The changing role of the regulator April 2012

1. The changing role of the regulatorApril 2012 Yvonne Davies yvonne@tenantadvisor.net 07867 974659 Scrutiny and Empowerment Partners

2. Background to changing expectations • New Government Review – May 2010 • Review of Housing Regulation - October 2010 • CLG consultation on draft directions to Tenant Services Authority (TSA) - July 2011 • Localism Bill - November 2011 • New Housing Strategy - November 2011 • Consultation on new standards – November 2011 • New regulatory standards - March 2012 • TSA closes to become part of the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) - 1st April 2012

3. What the Government wanted to change when it came into power • “Landlords are accountable to their tenants, not to the regulator.” • “The review’s recommendations will result in the system becoming more co-regulatory – with a clearer role for tenants in scrutinising performance… while the regulator’s attention will be focussed on serious failures” Review of Social Housing Regulation October 2012

4. The government view on localism “Today is the start of a deep and serious reform agenda to take power away from politicians and give it to people.“ David Cameron “We need to give people the platform to get things done ….. a system which properly puts tenants and their representatives firmly in the driving seat.” Grant Shapps

5. What we are covering today Economic Standards • Governance and financial viability • Value for money • Rent Consumer Standards • Tenant Involvement and Empowerment • Home • Tenancy • Neighbourhood and Community

6. Strong messages • Tenant Panels (inc Scrutiny Groups), MPs and Councillors have a role to scrutinise landlords • Boards are responsible for governing whether standards are met • Consumer standards – the regulators powers are restricted to circumstances where the serious detriment test is met • Economic standards are to enable access to private finance and to protect previous govt funding • Regulator can intervene for poor performance in a proportionate, transparent and consistent way • Leaseholders are excluded from regulation as are home owners who have purchased outright

7. Tenant involvement and empowerment standard Customer care – not many changes Choice – more of the same Scrutiny and co-regulation – more important Cashback – new Equality – collecting all 9 diversity strands Complaints – coming soon This is a cross cutting standard

8. Tenant Involvement & Empowerment Standard (TIES) – cross cutting standard • Customer service • Choice • Complaints – later changes in 2013 not mentioned • Equality and additional support for vulnerable people • Consult at least once every 3 years on best way to involve tenants in governance and scrutiny • Involvement in: formulation of policies; setting and monitoring standards; recommendations on how performance can be improved; agreeing local offers • Scrutiny • Cashback

9. Co-regulation – key messages • Transparency and accountability are key • A role for Boards to ensure co-regulation • Honest and robust self assessment and challenge • Regular reporting to tenants and consultation • Value for Money (VFM)– new annual assessment and involvement of stakeholders (including tenants) on how the landlord will optimise VFM • Annual published judgements by regulator • Will complaints be heard by the HoS?

10. Complaints (TIES & Localism Act) • Housing Association Ombudsman will deal with all complaints, including those which used to go to the Local Govt Ombudsman from April 2013 • Tenants panels to be recognised by the Housing Ombudsman Service (HoS) as a designated person -if they wish to register as referral body for complaints • Choices – tenants part of internal procedure • Independent Tenant Panel – as advocates OR as a panel which can consider and mediate and refer on to the HoS, OR scrutinise the service

11. Right to Manage – RTM (TIES) • Landlords to support their tenants to exercise the Right to Manage • Tenants to have further opportunities to take responsibility for the management of their homes • Landlords should support tenants in that right

12. Tenant scrutiny Panels (TIES) • Landlords to capacity build tenants to ensure they can be effectively involved • Landlords to support the formation and activities of tenant panels. • Landlords are to welcome this challenge via a tenant panel (or equivalent group) • Clear regulatory obligation on landlords to provide timely, useful performance information to tenants in order to support effective scrutiny and provide training • Annual report to tenants continue to be regulatory obligation, as do local offers • Landlords to provide accurate and timely information to enable scrutiny

13. Customer Inspection and Improvement Panel

14. Established in October 2010 Aims: Independence Accountability & transparency Tenant led Informed choices Continuous improvement Considerations: Access to information Formal safeguards Formal powers Initial set up

15. Accountability and Authority East Durham Homes Board CIIP • Board panels • Customer service • Equality and diversity • Finance and human resources • Audit and risk Executive Management Team The Housing Partnership Mystery shopping Tenant and Resident Associations Service review panels and focus groups Editing panel, estate inspections, surveys, feedback panels

16. The role of the CIIP • Looks into key services in great detail • Makes recommendations for improvements • Makes reasonable requests • Supports the continual development of the organisation • Decides how to take decisions forward • Implements the recommendations it makes • Makes demands

