Customer Partnership
Board meeting notes
Find out what the Customer Partnership Board
have been up to
Our customer partnership board (CPB) is a group of Silva customers who work with our board and executive board to make important strategic decisions.
Our customer partnership board has two main roles:
- To work closely with our leadership on the key issues that affect our strategic direction.
- To direct our approach towards customer engagement and to inform decisions that affect our customers, their homes and communities.
You can find out what the customer partnership board has been involved in by reading the meeting notes below.
March 2021 meeting notes
Feedback from the board meeting
An update regarding the board meeting held on 11 March 2021 was given to the CPB:
- The budget for the coming year was approved.
- An initial view of the 30-year financial plan, incorporating carbon reduction costs for the first time, additional building safety costs, and higher development costs.
- Silva will implement a framework and process for the development of our new corporate strategy.
- Approval of a new development scheme in Wokingham district for 19 new homes.
- Silva will adopt the new NHF code of governance and several actions will be picked up in a review of our governance over the next few months including the role of the CPB.
The CPB asked the following questions:
Q. Will Silva only take on new affordable rent housing now and not social rent housing?
A. The scheme mentioned includes 11 social rent properties.
Q. Will Silva take on any of the housing in the newly developed Peel Centre just off the town centre?
A. Opportunities will be considered if they are made available to us.
Q. When boilers are renewed in line with carbon reduction works will this just be for tenants or will it include leaseholders?
A. It will be a major financial commitment over the next 30 years but will only cover our responsibilities within dwellings so it will be leaseholders’ responsibility to replace their boilers in line with any legislative requirements. As technology develops better options will become more affordable.
Q. What is the radius of operation for the development of new homes?
A. Our core is Bracknell, Hart and Wokingham, then extending out into an area that is bordered by the M4, M3, A34 corridors.
The CPB were also updated on Silva's new strategy plans:
The new strategic plan will run to 2025 and will build on what Silva has achieved so far.
It is proposed that there will be eight themes (supported by strategic delivery plans):
- Customers and communities including older people.
- Existing homes including building safety.
- Colleagues and culture.
- New affordable homes.
- Climate change.
- Technology and ways of working.
- Financial viability, governance and value for money.
- Equality, diversity and inclusion.
Multiple workshops for the board and the CPB will be held, two of which would be joint sessions.
Members of the CPB were asked to attend if they could when invited, particularly for the ‘customers and communities’ theme and the ‘existing home including building safety’ theme which would be the joint sessions.
Electrical services programme
The CPB was presented information about the extensive electrical programme which had been awarded to Crystal Electronics.
It was informed that:
- A substantial budget had been put aside for the next three years, should more be needed then board approval would be sought.
- The contract included installation, servicing and maintenance of items such as door access systems, self-testing emergency lighting, CCTV systems, fire alarm and detection systems, Tunstall equipment, gates, barriers and auto-doors. Electrical inspections will take place in both domestic properties and communal areas along with any remedial work required.
- Customer service and quality assurance elements are also in place, and the contract will be overseen on a day-to-day basis by the planned works team.
The CPB asked the following questions:
Q. Are motion detectors being installed to control lighting in communal areas?
A. There will be in some blocks, some are on timers, and some are just switches which then stay on.
Q. Are there security cameras in all blocks and are they activated with motion, and how long is the information kept?
A. There are cameras in some blocks, not all. Some do activate on motion and information is kept for one month.
Service charge policy and Sinking fund policy
The service charge policy details how services are set and charged for costs outside of rents, these are mainly for leaseholders and shared owners.
The sinking fund policy is also for the benefit of leaseholders and shared owners, as customers contribute to this as part of their rent. Any major works required on buildings generally built since 2015 have a sinking fund element to their service charge.
As they are both quite complicated issues the CPB was asked if both policies were easily understood.
The CPB asked the following questions:
Q. If a roof lasts 40 years, do you build in a sinking fund immediately?
A. We may do. Most schemes do not, but there is one in an Independent Living scheme.
The CPB concluded that they were well written and easy to understand.
Cleaning and caretaking consultation outcome
The CPB was shown the results of the cleaning and caretaking consultation, where just over two thousand surveys were sent out with 180 responses received.
The 8.27% response rate was lower than expected but reliable enough to be able to draw the following conclusions:
- Customers thought it was important to have a dedicated estate operative with both the cleaning and the caretaking happening at the same time.
- Customers preferred to receive cleaning and caretaking at consistent times with the specifications of the cleaning standards published.
- Customers did not want to pay more for a better service.
As a result of the consultation, the CPB agreed that:
- There were enough responses to get a feel for what customers want and they gave a clear direction.
- The changes would be implemented subject to the approval of the executive board.
- Six months after implementation, a satisfaction survey will be carried out and reviewed by the CPB.
Transfer incentive scheme review:
The CPB was presented with the findings of the transfer incentive scheme review. The comments from the CPB was:
- It is now too complicated and might be confusing for customers.
- Customers won’t move unless they can move somewhere that is of the same standards, they are currently living in.
- The more attractive the offer, the easier it will be.
The CPB was reassured that:
- Customer information will be simplified.
- Customers will be supported on a one-to-one basis to make moving as easy as possible.
Community investment priorities and principles:
Silva has additional funds available to put back into the community.
The Silva board has agreed to a budget increase in principle in December 2020 and a clear way forward was planned for community investment.
This involves a three-year programme, with a more structured approach to working with partners, applying for grants, and facilitating community initiatives.
The CPB commented:
- This is a good initiative to give back to the community.
- It welcomes a return to some of the events held in the past.
Customer webinar
The next customer webinar will probably be held week commencing 19 or 26 April 2021.
The webinar will feature a short business update, then a pre-recorded segment from CPB on its work with Silva. The webinar would finish with a short question and answer session and a quick recap on the customer satisfaction survey results.
The CPB commented that:
- An evening webinar would enable more people to attend.
- The promise of an exclusive announcement for those attending the webinar to be the first to hear was thought to ensure a good attendance rate.