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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.

December 2020 meeting notes

The Silva board meeting and board strategic event

The CPB was updated on the Silva board meeting that took place on 3 December 2020:

  • Contractor appointment for a large electrical programme taking place over the next three years
  • Approved government-specified rent increase of CPI +1%
  • The Housing White Paper
  • Iveagh Court
  • Development scheme of 25 rented homes in Wokingham
  • Reviewed the Silva response to Covid-19
  • Development would focus on land led schemed, developing housing with partners
  • A new environmental project
  • Community investment
  • The strategic plan from 2018-2021.

 

The action tracker

The CPB agreed the notes from the September meeting were accurate and asked for updates on the action tracker.

The CPB was assured that:

  • Silva would consider the ways it could offer NHS workers more flexibility for repair appointments
  • Simpler customer leaflets about Silva’s policies had been signed off and would be reviewed in the next CPB meeting.

Safeguarding policy

The CPB was updated on the safeguarding policy:

  • The updated policy has not changed the way safeguarding is managed by Silva, it has been updated to be more robust and detailed
  • Customer-facing colleagues would receive specific training.

The CPB was assured that:

  • Colleagues are provided support from HR, wellbeing guardians, a whistleblowing policy and personal safety devices including a phone app and a button they can press if they feel unsafe. In extreme cases, calling 999 is available
  • The recognition of cuckooing would be made clearer in the policy.

 

Housing Ombudsman complaint code

The CPB was informed of the new complaint handling code, which gives the Housing Ombudsman more power to ensure housing associations are accountable.

The CPB was assured that:

  • Silva will do more to advise customers of the complaints process
  • Silva will look into an issue where a community connector does not need to give permission for someone to discuss their case on behalf of a customer
  • Silva will do more to share lessons from complaints with customers and the board.

 

Social Housing White Paper

The CPB was updated on the Social Housing White Paper that was published by the government. The White Paper focuses on the customer experience and outlines seven commitments customers should expect from a landlord.

The CPB was assured that:

  • Silva already engage in the majority of the activities outlined by the White Paper and that it will be a case of improving and building on what is already in place
  • An assessment of Silva against the customer involvement proposal section will take place in January 2021
  • Silva has adopted a Customer Charter of ‘We care, We listen, We act.’

 

Forward planner 2021

Meetings in 2020 were heavily policy focused to ensure consistency, but with most policies now updated and approved, the CPB agenda for the future is more flexible.

A standing agenda for future meetings includes:

  • Reports from the Silva board
  • Performance measures
  • Climate impact
  • Customer strategy progress
  • White paper assessment.

The CPB will contact Silva with any further ideas.