Phil Morgan’s Annual Report 2015
As a keen advocate of landlords
producing annual reports as part of their accountability to tenants and
stakeholders, it’s only right that I do the same. So welcome to my fifth annual
report – read and enjoy.
Consultancy
Central
& Cecil Housing Trust
C&C has been a consistent
client over the past five years. I’ve worked primarily with the trust in
supporting its Resident Scrutiny Panel. The panel has worked on service reviews for
tackling antisocial behaviour and now resident engagement in care – I believe this
is the first review of its type. I support the panel to scope and capture its service
reviews, I facilitate the away day and I train panel members in complaints. The
complaints panel consists exclusively of residents. I’m pleased to see that the
panel has been a fundamental part of a culture change within C&C over those
five years. This year I carried out C&C’s second regulatory compliance
check. Now a regulatory requirement for social landlords, C&C is well ahead
of the game.
Genesis
Housing Association
I worked with Genesis over the
past year supporting its Customer Scrutiny Panel. I helped recruit, induct and train the panel,
supporting its two service reviews into service charges and reporting repairs. I
also worked with Genesis managers to ensure that staff buy into the concept of
scrutiny and understand how it can help in their roles.
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
I continued my mentoring role for
Kingston Residents’ Scrutiny Panel
(KRISP) – scoping and capturing its service reviews into service charges
and complaints. I also mentored the chair and vice-chair. The panel has now
completed three robust reports and I am repeating earlier work to ensure new
staff have an understanding of the important role of scrutiny.
Waltham
Forest Housing Association
I worked on a governance review with Waltham Forest Housing Association. We
covered compliance with the 2015 National Housing Federation Code of Governance
and Regulatory Framework, board appraisal, appointing tenant board members and
established the basis for a new scrutiny panel. This highlighted the importance
of compliance as a driver for improvement and the need to regularly review structures
and approaches.
Peak Valley
Housing Association
I carried out two training
sessions for Peak Performance, Peak Valley’s scrutiny panel. We focused on
understanding key performance indicators and developing members’ roles as
champions in interviewing and reporting.
Rooftop
Housing Group
I recently complete a triennial
review of Rooftop's approach to resident involvement. I undertook a desktop review,
interviewed residents and staff, and identified best practice. The review
highlighted the importance of recruiting and involving new residents to relieve
the pressure on a small group of (dedicated) residents. We also considered new
ways of engaging young people.
Wrekin
Housing Trust
I carried out three pieces of
work for Wrekin Housing Trust. Firstly I worked with staff and involved
residents to look at recruitment to their three tenants’ groups. Next was a co-regulation
compliance check – which was very positive – and finally a review of the
process of appointing tenant board members. This highlighted the issues of constituency
board membership and the increased emphasis on skills.
Dudley Metropolitan
Borough Council
I concluded my work with Dudley Council and Dudley Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations in setting up their innovative housing board.
The idea of the came from tenants and was supported by the council. It combines
scrutiny, monitoring performance, their community safety and environment fund,
and offering advice on housing policy. Tenant and political support has been so
important in enabling these initiatives to take root and become tenant-led
successes. I also helped recruit and train their tenant inspectors.
Shropshire
Housing Group
I was pleased to work with Shropshire Housing Group and its innovative community panels. These panels provide bring
together the group’s neighbourhood plans and community fund. I helped prepare
terms of reference, recruit panel members and facilitate the induction. I
believe these approaches are the way forward when bringing together ever-larger
group structures. I also carried out a review of the Tenants and Residents’ Improvement Panel, the scrutiny panel I’d helped establish. I am
pleased to see the progress it has made.
CBHA
I returned to CBHA to induct new
members of its Resident Scrutiny Panel. Again, I was pleased to see the progress made.
