Resident Voice

Panel members choose the service areas they want to look into. The Panel then talks to staff, other residents and service partners, and reviews all relevant information to make recommendations for improving the service. Feedback from the Scrutiny Panel goes to our Board and Executive Team who in turn have a duty to respond. The Resident Voice Scrutiny Panel can also get involved in helping us draw up plans for implementing service improvements.

» You get a real opportunity to influence our services

» A great way to learn new skills 

» Enhance your CV

» Boost your employability.

» You gain an in-depth insight into our work as a social housing provider

» You get training and development opportunities on the way

» You learn new skills and meet new people

» We pay out of pocket expenses including travel 

Any resident who is a tenant or leaseholder can apply to join

RV members participating may be required to go through training and mentoring, develop the essential and desirable competencies to be an active and successful member of RV

All core requirements must be met by all applicants/members of RV. Failure to meet the core requirements will not allow membership to continue

 

Core requirements

Applicants must:

» Be over 18 years of age

» Live in a property owned or managed by SBHA and pay rent or service charges

» Be a named person on the tenancy /leasehold agreement

» Not be an employee, board member, business partner or potential business partner of SBHA

» Not be in breach of their tenancy or leasehold agreement

» Not be a named person or part of any current or past legal action against SBHA or RV (excluded are legal cases related to tenancy management, repairs or service charges)

» Not be known/recorded as being a vexatious complainant

» Not have previously had their membership of RV terminated by RV following a majority secret ballot vote by all eligible RV members.

 

The Competencies required are included in RV recruitment application form and are then checked through an activity-based competency recruitment process. 

 

Essential individual competencies

» Able to commit to attending meetings and training and be punctual

» Satisfactory literacy, verbal and numeracy skills

» Good listening skills

» Ability to be objective

» Ability to make decisions based on evidence

» Ability to leave personal issues behind

» Ability to analyse, interpret and question

» Ability to weigh up issues and make balanced judgements

» Ability to work independently and as part of a team

» Ability to contribute positively to meetings and complete agreed individual tasks within agreed timeframe

» Ability to be flexible and supportive/accepting of majority decisions

» Show enthusiasm and work conscientiously

» Focus on making improvements that benefit residents

» Ability to maintain high standards of behaviour, abide by the Code of Conduct and the RV core values, maintain confidentiality and work within the Terms of Reference

» Demonstrate at all times honesty and integrity

» Positively contribute to the work of the RV and demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills

» To communicate and respond to RV requests in a timely and courteous manner at all times

» Good numeracy and written/verbal communication skills

» Ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy

» Ability to share skills and knowledge with other members

» Motivated to work towards improving and maintaining high standards of service for all tenants and leaseholders

» Good organisational skills

» Good interpersonal skills

 

Individual competencies to be achieved through training

» Assertiveness

» Good telephone manner

» Comfortable using a computer and receiving information by email

» Note taking skills

» Ability to understand graphs and data

» Knowledge and experience of social housing

 

Group objectives/behaviours

These are the objectives/behaviours that the RV as a group should display. These can be developed over time through training and mentoring.

» RV must work together as a team, with each member playing its part

» RV members must communicate effectively through verbal and written communication with fellow members at all times

» RV must communicate effectively with the SBHA Board, employees and residents through verbal and written communication

» RV should endeavour to deliver all activities as detailed in its agreed annual work plan

»RV must actively promote positive relationships with each other, employees, tenants and leaseholders 

» RV will work towards gaining a good understanding of the scrutiny process and services delivered by SBHA

» RV must have the ability to challenge and negotiate where necessary

» RV must make balanced, evidence-based recommendations

» RV will be involved in proposing and delivering scrutiny reviews, relevant service improvement plans, monitoring outcomes and reality checking of progress

» RV will demonstrate value for money within all reviews

» RV will comply with equality and diversity needs of all tenants and leaseholders

Scrutiny is:

» A searching examination

» A detailed and thorough inquiry

» Close and continuous watching

» A process to make sure social landlords are providing excellent services

 

About the Scrutiny Panel Members

The Resident Voice Scrutiny Panel is totally independent and run by the members themselves.

The Panel is made up of up of both tenants and leaseholders who have been selected and appointed via a competency-based recruitment process.

SBHA staff do not attend meetings unless they are invited to answer specific questions or provide evidence.

