Board meetings, Minutes and Agendas - 1/02/2010
February 10 Minutes
John Jenkins, Inspection Manager from the Scottish Housing Regulator observed the meeting.
- The Board was updated on the position regarding land availability to build a Gibshill community facility. This is still under discussion.
- Charlie McCallum has resigned from the Board.
- The Board will get a further paper on the progress of the subsidiary factoring company in May.
- The Board noted the Schedule 7 approvals relating to allocations and investment works granted by previous Schedule 7 Committees. This ensures that fair processes are followed when Board members or employees or their relatives are allocated houses or have work done to their homes.
- The Board received a report from the Audit Committee which had considered Internal Audits relating to Payroll, ICT & Disaster Recovery, Investment and Development. The Board discussed the progress on the Asset Management Strategy. The Board also discussed the Strategy Day, which had happened before the HQN Mock Inspection report and had highlighted the likelihood of a poor Inspection grading. Everyone please note – the Board decided that all expenses claims (travel, subsistence etc) must be lodged within ONE MONTH of incurring the expenditure or the claim will not be paid.
- The Board discussed recent publicity and that the rent freeze should generate some positive publicity. This means that the main income stream for the organisation will be frozen in 2010-11. The rent freeze complies with the Rent Guarantee that was given to tenants at Transfer.
- The Board agreed a process for creating a Complaints Sub-Committee whenever a customer wishes to make a Stage 3 complaint.
- One Board member, Alex Bowers, has requested a Leave of Absence due to illness.
- The Board agreed to set up a Working Group to work with senior staff on the Business Transformation Plan. Lynne gave a presentation on the feedback that had been generated at the Big Conversation. The Board were very interested in the staff’s input and discussed this at some length.
- The Board decided not to make any financial contribution to the Youth Festival but to create a Working Group to look at Corporate Social Responsibility and how RCH can best support our communities to make a difference.
- HR policies – The IT & Email and Secondment policies were agreed, as amended to take account of staff feedback. It was agreed to release the draft Job Share Policy for consultation with the workforce.
- Authority to go out to tender was given for payroll services, audit services, demolition consultants, demolition works in McPhail Street and Fairrie Street and the design team for the new-build proposed for the James Watt Dock site.
- The Board noted the performance measures across the organisation. They were concerned that there continues to be some gas safety certificates outstanding but were assured that the new processes which allow us to force entry after repeated attempts to gain access should mean that this problem continues to diminish.
- The Board noted the new process for undertaking customer satisfaction surveys with tenants who have had investment works and were pleased to see that 97% of tenants were either satisfied or very satisfied with the investment works in their home.
- The Board were advised of the imminent Customer Satisfaction Survey where 20% of our tenants and 10% of our factored owners will be interviewed to find out their opinions on the service that RCH is providing to them.
- The Board agreed to purchase the Riverview Resource Centre in Woodhall to allow new-build on the site, subject to confirmation of a number of outstanding issues. The Board also agreed to purchase land in Moray Road and to give David McCready the authority to decide on how new-build houses will be allocated in Woodhall, Oronsay and Moray Road, following consultation with the communities there.
- The Board agreed to create a Working Group to progress the identification of one centralised office for the organisation.
