Resident Partnership Consultation
Octavia is part of the Abri Group
On Wednesday 18 December 2024, Abri welcomed London based housing provider Octavia Housing into the group following board approval in October. Octavia will operate as a separate legal entity under the Abri Group umbrella before fully transferring in 2025.
As a result, Abri Group now owns and manages more than 55,000 homes and various community assets, serving 114,000 customers. The completion marks a key milestone in Abri’s rollout of its regional model, with the introduction of a fourth region in London.
How we consulted with residents
We wrote to all residents in summer 2024 to ask them to let us know their views about our proposal to partner with Abri by joining the Abri Group.
Thank you to all of you who responded to tell us what you think. All feedback received was taken into consideration by the Octavia board in reaching their decision.
Just under 7 percent of residents responded to the consultation, which was more than we anticipated and, in itself, positive. Of those who responded, 66 percent said they were positive about Octavia joining the Abri group. Only 10 percent did not support the partnership, with 24 per cent not expressing a view either way. We are delighted that so many residents responded to the consultation. It gave us a great understanding of what matters most to you and what you want us to prioritise with the partnership.
In the consultation, residents identified their top priorities as:
- prioritising repairs and maintaining your home
- listening to you and responding more effectively when you contact us
- improving our services and your satisfaction with them
- keeping you safe
Read the Partnership Resident Consultation Report
Us this link to read the Abri Partnership Resident Consultation Report
To find out more about the consultation shared with residents over the summer, use the links below
Resident Consultation Easy Read PDF - July 2024
You can also view a short video about the consultation using this link
Octavia Resident Consultation - your questions answered (FAQs)
Here are some answers to questions asked about our proposed partnership with Abri.
Updated FAQs for residents – December 2024
Following feedback from our resident consultation over the summer, we updated our frequently asked questions about the partnership with Abri which has now completed. You will find all the questions themes, with answers, below:
Questions about Abri and the partnership
When will the partnership with Abri take place?
The partnership formally completed on 18 December 2024 with Octavia becoming a subsidiary of Abri Group. It will remain as a subsidiary for most of 2025, after which a transfer of engagements will take place and the two organisations will come together as one.
How large is Abri Group and how will Octavia be joined with it?
Abri is a housing association based in the south of England, with homes in the counties of Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. Prior to Octavia joining the Group, Abri had around 50,000 homes and various community assets and provided services to around 140,000 customers. The organisation delivers services on a regional basis so Abri has created a new London region based on Octavia’s housing stock.
Abri does not operate in the same geographical area as Octavia, so what are the benefits for them?
Although Abri didn’t previously operate within London, their southeast region reaches towards Slough and Langley, which is less than ten miles from the western edge of Octavia’s operating area in Hayes. There are clear benefits from the close proximity of both regions, including sharing of expertise and resources. The partnership has the potential to unlock greater investment in housing and support services, as well as protect the long-term provision of Octavia’s social and affordable homes in London. Joining with Abri will also increase our scale and influence in the housing sector, enabling us to do more for our customers and communities.
Will there be changes about how residents contact Octavia after the partnership starts?
No, there won’t be any change for some time after the partnership starts. Regional operations will be run from Octavia’s existing west London office, Emily House, 202-208 Kensal Road, W10 5BN. Please continue to contact Octavia in the same ways as you do now.
How can Abri afford to make the commitments?
Abri is a strong performing, financially resilient and profitable organisation. As a not-for-profit organisation, all surpluses are reinvested into the business, and that includes into plans for growth, which will further strengthen both Abri and the organisations it partners with.
Is there anything negative about Octavia joining with Abri?
We do not believe there will be any downside to joining the Abri Group, and that the partnership would only drive-up standards. Unfortunately, on its own, Octavia did not have the necessary resources to continue to invest fully in homes or improve its services to the standard you expect and deserve.