The Shepherds Bush Scrutiny Champion acts as the link between the Scrutiny Panel and SBHA but does not have an influencing role. The Scrutiny Champion is there to provide access to information and to support the Chair of the Scrutiny Panel.

The Scrutiny Panel Chair and Vice Chair are appointed via a secret ballot process for a term of one year (they can stand for re-election at the end of their term).

 

Recruitment and training of Scrutiny Panel members

Scrutiny Panel members are appointed via a competency-based recruitment process.

To be successful, Scrutiny Panel applicants must demonstrate the basic competencies specified in the Scrutiny Panel Person Specification. As part of the recruitment process, applicants are required to participate in a number of competency-based activities and complete a skills audit. The skills audit aims to ensure that as a group, the Scrutiny Panel is collectively competent, and is used to shape the Scrutiny Panel’s training programme.

All Panel members are required to attend an initial induction session followed by further training.  Training is essential to enable Scrutiny Panel members to carry out their role with the appropriate knowledge, skills and understanding of the needs of tenants and the business.

The Scrutiny Panel holds the organisation to account to its residents through scrutiny and challenge. The Scrutiny Panel acts as the driver for the continuous improvement of SBHA performance by checking and challenging how the organisation operates at all levels.

The Scrutiny Panel operates outside of the resident involvement structure to avoid any potential conflict of interest but is supported by the Governance Team.

 

What does the Scrutiny Panel do?

The Scrutiny Panel carries out detailed strategic reviews. Reviews may involve carrying out a desktop review of documents and performance information; carrying out surveys, interviews and focus groups; carrying out mystery shopping, job shadowing and observation; and benchmarking with other organisations.

The Scrutiny Panel uses evidence to make recommendations that will be included in written reports presented to the SBHA Board.

 

How does the Scrutiny Panel know what to investigate?

The Scrutiny Panel decides which service areas to review based on resident feedback or performance information.  All SBHA services have to record and report on their performance.   Feedback on services can also come from mystery shopping, tenant inspectors, customer demand, feedback surveys and benchmarking data.

The Scrutiny Panel does not investigate individual complaints but may look at the results from complaints to determine trends, for example if customers have problems contacting the business.

 

Working arrangements for the Scrutiny Panel

The Scrutiny Panel works within the requirements detailed in the Terms of Reference, Code of Conduct and Service Review Procedures. 

The Scrutiny Panel meets a minimum of 12 times a year to align with the provision of quarterly performance information. Additional time commitment is required from members for training and carrying out service reviews. The Chair has the right to call additional Scrutiny Panel meetings as required.

Scrutiny Panel members sign a confidentiality agreement as much of the information reviewed will be of a sensitive nature.

The Scrutiny Panel is non-political and at no time should personal political bias be expressed or used as part of the scrutiny process.

The Scrutiny Panel will develop an Annual Scrutiny Review Work Programme and present it to the Board for information.

The Scrutiny Panel may identify and carry out ad-hoc reviews through the year following notification to the Board. The Scrutiny Panel are supported by an independent mentor who provides on-the-job training and assists with planning and carrying out reviews. The independent mentor also provides confidential support to individual Scrutiny Panel members on scrutiny-related matters. Contact is face-to-face and by email and telephone.

 

How do we know if the Scrutiny Panel is working well?

The Scrutiny Champion and Independent Mentor carry out an Annual Impact Assessment to evaluate the outcomes and performance of the Scrutiny Panel as a whole.

Scrutiny Panel recommendations are presented to the Board for approval and the subsequent service delivery improvements are important indicators of success.

Annual appraisals of the Scrutiny Panel members are carried out to identify any additional training needs and to ensure that performance is at the required level.

The Scrutiny Panel should be independent of SBHA  but have an effective and open team working relationship with SBHA staff and other resident involvement groups. The Scrutiny Panel should also have an open and transparent relationship with the Board.

 

Reporting arrangements

Each scrutiny review will result in a report to Board detailing the reasons for the review, methodology, findings and recommendations. Outcomes from individual reviews will be reported in our Customer Newsletter and on the website. Outcomes will also be shared with the other resident involvement groups which the Scrutiny Panel will rely on for information, advice and support.

An Annual Scrutiny Report will be shared with all tenants and leaseholders through the corporate Annual Report.