1. Improving lives Incommunities
NHC Scrutiny Conference 6th December 2016 Alison Leech Policy & Performance Manager Alex Brown Chair, Community Trust Panel
From LMT to CTP …..
The Incommunities Scrutiny Journey
A journey in Acronyms in true housing style
Not necessarlity the right, or the only way – just sharing our experience and some learning
Improving lives Incommunities

2. What we are covering today
Our journey from LMT (Local Management Trust) to CTP (Community Trust Panel)
Our strategy and revised approach
How this provides board with assurance
Your experience…

3. About Incommunities 22000 stock in West Yorkshire
Originally six housing associations
2003 became a single entity
Now 2 housing associations
Incommunities (Bradford council stock transfer) – main office in Shipley. Stock spread in city, market towns and rural areas
Sadeh Lok – BME housing association mainly Kirklees (West Yorkshire) based- joined 2015
A journey in Acronyms in true housing style
Not necessarlity the right, or the only way – just sharing our experience and some learning

4. Mindful of our duty to minimise interference, our fundamental
objective of supporting the provision of social housing and our
commitment to proportionate regulation, we take a co-regulatory approach. This means:
we regard board members and councillors as responsible for ensuring that providers’ businesses are managed effectively and that providers comply with all regulatory requirements
providers must support tenants to shape and scrutinise service delivery and to hold boards and councillors to account
we operate as an assurance-based regulator, seeking assurance from providers as to compliance with the standards. In other words, the onus is on providers to demonstrate their compliance to the regulator. Where we lack the requisite assurance, this will be reflected in the judgements we reach. HCA Regulating the standards July 2016 p.6

5. Our journey

6. Involvement pre- 2016 No single scrutiny panel
Four local management trusts (tenants and independents)
Combination of scrutiny and neighbourhood work
Centrally located involvement team
Customer inspectors reported in to all four LMT
Commitment in Involvement Strategy to review

7. What might need to change?
Discussion
What might need to change?
Why?

8. The Drivers New scrutiny approach Unclear decision making role
Four legacy trusts – hybrid?
Waste, cost and duplication
Unclear decision making role
Evidence true co-regulation
Clearer commissioning route for inspections
Group structure and future proofing

9. July 2015 Budget
1% rent cut
Staff restructuring and voluntary redundancies
Reduced involvement resource
Scrutiny, inspectors and equality groups retained at centre
Neighbourhoods to cover
Community resilience (new)
Tenants groups and grants
Neighbourhood ‘forums’
Some grey areas …?

10. The journey so far… Membership sub group established
Developed draft Terms of Reference
Consultation with wider LMT (01/16)
Incommunities Ltd. Approved 05/16
Group 06/16 (links to PPC)
Recruitment 08/16
First meeting 09/16
Sadeh Lok approved 09/16
Review Autumn 2017

11. Terms of Reference Consultation
We asked ….What do you think should be In
Out
Binned
We made clear which elements were essential
for regulatory or budget reasons

12. Our new approach

13. The Structure Group Board
Neighbourhoods
Housing Association Boards and Performance and Policy Committee
Community Groups
Aire Wharfe Neighbourhoods
Community Trust Panel CTP
Headway Neighbourhoods
NEST Neighbourhoods
West City Neighbourhoods
Scrutiny – Customer inspectors
Tenant & Resident
Associations

14. The journey so far… Membership sub group established
Developed draft Terms of Reference
Consultation with wider LMT (01/16)
Incommunities Ltd. Approved 05/16
Group 06/16 (links to PPC)
Recruitment 08/16
First meeting 09/16
Sadeh Lok approved 09/16
Review Autumn 2017

15. Functionial Split Community Trust: Focus on local issues Scrutiny
Policy Review
Commission Inspections
Service Standards and Performance
Part of Governance Structure - Supported by Policy and Performance team in Governance Directorate
Neighbourhood Groups:
Focus on local issues
Neighbourhood plans & local area budgets
Supported by the Neighbourhood Team (including Community resilience)
Open to all to attend
Committee of 3 or more
Sadeh Lok – separate approach
The overarching objective of the team is ‘to help improve the life chances of our residents especially those most affected by welfare reform’
How will we do this?
Principles
Assess the needs and barriers our residents face, identify realistic opportunities supporting a pathway to employment and self-reliance
Working with Community based organisations, TARA’s and other stakeholders who share our aims, supporting them to develop their effectiveness and service offer.
Empowering residents to help themselves and others in their community to become more self-reliant, focusing on digital inclusion/ICT training, financial management/debt advice and employability services.
Agree a common and shared understanding of the community resilience role within Neighbourhoods, so that Neighbourhood officers actively support the principles of this strategy in their day to day work.
Whilst our priority will be to support our residents we will work with those who live within the wider community where we have significant stock.

16. Community Resilience Resilience to changing environment
Individuals and communities
With not for
2 dedicated officers
Act as catalyst
Analysis of existing community centres and services
19 centres established so far
Prioritised on a number of external and internal factors
Employment
Rent arrears
ASB
Educational attainment
Discussions with NHO

17. Resilience in practice
Our Partnership offer to centres
Employment trainee community worker
Funding
Work clubs – at centres
121 support for individuals
Free access to community insight data
In return: Use of centre facilities as community base
Example – slovakian looking for work, qualified chef – help with CV

18. Discussion
What changes has your organisation made to scrutiny and involvement structures
Why?

19. Practicalities and linkages
Communication and links to wider governance structure
Issue logs and tracking of outcomes
Workplan
Academy, capacity building and support

