BCHA was founded in 1968 by a group of volunteers in Bournemouth trying to contribute to the local housing problems. Today we are a charitable housing association supporting individuals and families across the South West and South of England. We are a major provider of a diverse range of housing, support and learning services for socially excluded people.
We have a continuing mission to meet housing need and end homelessness. We aim to achieve this through the building and provision of affordable and secure homes, and by supporting individuals to take control and lead independent, fulfilled lives.
Whether we are developing sites or supporting people with housing or learning, we believe in equality, the importance of every individual and the right to be valued and treated with dignity and respect. Our doors are open to everyone.
We manage over 1300 properties and support thousands of individuals each year.
Our work spans:
-
HOME: Providing homes at social and affordable rents
- SUPPORT: Supporting individuals at risk of homelessness
- LEARN: Supporting people to turn their lives around and achieve their ambitions
- ENTERPRISE: Collaborating with our communities to create value add entrepreneurial solutions
To view our full range of housing see our current Housing Stock map.
Governance
If you have an interest in BCHA's work, you can become a shareholding member and will be entitled to vote at our Annual General Meeting. Becoming a shareholder costs £1.
To apply for shareholding membership or to become a member of the Board, please email companysecretary@bcha.org.uk or send a letter to 14 Alder Hills, Poole, BH12 4AS. Our Company Secretary can provide further information and our BCHA Rules. For more details, please see our Shareholding Membership Policy.
Governance at BCHA ensures that we fulfil our mission and responsibilities to our customers, stakeholders and community. It refers to our processes and principles that guide our decision-making, oversees our finances and monitors our compliance with legal requirements.
Our Board of Directors govern BCHA with the help of these crucial tools:
- The National Housing Federation Code of Governance sets out best practices for the industry. This provides the framework for our governance, supporting us to ensure we are accountable. In 2010, BCHA formally adopted the NHF Code of Governance and is working to the latest edition (2020)
- Our Governance Framework sets out the principles and procedures that guide how BCHA is managed
- The Governance Self-assessment helps us assess our governance practices against the Code's standards, by identifying our strengths and weaknesses
- The Annual Governance Statement summarises our governance performance over the past year. It outlines how well we adhere to the Code of Governance and highlights any areas for improvement
In March 2022, the Housing Ombudsman published a new Complaint Handling Code which sets out good practice to help landlords respond to complaints effectively and fairly. Visit our Compliments and Complaints page to find our more about our process.
The role of our Board is to determine the mission, vision and strategy of BCHA and direct our affairs. To understand more about our Board, view the documents below:
- BCHA Board Terms of Reference
- Annual Statement of Board Members Declaration
- Annual Statement of Board Appointment and Composition
Visit Our People page to see the full list of our Board Members.
Vision
Working together – building better lives, better homes, better communities
Mission
Our mission is to help people take control of their own lives. Wherever people feel vulnerable or stuck, we want to equip them to find a way forward, by offering the highest standards of support for housing, health, learning and work - or any combination of these needs.
We want to be proactive and influential in local communities and national debates, to help eliminate homelessness and social exclusion.
Values
We are driven by our values in all aspects of our organisation from our support services to our internal procedures.
- Personal integrity
- The importance of every individual
- Outstanding service to people
- The importance of working together
- Professional competence
Our Business Plan
Our current business plan has 12 goals across four priority areas:
- Customer Focus
- Homes of Choice
- Working Together
- Growth
In 2023 we are developing our next Five Year Business Plan. This new plan will be launched in Spring 2024. There will be various opportunities to contribute to it’s development.
If you would like to be involved in the creation of the next BCHA business plan, please email customerservices@bcha.org.uk.
Customer Engagement
BCHA is committed to customer engagement and embedding the customer voice in all we do.
We offer all of our customers a range of opportunities to offer their input into BCHA services through our Customer Steering Group, Reference Panels, Recruitment campaigns, Peer Mentors and our customer-led Tenant Talk.
To learn more about Customer Engagement at BCHA, have a look at our strategy and Tenant Talk.
Partnerships & Collaboration
Collaboration and partnership working is a central approach for BCHA. We know that by working together we can achieve better outcomes for those we serve.
We are proud to work in partnership with several organisations and associations to help us in our mission to help people take control of their own lives and influence local communities and national debates to help eliminate homelessness and social exclusion.
Key Information
You can find our most recent annual reports and key documents in the Key Information section. This includes our Annual Financial Statement, our Annual Impact Report and our Gender Pay Gap Report.
Bournemouth Churches Housing Association Limited is a charitable registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority No. 18497R and with the Homes and Communities Agency No. LH0155.
Read more about our regulator, the Regulator of Social Housing.
Our Partners
.svg)
.svg)
