You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Why resident scrutiny panels have never been more important
Tenant Lorraine Lawson describes her experience on a scrutiny panel and explains why she thinks they are now vital for social landlords post-Grenfell
My involvement with a scrutiny panel began in July last year, at a time when the country was still reeling from the shock of Grenfell.
In the aftermath, scrutiny panel members at Bournville Village Trust (my housing association) agreed it was important to carry out a fire safety spot check, to examine its fire risk management procedures.
This was my first experience of a scrutiny review, and despite feeling a little apprehensive at first, I was keen to get started.
Having already queried the potential for such a review, I felt it was vital, not just for me personally as I live in a block of flats, but for all tenants.
“It struck me just how important resident scrutiny really is.”
I soon became an active participant, looking at a whole range of areas with my fellow panel members.
We examined how fire safety was communicated before and immediately after Grenfell, the safety measures already in place, and whether or not these had been reviewed since the fire.
The panel sought assurance on a number of things and made one or two recommendations.
Overall, we were pleased with the management response. Having experienced the entire process for the first time, it struck me just how important resident scrutiny really is.
READ MORE
I became interested in the work of scrutiny after attending a tenant services meeting, run by Bournville Village Trust.
At the meeting, I was interested to learn that housing associations are accountable to their tenants, not just to the regulator, for customer-facing service standards.
While some forms of resident involvement feed into the governance structure, scrutiny panels are independent from governance and make their own decisions on what to review.
That is not to say they work in isolation, we investigate services in a collaborative, co-regulatory fashion in partnership with our landlord and provide a necessary and vital challenge to the delivery of services, in line with the Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) consumer standards.
In light of comments from residents of Grenfell who felt their collective voice had not been heard, as a tenant, I believe it has never been more important for housing associations to listen to residents and be more proactive in their self-regulation. Having an effective scrutiny panel is just one of the ways I feel this can be achieved.
For a scrutiny panel to flourish, I’ve come to appreciate that it needs, at the very least, the right culture to work in, one that gives staff and residents confidence about the role and legitimacy of resident scrutiny.
It is also important that there are structures in place to promote accountability, openness and transparency and that panels are diverse, with the right skills and knowledge.
Panels also need members who are committed to their involvement and are supported by their housing association with training and development.
Our panel is a good mix of owner-occupiers and tenants, which reflects Bournville’s mixed community ethos, and I feel we work well together to help shape and improve the services of our housing association for the benefit of all.
In stark contrast to fire safety, I have also helped to review shops leased by Bournville Village Trust. Sensing it was an important local and national issue, we elected to undertake an in-depth review, in consideration of the shops’ contribution to building successful communities.
As a result of our findings, we made a number of recommendations to Bournville Village Trust in a comprehensive report, including a shops strategy that recognises and responds to changing needs and shopping trends of the community.
“I believe there is a greater need for effective scrutiny to ensure consumer standards do not slide.”
Two members of our scrutiny panel presented the findings to Bournville Village Trust’s executive team who were open and responsive to our recommendations. It is this responsiveness that gives residents greater confidence that the activities of scrutiny will be taken into account by those at the very top of the organisation.
For landlords, I believe the benefits of scrutiny panels are endless. They enable them to target their resources more effectively, leading to better value for money. And when implemented correctly they can lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction and improved organisational performance.
Against the backdrop of a national housing crisis, welfare reform and new government policies, I believe there is a greater need for effective scrutiny to ensure consumer standards do not slide and the reputation of housing associations remains positive or, even better, is improved.
Lorraine Lawson, tenant and scrutiny panel member, Bournville Village Trust
