Welcome to the summer 2026 edition of your Here at Horton newsletter.
In here, you will find our latest news and activities, Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey 2025-26 results, an update on The People’s Committee, and the latest volunteering opportunities at Horton.
We hope you enjoy reading this edition of your newsletter.
This digital version of Here at Horton is available in different languages and in other accessible formats. If you need this in any other version not available on the website, please contact your support worker or the Communications Team.
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Contents
New handbook and new Bradford service
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion action plan
Our culture in action: embedding Trauma-Informed Practice at Horton
Checking and Improving Horton’s Standards
Tenant Satisfaction Measures evaluation and action plan 2025-26
How are we doing? our latest KPI figures
Health and safety: electrical safety and safety guidance on e-scooters and e-bikes
Here at Horton newsletter feedback
How to make: easy egg fried rice
Latest volunteering opportunities
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Your news
STARS visit Cliffe Castle
Our Substance, Tenancy and Resettlement Service (STARS) enjoyed a visit to Cliffe Castle in Keighley. They were bowled over by the Victorian rooms with their grand furnishings and paintings. Sharon had a cuddle with their resident bear. They visited the nature rooms, which they all said were amazing and all would definitely visit again. It was well worth a trip out – and free entry! They topped the day off with ice cream at Dixon’s in Huddersfield.
Strolling in the sunshine
Our Young Persons’ Prevention and Support Service (YPASS) had their walk and talk at Shibden Park in Halifax in April. The sun came out so they decided to get out and explore. Everything is better in the sun!
Fancy dress fun in Skipton
Our Craven Rough Sleeper Pathway Service (CRSPS) walked around Skipton with Project 6 to raise funds for the Skipton Community Wellbeing Café.
This activity was part of the Active Citizens Programme run by Project 6 for people at CRSPS to give back to the local community, and support things that are important to them.
The group had a fantastic time and loved the confused faces and smiles they received. They loved seeing people donate, being encouraging, or just stopping for a chat. It made them feel great to bring joy just by walking around and waving to people – or dancing!
So far, the group has raised over £100 – and this amount is increasing as more money is raised. An incredible result!
Skipton Community Wellbeing Café is a key space for the local community, where anyone can go and receive support, or just be around others. Many at CRSPS have found this space so welcoming that it has become part of their journey and social life.
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Over to you!
Billy lives in a home under Horton’s Calderdale Intensive Housing Management (IHM) service in Halifax. Billy had experienced challenges with drugs and his mental health before coming to Calderdale IHM. He has been living in his home for over 18 months and is making great progress.
Billy has found that developing his interests and concentrating on a hobby has been rewarding, fills his time and occupies his mind. He discovered he has very green fingers! Billy has put these skills to great use and has been growing bonsai trees for the last 18 months. He currently has a collection of 7 trees, ages ranging from 2 years old to 14 years old… and still super small!
Billy is a wonderful “plant parent” delivering all the specialist care and attention the bonsai require. He has developed his knowledge and creativity and has a keen eye for detail. He spends hours attending to the mini trees which are displayed in his lounge, sitting under grow lights in his adapted display unit. The trees require pruning 3 times weekly and are fed with special fertilizer and bottled volcanic water (only the best for the bonsai!) – this helps to maintain the correct PH level to keep them looking green and healthy. Should a plant be poorly, Billy is able to spot early signs and nurse it back to health.
Billy really does love his bonsai and states that he finds pleasure in the whole process of growing them and observing the changes. He is responsible for these little plants’ lives, and seeing his bonsai flourish because of his care and commitment to them is very rewarding.
These two brilliant artworks were made by Lee at Bradford NewStart. Lee used to be an art teacher and uses his creativity as a therapeutic way to express himself and share his voice through his work.
Do you enjoy doing something creative, such as producing art, making crafts or writing poetry? Do you have a hobby or interest that you would like to share here?
Contact communications@hortonhousing.co.uk or talk to your support worker to see your work in a future edition of this newsletter.
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New handbook coming soon
We have updated the handbook we give to people when they start their journey with us.
