Board Member Recruitment

Transcription

1 Board Member Recruitment March 2017

2 CONTENTS 1. Introduction by the Chair, Vic Breach 2. A Brief of Summary of Soha Housing 3. Operational Structure 4. The Board s Role 5. Job description for a Portfolio Holder 6. Indicative Time Commitment of a Board Member 7. Financial Statement 2015/16 8. Application Form 9. Advert Further information on Soha Housing can be found at

3 Phone: (01235) Fax: (01235) Date: March 2017 Dear Applicant Soha Housing Board Member Recruitment I am pleased that you are considering applying for the Independent Board Member position at Soha Housing. We are a very good Housing Association and in parts we are excellent. However, I know we will only continue to achieve excellence if we have a strong, dynamic Board who remain outward looking but also focused on our core services. This is even more important given the huge changes in national housing policy and in regulation which means the Board has even more responsibility than before for ensuring we are an excellent Housing Association. We believe we are a good size to provide the combination of financial strength with strong customer focus. We also have finance secured to continue to grow by approximately 250 new homes each year. As you will have seen in the advert, we welcome applications from all sectors of the community to reflect the diversity of our customers. We are currently under represented with female Board members and we would especially like to redress this imbalance. We also believe in our need to reflect our area of operation. It is therefore anticipated that Board members will live no more than one hour from our Didcot office. However, our main requirement is a Board member who has the necessary skills to help us deliver excellence. The information in this pack includes the following: A brief guide to Soha Housing A brief summary of the role of Board members, taken from the National Housing Federation s publication: Leadership and Control a governance manual for Board members An example of a Board member s job description Further useful information can also be found on our website at including: A copy of Soha s Annual Report and Hometalk magazine H:\Board & Committees\Recruitment\2017\3.Letter from Chair.doc

4 continued Soha s Corporate Plan Helping build communities with our one year objectives. We are currently in the process of approving a new four year Corporate Plan Financial Statements 2015/16 I hope this will encourage you to consider what contribution you can make to the Board and I very much look forward to receiving your application. If you wish to discuss this further with the Chief Executive, Richard Peacock, please contact Marisa Elliott on or via at melliott@soha.co.uk Yours sincerely Vic Breach Chair, Soha Housing H:\Board & Committees\Recruitment\2017\3.Letter from Chair.doc

5 A brief summary of Soha Housing Who are we? Soha Housing is a charitable organisation that owns and manages over 6,600 homes. We are proud to be a community based organisation that knows our local area, tenants and partners well. We provide homes for social and affordable rent, market rent, shared ownership and outright sale. We have an annual turnover of 37m from rents. We are managed by a Board of 12 members, including five tenants. We are recognised nationally for our work in empowering residents. We were the first housing association to get three star equivalent in Resident Involvement and Value for Money in our Short Notice Inspection carried out by the Audit Commission. Improving homes and communities 92% of residents are satisfied with our service. We invest over 7m per annum in planned maintenance. We spend approximately 3m per annum on responsive repairs. We met the Government s Decent Homes standard two years early. Building new homes Our development programme provides around 250 new homes each year. We develop in Oxford City, South Oxfordshire, Swindon, Vale of White Horse, West Oxfordshire and High Wycombe. We built the first super energy efficient homes in South Oxfordshire. We have experience of rural regeneration, with the demolition and rebuild of over 60 homes. We provide a range of supported accommodation and work with South Oxfordshire District Council to tackle homelessness.

