Co-regulation & Special Interest
Groups
Joanne Tilley, Executive Director Business Support
What is “co-regulation”?
• Social Housing Regulator regulates “economic
standards” which include Governance & Finance
• Social Housing Regulator also sets standards for:
• Home
• Tenancy
• Neighbourhoods
• Customer Services
• Will only “step in” if there is “serious detriment” to
tenants
• Regulation of consumer standards is therefore … up to
us!
EMH Homes Co-regulation Structures
Co-ordinating
Panel
Scrutiny Panel
Special
Interest
Groups
Local Groups
Links to our Boards
EMH Group
Board
EMH
Homes
Board
Scrutiny
Panel
Co-ordinating
Group
Independent Scrutiny Panel
• 17 members recruited by tenants on basis of skills &
experience
• Independent of:
• Board – although report directly to them
• Special Interest Groups
• Local groups
• Co-ordinating Committee
• Access to “critical friend” consultancy support
Local Groups
• Tenant led local groups – own constitution & ways
of working
• Liaising with residents locally
• Developing and monitoring local service offers
• Recruiting new active residents
• Work along staff to help co-ordinate estate
inspections & improvement plans
• Community engagement
• Supported by EMH Homes’ operational teams
What are “special interest groups”
• These groups involve partnership working with
emh homes and emh group staff to help shape
services, policies and procedures, and drive
continuous improvement
• Also communication with tenants
What will special interest groups do?
• Main consultative groups for considering and
developing housing and maintenance related
policies
• Get communication right!
Role of Co-ordinating Committee
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Strategic engagement with executive and Board
Main consultative body on key strategic issues
Co-ordinate resident engagement activities
Oversee value for money in resident engagement
Oversee learning and development for active residents
Monitor outcomes
Close liaison with Scrutiny Panel, including where
appropriate, challenging the impact, effectiveness and
performance of tenant scrutiny functions
Special Interest Groups
Neighbourhoods
Forum +
leaseholder
group
Maintenance
Forum
Customer
Services Forum
EMH
Homes
Coordinating
Group
Communications
Group
Co-ordinating Committee
Chair plus
one rep
from each
local group
(4 + 4)
Chair of
each
Special
Interest
Group
Coordinating
Committee
Co-ordinating Committee
8
4
12
Maintenance Group
• Repairs service
• Responsive repairs including appointments
• Planned maintenance
• Out-of-hours
• Improvements to homes
• Aids and adaptations to help people cope with
disabilities
• Appointing suppliers
Customer Services Group
• Customer Service Centre and associated service
standards
• Reception services
• Complaints
• Customer surveys and their feedback
• Ensuring services are tailored to meet diverse needs
• Customer service accreditations such as Customer
Service Excellence
Neighbourhoods Group
•
•
•
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Anti-social behaviour
Estate services
Who we let our homes to and how?
Managing empty homes
Rents and service charges
Arrears
Tenancy conditions & tenancy support
Communications Group
• Take a lead on communicating co-regulation activities
between groups and with other tenants
• Editorial input on tenant newsletters
• Website - is it accessible and useful to residents?
• Lead on the use of social media
• Annual report and value for money statements
• Consultations with non-involved customers
• Communication that meets diverse needs
Special interest sub groups
• Sub groups of these special interest groups
might be formed where appropriate (including
time limited task and finish groups), but
representation on the co-ordinating committee
will be limited to these four core Groups
• Leaseholder group shall be a sub-group of
Neighbourhoods group
Membership
• Membership of the Special Interest Groups shall be
open to all residents expressing an interest, subject to
numbers remaining manageable (20 maximum?)
• Initial membership shall be agreed on a first come first
serve basis, and a waiting list established for those not
initially accepted onto the Group
• Membership subject to conditions set out in the Code of
Conduct
Open to all
• Arrangements for how to apply for membership of these
Special Interest Groups shall be published widely,
including in newsletters, and on the website
• The Communications Forum shall take a lead in
ensuring that methods for communicating how to apply
are effective and inclusive
Equality and Diversity
• One of emh homes’ core values!
• Special interest groups must ensure they:
• treat all tenants with fairness and respect
• demonstrate an understanding and respond to the
different needs of tenants
Frequency of meetings
• Meet at least 4 times a year
• Times/venues to be agreed by members
Role of the Chair
• Chaired by tenant/resident of emh homes who shall be
elected by members of the group via a secret ballot
• Chair shall represent the group on the Co-Ordinating
Committee
• No tenant/resident should be Chair of more than one
group with representation on the Co-ordinating
Committee
• The Chair should not be a member of the Scrutiny Panel
Support from staff
• The maintenance forum, neighbourhoods forum
and customer services forum shall be supported
from within emh homes’ teams
• emh group’s Communications Team will take a
lead on supporting the Communications Forum
What happens next?
• Taster session today
• Sign up for membership!
• Next meeting elect a Chair – for one year initially …
then for 3 years, followed by maximum of 3 more years
• Discuss terms of reference for each group – to be
agreed by the Co-ordinating Committee and emh
homes’ Board
• Help us get it right!
Thank you – any questions?