Chair of the Complaints Panel

October 2014

Olympic Office Centre, 8 Fulton Road HA9 0NU

Telephone 020 8830 6777 Fax 020 8450 9777

info@campbelltickell.com www.campbelltickell.com

Campbell Tickell Ltd Incorporated in Cardiff (England & Wales) Registration number 4713939

Registered office 14 Accommodation Road, London NW11 8EP VAT number 743 6943 08

October 2014 Dear Applicant Octavia Housing – Chair of the Complaints Panel Thank you for your interest in this position. Enclosed is the information you will require to assist you in completing your application. To apply please can you:

Provide an up-to-date CV which shows your full career history with any breaks explained – we recommend that this is no longer than three pages;

Write a supporting statement detailing how you are a good candidate for this post and how you fulfil the person specification – we recommend that this should be a maximum of around three pages;

Complete the compliance form; and

Indicate on the compliance form if you cannot attend any of the interview dates.

Please note that applications can only be considered if all the documentation is completed. However, it is not mandatory to complete the equalities section within the compliance form. The information requested is for monitoring purposes in line with our commitment to equality and diversity, and will not affect the outcome of your application. Once complete, please send your application, preferably in MS Word format, by email to octavia@campbelltickell.com or by post to: Campbell Tickell Recruitment, Olympic Office Centre, 8 Fulton Road, Wembley, HA9 0NU. Due to postal unreliability we recommend you e-mail your application to us wherever possible to avoid missing the deadline.

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Applications must be received by Friday 7th November at 12 noon. It is your responsibility to ensure that we have received your application. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt of your application from us within 24 hours of sending, please call 020 3434 0990 to ensure it has arrived. You should also ensure that you use a secure email address from which to send your application, as our system will filter out emails if it believes them to have been sent from unsecured sites that are often used to send spam emails. In order to avoid last-minute IT issues, we also ask that you allow yourself ample time to submit your application in advance of the deadline. Details of the selection process can be found on page 12. Please do contact me if you wish to have an informal discussion about the role or if you have any questions on 07706 369273. I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards

Bill Barkworth Senior Associate Consultant

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Contents

Page

Welcome letter 5

About Octavia Housing 6

Job description and person specification 7

Principal terms and conditions of service 11

Key dates and the selection process 12

The media advertisement 13

To find out more please also visit the Octavia Housing website: www.octaviahousing.org.uk

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Welcome letter

I am very pleased that you are interested in this important role at Octavia. We take our

commitment to customer care extremely seriously. With more than 4,000 homes and

10,000 customers, the Chair of the Complaints Panel plays a critical role in championing

service excellence. As the independent Chair of our Complaints Panel, we want you to be

able to undertake an impartial assessment of the information and views put before the

panel. The resolving of complaints quickly and in line with the high standards set out in our

policies is of course paramount but we are also keen to ensure that we learn from this

experience. So your judgement when assessing complaints is as important a task as helping

to foster a learning culture. The Chair of the Complaints Panel is also a member of our

Services Scrutiny Panel. This dual membership is intentional so that you can provide

assurance to the Board on services but also so that you can be assured that the learning

from complaints is making a difference at the frontline.

Your professional background may be in law, the service industry, the commercial,

charitable or public sectors. We believe that bring knowledge from other sectors to this role

will be especially valuable. You will need to be skilled at relationship management as the

role involves liaising with a range of stakeholders. They will all need to have confidence in

your ability to chair fairly and assess transparently, so your peers will undoubtedly think of

you as a person with integrity and gravitas.

If you believe that you have the experience, ability and enthusiasm for this role, please

speak to our retained consultant, Bill Barkworth, of Campbell Tickell and visit our website

to find out more about us. I am very much looking forward to receiving your application.

Andrew Herbert

Chair

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Octavia Housing is a forward thinking, not-for-profit organisation with a strong track record

in social housing and providing care services. We are an organisation with a strong sense of

purpose and a great deal of history. Our aims and ethos are based on the principles of our

Founder, Octavia Hill (1838-1912) who began her work with the poor of London in the

1860’s. She was a pioneer of social housing, the founder of the National Trust and the first

clean air campaigner for London. Today, we continue to work with low income families and

we follow many of the principles held by Octavia herself.

At Octavia we are guided by a vision to: "create an organisation that tenants really value".

Our aims are to:

Provide great housing management, care and support services to all our tenants;

Maintain and improve the homes we manage to a high standard;

Be innovative when developing additional high, quality housing; and

Be active in building communities.

To achieve these aims our ethos is to:

Encourage our staff to be positive and enthusiastic;

Ensure our systems and policies are among the best;

Put in place governance systems that are open and effective;

Take strength from the diversity of our tenants and staff;

Use our financial strength to achieve our ambitions; and

To work closely with local authorities and others to ensure that we are a valued partner.

About Octavia Housing

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Job Description

Purpose of role:

- The Complaints Panel is the final stage of the Association’s complaints process and the

independent Chair of this Panel is appointed by the Board. This is a non-executive role within Octavia’s governance structure.

- To lead the Complaints Panel (comprised of this post and two other Board, Committee or Services Scrutiny Panel members, at least one of whom must be a resident).

- To ensure that the complaints process is followed, and that the Panel hearing provides complainants with a fair and independent review of their complaint together with suitable redress and compensation where appropriate.

- To ensure that learning from complaints is actively used to drive service improvements.

- The Chair of the Complaints Panel is also a member of the Services Scrutiny Panel which provides assurance to the Board that services provided to residents are delivered to the agreed standards.

