Notes of a Tenant Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 7December2015
Present
Members:Jomo Browne; Graham Day.Charles Everett;Patsey Modeste-Rowe (Chair); Mags Zia
Independent mentor (and note-taker): Sue Farrant
Observer: Jan Mills, Customer Engagement Manager, Circle Group
Apologies:Kim O’Sullivan; Nicole Seneque (Vice Chair)
- Opening of the meeting
Patsey welcomed the members and Jan Mills.
- Balanced scorecard – planned presentation by Peter Elegbede
Patsey told the Panel that Peter was unable to attend but she hoped he would come to the January meeting.
Action: Natalie to ask Peter to attend on 25 January.
- Notes of the meeting held on 9 November 2015
Agreed without amendment.
Matters arising: Item 5: elections of Chair and Vice Chair. The Panel agreed that at their January meeting they would agree arrangements for electing a Chair and Vice Chair in March.
Action: Patsey to put the item on the agenda
- Training – Facilitation and Chair Skills workshop
Natalie has lined up a trainer. Jan said that there was training that had been developed in-house specifically for scrutiny panel members. It was usually a full day course but could probably be delivered in the evening if that suited the Panel and she recommended that all the Panel members attended.
Some Panel members said they could attend during the day if necessary and that might be better than having a training session in the evening after work.
Action: Patsey to ask Natalie for more details and for dates that the trainer could manage.
- Selecting next scrutiny review and participating members (January 2016)
The Panel agreed they would look at financial inclusion, digital inclusion and customer satisfaction in 2016.
Scrutiny 1: Financial inclusion: January-March(to be completed by Easter)
Team:Patsey, Graham and Jomo volunteered. Other Panel members are encouraged to join the team.
Timetable: start 14 January 10.00 – 12.30 with briefing and scoping.
Meeting room 1,Circle House (booked by Jan)
Action: Sue to speak to Natalie about getting someone in to do the briefing.
Scrutiny 2: Digital inclusion: April - June
Team: Charles and Jomo volunteered. Other Panel members are encouraged to join the team.
Scrutiny 3: Gathering and using customer satisfaction information (to be defined) September - December
Team: Mags and Patsey volunteered.Other Panel members are encouraged to join the team.
Action: all Scrutiny Panel members todecide which scrutinies they wish to take part in during 2016 and notify Patsey and Sue. (Members are expected to do at least one each year.)
- Selecting date for Scrutiny Panel Appraisal
The Panel will do a group appraisal during the January meeting. The meeting will be half an hour longer than usual. The form provided by Sue will be used and members are asked to make notes on their copy before coming to the meeting.
- Circle 33 performance data
The balanced scorecard was reviewed and discussed. The Panel noted that the average time for repairs completion was 8.2 days in October (Wates only) but they did not know if this was across all categories or only routine repairs. Members agreed they needed more information on how the repairs performance figures were arrived at and agreed to ask Peter Elegbede when he came to give them a briefing.
- Christmas meal
The Panel agreed to wait until March or April as there was insufficient time before Christmas. A date will be agreed at the January meeting.
- Dates for 2016 meetings
Members agreed their business meeting dates for 2016. All meetings will be held in the Circle House Board Room and Jan made the necessary room bookings.
- 25 January 2016. Note time: 18.00 – 20.30(Agenda to include: balanced scorecard briefing; planning the election process; Panel appraisal; date for meal out)
- 7 March, (to include elections for Chair and Vice Chair)
- 18 April (to include individual appraisals)
- 6 June
- 18 July
- 5 September
- 17 October
- 5 December
- Any other business
10.1 Appraisals for individual Panel members
To be done at the April meeting.
Action: Sue to ask Natalie to arrange
10.2 The Residents' Network annual conference.
Jomo had attended and reported back. He had been surprised about the number of different ways that scrutiny panels work and the budgets some had. He found the conference very informative with very good opportunities for networking and there had been an opportunity to question an MP about government policy. He encouraged other members to go next time. (It will be in London on Thursday 1st December 2016.)
10.3 Scrutiny in Circle Group
Jan told the Panel that scrutiny works differently in different parts of the Group and Circle wanted to share good practice between the various scrutiny panels. They were considering having a Group-wide scrutiny panel as well as the local ones. Jan thanked the Panel for allowing her to attend and commented that they were a very confident Panel.
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