Tenant Scrutiny advanced workshop Linda Levin Director Scrutiny

Tenant Scrutiny: advanced workshop Linda Levin Director Scrutiny & Empowerment Partners

What we will cover • Triggers for reviews • Circle of scrutiny • Communications and relationships • Independence

Triggers for reviews • How do you decide what topics to review & scrutinise? • What types of information do you consider? • How do you prioritise?

Triggers – hints and tips Key sources of data to consider: • Performance information • Customer satisfaction results • Status & STAR – comprehensive satisfaction surveys. • Complaints – formal and informal • Compliments • Staff satisfaction surveys

Triggers: hints and tips. . . cont’d Do your own research? • Speak to involved tenants and ask them to list the services that are most important to them, issues that they want addressing • Seek views of those who are not involved: – Telephone, door to door survey – Focus groups – Attendance at tenants’ conference, fun days and other organised events to gather views – If diversionary activities are in place, speak to young people who attend these – Invite comments on landlords’ website and Facebook page – Set up your own website and Facebook page

Good practice • Helena Homes Customer Excellence Panel has its own website www. excellence@helena. co. uk • Barnet Homes – use of social media & viewpoint letter to 800 tenants • High Peak CH Scrutiny Panel have their own pages in the tenants’ newsletter to promote what they do • Salix Homes’ Senate have a community call to action

Circle of Scrutiny • Do you have a robust, systematic approach to scrutiny? • Is it written down? • Has it been communicated beyond the scrutiny panel, e. g. to Board, staff and other tenants?

The circle of scrutiny Identify area to scrutinise and collect information Monitor and review – so what? Recommendations – evidenced based Compare and challenge

Fact finding • Start by inviting the manager responsible for the service to give you an overview of the service and who is involved in service delivery • Review of performance measures, service standards and local offers: – Performance levels, trends, targets • Review of key policies and procedures • Review of customer information about the service, including: – how promises and standards are communicated – any specific arrangements for vulnerable tenants?

Fact finding. . cont’d • The landlord’s last inspection or mock inspection – these reports are a useful source of information • Landlord’s last regulatory self assessment • In depth review of customer feedback including complaints and compliments • Do your own research or ask your customer inspectors to help e. g. Void checks, tenant survey, focus groups • Staff survey - what works well, what does not, what would you change? • Interviews & job shadowing

Compare and challenge • Benchmarking costs and performance through like of House. Mark • Identifying who is ‘top of class’ • Visits to speak to top performers and their tenants • What can your landlord learn from others? • Value for money is a key consideration – quality systems, well trained staff, focus customer excellence and on right first time

Recommendations • It is important to keep track of findings throughout the review process • Pulling your report together - do you have a template to follow? Who will write it? • Discuss findings with managers before Board meeting – and with Chair of Board if possible • Presenting to Board – use the report or summarise findings in a Power. Point presentation?

Monitor & evaluate • Action plan produced by officers – panel signs this off • Monitoring actions implemented, evaluating outcomes for tenants – the ‘so what’, question

Good practice • High Peak CH Scrutiny Panel – 42 recommendations from their voids review, strong focus on customer experience and value for money • Wirral Partnership Homes’ Advisory and Scrutiny Panel – significant savings reinvested in ASB service and improved customer feedback/satisfaction

Communications & relationships • What arrangements do you have in place to ensure close & effective working with: – Board – Managers and staff – Other tenants – Other scrutiny panels?

Communications and relationships: hints and tips • Critical for the success of the panel • Clear communications plan will set out clearly how the panel links with landlord, tenants, other key stakeholders • Invest time in building relationships – others must do the same. Clear commitment and support from the top of the organisation is essential.

Independence On a scale of one to five, how independent would you say your panel is? • One is very dependent on landlord to guide the panel, etc • Five is very independent – pick own scrutiny topics, write own reports, have made good contacts with other panels and have access to independent advice/support

Independence: Hints and tips • Panel chooses scrutiny topics – but will do some chosen by the landlord • Budget that the panel controls to secure the support and resources they need • A base where the panel can meet and keep documents • Independent coaching and mentoring, or access to other forms of independent advice and support – chosen by the panel

Good practice • Panels that have developed well and are more independent than most include: – Salix Senate and Soha Housing Panel – Green Square Group

Scrutiny accreditation • SEP scheme being piloted at the moment with 5 volunteer organisations and their tenants • Three levels of award : – Bronze – Silver – Gold • Recognition and learning • Action plan & hints and tips for those assessed to help them to continue to improve Speak to Linda or Yvonne if you are interested

Thanks for listening - any questions? linda@tenantadvisor. net Tel: 07967 342436 www. tenantadvisor. net