- 1. Policy Progress 2008Nick Bennett and Ian Williams Community
Housing Governance Conference
2. Context 2007
- New National Assembly Powers
3. National Council Priorities for 07/08
- 30m extra Social Housing Grant (SHG)
- To increase by 26m by 2010/11
4. Priorities for 2008
- Ensuring that we are all equipped for the regulatory reviews
outcome
-
- The need to focus on Governance so that we are fit to face the
future
- That we build on our improving relationship with local
government pre- and post election-
-
- We need to measure our economic and social impact- so we know
what difference we are making under a new regulatory regime
- That we welcome new members and maintain unity as we develop as
a movement
5. The changing face of the sector
2003 63,527 2004 72,113 2005 73,262 2006 74,174 2007 75,032 2008
98,230 2009 115,500? 2010 124,500? 6. The changing face of the
sector
7,000+? 2010 6,000+? 2009 5,000 2008 4,054 2007 3,935 2006 7.
Lets look to the future with renewed confidence
- We are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again
Barack Obama 27/01/08
8. The Review of Regulation Adolygu Rheoleiddio Sue Essex 9.
Review of Governance Adolygiad Llywodraethu Paul Griffiths Public
Services Consultant Ymgynghorydd Gwasanaeth Cyhoeddus 10. Context
of Review
- A higher political priority for affordable housing
- The case for more focussed external regulation the Essex
Review
- The need for external confidence in self-regulation
11. Review Method
- Short and sharp - 2 months, 30 days
- A study of 3 Associations
- Interview of at least one member of most other boards
- Learning from this Conference
12. Board Membership Tenant Members
- Committed and well supported
- Provide the essential citizen focus housing
- associations can be the beacon of Welsh
- Need to be rooted in a well supported network
- Can be recruited where the roots are strong
- and well nourished advantage of a
13. Board Membership Professional Members
- A reasonable balance of skills and expertise
- Widespread commitment and motivation
- Open recruitment is bearing fruit
- Open recruitment is consistent with pro-active marketing of
opportunities
- The tap on the shoulder and ratification by shareholders is not
legitimate!?
14. Board Membership Partnership Members
- Appointments based on members position within local authority
or health organisation
- Can provide valuable links and relationship building with
partners
- Only succeeds on the basis of shared investment in partnership
working
15. Do Boards Make a Difference? Strategic Direction
- A Clear Diversity of Strategy community basis, market led,
extra care/residential care, special needs, homelessness, working
with private landlords, developing home ownership, community
regeneration.
- Whose strategy? evidence of Boards providing initiative and a
brake
- Significance of Away- Days
16. Do Boards Make a Difference? Challenging Performance
- Regular performance reporting
- How well is information presented and used?
- Some evidence of performance monitoring changing practice
- Support and Challenge, Critical Friend
- Is there enough grit in the system?
17. Do Boards make a Difference? Financial Management
- Significance of specialist board members
- Significance of internal and external auditors to support
boards
- The importance of the non-specialist
- The biggest risk to reputations?
18. Do Boards Make a Difference? Setting the tone, values,
culture
- Boards do not manage staff
- Boards appoint the chief executive
- Can boards develop some relationship with staff, sufficient to
influence attitudes?
19. Do Boards Make a Difference? Developing Partnerships
- Responding to housing needs, meeting care needs, giving
confidence and skills tocommunities all require effective
partnerships.
- Are the Board the outward face of the Association making the
external and political relationships?
- Is partnership what the chief executive does?
20. A New Model of Self Regulation?
- WAG sets out clear expectations of Boards on the
self-assessment of performance and the evaluation of
developments
- The Boards create procedures and implement them in meeting WAG
expectations
21. A New Model of Self Regulation?
- The external regulator monitors the process of self regulation
and the results
- External appraisal is risk based focussing on lapses in process
and declared gaps in performance
- External appraisal has a focus on the big picture the synergies
and viability of medium and long term development plans
22. Learning from each other
- Despite CHC Conferences, Boards are not good at learning from
each other?
- We get comparative information from our chief executive
- Competition gets in the way of shared learning
- Shared learning takes too much time
- What potential for the Steve Cranston web-based conversations?
could you provide another beacon for Welsh public services?
23. Giving the public confidence
- The public do not understand what RSL Boards are?
- It does, if you want to self regulate the use of public money
in achieving public goals
- How can Boards have a more transparent public profile?