Wolverhampton Homes Customer Involvement Panel terms of reference
The Customer Involvement Panel areas of responsibility:
- Reviewing Wolverhampton Homes strategies and any major changes to services or standards that could impact on our customers. This includes ensuring that the customer voice has always been heard and is reflected in the strategy or suggested change.
- Represent customers across Wolverhampton Homes when scrutinising performance and progress in achieving targets within any strategy or service received by customers.
- Oversee and inform the programme and delivery of our scrutiny exercises each year. Panel will be asked to decide on areas to scrutinise using data and insight from our customers to inform their decision.
- Ensure that any shortcomings or underperformance identified in scrutiny reviews are closely monitored through dedicated action plans provided by the relevant service area.
- Oversee the customer involvement framework that helps to ensure customers are always involved in Wolverhampton Homes' decision making. This includes the ongoing development of the Customer Involvement Panel, customer scrutiny panels, customer insight and feedback and our wider network of partners/ volunteers.
- Lead by example and promote a culture within Wolverhampton Homes that is aligned to our values.
- Acting in the best interest of customers, communities and the long-term success of Wolverhampton Homes.
- Ensuring that regulatory obligations are complied with including areas such as monitoring the results of the Tenant Satisfaction Measure collections, compliance with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code and the sector’s consumer standards.
- Being cooperative, open and transparent to contribute to the leadership and motivation of Wolverhampton Homes.
- Build constructive relationships with Wolverhampton Homes staff and teams that promote a high-performing culture through providing support and challenge to the Wolverhampton Homes Communities and Service Delivery (CSD) Committee, Board and members of the Senior Management team.
Time commitment
- Wolverhampton Homes will hold an average of four Customer Involvement Panel meetings per year, with an additional away day reserved for training and other support each year.
- The time you will need to commit will be around half a day per month across the year.
- Panel meetings will usually be held in the evenings, with the away day taking place on a Saturday.
- Meetings will usually be held in person, but we do provide the option for members to join online if they are unable to travel.
- Members will also be asked to take part in an annual review of their contribution with the Chair of the Panel once a year.
Appointment tenure and eligibility
- The initial appointment to the Customer Involvement Panel will be for three years, with the possibility of extension for a further three years, subject to the needs of Wolverhampton Homes and satisfactory performance.
- All Wolverhampton Homes tenants and leaseholders are welcome to apply and this includes family members within the property who can demonstrate that a Wolverhampton Homes property is their ‘only or principal address’. Applicants will not be eligible if:
- Under the age of 18 years old.
- Have lived in a Wolverhampton Homes property less than 12 months.
- Wolverhampton Homes has commenced legal action against the applicant or member of the household e.g. if the tenancy or leasehold has been breached and there is a current Notice of Seeking Possession served or court order and any other judicial order that has an equivalent effect.
- Wolverhampton Homes has a court order for the recovery of money against the principal tenant (not applicable if the order is suspended or payment plan is in place as long as the terms of the order are met).
- Principal tenant has a legal dispute with Wolverhampton Homes.
- Has been employed by Wolverhampton Homes in the last three years.
Remuneration and equipment
Customer Involvement Panel members will receive full expenses for any costs incurred because of carrying out the work of the Customer Involvement Panel. This would include items such as travel expenses and care (for adults or children) costs provided by a registered minder. All Customer Involvement Panel members are also provided with a tablet to access Wolverhampton Homes services such as online meetings, Wolverhampton Homes intranet and emails.
Person specification
When recruiting for our Customer Involvement Panel, we are seeking applicants who can show experience that matches the criteria below:
- Customer focus – ability to draw on the lived experience as a customer in our communities. You will be understanding and be able to articulate the needs, expectations and priorities of customers. You will be expected as part of this to build trusting, respectful and positive relationships with other Wolverhampton Homes customers.
- Leadership – to be confident in holding Wolverhampton Homes to account in ensuring we deliver our vision, providing high standards of service to customers. You will contribute to setting the organisation's strategic vision, so you will be creative and forward-thinking, contributing to discussions on this from a customer point of view.
- Independence – you will need to be impartial at all times, acting with integrity. A large part of this role will involve understanding the issues of customers, as well as potential risks presented to Wolverhampton Homes. The Customer Involvement Panel will not only help to identify potential issues, but recommend actions / improvements that can help to overcome these issues and risks.
- Analysis – you will need to have an eye for detail and an ability to ask probing questions to get to the bottom of important issues for customers. This will help you to present these issues in meetings and work as a team to put recommendations forward to the company.
- Communication – having strong communication skills will be vital. You will need to demonstrate you are a good listener but also be able to voice your opinions in a constructive and positive way. Outside of the meetings, when meeting customers, you will need to act as an ambassador to the Customer Involvement Panel, but also Wolverhampton Homes generally to help bring about change and engage positively with the community.
- Teamwork – working alongside other Customer Involvement Panel members and Wolverhampton Homes staff members, feeling part of a team. You will need to be a supportive colleague who values and respects the opinions of others, empowering them to voice these opinions. Any challenge should remain positive and be built on trust to keep confidence high among the panel.
- Equity, diversity and inclusion – you will need to demonstrate a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion at all times. Training will be provided, but you will be expected to develop an ability to understand and articulate any discrimination and inclusion issues, making a personal commitment to treat everyone with fairness, honesty and respect.
Important information
- The Customer Involvement Panel will have up to 12 members at any one time.
- Recruitment to the Customer Involvement Panel can take place at any time depending on business need.
- Full training and support will be provided to anyone who is interested and is successful in applying for the Customer Involvement Panel.
- Quarterly reports will be produced with the support of Wolverhampton Homes employees to provide progress updates to the Communities and Service Delivery committee.
- A Chair and Vice-Chair will be appointed by the Customer Involvement Panel who will take responsibility for finalising the quarterly reports and attending Communities and Service Delivery Committee / Board meetings where required to represent the panel.
- Wolverhampton Homes reserve the right to remove members from the panel who do not act in keeping with the Wolverhampton Homes Code of Conduct and / or values at any time.
- An annual Customer Involvement Report will be produced to communicate to customers the impact of the panel.
- Each meeting will have two mandatory agenda items: Tenant Satisfaction Measure updates and learning from complaints.