Here is a report from Grant Thornton, sharing experience

Grant Thornton tell us how they have reviewed over a  number of years the work of the 350 FTSE companies and how we can draw lessons from this for our own governance

This government consultation on section 21 removal (no fault evictions) closes early Oct.

The consultation can be found here.

Here is the review .

It includes case studies and key messages for reporting breaches of consumer regulation, assurance through governance of compliance and some important messages on the culture of your organisation when dealing with complaints and listening to customers and then evidencing actions as a result

Consumer_Regulation_Review_2018-19 (1)

Here is the agenda

Agenda Scrutiny.Net GPHG 3.7.19. docx

Here are the presentations

Consumer regulation

Consumer regulation and Hackitt – where are we

Yvonne picked up the related presentations, news and views in from the CIH conference on this, including the delay in the information on the NTV. This is awaiting a settle Housing Minister post brexit, to ensure nothing is un-done when agreed.

National Housing Federation NW Update – July

We commented that many of the matters in Hackitt referred to customer involvement and may not get picked up by repairs teams in the assumption that change was being made by involvement teams.

BSP_consultation

Building A Safer Future

BSP_consultation long

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/building-a-safer-future-proposals-for-reform-of-the-building-safety-regulatory-system

The response is that of the government to the Hackitt review, matters are yet to become law and may come through changes in consumer regulation in the much awaited Housing White Paper.

• GPHG have a great leaflet on their website on health and safety advice to tenants, they have mobilised walkabouts and focused attention of these on health and safety
• Six Town Housing have a new Building Safety Policy and have reviewed with residents the role of caretakers
• Arawak Walton have mobilised volunteers

Together with Tenants – an appreciative enquiry response

TWT App Scrut – opener

Yvonne took us through one of the early research pilots work at Yorkshire Housing and shared approaches so far – feel free to adapt the slides used for your own approach.

https://www.housing.org.uk/topics/together-with-tenants

We discussed the 90+ HA organisations who had agreed to pilot with the NHF and the intention that there would be about 12 research pilots – yet to be agreed.

The Tenant Advisory Panel has now formed and are sifting information from the initial consultation to refine the 8 commitments – hopefully to reduce their number and show clarity and difference from the regulatory standards

We will invite YH to a future meeting to inform us of their next steps and roll out – possibly January?

Date and time of next meetings:

23rd Oct – Six Town Housing

22nd January – Leeds City Council

Here is the update from the government in April 2019:

Here are 2 reports worth a nose on this subject, for businesses and for communities:

Ebook – 2019 Community Predictions

Altair_Future_Gazing_Report_2019_online

Thanks to Torus for hosting.

We had a busy agenda as always and a guest from the NHF.

Here are the notes of the meeting:

Rebuilding trust between tenants and Housing Association (HA) landlords

Together with Tenants and the NHF Housing Advisory Panel

www.housing.org.uk/topics/together-with-tenants/open-consultation-on-our-plan/

Guest Speaker: Ciarán Tully, External Affairs Manager – North West, NHF

• Ciaran talked us through the intent of the NHF on the Tenant Charter which all HAs are being asked to sign up to and will provided comments on improvements to the Charter
• Ciaran gave us an update on the progress of the NHF Housing Advisory Panel and its purpose.
• We had a long debate on meanings of sentences and there was s strong request about back up from regulation for consumer standards. Yvonne agreed to summarise this and respond to the NHF.
• This will appear here when written!
• The LAs at Leeds and West Lancs in the room, drew some ideas from how this coudl possibly be adapted for their own needs
• (See update later on the NTV which is multi – tenure)
• We agreed to invite Ciaran back regularly so he can keep us abreast of learning.
• Torus are happy to facilitate the learning and to give us a room for this

Housing Action Panel

The purpose of the Panel will meet quarterly in London and will:

• advise, support and challenge on going development of the NHF tenant/landlord relationship
• assess how the elements of TWT have been implemented at a sector level, by examining evidence and information
• make recommendations to the NHF based on evidence

The Centre for Public Scrutiny will co-ordinate meetings and agree protocols for sharing information more widely. the Panel will sit for an initial period of 12 months.

