff

Innisfree appreciates the key role that staff play. A comprehensive review of the structure and salaries was carried out in 2008/9. This review sets the groundwork for staffing arrangements over the next few years.

Innisfree will continue to review staff recruitment and retention policies to ensure that it is able to maintain a flexible, motivated and committed workforce for the future.

We invest heavily in training at all levels of the organisation and have a structured supervision and appraisal framework, based on key competencies.

We will continue to explore joint working opportunities including with other associations and with members of the Solomon Project to provide staff with career development and enhancement opportunities.

Prepare for growth

While the association does not foresee anything other than slow and steady, organic growth, we recognise that Innisfree is already a very different organisation from the one it was a few years ago. Our external profile is high for our size. We will ensure that our internal systems and structures, office arrangements, governance arrangements and staff capabilities keep pace with our growth.

Keep operational costs low

Innisfree understands the importance of knowing the cost of the services we provide. Significant progress has been made in recent years in bringing down operational costs. We will build on the costing exercises that have already been carried out through the work of the Solomon Project.

Innisfree was an early participant in the NHF's joint purchasing initiative, now known as Procurement for Housing. We continue to explore possibilities for joint working and joint procurement with other organisations such as the Solomon Project.

Build on our high levels of performance

Innisfree plans to build on its present high level of performance. We will keep our management information and performance systems under constant review. We will work with tenants and customers to review and establish service standards for housing and support services.

A peer review with Housing for Women in 2007 examined customer services and risk management, leading to improvements in a range of areas. Further peer reviews are planned.

We expect to benefit from greater opportunities for benchmarking and service reviews.

Achieve affordable rent levels

Innisfree has succeeded in eliminating the gap between target rents (affordable rents) and actual rents. This was achieved by freezing a significant number of rents and limiting some rent increases to less than RPI.

Rationalise our stock and focus our activities

In order to run services efficiently Innisfree intends to rationalise the location and spread of our housing stock and operations. We are actively exploring stock transfers and property swaps with other social housing providers. We will focus our activities in boroughs in the North & West London sub regions. A substantial transfer of homes in Camden from Family Mosaic to Innisfree took place early in 2009.

Implement a strategic development plan

We have produced a clear, strategic development plan that operates as a "prospectus" to aid discussions with future development partners. Any development opportunity will be subject to a rigorous appraisal to ensure it meets the strategic direction of the association. We will continue to develop through mainstream partners but will not ignore any opportunity to develop in-house or with private developers if it arises. Our main focus will continue to be small homes for older Irish people but we will continue to develop family housing not only for our traditional client group but also for the wider BME communities who have a particular need for larger family homes.

Work with tenants and customers

Innisfree will continue to work with tenants and the wider Irish community. We aim to increase the number of tenants involved in the organisation as well as the degree to which tenants are involved. We will look at new ways of working with and involving tenants and customers, providing incentives where appropriate.

One of our former board members has taken on the role of "Tenant Champion" and is already working with tenant representatives and staff to build on our tenant involvement work. We plan to undertake a series of "road shows" over the coming years to visit various schemes and encourage greater involvement.

We will ensure that those tenants who aspire to greater involvement in the management and governance of Innisfree are adequately trained and supported.

We will further develop our existing relationship with the Safestart Foundation to promote greater training and employment opportunities for our tenants. We are also developing a relationship with a debt advice agency to offer support and assistance to our tenants who may be encountering difficulties managing their finances and coping with debt.

We are embarking on a "financial inclusion" project with our tenants, to improve their opportunities for work and training and to assist with maximising their income.

Develop links with the Irish Community

We will work with the other Irish housing associations and the wider voluntary sector and encourage our tenants to make much greater use of the services available.

Working with the wider BME and refugee communities

Innisfree intends to build on its "Integrated in Brent" project with Inquilab, working more closely with RCHOs and with BME & refugee housing associations. This is a two-way process with learning opportunities on both sides.

Increase housing provision

Innisfree will continue to increase housing provision through the relevant social housing funding programme and other funding sources. Growth will be planned and managed.

Implement Best Value Programme of reviews

Innisfree will continue to work with the Solomon Project and implement our programme of service reviews and improvements, taking particular note of the results of Tenants' Surveys.