After careful consideration of multiple potential partners, Abri was chosen as Octavia’s preferred partner by the Octavia board. Abri has invested a lot of money in its homes, communities, people and systems over many years and continues to be in a strong financial position. It has an A3 credit rating and a G1/V1 ratings for governance and financial viability from the Regulator of Social Housing. Abri’s customer satisfaction scores are higher than Octavia’s and are also improving. This experience will be brought to bear in supporting improvements in Octavia’s service delivery.
Was resident feedback incorporated into partnership decision-making processes?
Yes, in the resident consultation over the summer of 2024 all residents were informed about the commitments that Abri will make to the partnership and we asked you to tell us what you think. The consultation with residents was an important part of the process. Nearly 7 per cent of residents responded to the consultation, with 66 per cent of them saying they were positive about Octavia joining the Abri group, 10 per cent were negative, with the remaining 24 per cent not expressing a view one way or the other. All feedback received from the resident consultation was considered by both the Octavia and Abri boards in reaching their decision to approve the final business case in October 2024.
We are delighted that so many residents responded to the consultation. It gave us a great understanding of what matters most to you and what you want us to prioritise with the partnership.
Why didn’t residents have a vote or say on who Octavia would like to partner with?
Octavia’s board chose Abri as its preferred potential partner after conducting a robust analysis and a competitive process. This involved considering several potential partners against strict criteria. There were quite a few organisations keen to partner with Octavia and the board felt that Abri was the one that best met our criteria. Abri values our heritage and shares our charitable purpose, values and vision. It is also a financially robust organisation with an A3 credit rating and a G1/V1 ratings for governance and financial viability from the Regulator of Social Housing.
How can we ensure the organisation will keep its family friendly community?
Abri has committed to protecting Octavia Hill's legacy, retaining the Octavia identity, and to maintaining and growing a strong presence in London. They recognise how highly regarded Octavia is by people we work with and in the communities where we operate. Abri shares Octavia’s commitment to ensuring that residents have a strong voice to influence what we do and how we do it by building on the work of our organisation, including our charitable foundation, and continuing to invest in communities.
Does Abri have sustainable/environmental policies that they will implement?
Abri is fully committed to helping tackle the climate crisis to protect its customers and business. Putting sustainability at the heart of all its plans is one of their six strategic priorities.
How will residents be kept informed and involved?
We will continue to keep you updated on developments as the partnership progresses. The Resident Panel will continue to be kept closely involved and we will share news through regular newsletters, and on our website.
Abri is an organisation that is committed to making sure customers have a voice. They have a scrutiny group, which reviews their work; a customer services committee that ensures they’re consulting with customers on anything that may impact services; and a wider resident involvement offer, which means customers can get involved and have a say on a wide range of topics.
Octavia’s homes will become the Abri London region. Each Abri region has a dedicated regional board and a regional customer panel to influence strategy and decisions being made in that area. The regions are represented at each Group Board meeting. At each meeting the Board has a dedicated session on the voice of the customer. The Board also meets with the Scrutiny Group twice a year for in-depth discussions about things that matter most to customers.
Questions about the management of homes and services
Will the partnership mean a review of the cost of rents and ensure fair service charges?
The amount of rent or service charge you pay won’t change just because Octavia has joined the Abri Group. Both Abri and Octavia are governed by the same rules on implementing rent increases. They will be set for the Group and residents notified in February about any increases that will apply from April 2025.
How will services be delivered or maintained in the future? Will there be an improvement in how planned repairs and maintenance are managed?
There will not be any disruption to current services. One of the commitments made by Abri is to work more effectively with Octavia’s repairs contractors, including Mears, to provide a repairs and maintenance service that meets residents’ expectations and represents good value for money.
Abri has invested a lot of money in its homes, communities, people and systems over many years and continues to be in a strong financial position. This means that, in the longer term, Octavia joining the Abri Group will see residents benefit from Abri’s ability to provide high-quality services.
Will the partnership affect current planned works programmes?