Here is the NHF presentation:

Together with Tenants – Liverpool 2 April

There was some frustration that the NHF have gone ahead and populated the panel  giving very little time for residents to volunteer or for messages to get out to residents about the opportunity. The closing date had been extended from 15th March to 3rd April but none of the involvement officers present had known this and they now have enough to form a Panel.

Strengthening consumer redress – Housing Ombudsman Consultation responses

Yvonne Davies

In November 2017, the government consulted on dispute resolution in social and the private sector housing, they have just released their response to questions including:

• How the current redress landscape works
• Whether there was a case for streamlining redress services;
• How we might improve ‘in house’ complaints processes, looking at the practices and processes in redress and what we might do to improve these; and
• How to fill the gaps in access to redress services in housing with a particular focus on buyers of new build homes and private rented sector tenants.

Yvonne summarised the issues and responses and we discussed what this means for landlords and tenant engagement in complaints.

We discussed some ideas in the consultation, which will be firmed up in the Spring Social Housing Green paper around more powers for the Housing Ombudsman and  the new Redress Reform Working Group remit which would develop new Housing Ombudsman service, including accessibility, transparency, timeliness and sanctions for landlords, and advice and advocacy for residents.

We agreed that advocacy would be important for residents who do not want to be seen to moan or complain.

We welcomed the opportunities for private tenants and homeowners to have access to a Housing Ombudsman.

We noted that the Housing Ombudsman has suggested they take on all social housing matters – including complaints about LA statutory duties, suggesting a new single Private Sector Ombudsman might undertake the duties for the PRS and Homeowners.

Ultimately we felt that revised consumer regulation and the code of practice within this might be the best way forward to change the culture in organisations, which would also support issues in the Green paper on social housing stigma.

the majority of landlords have now moved to a 3 stage process of informal complaint or concern, formal compliant and appeal. There were differing approaches to having residents at Stage 3 decision making, with some organisations having a an internal complaints panel for lessons learnt

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/773161/Strengthening_Consumer_Redress_in_the_Housing_Market_Response.pdf

Here is the presentation:

Strengthening Consumer Redress

Integrated Communities Strategy – MHCLG Consultation response and action plan

Yvonne Davies

In March 2018, the Government published the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper for consultation on the Government’s vision for building integrated communities where people – whatever their background – live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities.

It chimes with information in the Social Housing Green Paper issues about Stigma of Social Housing, picking up themes like leadership, migration, children, segregation, local economy, equal rights and what works

Yvonne summarised the issues and responses and we discussed what this means for landlords, tenants and community engagement.

We agreed a leadership course for local leaders – formal or informal leaders was an excellent idea, but the action plan assumed these people were Local Authorities or statutory agencies – this, we felt was a missed opportunity.

Incommunities had been involved in initial consultation as they are one of 5 pilots, but the projects and new and their future engagement in the projects is not yet clear.

LMH had some great multi cutural working examples in Liverpool 8 (Toxteth) which had supported both integration, trust, respect and understanding amongst voluntary groups to share.

Generally there are opportunities for access to funds on good neighbour and other schemes (see the presentation) but much of the work in the strategy concentrates on new migrant communities and so the links to Community development for many of the group were tentative – we hope the good practice portal  run by a new Cohesion and Integration Network will hold some interesting information for us to follow up.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/integrated-communities-action-plan

Here is my presentation:

Integrated Communities Strategy and action plan

On the Couch – information requirements and sharing

Geographical challenges in setting up meetings with customers where few people attend – any solutions? (Tracy Jagger, Habinteg)

Whilst some HAs had tried Regional Panels, most of these had been closed down due to duplication and costs.

none of the HAs that attended the meeting had the geographical challenges of Habinteg.

The best examples of those operating across regions come from Amicus Horizon – now Optivo who do a number of local events to build up capacity for a larger Panel, but during this time, take time to pick up on local issues through tents on estates and having a focussed target of meetings throughout the year for a presence in every region for engagement.

