Tenant scrutiny active engagement in bottom up service reviews. Chris Stock, Resident Involvement & Scrutiny Manager, Croydon Council

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1 Tenant scrutiny active engagement in bottom up service reviews Chris Stock, Resident Involvement & Scrutiny Manager, Croydon Council

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5 Introducing Croydon Council Very diverse stock and population Stock retained council 16,000 tenants and leaseholders Excellent track record in resident involvement (Beacon council in resident involvement, Customer Scrutiny & Inspection award winner 2014 & resident involvement champions for the London region)

6 Changing the culture It s now all about co-regulation! Need to get the message to staff at all levels Presentations at team meetings and staff events Articles in staff newsletters and on intranet Scrutiny open day Need to clearly explain what scrutiny is all about and the benefits for staff at all levels It s not about finding faults and criticising services but making recommendations to improve them It is about tenants and officers working together to improve services, make them efficient or reduce costs

7 Putting tenants in the driving seat Ensure tenants are involved in the development of the framework from the beginning Form a tenants steering group No prescribed framework but whatever structure is proposed this must be agreed with tenants Must gain ownership & commitment from tenants Upping the game

8 Croydon s Scrutiny Panel - Membership & Operation 10 tenants or leaseholders 1 independent expert 1 tenant from another social housing provider Self servicing Terms of reference & code of conduct Fortnightly meetings Liaison officer from Resident Involvement Team Ongoing recruitment & training

9 Light touch or Deep dive?

10 Methodology Desk top review Benchmarking costs/performance (inc peer visits) Survey service users/staff Service user focus groups Interview/work shadow staff & managers Inspections Mystery shopping

11 Cabinet Member Executive Director Directors Scrutiny Panel members (self servicing) Tenant & Leaseholder Panel Scrutiny of Policy & Strategy decisions Commission & review scrutiny reports Housing service inspectors Draft Reports with recommendations for improvements Panel presents to management Agree action plans Mystery Shoppers Neighbourhood Voices Estate Inspections Monitor & review action plans Performance Monitoring Panel Service Review Panels Self servicing meeting Council serviced meeting Complaints Individual resident activities Council activity Surveys

12 What goes in the reports? Why the service area was chosen Scope & methodology Findings Recommendations for service improvements Action plan Arrangements for implementation & monitoring of action plan

13 Presenting the report Scrutiny Panel invite key stakeholders to their meeting: Cabinet member Service managers Chair & vice chair of Tenant & Leaseholder Panel Agree recommendations & action plan

14 Inspections completed to date Accessing the housing service Income service Neighbourhood wardens ASB nearing completion

15 So what?

16 Delivering the recommendations Between 18 & 24 recommendations in each report Action plans monitored quarterly to ensure recommendations are delivered

17 Outcomes Tenants involved in design of new council reception area including storage area homeless applicants possessions Ensuring that tenants who are not able to access services digitally are supported floor walkers assisting tenants to self serve Tenant group established to monitor the performance of contact centre

18 Outcomes Mystery shopping identified that some officers required additional training on welfare reform as giving inaccurate information to tenants this was urgently delivered Improved publicity and standard letters to make information clearer Improved communications between income & benefits teams through monthly meetings

19 Outcomes Making the job safer for staff (neighbourhood wardens) Partnership working ensuring regular communication through case conferences Improved publicity ensuring that residents are aware of what the wardens do and how they can contact them

20 Outcomes Service managers now asking for their services to be scrutinised! Staff value further opportunity to put forward their ideas for service improvement!

21 Questions