Any major works will go ahead and continue as planned. There’s a commitment to ensure that investment in homes and neighbourhoods is not diluted in any way from the plans that Octavia has. In fact, the aim is to increase investment in some areas such as making homes safer, warmer and more energy efficient, and safeguarding investment into the future for things such as kitchens and bathrooms. Abri has set out in its commitments that it will ensure that the future investment requirements for homes and estates are fully provided for within a long-term financial plan.
How will the partnership prioritise resident safety and dealing with anti-social behaviour?
Abri is committed to making sure that funds are available to deal effectively with any complaints and reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB). Abri deals with ASB by having a specialist team which is dedicated to dealing with reports of ASB and visits residents at their homes to address concerns. They also run an out of hours duty system to respond immediately to emergencies.
In Abri’s latest Resident Satisfaction Report, 81.8% of renters and 74% of shared owners were satisfied that their home is safe. Abri has a good record in providing safe, secure and well-maintained homes. Currently, Octavia is scoring significantly lower in resident satisfaction. The partnership with Abri will ensure better investment in resources to make homes safer and more secure.
Abri’s online reviews from customers are not always favourable, has this been taken into consideration?
Abri values and listens carefully to all customer feedback, be that through on-line reviews or through a formal complaints process, and actively encourages customers to highlight areas where it can improve. They admit they do get things wrong, but they are committed to always listen, learn from mistakes and above all, to do all they reasonably can to put matters right. There is an ongoing process of service improvement, which has resulted in Abri’s Trust Pilot rating improving to 'Excellent' in November 2024.
Abri continually tracks customer satisfaction of key services (such as repairs) through independently conducted research and responds to customers individually to resolve any issues. Customer satisfaction with Abri’s repairs service remains high (93.5% in November 2024), completing over 96% of jobs on time. Abri is committed to improving customer service and is investing in its homes, communities, and people to do so. In addition, Abri continues to receive the highest possible rating (G1/V1) from the Regulator of Social Housing and is a strategic partner of Homes England. Abri remains a well-run organisation that values the importance of well-trained and committed colleagues and is continually focusing on improving the quality of services for customers.
Will my tenancy/legal rights be affected?
No, your tenancies and legal rights are not affected, and Octavia continues as your landlord. If you’re a tenant, then your security of tenure is unchanged. If you have a lease, then your relationship with Octavia is unchanged. You should continue to pay your rent and other charges the same way as you do now. All of the options that Octavia provides you with to pay your rent are replicated by Abri.
Will I be able to buy my home under ‘Right to Buy’?
This is a statutory scheme and only applies to a very small number of Octavia properties. The government does not intend to extend this right to other homes owned by housing associations, so we do not expect this to be offered on our properties.
How will you deal with tenancy fraud i.e. sub-letting and/or illegal occupation?
We take tenancy fraud extremely seriously and will investigate any reports of possible tenancy fraud. We encourage residents to report any issues with suspected tenancy fraud to us so that we can look into this. This approach will continue under the new partnership.
Independent living and extra care
What will happen to Octavia’s extra care, independent living and sheltered housing schemes? Will there be better support for people with a disability and better care for older/ vulnerable residents?
Services to Octavia’s independent living schemes, sheltered homes and extra care schemes will continue as usual. Abri has set out its commitment that they remain great places to live for older residents and for those who have vulnerabilities.
There are no plans to change Octavia’s commitment to providing specialist adaptations to homes for older people. Abri has a number of similar homes, and we can learn from each other how to continue to improve services for older people and others with vulnerabilities.
Shared owners
Will the partnership make it more affordable for shared owners and leaseholders to extend leases and /or buy more shares in their home (staircasing)?
The extension of leases is covered by legislation, and we will follow the current approach when requests are made. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, when fully implemented, will change the way that the costs are calculated and we support the benefits that this will bring to our leaseholders and shared owners. We encourage shared owners to staircase where it is affordable and are looking at ways to facilitate the purchase of smaller shares with reduced administration costs.