Ideas on getting e mail addresses for/and customer profiling– (Tracy Jagger, Habinteg)

The various members in the room reported different approaches on GDPR – some had lost and were building up their digital voice again as some GDPR consultants and staff had interpreted the legislation differently.

Some GDPR leads had suggested that due to residents not expressly saying in writing that they are available for comment, that the information could not be collected.

Many organisations are currently having a push through front line staff and contractor contact for e mail addresses and an idea of whether they can be texted and whether access to the internet is by phone only.

National Tenant Advisory Panel progress – MHCLG (Yvonne)

Yvonne updated on the meeting she had been invited to with the electoral reform society and 2 other (non national Tenant organisation) influencers.

The MHCLG are interested in how they might engage on line and regionally to hear the wider voice of residents. They may have a Panel which is refreshed annually to over see and interpret that work.

We discussed ideas around the review of consumer regulation prior to issue, review of govt policy on housing and related matters prior to issue so that the Panel can bite off something within their guidance first.

We also discussed the way in which this could be a multi tenure Panel with annual or similar short term membership- the HAP is merely for HA tenants.

MHCLG have agreed to monitor the success of the HAP recruitment, as they are also keen to get a diverse group of residents to join the Panel.

We felt it was important to also get information out vulnerable residents on oportunities to participate but also the activities of the new NTV.

Resident Voice Team – call for evidence – role of residents in keeping buildings safe  (Yvonne)

Consultation has just closed on ideas for engaging residents in building safety – we await the Social Housing White paper which is promised to provide the outcomes of the governments response to ideas shared during consultation

MHCLG – High Rise Group  (Yvonne)

Yvonne shared information from  Involve, the consultancy appointed to work with a mix of tenants and residents and owners of Multi-story homes, who have acted as a sounding Board for MHCLG in reviewing some safety documents and regulation, prior to them being issued for wider consultation. MHCLG are pleased with the work of the group so far as they feel the contribution has been helpful, it is hoped that this will pave the way for a similar conversation with residents through the NTV.

Future events

• NHC Resident Involvement Conference, 19^th June 2019
• NHC Tenant Panel Conference, 21^st November 2019

Future meetings for 2018/19

Wednesday 3^rd July, Great Places HG – Manchester

Wednesday 23^rd October – Six Town Housing, Bury

Wednesday 22^nd January, Leeds City Council

This document reports the outcome of the consultation on a proposed direction to the Regulator of Social Housing (‘the Regulator’) on social housing rents from 1 April 2020 onwards.

Consultation_Response_document_-_25-02-19

The consultation covered a proposal to issue a new direction from the Secretary of State to the Regulator to ensure that, from 2020 onwards, the Regulator’s rent standard:

• reflects our announcement in October 2017 that we intend to permit registered providers of social housing to increase their rents by up to CPI+1% each year, for a period of at least 5 years
• applies to local authority registered providers (as well as to private registered providers)

The direction also sets out the basis on which social rents and affordable rents are set.

See the direction on the rent standard 2019 and policy statement on rents for social housing.

Here is a list with links of the latest information to come out of MHCLG:

1. Rents for social housing from 2020-21
   • 26 February 2019
   • MHCLG
   • Consultation outcome
2. Tackling homelessness together
   • 21 February 2019
   • MHCLG
   • Open consultation
3. Integrated Communities Strategy green paper
   • 9 February 2019
   • MHCLG
   • Consultation outcome
4. Strengthening consumer redress in housing
   • 24 January 2019
   • MHCLG
   • Consultation outcome
5. Improving access to social housing for members of the Armed Forces
   • 9 January 2019
   • MHCLG
   • Open consultation
6. Good practice on how residents and landlords work together to keep their home and building safe: call for evidence
   • 18 December 2018
   • MHCLG
   • Closed consultation

Here is a useful document on promoting your engagement  from our friends at Bang the Table:

50-Ways-to-Promote-Your-Engagement-Project