Scrutiny Lounge

Kate Newbolt - TPAS Consultancy Manager CentralEmma Wallington - TPAS Consultancy Manager South

Where did the Scrutiny Lounge come from?

The Independent Scrutiny Group from Howard Cottage Housing Association

What the Independent Scrutiny Group wanted?

Relaxed networking for tenant members of Scrutiny Panels

NO Officers

NO Consultants pitching for work

To get a perspective from tenants about how its going

To establish a network of Scrutiny Member contact for future use

Making it happen

Securing sponsorship for a free event

Willmott Dixon Partnerships volunteered the venue and facilities

TPAS volunteered to pay for lunch and put together the promotion and organisation of the day

What did happen

Discussion PointsGenerated by the Independent Scrutiny Group at Howard Cottage

Housing Association

Issue 1 - About your scrutiny meetingsWhen did you first set up your Scrutiny Group? How did you recruit members?How many meetings do you hold on average each year?What are your meeting quorum level and overall membership numbers?Do you block book your meetings in advance or hold them as and when necessary?Do you have any issues with membership commitment?

Issue 2 – Project & Topic SelectionHow do you approach topic selection?What is the range of topics you have undertaken?Have you had any access to information issues? Can you tell us about the kind of recommendations you have made and how successful/unsuccessful these have been when you get to Board level?

What are the Board response timeframes and arrangements in place for monitoring approved recommendations?

Issue 3 – Your reports to Board and afterDo you have any meetings before your report goes to Board for service managers to explain difficulties of implementing your recommendations?How well have your recommendations been implemented after approval?Are recommendations and progress of these published for wider tenants to see clearly the progress and achievements of your work?

Issue 4 – Other TopicsShould members of a scrutiny panel be paid?Who should set the budget and agree it with the board?

What came out of it?

It worked!

15 organisations attended – from Huddersfield to Hertfordshire

Debate and discussion extended far wider than expected

All wanted TPAS to help facilitate a network so people could keep in touch

Scrutiny Lounge Report is available upon request through TPAS by contacting leanne.farrell@tpas.org.uk

What happened next?

TPAS asked to further promote the concept (hence this session!)

Approaches coming from across TPAS Membership nationally

TodayMirroring a snapshot of the Scrutiny Lounge

Testing the appetite for a TPAS Scrutiny Lounge network

Looking for more and deeper networking needs of scrutiny members

Pick the points that interest you

Future Scrutiny Lounge Networking How interested would you be in an online network?

What is your preferred option;1. A Scrutiny Lounge Facebook Page2. An email network where any member can post

questions and receive answers back 3. Any other suggestions?

Would you be interested in more Scrutiny Lounge events?Should these be regional or national?

Are you happy for TPAS to work up some options for the network?

The Framework

Should TPAS retain the ethical approaches of; No Consultants selling services – not even TPAS! Sponsorship of events by landlords, contractors and others?

- Free events, only pay for your travel

Should the Scrutiny Lounge remain a tenant scrutiny member initiative only?

Or should it look at events for Scrutiny Support staff?

How useful has this been for you?

I’m very interested and want to add my contact details to be kept informed of developments

I’m moderately interested but would rather visit the TPAS website when it suits me

I’m not interested at all

Very Interested?

Don’t forget to leave your contact details

before you go!