The new handbook, My Guide, will be for everyone who accesses our services or lives in a Chartford Housing home. It contains lots of useful and important information, such as:
- Your support agreement
- Your rights – including how to give feedback, appeal a decision, or make a complaint
- Health and safety in the home – including repairs, standards, and what to expect
- How to stay safe – including safeguarding, anti-social behaviour, and wellbeing tips
- Contact details for other support services.
The updated handbook is easy to read, more accessible, and includes a lot of helpful information.
Thank you to everyone who shared their views and ideas as we worked to update the handbook. Your feedback was very helpful, and we hope that the new handbook will be useful for people during their time at Horton.
New Horton service – New Routes
New Routes is a new accommodation service in Bradford that opened in April. The service is for men who experience rough sleeping and face multiple disadvantages.
New Routes offers safe, stable accommodation and works with people in a flexible, strengths-based way, tailored to each person. People will build their existing strengths, develop life skills, and increase their confidence and independence to move on to longer-term housing.
Service referrals for people who have no housing duty with Bradford Council go through the Bradford Homeless Outreach Partnership (HOP) Team. The HOP can be contacted by emailing bradfordhop@hortonhousing.co.uk
New Routes works closely with other services across Bradford, including Bevan Healthcare and local Neighbourhood Policing Teams.
Donations round up
From January to March 2026, we received 49 donations, we sent out 57 donations, and 55 people visited our Owt for Nowt shop.
We received a wide range of generous donations from the community for people in our services. This included white goods and furniture such as sofas, tables, chairs, wardrobes, mattresses, kitchen items, baby items, clothing, and more.
We also received a donation of televisions, wardrobes, mattresses, beds and coffee tables from a former Horton service when they moved out of their building.
We would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their kind donations.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action plan
We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in all areas of the organisation. Every year we publish an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action plan which sets out our targets and how we will put our commitment to equality and diversity into practice.
The EDI action plan is available on our website under ‘Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’.
You can also ask your support worker or another Horton colleague for a paper copy of the plan.
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Our culture in action: embedding Trauma-Informed Practice at Horton
At Horton, our trauma-informed approach is not something separate from our work, it is part of our culture, our values, and how we support people every day. We have continued to strengthen how this looks in practice, focusing on language, systems, learning, and involvement to make sure our approach is consistent and meaningful across the organisation.
Strengthening our language and data systems
One of our key areas of focus has been how we use strengths-based language in our work. We’ve reviewed our support planning to make sure it reflects people’s strengths and goals; this helps to create a more respectful and positive understanding of each person’s situation. Alongside this, we have been reviewing our organisational data systems and documentation to make sure they support this approach. Changes have been made so that information recording processes better reflect trauma-informed, person-centred approaches.
Embedding culture through involvement
Our culture is shaped by the people we work alongside. We regularly talk about and review the way we do things with our ‘People’s Committee’, creating a space to talk openly about what we plan to implement as part of our culture work. These conversations focus on collecting feedback on our planned changes and how the changes will be experienced by the people accessing our services. This work helps us to better plan how we can develop our services.
Building knowledge through training
We have introduced Adversity, Trauma and Resilience (ATR) training for colleagues. This training supports colleagues to understand what trauma and adversity are and how they can affect people and behaviour. It helps us to respond in ways that promote safety and dignity. This shared learning is an important part of building consistency across services and makes sure that colleagues feel confident in applying trauma-informed approaches in their roles.
Creating environments and practice that reflect our values
Alongside this work, services have continued to embed Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE), making practical changes to make sure spaces feel safe, welcoming and supportive.
We create opportunities for reflective practice, supporting colleagues to think about their experiences, learn from each other, and continuously improve how we work. These changes across environments, practice and learning all contribute to a culture where people feel more understood and supported.
Continuing our culture journey
Developing a trauma-informed, strengths-based culture takes time, reflection and shared commitment. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far, and we know this is something we will keep building on by listening, learning and improving together. By staying focused on what helps people feel safe, respected and understood, we are continuing to shape Horton as a place where people are supported to move forward in ways that matter to them.
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Mo’s story
Mo lives at our Fairmount scheme. Click here to read his story.
My Journey Through Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation (April 2023 – February 2026)
Through Horton’s Bradford Temporary Accommodation Service (BTAS), Hasina has developed her independence and has now settled in her own home.