6 Innovation Selected by the HCA as one of 10 coregulation Champions nationally. Gold accreditation for scrutiny and empowerment from Tenant Advisor. Winner of Customer Scrutiny Inspection awards 2015 for Most Inspiring Scrutiny Panel and Best Overall Service Improvement. Winner of Employer of the Year award 2015 by Oxfordshire Business Awards. Shortlisted for Excellence in Community Action and Excellence in Annual Report awards 2016 by TPAS. Shortlisted for outstanding approach to promoting digital inclusion, outstanding approach to tenant involvement and outstanding landlord of the year at the UK Housing Awards Set up a social enterprise which now manages 10% of Soha s homes through a contract. The Berinsfield Community Business employs 90% of staff locally. Improving Customer Services We have achieved Customer Service Excellence accreditation for the last five years. 83% of tenants say we take their views into account. 87% of tenants say they are satisfied with the repairs service. Innovation in resident involvement, including a Menu of Involvement. Track record of devolving budgets to be decided by residents. Track record of resident involvement in all service areas. Track record of supporting Soha tenants to run national events on how it makes a difference. How good are we? We have very good Key Performance Indicators in all service areas with better than average operating costs. We achieved the top Governance and Financial Viability rating from the Housing Regulator. We have achieved a Gold accreditation from Investors in People. March 2017 Soha Housing Royal Scot House 99 Station Road Didcot OX11 7NN housing@soha.co.uk

7 SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM 15 March 2017 RICHARD PEACOCK Chief Executive NASREEN HUSSAIN Director of Finance & Resources MAUREEEN ADAMS Director of Customer Services & Operations STEVE LYNCH Director of Property & Development PENNY GOTCH Head of Legal & Leasehold Services MARK RICHARDSON Head of Finance JUDE MCCAFFREY Head of Housing LEE HAYWARD Assistant Director of Customer Services CATHERINE LITTLE Assistant Director of Strategy & Governance CRAIG DRANSFIELD Head of Development RICHARD SMITH Head of Asset Management

8 The Board s role: taken from Leadership and Control a governance manual for Board members, National Housing Federation March 2011 Guarding the purpose The Board determines the focus of a housing associations work. As external circumstances change, the organisation s objectives have to be reconciled with what is practicable and achievable without compromising the associations core purpose and core values. Setting strategic direction, plans and objectives The wider objectives of the housing association are only likely to be achieved if they are translated into clear plans and strategies. Setting high standards of conduct and probity The Board must behave with high standards of probity and integrity, and ensure that these apply throughout the organisation, so as to ensure continuing public support. Setting the delegation framework Clarity of delegation helps to achieve a clear and effective relationship with staff and is an essential safeguard for the Board. The Board should spell out which decisions are reserved for the Board and then clearly delegate the rest. Taking key decisions Some decisions will always be of such importance that they should only be taken by the Board, for example, a substantial change on direction or where substantial financial or reputational risks are an issue. Financial control and managing risk Almost anything that helps the association to achieve its objectives will involve risk. The Board has an overriding responsibility for the financial viability of the organisation and for managing risk. Scrutinising performance and holding the executive to account Having set clear strategies and plans and a clear framework of delegation, the Board must scrutinise performance and check that work is progressing as intended and objectives are being achieved. And if not, take appropriate remedial action. Appointing and remunerating the chief executive For housing associations employing staff, the appointment of the chief executive is one of the most important decisions that the Board has to take.

9 Ensuring accountability The Board needs to ensure that tenants and other stakeholders can monitor the organisation s performance and hold the Board to account. Your personal role as a Board member Your collective responsibilities as a Board member are matched by a series of more personal responsibilities. These will be set out in writing and agreed with you at the commencement of your Board membership. A Board is a team. Like any other team, it will only be effective if it is pulling in the same direction and can resolve differences of opinion amicably. A Board has a right to expect that all its members will support the agreed objectives and policies of the organisation. Each Board member shares the responsibility, along with other Board members, for directing the affairs of the housing association and ensuring it is solvent, well-run, and delivering the outcomes for which it has been set up, and that it complies with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements. Each Board member also has a personal responsibility to: Always act in the housing association s best interests Uphold the housing association s purpose, objectives and policies Uphold the values of the organisation through high standards of conduct and behaviour and by complying with the organisation s code of conduct, rules, standing orders and financial regulations Contribute to, and share responsibility for, the Board s decisions, including its duty to exercise reasonable care, skill and independent judgement Prepare for and attend meetings Participate in reviews of Board performance and measures designed to develop the Board s capacity and effectiveness Declare any relevant interests and avoid conflicts of interest Respect the confidentiality of information Ensure skills are kept up to date and participating in training sessions