20. CTP development Basics/Induction National and local policy context
E.g. code of conduct, safeguarding, data protection
National and local policy context
Understanding policy process
Workplan related
Service area specifics
VFM
Regulation
Individual development needs + ‘CTD’ , conferences
Academy strands
One to one discussions
Joint training with inspectors
Mainly in house
Experienced involved tenants but we went basics

21. How our inspectors work

22. Our inspector team Integral part of the scrutiny approach
Three major ‘customer interventions’ completed
Voids
Repairs
Incomes
Demand Capture
Strategic Plan : Focus on improving our service using systems thinking methodology to reduce waste and improve efficiency and effectiveness

23. Improving lives Incommunities
Why a systems approach?
Improving lives Incommunities
Our Plan
Focus on improving our service using systems thinking methodology to reduce waste and improve efficiency and effectiveness

24. Change & System Thinking
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them” Albert Einstein
Why we use a systems thinking approach – the link to thinking is what can drive the system, understanding and changing the thinking can lead to a better service for the customer
Conclude by talking around the changes that need to come from our thinking differently – no right way to do the wrong thing etc etc etc
Doing similar but (hopefully) better things, with no change in the underlying thinking is more or less the same thing.
There’s no right way, to do the wrong thing!

25. Purpose ..Something to guide you, give you direction & structure
“Repair my home first time at a time convenient to me”
Repairs Intervention
“To provide a safe and effective heating & hot water system, when needed”
Gas Intervention
“Help me find a suitable home when I need it”
Voids and Allocations Intervention
“Help me to affordably obtain, dispose or transport furnishings that are safe & suitable for my home when I need them”
Furniture Intervention
“Help me to live well and enjoy my home and neighbourhood responsibly, by offering support and ensuring that the duties of the landlord are fulfilled”
Neighbourhood Services Intervention
Purposes for all services that have gone through a System review

26. What is it? Systems Thinking Taking a customer perspective
Consider the whole system
Measuring what matters to our customer
Everyone is included in the journey, staff and customer
Design services to meet demand and to create value for our customers
No Targets: Seek perfection through continuous improvement
Systems Thinking
In it's simplest terms Systems Thinking can be defined as a way of looking at a system, it’s a management methodology which promotes common sense thinking, adaptability in the face of change and the elimination of waste in work processes.
Taking a customer perspective – establishing purpose with the customer – understanding what it is that we are here for.
Consider the whole system: Moving away from a traditional and often fragmented processes and sile working that often creates and also hides ineffective practice
Measure what matters to the customer

27. The Framework A continuous cycle of change and learning
Guides you, to encourage the THINKING 27

28. Model for check 1 Customers Purpose 2
We need to see the system through the eyes of the customer
The customers is the person or persons the system is there to serve 1
Purpose
What is it that we are here to do for the customer?
What are customers asking for? What do customers need from us? 2
7 Stages to Check
1 – 5: Tell us what is happening
6 & 7: Tell us why
Demand: Value & Failure – Type & Frequency
What matters to the customers – what are they asking for?
Are they asking because we failed to do or get something right in the first place? 3
System Conditions
What do we have to do as a Landlord to meet our legal & regulatory requirements? 6
Capability of Response
Measures: What does good look like? How well are we performing?
What should we measure to establish if we are getting it right for the customer? 4
Explain each aspect of the model for check
Focus on Understanding Customer and Demand – design and roll in depend upon this
Check is the most important stage of the framework, it’s the foundation for everything that follows
1 – 5 tell us what is happening
6 & 7 tell us why!
Flow: Value work & Waste
What does the journey for the customer look like?
How does it flow?
Thinking
What’s the organisation’s thinking? 7 5 28

29. Customer intervention process
Demand Capture
Establish purpose
Map flow
Emerging issues
Develop action plan
Report back
Demand Capture
Local management trusts identified priority areas
Map flow
Identify emerging issues
Develop action plan with management
Report back
presentation title

30. Other current/planned inspection work
Sheltered housing – following a customer complaint
Next inspection … new contact centre
Inspection of Sadeh Lok customer care (to prepare for customer excellence inspection)
presentation title

31. Recent changes
Single Scrutiny panel established- Community Trust Panel
Previously 4 LMT brought together to Commission
Inspection reports will go to CTP
Commissioning and prioritisation protocols need clarifying

32. Learning and reflection

33. Benefits of new structure
More effective links with Performance and Policy Committee and board structures
Experienced panel
Outcome focus
Reduced duplication
Clarity of roles
Links with inspectors and equality groups
Flexible approach to training and development via academy
Emerging profile in organisation is good ?
We will be able to evidence impact…..

34. Issues and challenges Panel drawn from existing LMT- refocus
Terms of reference
Gaining trust regarding escalation of issues
Develop relationship with inspectors
Resourcing without dedicated officer
Neighbourhoods still in development
Adjusting protocols and procedures to reflect new structures

35. Customer assurance - checklist
Involve customers in development – not just sign off
Listen first hand - strong links with board via Policy and Performance Committee
Agile training programme – current issues & consolidation
Issues logs [tracking important!]
Sound agenda planning linked to organisational and customer priorities
– our inspectors listen to customer demands rather than viewing documentation supplied by officers
presentation title

36. Recent developments Integrate Sadeh Lok – Panel Group wide
Continue roll out of Academy
Consolidate relationship with Policy and Performance Committee
Regular meetings with Chair
To do …….
Develop protocols for
Issues From Neighbourhoods/To PPC
Commissioning and prioritising inspections in new model
Prepare for 2017 review!

37. What next…?
What does the Autumn statement and the new government mean for Incommunities customers?
Customer contact & communication
Sustainability strategy

38. Thank you Any Questions Contact Policy and Performance Manager:
Alison Leech