Click here to read Hasina’s story.
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Checking and improving Horton’s Standards
Introducing our Standards
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) sets standards that all housing providers like Horton must meet. As part of this, we regularly look at how we are meeting the Economic Standards.
At Horton, we welcome these standards, as they focus on how we are run and how we manage our money, helping us to stay well-led, financially stable and able to provide a good service to you.
There are three Economic Standards:
- Governance and Financial Viability Standard and Code of Practice
- Rent Standard and Guidance
- Value for Money
These Standards help to make sure that:
- Horton is well run and financially healthy
- Decisions about services and spending are made clearly and responsibly (this is sometimes called ‘governance’)
- We are open with you and can be held to account for what we do
Your voice is key to helping us check our standards. We have welcomed many suggestions from people who access our services through sessions held by The People’s Committee. Look out for the next session and come along to have your voice heard. More information about The People’s Committee can be found on this page below, or you can ask your worker.
Thank you to all who have attended these sessions and those who have taken their time to attend Board meetings and other feedback groups. Your insights are invaluable to make sure that our tenants and the people we work with are at the centre of everything we do.
Checking our Standards
Every year we check that we are meeting our standards and look at ways to improve our homes and services for you. Our Quality Assurance Team also takes a second look to check how well we are doing.
A recent check of the Governance and Financial Viability Standard and Code of Practice found some positive results:
- We’re building on a strong foundation: Our policies and processes are in place to make sure we meet the required standards. There are just a few areas where we need to add extra detail, which shows we’re already in a good position.
- Clear and open decision-making: Our Boards follow clear steps when making decisions and make sure we are meeting our requirements every year. They also take part in learning and development, so they’re always improving how things are done.
- Your voice matters: We share updates through reports, reviews, and newsletters so you can see what’s happening. There are ways for you to give feedback too, because we want to hear from you and make sure your views shape what we do.
We also found a few areas that we are going to improve:
- Making information easy to find: We’re working on creating one central place for our governance documents. This will help make sure everything is up to date, regularly reviewed and easy to access. We’ll also make sure these reflect what matters most to people from all backgrounds.
- Keeping plans current: Our Value for Money Action Plan needs refreshing, and we’re improving how we manage annual action plans within longer-term strategies. This means clearer priorities and better progress tracking.
- Showing your impact: We want to strengthen how we share The People’s Committee involvement and feedback in newsletters, Board reports and annual reports—so everyone can see the difference your input makes.
What’s next?
The Quality Assurance Team will be looking at the Neighbourhood and Community Standard in 2026/27. It covers how we help keep neighbourhoods safe and support tenants by working with partners to deal with issues like anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse. We will keep you updated in Here at Horton.
The Regulator of Social Housing oversees the standards. If you want to know more about the standards, you can ask your worker or you can visit the RSH website – click here.
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Tenant Satisfaction Measures evaluation and action plan 2025-26
The Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) are standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing. They make our performance as a landlord more visible to tenants and help you to hold us to account.
We report our TSM as Chartford Housing, the development arm of Horton Housing Association. Chartford Housing is a Registered Provider (RP) and landlord for our properties.
We will report our TSM every year in this newsletter and on our website. Information and figures for our TSM is collected in two ways:
- Our quarterly Key Performance Indicators (click here to see the latest KPI figures)
- The TSM survey.
TSM survey results
We ran a TSM survey for tenants who live in our Chartford Housing Limited (CHL) accommodation in November 2025.
135 (of our 714) tenants completed the survey.
Thank you to everyone who took part. From the survey results, we will look to improve our performance wherever we can.
The full report will be available on this website under documents – click here.
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How are we doing?
At Horton Housing we aim to provide excellent services and always look for ways to improve them.
Every 3 months we look at our performance to see how we’re doing. We measure ourselves against targets based on the performance of a group of other good housing providers, where available. Other measures are set by Horton Housing’s Management Board and Senior Leadership Team.
Here are the latest Key Performance Indicator (KPI) figures for Quarter 3 (1 October to 31 December 2025). A KPI is a measure of how well we are doing.
