Quality & Excellence

It has been a strong part of the mission of the housing association sector in NSW to provide the highest quality services and to be accountable to local communities, tenants, partners and the government for their performance.

To achieve this, we have seen the development of a voluntary quality assurance system, which accredits providers against the national Community Housing Standards.  The sector also meets stringent regulatory standards that grade organisations according to the level of risk and risk management.  The industry has also adopted a voluntary Code of Practice.

But the sector also strives to go beyond this and demonstrate innovation and excellence.  National and State Awards for excellence celebrate the achievements of the sector.

Awards

Accreditation

Code of Practice for Housing Associations

Registration

Awards

The NSW Awards for Excellence in Community Housing were established in 2002 to recognise the achievements of the community housing sector and to encourage excellence. The awards are now held every two years to coincide with the NSW Community Housing Conference. The awards are open to all non-government and local government organisations involved in the development and provision of community housing. 

The Federation strongly encourages community housing providers of all sizes and from across NSW to enter the Awards.

The objectives of the Awards are to:

• Identify and recognise best practice in the provision of community housing;
• Encourage a culture of continuous improvement within the community housing sector;
• Make information and resources available to assist community housing providers and administrators achieve best practice in the management and delivery of community housing; and
• Promote community housing as a high quality provider of social housing.

The NSW Awards Steering Committee administers and presents the Awards.

Nominations are now open for the 2010 NSW Awards for Excellence in Community Housing:

The NSW Awards for Excellence in Community Housing were established to recognise the achievements of the community housing sector and to encourage excellence. The NSW Awards Steering Committee administers and presents the Awards.

NSW Awards Nomination & Entry Process

This year, nominations have been opened so anyone can nominate a community housing organisation that they think deserves to be recognised for excellence. Nominated organisations should provide documentation to support their nominations.

Selection Process

Each applicant will be assessed against selection criteria in a given category. The selection criteria for each of the awards are explained in greater detail in the following sections.

Where possible, applications should be submitted in Times New Roman font size 12, single spaced. 

To aid Judges in the selection process, criteria should be addressed as directly as possible.

Applicants must respond to all the selection criteria for a particular award. The Awards will be judged on a competitive basis. Judges will contextualise each entry to ensure that an organisation’s size or location does not impact on the judgement of excellence.

The Judging Panel may choose not to present an Award in a particular category where it feels there are no entries that adequately meet the selection criteria.

The decision of the Judging Panel is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

Please click here to download the nomination form

Please click here to download an awards information pack

For further enquiries, please email Rachel Louttit at Rachel@communityhousing.org.au

Winners of the 2008 NSW Awards for Excellence in Community Housing

Accreditation

Accreditation is based on the National Community Housing Standards (3rd Edition) and has been progressively introduced in NSW since early 1999.
[National Community Housing Standards  - (2nd Edition)]

Accreditation was managed by the NSW Standards and Accreditation Unit, which was located in the Office of Community Housing. There is currently a call for external organisations to tender to provide this service.

Accreditation allows community housing providers to demonstrate that they are professional autonomous organisations who achieve excellence in service provision. The accreditation system operates as an assurance of quality housing management for tenants, applicants, other partners including local government, and for the community as a whole.

An organisation’s accreditation status is reviewed every 3 years, or every 12 months for partial accreditation.

Accredited Housing Associations:

Havelock Housing Association Inc (first time)
The Housing Trust (Re-evaluation)
Shoalhaven Community Housing (Re-evaluation)
Ryde Hunters Hill Community Housing
Community Housing Mid North Coast
Coastal Community Tenancy Scheme Ltd  (Re-evaluation)
Cumberland Housing Co-op Ltd (Re-evaluation)
Monaro Tenancy Scheme (Re-evaluation)
Twin Towns Housing Co-operative Ltd (Co-op) (Re-evaluation)
Community Housing Lower North Shore Ltd (Re-evaluation)
Pacific Link Community Housing Association Ltd Re-evaluation)
Sapphire Coast Tenancy Scheme (re-evaluation)
St George Community Housing Co-op Ltd (re-evaluation)
Burwood Area Community Housing (First Time)
Argyle Community Housing Association(Re-evaluation)
Homes Out West (Re-evaluation)
Wentworth Area Community Housing Association Ltd (Re-evaluation)
Lithgow CTS (First Time)
Western Plains Housing Scheme  (First Time)
Tamworth Community Housing Assoc Ltd (Re-evaluation)
Wellington Community Tenancy Scheme (First Time)
Women’s Housing Company Ltd (Re-evaluation)
HUME Community Housing Association Co Ltd (Re-evaluation)
Marrickvilee Area Community Housing Co-op Ltd (Re-eval)
Western Suburbs Housing Co-op Ltd (re-evaluation)
Parkes Fobes Community Housing (First Time)
Narrabri Community Tenancy Scheme (Re-evaluation)
Queanbeyan Community Housing (re-evaluation)
Inverell Community Housing
Central Tablelands Housing Association (re-evaluation)
South West Inner Sydney Housing Co-op
North Coast Community Housing Company (First time)