Key role relationships

To develop and foster good working relationships with:

- Fellow Complaint Panel members;

- Fellow Services Scrutiny Panel members;

- The Chair of Octavia and as required other members of the main Board;

- The staff involved in servicing and supporting the work of the Complaints Panel; and

- Other external agencies including the Housing Ombudsman, that may be involved in the Panel’s work from time to time.

Core tasks and responsibilities

(a) Prepare thoroughly for all Complaint Panel hearings, reviewing all paperwork and dealing with queries in advance as necessary to ensure the effective running of panel hearings.

(b) Chair the Complaint Panel hearings ensuring that due process is followed and that all parties have been able to state their case; debate the complaint; and have access to the available facts.

(c) Be available to Chair all scheduled meetings and ensure appropriate cover for occasional absences.

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(d) Liaise with staff responsible for the Complaints Panel to ensure that the hearing is well

organized in advance of the meeting and in line with agreed policies and terms of reference, including ensuring that the Complaint Panel hearing is properly constituted.

(e) Approve minutes of Complaint Panel hearings.

(f) Confirm in writing the outcome of Panel hearings to complainants so that staff can undertake follow up correspondence.

(g) Be a full and active member of the Services Scrutiny Panel; identifying through knowledge on complaints areas for scrutiny, taking part in scrutiny reviews and recommending to the Services Scrutiny Panel the appointment of new members to the Complaints Panel.

(h) Give confidence to the impartiality of the Complaint Panel’s work, upholding principles of transparency, equality and fairness.

(i) Ensure that all Panel members receive appropriate training and support so that they can properly fulfil their responsibilities to agreed standards and expectations.

(j) Regularly review the performance of Complaint Panel members, providing constructive feedback.

(k) Participate in periodic reviews of panel members’ performance and engage fully in your own appraisal.

(l) Keep up to date with best practice in the field of complaint management. Debate and disseminate this as appropriate to staff and Panel members.

(m) Utilise best practice information to keep the complaints policy and the terms of reference of the Complaints Panel under review.

(n) Review the lessons learned from complaints and ensure that they are used to improve policy and practice.

(o) Present the annual complaints review to the Board, including information on outcomes, satisfaction and learning.

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Person Specification

A. Core competencies

A.1 Able to effectively Chair hearing meetings that may be complex, emotional and conflicted. A.2 Strong communication and interpersonal skills, able to listen to and liaise with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders, including those with support needs. A.3 Able to build and maintain the independence and integrity of the Complaints Panel. A.4 Skilled at relationship management. A.5 Support the values, ethos and objectives of Octavia.

B. Experience and knowledge

B.1 Experience of chairing meetings or panels. Experience of chairing a complaints panel would be an advantage. B.2 Experience of working as part of team, able to bring people together to achieve consensus. B.3 Knowledge of social housing and the context within which decisions are made. B.4 Knowledge of how complaint policy and procedures operate in a service setting and willingness to understand Octavia’s processes. B.5 Knowledge of the Housing Ombudsman’s expectations of registered housing providers would be an advantage or willingness to familiarise and quickly get to grips with requirements.

C. Skills and abilities

C.1 Skilled at making good judgements, making fair, reasonable and balanced decisions. C.2 Skilled at summarizing processes and outcomes and follow up action points. C.3 Able to assess information and data that may be complex or intricate, and able to extract essential facts from lengthy narrative. C.4 Able to keep up to date with new legislation, regulatory requirements and best practice.

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C.5 Able to challenge appropriately and hold people to account, with a wider vision to raise standards and improve services. C.6 IT literate, comfortable with using MS Office and email.

D. Personal behavior and style

D.1 Actively role models the professional conduct expected of a member of the Octavia governance structure. D.2 Proactively demonstrates strong commitment to equality and diversity. D.3 Passionate about service improvements; strongly champions the right of residents and customers to have influence, and access to excellent services. D.4 Listens to others and provides decisive decision making when it is required. D.5 Demonstrates credibility and integrity, acting with gravitas. D.6 Respects confidentiality in line with agreed policies and practices. D.7 Open to learning and development, for self and others, fosters a learning culture. D.8 Has the time and commitment to effectively discharge the responsibilities of the post of Chair of the Complaints Panel.

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1. Position Chair of the Complaints Panel 2. Remuneration

Remuneration is paid for attendance at £250 per Complaints Panel hearing. Out of pocket expenses such as reasonable travel costs will be reimbursed.

3. Time commitment You will need to be available to attend approximately 6 – 12 Complaint Panel hearings each year. Panel hearings are usually held in the afternoon/early evening between 4pm and 6.30 pm. Panel hearings are convened on a ‘need to’ basis. The postholder will also be a member of the Services Scrutiny Panel which provides assurance to the Board that services provided to residents are delivered to the agreed standards. The Services Scrutiny Panel meets at least four times each year.

4. Location

Complaint panel meetings and most other Octavia meetings are usually held at: Octavia Housing, Emily House, 202-208 Kensal Road, London, W10 5BN.

5. Conflicts/declaration of interests

Impartially is an important aspect of this role and we want to avoid someone being unable to fulfil the duties of this post because they have or are seen to have an interest that would make participants question their independence. On that basis we would prefer not to receive applications from individuals who currently occupy leadership roles (non-executive or executive/senior positions) for other registered housing providers operating in London, particularly West London.

Principal terms and conditions (For information purposes only)

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Key dates and the selection process

Closing date: Friday 7th November 2014, at noon

First interviews Monday 17th November 2014

Final interviews: Week commencing 1st December 2014

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The media advertisement