Rent collection
98% our target
96% – current value
Tenants in arrears by 8 weeks or more
6% our target
11% – current value
This is not a good result – being ‘in arrears’ means owing rent. The percentage has improved since the last quarter but remains above target. This is a result of long-standing technical arrears, which reduce the visibility of tenant payment behaviour. The Rents Team will continue to separate technical from non-technical arrears in reporting. They will also continue to work with Housing Benefit departments to encourage timely rent payments. Head of Services will continue to work with managers where tenant long-term arrears are still in place.
Properties with a valid gas safety certificate
100% our target
100% – current value
Repairs completed in target time
Emergency – 97% our target
99% – current value
Urgent – 91% our target
94% – current value
Routine – 91% our target
86% – current value
Satisfaction of repair received
92% our target
100% – current value
Our Property Services administration team contacted some of you who had repairs to ask for your feedback. During quarter 3:
45 calls were made.
Of the 17 that answered the phone: 17 were very satisfied with the repair.
Managing damp and mould
We had 36 new reports of damp and mould in quarter 3. Of these, 33 were attended to within the target of 3 days (92%).
The increase in reports was due to us getting new leased properties.
3 cases were completed outside of the target time due to tenants being temporarily moved to alternative housing, and schemes following the process required to move them.
Please help us by reporting any issues with damp and mould as early as possible.
You can find out more about damp and mould on our website – click here.
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) incidents
There were 8 ongoing cases of ASB at the start of quarter 3.
There were 4 new reports of ASB during quarter 3, making a total of 12 open cases. All reports were responded to within the timescale.
All 12 cases remained open at the start of quarter 4, with ongoing actions and monitoring.
Complaints
We received 12 formal complaints in quarter 3. All complaints were answered within the target time.
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Involvement and engagement
You can choose how involved you want to be at Horton.
Ways to have a voice include:
- talking with your worker or a manager
- sharing ideas or feedback
- taking part in surveys or consultations
- helping review information
- getting involved in service improvement activities.
Getting involved is always your choice. You can be involved as much or as little as feels right.
The People’s Committee is for everyone who accesses our services or lives in one of our homes. Read the latest People’s Committee update below. If you would like to come along and have your say, here is a list of future meeting dates. Talk to your support worker if you are interested in attending – free travel and refreshments are provided.
Update from The People’s Committee
My name is Claire and I am an independent mentor for The People’s Committee. I organise and host the meetings, helping people feel welcome and heard. The People’s Committee is a great way of meeting others who use Horton’s services and a way to give feedback to make sure Horton is the best it can be.
The People’s Committee would really like to see more people at our meetings. Don’t let the word ‘meeting’ put you off. They’re informal groups where we have a bit of food, learn more about what is happening, and most importantly, find out how you feel about Horton. We are interested in the good and the bad.
To help get more people there, we have created some guidance for your support workers. We are also working on a video, and we tried using Zoom for a meeting!
Some of the things we have recently worked on are:
· Consistency in services
We want to make sure everyone gets a fair and good service no matter where they live and who they are supported by.
· The Horton website
We made sure the new website is useful for people using Horton’s services.
· Anti-social behaviour
We looked at how Horton respond to anti-social behaviour and what they can do to help more.
The People’s Committee were also shortlisted for a Trauma and Adversity Award. Some of the Committee went to the ceremony to celebrate. We didn’t win but it was great to be recognised.
If you’d like to know more, ask your support worker for a look at our reports. They will also be able to tell you when the next meeting is and help you to get there. You don’t need to have experience. We’re a really friendly bunch and we make everyone welcome.
Next sessions
The People’s Committee
Tuesday 16th June, 12:30pm to 2:30pm – Pinder House, Skipton
Wednesday 15th July, 12:30pm to 2:30pm – Chartford House, Bradford
Thursday 13th August, 12:30pm to 2:30pm – Bewick House, Bradford
Thursday 17th September, 12:30pm to 2:30pm – YPASS, Halifax
Maintenance Scrutiny Group
Wednesday 29th July, 12:30 to 2:30pm – location to be confirmed
Thursday 29th October, 12:30pm to 2:30pm – location to be confirmed
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Electrical safety at home
Click here for some simple but effective steps you can take to prevent potential electrical accidents at home.
