Enable Housing Association - our journey
More than two decades of working in partnership.
2011 – Achieved Investors in People Silver Award.
2010 - Successful reaccreditation of Investor in People Award at Bronze level. Celebration of Enable’s 20th Anniversary with a big party at the Winding Wheel in Chesterfield. Ongoing fundraising events throughout the year. Chief Executive Jackie King-Owen received the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce’s Enterprising Businesswoman of the Year Award and High Flyer Award.
2009 - Saw the head office of the Enable Group move to the new premises at Ellen House. In October saw the success of the TUPE Project with 182 NHS staff transferring to ECHS as part of the absorption of all registered care staff with the appointment of Assistant Director for Registered Care to oversee the integration of the NHS staff into the ECHS. Staffside Committee set up to discuss employer/employee issues with relevant trade bodies.
2008 - Opened a shared house in Staveley. An extension to a property in Doveholes helped to provide a fourth bedspace for a person with wheelchair needs. Awarded national Skills for Care Accolade for innovative social work students placements.
A service user’s bedroom
2007 - A new Committee structure was introduced in January. Purchased another house in Chesterfield to meet the needs of a service user. EHA to run Strawberry Fayre Cafe, Nottinghamshire on weekends and bank holidays. Received an A/B rating as an accredited City and Guilds Centre. July sadly saw the closure of S41 due to lack of funding. Shoestring Snacks Buffet relocated to Huthwaite. Visit from 4 Gozitans for staff training. EHA involved in TUILIP Project aimed at interprofessional learning (Joint Department of Health funded project Sheffield Hallam and Trent University). Reaccredited with Investors in People for a further 3 years.
A spectacular poppy, photographed by Enable Resource Centre’s Sit n Click group
2006 - Agreed to work in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Service User Forum produced a Directory of Accessible Facilities. EDGE Project led to two students on placement in Gozo, Malta (from Sheffield Hallam University). There was a visit by a Speech Therapist from Gozo. Successful Supporting People Review. EHA will be providing housing management for Stepping Stones Project in Mansfield (12 flats). Domiciliary care inspection resulted in 3 star status. The inspectors said that we touched on a 4 star for service user involvement. November saw the official opening of the EDGE Charity Shop in Grassmoor by Natasha Engel MP. There was an increase in service users attending Enable Resource Centre at Tibshelf.
2005 - Shoestring Smart Kids opened in Clay Cross. Extensions at a nursing home and a new conservatory and quiet room at another. Purchase of a bungalow at Clay Cross and a large dwelling in Chesterfield. Set up First Base Project to encourage young people into a career in care. Golding House Resource Centre reached its 10th Anniversary and the Medway Centre its 5th.
2004 - EHA purchased a shop in Tibshelf and Shoestring Snacks moved in. Huthwaite Project set up. EHA/DCHS is accredited as an Investor in People for second time. Morris House Training Centre at Mastin Moor opened. This provided a venue for all staff training and for meetings. S41 Resource Centre opened.
Barbara in the computer room
2003 - New three-bed bungalow for wheelchair users at Grassmoor and purchase of land for future projects. The Service User Forum set up to allow increased service user involvement. Shoestring Snacks, using a rented shop, opened in Tibshelf. EHA purchased two properties for service users in Alfreton. Enable Resource Centre opened in Tibshelf, providing day activities for 15 service users.
2002 - Formal link made with Adult Training Centre in Gozo and the EDGE (Enable Derbyshire Gozo Exchange) Project set up. Purchase of new properties including development at Chesterfield and Sutton in Ashfield. Jackie King-Owen takes on new post as Chief Executive Officer of both organisations. New organisational structure implemented.
2001 - New office and resource centre in Tibshelf. Castle Project opened in Chesterfield for young homeless people. New House opened in Alfreton using private finance from local building society. Conversion of a house owned by EHA in Matlock. Purchase of new house in the High Peak. Two new bungalows in Sutton in Ashfield for eight people with complex needs and provision of localised day care.
2000 - Two bungalows built and rented from Derwent HA in order to provide move-on accommodation for older people with learning difficulties who had moved out of Whittington Hall Hospital in the first phase. Three-bed house opens for care leavers in Matlock. Flat rented in Chesterfield to provide move-on accommodation. Converted a property in Chesterfield to provide a three bed bungalow and separate self-contained flat. EHA/DCHS awarded Investors in People status. Medway centre in Bakewell launched.
1999 - EHA purchased a house for the last service user to be re-housed from the Whittington Hall Hospital. Two flats opened in Cresswell and a four-bed bungalow built on a private estate in Dove Holes funded wholly by DCHS and EHA.
The art group at work
1998 - Poolsbrook Village Centre opens its doors. Two shared ownership schemes set up in Buxton. Two flats renovated and leased back to EHA to provide much-needed social housing in Bakewell. EHA also purchased a house opposite Victoria Street Hostel in Chesterfield. Four-bed house purchased by EHA in order to re-house four men with learning difficulties also in Chesterfield. Service user attended a second People First Conference in Alaska USA.
1997 - Three flats converted in Chesterfield by a private builder and leased back to EHA for ten years. Golding House Resource Centre and the eight flats above it win the Town Planning Institute Award for Partners in Action.
1996 - Twelve people with learning difficulties re-housed following the closure of Ashbrook Hostel in Chesterfield. EHA moved to new offices at numbers 6 and 8 Marsden Street retaining number 9 for ‘Our Vision Our Future’, an advocacy project for people with learning difficulties.
1995 - Two supported houses open in Buxton. Golding House Resource Centre and the eight flats above it purchased and converted to provide a service to local people with learning difficulties.
1994 - Edinburgh Court 14 flats for young people opened in Chesterfield. Since then, over 100 young people have been housed there. EHA moved to its first dedicated office at number 9 Marsden Street Chesterfield and takes on the lease for ‘Unit 10 - A one stop shop for young people’.
1993 - House rebuilt for owner-occupier in Hathersage. Conversion of two wards at Whittington Hall Hospital into Meadowview Nursing Home in order to re-house the last 24 patients before the new community care legislation came into effect. The project was officially opened by Princess Diana in June of that year. The same month two tenants were sponsored to attend The People First conference in Canada to talk about living independently
1992 - Hardwick Close built. Two 4-bed bungalows for eight people with complex needs moved out of Whittington Hall Hospital.
1991 - EHA set up with a £500 grant from DCHS (on March 28th 1991). Independent Living Project established. 20 young people with learning difficulties housed.
The bird watching group take a break
