“Joining Together in Excellence”
The Challenge Group
21st February 2013
1. Welcome and Apologies
ACTION
Present
Louise Booth (LB), Jenny St Leger (JSL), Margaret Pickup (MP), Paul
Brooks(PB), Sophie Lewis (Resident Involvement Officer) (SL), Lee
Johnson (New Tenancy Team Leader)(LJ), Nicola Flynn (Income Team
Leader(NF), Chris Twomey (Assistant Director of Housing Services)
(CT)
Apologies
Mike Thraves (MT), Lesley Holmes (LH), Linda Roche (LR)
LB welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. Minutes & Actions from previous meeting
LB queried when next EMT informal lunch will take place.
Action: SL to book a date in May/June for
this (Organised for Tuesday 7th May at
12pm)
3. Expenses Policy
SL and Challenge talked through the expenses policy.
Action: SL to amend policy and send it to
Challenge for approval (Done on 22.02.13)
Challenge have made some small amendments, but were otherwise
happy with the content.
4. Local Offer Update
Challenge questioned why the low-cost decorating had no
performance information to report, and queried why there was no
visible marketing of the service anymore.
LB questioned why Trustlink were asking customer to test their own
pendant. CT explained that this is a VFM exercise, where the cost of
the visit to test a pendant is weighed up against how much the
customer is paying for the service, and means that PPHT continually
review people’s situations to ensure they are still on the most
appropriate tier for their circumstances.
5. EMT performance and scrutiny information
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Action: SL to investigate LC Dec. Service
details
The group queried the Safer Customers satisfaction figures, and CT
reminded them that although complainants may have their case
handled in the best possible way, the complainant may state they
are unsatisfied if the final outcome did not match their expectation
(i.e. PPHT may have dealt with the noise nuisance effectively, but
the complainant may still tick the ‘Unsatisfied’ box on the form if
PPHT did not evict the perpetrator.) CT asked the group to consider
whether it would be worthwhile for the auditors to address this.
LB queried Customer Services figures. CT explained that PPHT think
it’s worth taking call-centre staff off the phones in the short-term to
deliver training, if that will make them more effective as a First Point
of Contact in the long-term.
LJ talked through his presentation around the New Tenancy team.
He also thanked Challenge for their idea of recycling reusable
furniture from voids, and advised that idea has now been
implemented.
Action: SL to provide hand-outs of both
presentations for Challenge (Uploaded
onto Yammer 22.02.13 – hard copies
available upon request)
NF talked through her presentation around the Income team.
Challenge complimented Matt for his work creating the new rents
database.
March 2012 – November 2012 Summary report
LB queried why so many End of Tenancy visits had not been carried
out. CT explained the lots of tenants fail appointments/don’t give
access/can’t be contacted. CT is looking for a more effective
approach to hitting the target.
The group felt that the format of this report was very clear. CT asked
the group to consider if they would like to use this format to display
Local Offer/Service Standard information in the future.
6. Incentive Scheme Update
SL talked through 2 incentive schemes – Wherry Housing
Community Credits and Generosity and Family HA prizes.
Challenge liked the idea of carrying out satisfaction surveys with
tenants on the coaches during days out. However, they preferred
Wherry’s scheme as it was easy to understand, and Challenge
suggested categorising rewards so there were more rewards to
appeal to the younger generation as well.
7. Action Plan Update
SL talked through action plan, and agreed to update after all the
proposed changes were agreed with challenge.
Action: SL to chase Sophie for Community
Voice flyers (E-mail sent 22.02.13)
Action: SL to make one more attempt at
obtaining internal PIs from peers (Thread
placed on online forum 22.02.13)
Action: SL to provide copy of milestones
for next meeting, to clarify deadlines for
each action
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Action: SL to remind managers about
restrictions ( Done on 21.02.13)
Action: Challenge to provide 2/3 questions
for Impact Assessment purposes, as per RI
recommendation
8. Training Matrix
Challenge felt they would benefit from a course delivered by the
Trust that delivered similar outcomes to that delivered through the
‘Tenant Scrutiny Level 2 – A Deeper Involvement’ course at Trafford
Hall.
Challenge also felt they would like both themselves and the new
recruits to embark on the same training matrix that was used last
year, and it was agreed to allow a few months bedding in period
before this was carried out.
Action: As SL is unavailable on the course
dates, SL to monitor website and book on
to course next time it is delivered. This is
expected to be autumn/winter 2013
(Fortnightly Reminder placed in calendar
to check Trafford Hall website for updates
22.02.13)
Action: SL to organise 1-to-1’s for all
scrutiny members in Oct/Nov 2013
(Reminder placed in calendar 22.02.13)
9. Any Other Business
Pauline Gosling pulled names out of a hat to determine who will
stand down at the next AGM. SL confirmed this was LR, PB and LH.
LB, MP and JSL will stand down in the AGM held in 2014.
Challenge advised they have decided which members of staff will
speak at the next Quarterly Update in April 2013.
Action: LB to pass names to SL
Challenge agreed who would attend which Resident Register
meetings in the next 6 months: MP to attend Day to Day
repairs(20.03.13), JSL to attend Day to Day repairs (15.05.13), and
MP to attend Customer Services (17.04.13). LB and LH to confirm if
either of them would like to attend - Day to Day Repairs (17.07.13)
or Planned Home Improvements (12.06.13).
Action: SL to advise managers of Observer
names
Next Meeting to be held on Thursday 28th March 2013.
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