Safety guide on e-scooters and e-bikes
Ban and enforcement
E-scooters and e-bikes can catch fire due to their lithium-ion batteries and chargers. To prevent this danger and keep everyone safe, e-scooters and e-bikes are not allowed in any of our homes. This includes flats, balconies, storage units, common areas, and external shared areas.
Our schemes have included the ban in their own house rules. If you do not follow this rule, it could result in you having to remove your e-bike or e-scooter from your home, or could even be considered a breach of tenancy.
Report it
If you see anyone with an e-scooter or e-bike at one of our homes, please report it to a Horton colleague. We will keep your report confidential.
Emergencies
If there is a fire related to an e-scooter or e-bike, follow the building’s emergency evacuation plan and call emergency services straight away.
Alternatives
Please use regular bicycles or public transport instead. We might even provide extra storage for non-electric bikes.
Education
We may provide information about fire safety and the risks of lithium-ion batteries and chargers.
These guidelines may change. We will let you know about any relevant updates as soon as possible.
By following these rules, you help keep everyone safe. Thank you.
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Here at Horton newsletter feedback
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Your feedback helps us make the newsletter more useful and enjoyable. Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey.
You can either complete the survey in the newsletter, cut the page out and hand it to your support worker or complete the survey online here. You can also access the survey online by scanning this QR code below.
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How to make: easy egg fried rice
Our Young Persons’ Prevention and Support Service (YPASS) in Halifax made this egg fried rice meal in a recent Cook and Eat session. Try making this tasty recipe yourself for a simple and delicious meal.
Ingredients
- Cooked rice – about 250g to 300g
- Eggs – 2 to 4, lightly beaten
- Soy sauce – 2 to 3 tablespoons
- Vegetable oil – for frying
- Spring onions – chopped, for garnish
- Optional: sesame oil, peas, carrots, or any leftover proteins (like cooked chicken or shrimp) for added flavour and nutrition.
Instructions
- Prepare the rice: If you don’t have leftover rice, cook some and let it cool.
- Heat the pan: In a large frying pan or wok, heat about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil on the hob over medium-high heat until hot.
- Scramble the eggs: Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble them quickly, breaking them into small pieces as they cook. Once they are just set, remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Fry the rice: Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the cold rice, breaking up any clumps. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes until heated through.
- Combine ingredients: Return the scrambled eggs to the pan. Drizzle soy sauce over the rice and mix everything well. If using, add sesame oil for extra flavour.
- Garnish and serve: Stir in chopped spring onions and any additional vegetables or proteins you like. Serve hot and enjoy your homemade egg fried rice!
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Latest volunteering opportunities
Would you like to volunteer at Horton Housing? Check out our latest volunteer opportunities below.
We will give you:
- An induction, support, supervision and training
- Out of pocket expenses, such as payment towards travel
- A reference if you volunteer for more than three months.
You can keep up to date and apply for our volunteer roles by visiting the volunteering section of our website.
If you are interested in volunteering and would like to find out more, please contact our Volunteer Services Team on 01274 743480 or email volunteer.applications@hortonhousing.co.uk
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Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Horton Housing is committed to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Our aim is for our organisation to be truly representative of all sections of society, for individuals to be treated fairly, to feel respected and be able to be their best.
We are committed to ensuring that our services are appropriate and accessible to the people who need them. We are opposed to all forms of harassment and unlawful discrimination.
We have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy which sets out how we will meet the needs of the people we work with and our equality duties. Every year we publish an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan which sets out our targets and how we will put our commitment to equality and diversity into practice.
We have been awarded the Housing Diversity Network Accreditation (DNA) recognising our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
We are a member of the Housing Diversity Network.
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Get in touch!
If you have ideas on what you would like to see in the newsletter or to give any feedback, please get in touch.
You can contact us through your support worker or by emailing: communications@hortonhousing.co.uk
Or you can write to us at:
Communications,
Horton Housing Association
Chartford House
54 Little Horton Lane,
Bradford
BD5 0BS
Or you can telephone us on 01274 370689
Or connect with us on social media
Facebook: search for ‘Horton Housing Association’
Instagram: search for ‘Horton Housing’