Customer First Committee Report

Date: 23 May 2011
Written by: Graeme Beedham
Presented by: Colin Thomas

FOR INFORMATION

Briefing on the revised role the National Residents Group

1.0 Summary

1.1 This paper provides a briefing to the Customer First Committee on the revised role of the NRG, the CFC’s redefined relationship with the NRG and feedback from the weekend induction of new NRG members on the 19th and 20th March 2011.

2.0 Recommendations

2.1 Customer First Committee is asked to note the contents of this report.

3.0 Background

3.1 Between January and March the NRG re-evaluated its role as part of a strategic review of resident involvement at MHP. The review taking account of:

a drive within the business to improve business efficiency, service delivery and Value For Money (VFM); and
a new approach to regulating social housing (co-regulation) where robust self-regulation by MHP board needs to incorporate a higher level of resident involvement, which is subject to a ‘lighter touch’ external regulation (currently the TSA).
For MHP, scrutiny is about residents being able question why decisions are made, challenge poor performance and make improvement recommendations. Our recent Audit Commission Inspection and our TPAS resident involvement validations told us that we need to do more to ensure that genuine resident scrutiny is happening. As a result, last year Customer First Committee asked for Scrutiny Committees to be established in each of the businesses. Work has already begun to develop these groups. There is however, a need for scrutiny of MHP Board itself as well as a resident group to provide oversight of each of the SCs and our approach to involvement generally. It was acknowledged that the NRG were in a strong position to take on this role.

4.0 Role of the NRG

4.1 At its February meeting the NRG adopted a revised Terms of Reference (attached). Its new role is defined in the paragraphs below.

4.2 The NRG will receive a summarised report from the MHP Board following each Board meeting setting out key decisions made and the rationale for the decisions. This will be the same summary provided to the CFC. Through the Customer First Committee, the NRG will have the opportunity to ask why decisions have been made, within an agreed range, and specifically where there is an impact on customers. The NRG may also receive a summarised report from the business’ Boards. A standard reporting template will be agreed.

4.3 The NRG will receive reports from each business Scrutiny Commitee setting out:

Problems identified
Recommendations made to Regional Boards to improve
Outcomes – or actions taken by Regional Boards as a result of SC recommendations.

4.4 To enable the NRG to challenge performance, at each meeting, members will receive an agreed suite of performance indicators. This will be a defined number based upon, customer priority areas for improvement. Performance will be compared across businesses and against peers. Where there are identified areas of concern, the NRG, with the support of officers will act as commissioners to the annual Customer Inspection Programme. Inspection reports and recommendations will be approved by the NRG, prior to CFC approval.

4.4 The NRG will monitor and sign off the resident involvement impact assessment process including:

Common methodology across business
Costs of resident involvement per property
Outcomes of involvement and value for money of involvement activities
Benchmarking across businesses
Challenging activities the do not provide VFM
Recommend RI approach for the next year
Monitor performance against the action plan

4.6 The NRG will influence and approve the annual resident involvement training programme for staff and residents, required to ensure that effective involvement happens, and manage the NRG’s training budget.

4.7 The NRG will monitor how customer profiling is being used by MHP to shape services around the needs of residents and provide VFM.

4.8 The NRG will provide the final customer sign off for all MHP customer facing policies and or changes to service delivery. This will include policy review and new policies. The author will be required to present to the NRG a summary of:

Reason for the policy (legislation/regulation etc.)
The key changes made is a policy review
Resident consultation and the changes made as a result of the consultation
Approval/ or further action required prior to approval
They may also fulfil the role of a customer consultative focus group in the development of new business / strategies across the Partnership

4.9 The NRG will send a standard report with recommendations to each CFC meeting.

5.0 2011 Meeting Dates

NRG meeting	Venue	Customer First Committee Dates	Comments
21st May 2011	MIC, London	23rd May 2011	It will be too late for recommendations from the 21st May NRG meeting to the CFC meeting. However a report will go to the CFC explaining the role of the NRG as well as feeding back on the induction.
16th July 2011	MIC London	6th September 2011	Recommendations from the CFC meeting on 16th July will go to the CFC on the 6th September.
24th September 11	Jurys Inn, Nottingham		Feedback from the 6th September CFC to this meeting.
5th November 2011	Best Western Gonville, Cambridge	22nd November 2011	Recommendations from the 5th November NRG to the 22nd November CFC.

6.0 NRG Induction of New Members

6.1 Following a successful recruitment drive, the NRG have welcomed five new members: Hamid Behvandi from Derby, Anne Bethell from Nottingham, and Trudy Hughes, Fredrick Limbaya and Jennifer Corbett, all from London. The NRG now have ten of the twelve members allowed for in its Terms of Reference. We are continuing to recruit to find the additional two members.

6.2 A weekend event was held at the MIC in Euston on the 19th & 20th March to induct, members into the NRG’s new role.

6.3 The two days consisted of interactive Board member and staff led sessions:

Introduction to MHP	Aniekan Umoren & Sheree Russell
Structure of MHP	Sheree Russell
CSDM	Aniekan Umoren
Resident self-lead regulation	Graeme Beedham
Customer Inspection	Pat Goldfeather and Anne Trentham
Policy and Performance	Colin Thomas
Rebranding of the NRG	Clare Noonan and Lesley Gordon

6.4 On Sunday 20th NRG members agreed their business plan for 2011-12 setting out what they would like to achieve over the next year. This document is attached.

6.5 NRG members very much welcomed a closer working relationship with the CFC and the Board as a whole.

6.6 NRG members rated the event at 9 out of 10 in terms of meeting their expectations and 9 out of 10 for satisfaction in the way the event was organised and conducted.

7.0 The next steps

7.1 The NRG’s next meeting will be held on the 21st May. At this meeting members will begin to consider performance reports and the pattern of complaints, the report from MHP Boards and the scrutiny reports.

7.2 The NRG will also be scrutinising resident consultation around the Neighbourhood Review Policy, receiving feedback from the Voids Inspection and have asked for a report on how the organisation is responding to the housing benefit changes and changes arising from the Comprehensive Spending Review

7.3 It is anticipated that the first recommendations from the NRG to the CFC will be to the July meeting in this standard reporting format. However CFC are asked to be patient whilst this new group finds its feet. The NRG business plan is very much about self development to ensure within 12 months they become very effective at their role. The NRG will be receiving additional tailored training to ensure that this happens.