Risk Management

Working with our Audit & Risk Management Committee and our Internal Auditors, we will ensure that the association's controls and risk management framework is as robust as possible and that a culture of risk management is embedded throughout the organisation.

Finance

Innisfree's financial objectives are set out below:

To maximise income through effective management of arrears and properties.
To stay solvent.
To ensure that services provide value for money.

Maintain a high external profile

We will promote the iN Business for Neighbourhoods campaign with our tenants, partners, stakeholders and the wider public, publicising positive news about Innisfree and the wider social housing sector.

We will develop our relationships with elected members (MPs, MEPs, GLA representatives and local councillors), ensuring good links with staff at all levels of the organisation. The Chief Executive acts as the "Constituency Link" for the National Housing Federation with the three Brent MPs.

Invest in new technology

Innisfree has recently upgraded its IT and telephone systems. The Business Plan has set aside money for additional investment during the five-year period. This will ensure that IT and communications systems remain up to date and appropriate to the needs of the organisation and its customers.

Friends of Innisfree

We will continue to promote and develop the Friends as a fundraising arm to the Association.

MEDIUM TO LONG TERM OBJECTIVES 3 TO 5 YEARS:

In addition to the immediate and short-term objectives the organisation wishes to develop the following areas over a 3 - 5 year period.

Explore and implement new initiatives

Innisfree is committed to enhancing the overall quality of life for our tenants and customers. To meet this objective we will work with tenants and customers to identify new initiatives. A particular focus will be our work to develop the wider community cohesion agenda.

We will develop our work with tenants to overcome worklessness and explore further training & employment opportunities.

Innisfree will continue to develop its relationships with RCHOs in order to promote better housing opportunities for refugees and migrants.

Seek to develop a neighbourhood initiative within Brent

Recognising that the London Borough of Brent is at the heart of Innisfree's activities, we will seek to be involved in a high profile neighbourhood initiative, which will be of benefit to the wider community.

Enhance support to existing tenants

Innisfree will explore ways of meeting the additional support needs of existing tenants that are identified in the Tenants' Survey. This will involve creating stronger links with voluntary agencies and investigating ways of providing additional advice, counselling and support.

Meet the needs of Irish Elders

Innisfree wants to ensure that the projected increase in Irish elders is catered for. We intend to build on current sheltered housing provision by developing new support services for older Irish people including, if possible, an extra care scheme for frail elderly members of the Irish Community.

Extend the range of supported housing services

Innisfree is aware of the great range and diversity of support needs within the Irish community. We will examine the impact of Supporting People on the provision of such services. This exercise may identify new opportunities for the organisation to take forward.

Growth by acquisition

Innisfree will continue to increase the number of general needs homes in our target areas, by developing in partnership with others. Having recently acquired the Camden portfolio of Family Mosaic, we will engage in discussions with other housing associations who are seeking to rationalise their own stock portfolios.

We will explore strategic alliances with appropriate smaller partners which might lead to modest growth through partnership and/or mergers.

LONGER TERM INITIATIVES

We have also identified a number of initiatives that we intend to investigate.

Increase the type and range of housing & support provided

Innisfree is keen to ensure that it provides a range of housing to meet the many and varied needs of the Irish community living in London.

To this end we will explore the opportunities for providing:

Accommodation at sub-market rents to meet the housing needs of people who would otherwise not be eligible for social housing.
Extra care housing for older Irish people.
One bedroomed flats for people requiring move-on accommodation.

In addition, Innisfree will work with partners, such as Inquilab, to meet the housing & support needs of other BME and refugee communities.

Innisfree is in a strong position financially to take advantage of opportunities that may arise over the period of the corporate plan.

We will continue to emphasise the need for specialist, culturally specific support provision for the Irish community seeking to extend the range of services we provide. We aim to provide support in a wider range of local authority areas and to do more work with clients in the private rented sector.

Develop the capacity of the Friends of Innisfree

The Friends of Innisfree has the potential both to enhance the profile of the association and increase our fund-raising capabilities. While somewhat dependent on the goodwill of volunteers, we will nevertheless continue to explore opportunities for increasing the scope of the Friends.