17. Training Company overview TPAS Scrutiny Training Performance Management/ VFM VFM training Report writing and presentations Joint working event with EDH Board and CIIP Planning scrutiny E&D training

18. Additional training • Role-specific: • Chairing a meeting • How to challenge • Individual appraisals • Feedback from inspections • ALfR Level 3 Award in Resident Scrutiny • Continual development

19. 1st service area to inspect Estate Management Based on lower than desirable customer satisfaction scores

21. First inspection • Desktop review • Estate walkabout • Mystery Shopping • Interview with members of staff • Shadowed a member of staff • Customer Focus Group • Consulted resident associations

22. A few of the recommendations • Add timescales and clearer wording to the new Ground Maintenance SLA with Durham County Council. • Investigate supplying estate officers with heavy duty tools kits (one per van) to reduce the fuel costs, labour costs, wear and tear on vehicles and improve time management • Improve layout of estate management page by grouping the headshots of estate officers by the areas they work in.

25. Recommendations continued • Investigate the possibility of creating an estate walkabout ‘card in window' scheme for disabled/elderly/vulnerable tenants to indicate to estate officers/assistants that the tenant has a comment to make • Further promote the role of the handyman service so that it is clearly understood

27. ASB inspection Reasoning New approaches: • Working as one large group • Team co-ordinators • Approach to interviewing • Improved communication between interviews • Telephone interviews Taken to the Board for approval in November 11

29. ASB recommendations • Consider rewording the VMS surveys at the start of each question (‘how do you rate’) is very repetitive and off putting to tenants. • Take a survey along to a visit in the final stages of a case and ask tenants to fill them in and post them back • Consider offering letter box locks to victims of ASB • Advertise the use of twitter/Facebook/smartphones to report ASB

30. Communication around repairs • Peer review completed in January 2011 • Suggested by Board of Directors as an area to look at • Reality check

31. Ideas for recommendations… Courtesy calls Automatic trigger Emergency call outs Changes to scripting and letters Changes to PDAs (Report not yet been presented to Board)

32. If we could start again, what would we do differently? • Membership of other groups/ panels • Clearer explanation of what’s involved • Flexibility in the level of involvement • More support with desktop review

33. Further considerations • Communication with wider tenant body • Monitoring implementation of action plan • Involving more tenants in the recruitment process • Conflict resolution with Board

34. Outcomes • 23 recommendations for Estate Management approved in May 11 - all have now been actioned • 15 recommendations for ASB service approved in November 11 - 12 now in place • Provisionally 22 recommendations for Communication around Repairs • Company buy in • Better understanding of the process from staff

35. Panel member’s experience

37. Tenant Cashback (TIES) • Give tenants opportunities to be involved in the undertake or commission routine repairs themselves, as agreed with the landlord • Tenants to be given a chance to share in the financial savings • Publication of information on repairs budgets will help tenants judge whether the schemes are sufficiently ambitious • Local circumstances of stock age and condition and type is to be recognised • Tenants may gain practical and transferrable skills • Outcomes to be published in annual reports

38. Northern Housing Consortium 16April 2012 Darrin Gamble Head of Neighbourhood

39. BONKERS!!!!!!

41. Why get involved? • We like to innovate • Ability to influence tenancy standard • Learning • Know the opportunities • Know the risks • Ethos

42. Something for Something • Increasing self reliance • Reducing dependency • Training & employment • Bromford Deal • Tenant Cashback

43. Home Rewards Club Pilot • Cashback for • Repairs • Housing Management

44. Home Rewards ClubRepairs • Clear split of responsibilities • Customer • Bromford • Excluded repairs • Repairs Diary • Annual Property Service (APS) • DVD • £150 / £150

45. Home Rewards ClubHousing Management • Clear split of responsibilities • Customer • Bromford • £200 after 12 mths

46. Home Reward Club Pilot Areas • Sandwell and Dudley • Inner city and flats • Lichfield • Large stock concentration • Central Cotswolds • Semi rural • Stratford Upon Avon • 2500 customers

47. Home Reward Club Members • 5% Sign Up Rate 130 Customers • Feedback • What customers liked • What customer didn’t like

48. Home Rewards ClubWho can join? • Minimal exclusions • Damage to property • Possession • Find out where the risks are

49. Cost/Resources • Full Time Project Manager • £500 x 130 = £65k • Additional APS • Colleague time • Savings - are they real?

50. What do we want to test? • Reduction in repair costs • Reduction in housing management activity • Insurance/compensation risks • Quality • What are the costs of administration • Change in customer behaviour • Who does it work for? Who doesn’t it work for? • Potential to extend