10 Soha Housing Ltd Board Member (with Portfolio) Job Description The Portfolio Holder responsibilities are in addition to the core responsibilities held by all Board members. The specific role of the Portfolio Holder is to: Understand the subject matter of the portfolio; Undertake appropriate training, specifically to improve effectiveness of the portfolio holder; Liaise as appropriate with staff regarding the portfolio subject; To act, as appropriate, as a critical friend to staff working in areas covered by the portfolio; To ensure that the Board s understanding of the portfolio subject is enhanced by the role of the portfolio holder. Core responsibilities, held by all Board members, are to: Determine the values, aims and objectives of the organisation; Ensure that the Association operates in compliance with its Rules and with the prevailing regulatory framework; Act in the best interests of the Association; Oversee the development of corporate strategies which deliver Soha s objectives; Scrutinise the performance of the Executive Team in meeting agreed goals and objectives and monitor the reporting of performance; Satisfy themselves on the integrity of financial information and that controls and systems of risk management are robust and defensible; Ensure that the necessary financial and human resources are in place for the Association to meet its objectives; Determining the appropriate levels of remuneration for the Chief Executive and Directors and have a prime role in appointing and where necessary removing Executive Directors and in succession planning. Board Members should: Uphold the highest ethical standards of corporate governance, integrity and probity; Act impartially, declaring any relevant interest and avoiding any conflict of interest Be independent in judgement and have an enquiring mind; Promote openness and trust, whilst respecting the confidentiality of information; H:\Board & Committees\Recruitment\2017\7.Board member JD with Portfolio 2017.doc

11 Keep themselves informed about the Association, the external environment in which it operates and the views of stakeholders Have a sound understanding of the issues relevant to the Association Develop and refresh their knowledge and skills to ensure that their contribution to the Board remains informed and relevant; Support the executives in their leadership of the Association while constructively holding them to account; Question intelligently, debates constructively, challenges rigorously and decides dispassionately; Respect the views of others, and deal constructively with disputes; Undertake additional duties (such as participation in recruitment panels or working groups) as required by the Association. H:\Board & Committees\Recruitment\2017\7.Board member JD with Portfolio 2017.doc

12 Indicative Time Commitment of a Soha Board Member Board meetings including preparation hours Committee meetings including preparation 4 6 hours Training 5 4 hours Strategy days including pre-reading 3 days Openings, seminars and conferences 3 days Ad-hoc meetings (e.g. appeal hearings etc) 1 meeting Annual appraisal including preparation 1 meeting Total approximately 2 days per month Annual Commitment 60 hours 24 hours 20 hours 24 hours 24 hours 5 hours 3 hours 160 hours The time commitment is an estimated minimum. It is likely to be more for Board members who also are portfolio holders or those who join task and finish sub groups.

13 Independent Board Member Salary: 3,900 per annum + expenses Location: Didcot Soha Housing is committed to providing excellent services to over 14,000 people in and around Oxfordshire. We have a strong track record in helping to develop communities and we believe passionately in involving residents in improving their lives. We have a turnover of 37m and own and manage around 6,600 homes. Over the last two years we have built just under 600 new homes. We are seeking a non-executive member to join our Board of 12 who share our vision of being one of the best Associations in the country where residents and staff shape a sustainable future. In order to help with the balance of skills, we would especially like to hear from people with financial experience. We welcome applications from all sectors of the community to reflect the diversity of our customers. We are currently under represented with female Board members and we would especially like to redress this imbalance. We believe in the need to reflect our area of operation and it is anticipated that applicants will live no more than an hours drive from our office. The time commitment is at least two days per month to include training, strategy discussions and other meetings throughout the year. For an information pack please visit our website For an informal discussion with the Chief Executive, Richard Peacock, please call Marisa Elliott on or melliott@soha.co.uk Closing date for returned applications is Monday, 24 April 2017.