Most of you are familiar with the vision that shapes the way we deliver our services:
‘For customers to be our biggest advocates’.
But do you know how customers are involved in our decision making?
The Performance Advisory Group (PAG)
Over the past 11 years, PAG the Performance Advisory Group (PAG)has influenced and challenged the way we provide services. PAG is a group of volunteer tenants and leaseholders who monitor and scrutinise our housing performance. They meet every six weeks and make recommendations for improvement directly to our board and to the service areas themselves. They also monitor customer satisfaction and standards of our services, provide input into our annual report and much more.
The group of twelve residents has received on-going training, and we have supported their personal development through 1:1 sessions, away days and networking events. Being on PAG requires a high level of commitment; residents have to submit an application and go through an informal interview process before being appointed.
More recently, PAG was involved in supporting the Customer Experience Programme, working hard to help us shape the new in-house repairs and gas services to best meet the needs of our customers.
PAG is the voice of the resident, the group ensures residents perspectives are always at the forefront of decisions we make that affect them and enables us to truly be ‘person-centred’.
From PAG to the Resident Board
Over the past 12 months, the Barnet Group Board’s structure has changed, providing PAG with the opportunity to be part of the formal governance structure as a Resident Board.
The changes to a Resident Board will bridge the gap between both boards by creating a direct link between residents and the decisions being made at a strategic level.
Over the past eight months, we have been consulting with PAG, on a new approach, and the benefits it will bring. The members have been attending development sessions to prepare their transition into the Resident Board to ensure the relationship with the Group Board is as strong as it can be. Eventually, two group Board Directors (Residents) will also sit on the Resident Board.
The Resident Board will take an active role in overseeing our customer strategies and monitoring housing management performance of Barnet Homes, taking over the performance scrutiny that currently sits with the Group Board, escalating matters as required through the Chair of the Resident Board – who will have a place on the Group Board.
Tim Mulvenna commented; “It would seem to make sense to take advantage of the energy and enthusiasm of PAG to strengthen this decision making and therefore the governance of Barnet Homes and the Group.”
We are actively recruiting residents to join the Resident Board, If you are interested in finding out more information, email our Customer Involvement Officer, Camille.Yerles@Barnethomes.org or call 020 8359 3148.