Phil Morgan Annual Report 2017 and 2018

 

This is my annual report, or rather my biannual, report covering my activities in the past two years. Hope you will find it interesting!

 

Consultancy

 

I continued my work supporting C&C’s Resident Scrutiny Panel in 2017, including their service reviewinto Staff Retention and providing training on chairing skills and complaint handling. I facilitated the Panel’s Awayday at which it was announced that the Panel had achieved TPAS Accredited Status. C&C have subsequently changed their governance structure to include residents on their Service Scrutiny Review and People Performance and Change Panels. I’m glad that former members of the Scrutiny Panel are members of these Panels.

 

I also facilitated 8 roadshows with 132 residents attending following the restructure of C&C’s management of sheltered schemes and gained welcome feedback for future engagement at a scheme level including annual events.

 

Cannock DC

 

In 2017 I conduced a review of Cannock’s approach to resident involvement. The Review identified a need for change, including moving away from reliance on the Chase Tenants and Residents Federation, and opening up involvement to all tenants in the Borough. This includes setting up a Housing Improvement Panelwith agreed Terms of Reference and I am currently helping recruit members for the Panel.

 

Slough BC

 

I supported residents contributing to Slough BC’s Option Appraisal for the future of council housing in the Borough. This included supporting residents on the Commissioners Consultative Group as well as a Resident Consultative Group.  This culminated in a Resident Conference, attended by 50 residents, which set out clear priorities for residents which fed directly into the Council’s decision-makingprocesses.

 

Along with my colleague Jane Eyles, I conducted reviews into the resident involvement in Slough and am now looking forward to continue that work with the Council.

 

RB Kingston

 

I have continued to work with RB Kingston and in particular KRISP their Resident Scrutiny Panel.This has included supporting their service reviews on Sheltered Housing, Storage and their current review on Voids. I have also led induction of new members, conducted a review of KRISP and its effectiveness and led the review of their Terms of Reference.

 

KRISP is a particularly successful Panel and I am proud to work with them.

 

LB Southwark

 

I was commissioned as Chair of a Resident Involvement Review Panel. This followed an independent review of resident involvement in Southwark that highlighted the need for change from the current structures. The Panel was a co-design approach involving previously uninvolved tenants and homeowners, resident stakeholders and officers. The process was particularly transparent and all papers and minutes published on-line.

 

The co-design panel report proposed a more flexible and inclusive structure that promotes both local community development and meaningful resident scrutiny of housing services. It recommends greater funding and more IT and training support for TRAs, as well as opportunities for residents to have their say where there is no TRA. The panel also envisages a new form of area level engagement that combines an online resident community with quarterly meetings, and proposes more ways for more residents to be involved in shaping and scrutinising borough-wide housing services.

 

LB Croydon

 

I carried out an induction for staff and new members of Croydon’s HousingScrutiny Panel. This included a background to regulation and scrutiny, coverage of the Social Housing Green Paper, what is a service review and practical interview training.

 

 

Non-Executive Activity

 

Wulvern Housing

 

I joined the Board of Wulvern Housing in 2010 and became Vice Chair in 2016. The Board decided that our ambitions for house building in Cheshire East were best served by looking for a larger Housing Association partner. Just as this process had set off I was asked to become the Chair of Wulvern and saw close up the process involved in undergoing both a successful exercise to find a suitable partner, and then the full rigour of ensuring that the merger process was undertaken properly and successfully.

 

The Guinness Partnership

 

As part of the merger process Wulvern Board members were given the opportunity to apply for positions within the Guinness Partnership governance structure. Both I and my colleague Mandy Calvert were successful in joining the Guinness Board. I’m pleased that my initial 12 month term was extended and that as well as the Service and Performance Committee I now also serve on the Remuneration and Nominations Committee. Being on the Guinness Board has been profoundly interesting and rewarding.

 

Healthwatch Salford

 

I became Chair of Healthwatch Salfordin 2016 and have been pleased to see it grow, become fully independent and find new premises. We have in place sound governance arrangements, a good financial base and report to both our members at our AGM and to Salford City Council who fund us. We’ve been able to recruit additional engagement workers and expand our work including Enter and View reports of local care and extra care homes.

 

Housing Ombudsman Panel of Advisors

 

Last year I joined the Panel of Advisorsto the Housing Ombudsman. This has been the first time Advisors have been appointed and we have been able to contribute to the development of Ombudsman’s Corporate and Business Planning.

 

Other Activity

 

Speaking

 

I am pleased to have spoken at events run by Housemark and the Public Policy Exchange.

 

Judging

 

I was pleased to be a judge for the 2017 Housing Excellence Awards and the inaugural 2018 Northern Housing Awards. I am pleased that I have been asked back to judge the 2019 Northern Housing Awards.

 

Commentator

 

Tragically my main role as a commentator has been on the radio following the Grenfell disaster. Given I called for a tower block register in 2009and consistently for the Government to follow up on the findingsof the Lakanal House inquest resident safety has been close to my heart for some time. This was bought even closer to home when I, and my neighbours found we were living in a block in inflammable cladding. This was been made worse by the developers, Countryside, avoiding any responsibility, along with everyone else who had responsibility for signing off the blocks as safe when built.

I also took part in the ‘Future of Resident Engagement Roundtable”

Dedication

 

To my dear father Keith Morgan who dies late in 2017.

 

Acknowledgements

 

One thing that always happens when I write one of these Annual Reports is the debt I owe to so many people. Particular thanks to Angela for her immense support and love and thanks too to Jane, for working with me, and Janet, for being prepared to work with me.

 

Thanks also to:

 

Julia, Yvonne, Pooja, Andrea, Joe, Jane, Nirmal, James, Janet, Chris, Verna, Vanessa, Rachel, Rob, James, Aydin, Mylo, Rachel, Lyra, Maria, Adam, Stephen, Mischa, Jill, Tanya, Colin, Betheline, Gogs, Andy, Diana, Nancy, Gill, Belen, Helen, Delana, J, Ruth, Safia, Mark, Jackie, Kate, Sam, David, Jackie, Michelle, Peter, Valerie, Church Street Hotel, Magnus, Annika, Anna, Ella, Sue, David, Jackie, Herbie, Geof, David, Kelly, Theresa, Raewyn, Mo, Juliana, Claire, Paul, Jayde, John, Karen, Anita, Karen, Rebecca, Earl, Jo, Kamal, Liz, Tony, Morris, Trevor, Aamer, Omer, Christine, Kevin, Steve, Scott, Mandy, Bob, Sarah, Ian, Catriona, Neil, Peter, Angela, Penny, Peter, Martin, Eva, John, Liz, Mark, Theresa, Hayley, Xolani, Adebayo, Frank, Omalara, Hilary, Zahra, Sharron, Emily, Ina, Jane, Sue, Diane, Sasha, Kevin, Nicole, Peter, Steve, Laura, Paul, Linda, John, Gifty and Mark.

 

 

Phil Morgan