And the new panel members were the first to successfully complete my Who Wants to be A Millionaire? quiz…
London Borough
of Croydon
I have supported London Borough
of Croydon’s Housing Scrutiny Panel over the past few years, although it has
needed less and less support as time goes on. I was very pleased when it won Most Inspiring Local Authority Scrutiny Panel at this year’s Customer Scrutiny and Inspection
Awards. Well deserved!
Medway
Council
On behalf of Ark People and Communities I carried out an involvement review for
Medway Council. Again this highlighted the importance of these reviews and the
challenges in structuring and sustaining involvement.
Wulvern Housing
I continue as vice-chair of Wulvern Housing.
This role gives me an invaluable insight into issues impacting on landlords and
I’m grateful to the staff, board members and tenants in supporting my role.
Awards
I was pleased to judge the Housing Innovation Awards 2015, and equally pleased to be invited back
to judge the 2016 Awards. I also judged the Customer Scrutiny and Inspection
Awards again (and, of course, declared an interest when clients or former clients were involved).
Speeches
During 2015 I spoke at these events:
•
1st Touch Annual Conference
•
National Housing Federation Leaseholders Service Charges Conference
•
Chartered Institute of Housing Regulation Conference
•
G320 Governance Tasters Conference
•
London Tenant Scrutiny Network events
•
Capita Compliance seminar
•
Customer Scrutiny and Inspection Conference
•
National Federation of ALMOs Conference
International
Union of Tenants
I am pleased to maintain my links
with the International Union of Tenants and to spend time with Magnus Hammar and Colm
McDaid in speaking at More Of Us Than Ever, a public meeting arranged by the Dublin Tenants Association. We met with members to discuss the next
steps in taking forward their very important campaign.
Articles
I also wrote the following articles:
•
Risk is the new black
•
Learning the lessons from Cosmopolitan
I reissued my publication Learning from
Regulatory Downgrades 2 in
light of continually active role of the regulator on housing. I was pleased to see
this work being used by a range of organisations.
Housekeeping
I have a list of clients and a
hospitality register (with very little on it) available on request. I am
registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Acknowledgements
Although it seems like I may have
been busy, I am acutely aware that none of this work could be achieved without
the support of a lot of people. Some of them are listed below, some may have been
missed off the list – apologies for that!
Special thanks to Angela for her
support with this year. Also many thanks to Jane for her help and Janet for her
perseverance. Thanks to David, Kieran, Sally, Stanley, Kaz, Ann, John, Lord
John, Monica, Chris, Lucy, Dami, Caroline, Adrian, Laura, Nazar, Betheline,
Colin, Alex, Patrick, Ken, James, Maria, Ben, Lindy, Jade, Laurice, Karl, John,
Tanya, Linda, Yusuf, Hayley, Ben, Jackie, Cheryl, Jo, Mairead, Angela, David,
Duncan, Emma, Joan, Barry, Gwenda, Leionie, Patrick, Rachel, Sam, Sharon, Andy,
Kate, Claire, Juliana, Mike, Nichola, Colin, Vicky, Enid, Sue, Laura, Thelma,
Morag, David, Donna, Sam, Wayne, Catherine, Niku, Ann, Alison, Jill, Martin,
Kim, Richard, Tim, Nigel, Eileen, Emma, Christine, Angela, Rex, George, Jim, Jen,
Nirmal, Sarah, Barry, Annette, Tom, Sarah, Wil, Lyn, Ken, John, Chris, Matthew,
Anita, Peter, Farida, Shazia, Maz, Chris, Janet, Amanda, Chris, Steve, Tim,
Vanessa, Chris (RIP), Yaw, Guy, Sheryl, Rosie, Juliet, Margaret, Carol,
Michael, Katherine, Anna, Linda, Ian, Sue, Sasha, Graham, Diane, Kevin, Nicole,
Bob, Amanda, Steve, Gifty, Mark, Laura, Gill, Joanne, Mo, Peter, Sally, Chelsea,
Celeste, Linda, Ian, Austin, Roger, Wilco, Aydin, Rachel, Mylo.