EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY Our commitment through Self Assessment. Nick Gerrard Uwch Reolwr Rheoleiddio/Senior Regulation Manager Cangen Rheoleiddio/Regulation Branch

WHAT DO WE DO AND WHY WE DO IT? REGULATION

About us: Welsh Government is responsible for regulating housing associations in Wales Our priorities are: Securing a fair deal for tenants/residents Protecting the taxpayer Delivering modern & efficient regulation

About us: Welsh Government is responsible for regulating housing associations in Wales We regulate 38 registered social landlords (RSLs) of which 11 are large scale voluntary transfers (LSVTs). 44 RSLs with less than 250 units – 1,145 homes. Together, registered social landlords: Have turnover of £522 million Have secured £2.2 billion of private finance; Own/manage 141,000 homes;

The New Regulatory Framework Has been developed in collaboration with stakeholders Provides a framework for review of association’s financial viability, governance and service delivery outcomes Is not prescriptive in form – you decide

The New Regulatory Framework Key Features 1. Delivery Outcomes 2. Self Assessment 3. Financial Viability Judgements 4. Housing Association Regulatory Assessments 5. Intervention & Enforcement Powers Today I will concentrate on 1 & 2

Shift focus from the detail of delivery to broad outcomes – demonstrate what is being achieved NOT how it is being done 10 delivery outcomes covering the full range of HA activity – landlord services, finance and governance Local authorities have adopted similar delivery outcomes on a voluntary basis Delivery Outcomes

BENEFITS OF DELIVERY OUTCOMES Give strategic shape and direction to a SA, without being overtly prescriptive Provide focus for establishing a strong supporting evidence base accessible to the Boards, Executive, Tenants and Regulator and they (a)Improve accountability by letting all tenants/customers know what they should expect from their landlord. (b) Drive service improvement based on what matters most to tenants and other customers. (c) Provide structure to any regulatory review

WHAT ARE THE DELIVERY OUTCOMES? They relate to: (a) Governance and Financial Management- How HAs fund/manage their business to deliver outcomes for tenants and communities. These include how activities are supported and maintained through governance and financial management, social inclusion, communication etc. They are fundamental to the way social landlords behave/conduct their business and are integral to activities. (b) Landlord Services – How HAs deliver efficient and effective landlord services, including housing management, letting empty homes, repairs, maintenance and long term investment in improvements to homes. Equality and Diversity is a cross-cutting them across each of these

DELIVERY OUTCOMES & Equality & Diversity HAs should demonstrate how they place the people who want to use their services at the heart of their work – “putting the citizen first”, including: Provide evidence that HAs know who their current and potential service users and which services and activities have been tailored to meet their needs. Provided evidence of how and what is HAs focus on outcomes for people who want to use your services and take into account their current and futures requirements, circumstances and barriers they face. Provided evidence of how HAs are accountable to tenants and service users.

DELIVERY OUTCOMES & Equality & Diversity We live public sector values, by conducting our affairs with honesty and integrity, and demonstrate good governance through our behaviour Our activities and services reflect the diversity of the communities where we operate, are free from discrimination and promote equality of opportunity. We treat the Welsh & English languages on the basis of equality.

DELIVERY OUTCOMES & Equality & Diversity We engage with others to enhance and maximise outcomes for our service users and the community We engage with all relevant parties and organisations, embrace the principles of partnership working to enhance our delivery.

DELIVERY OUTCOMES & Equality & Diversity We let homes in a fair, transparent and effective way We manage our homes to ensure that they are in demand, maintained, modernised and adapted, as people’s needs change. We work with other organisations to prevent and alleviate homelessness. We ensure that access to our homes is fair and open, and we work with others to ensure routes into our housing are well publicised, easy to understand and simple to use. We let homes we are proud of. Our ready to let homes meet resident expectations prior to moving in or as soon as practicable thereafter.

DELIVERY OUTCOMES & Equality & Diversity We manage our homes effectively We use the most secure form of tenancy compatible with the purpose of the housing. We make clear the rights and duties of the tenant and landlord from the start of a tenancy, and act to uphold these rights and duties in a fair and responsible manner. We know and are responsive to people’s individual housing support needs and help them to sustain their tenancies.

DELIVERY OUTCOMES & Equality & Diversity we provide fair and efficient services for owners We sell houses fairly and efficiently through Right-to- Buy/Right to Acquire schemes. We provide fair, efficient and effective services to leasehold and shared ownership owners.

Focus on Delivery outcomes Evidence based Board ownership Challenge – internal and external/ tenants, staff, service users, stakeholders Expectation that self –assessments will be published by both the HAs and Welsh Government Self Assessment Circular RSL 33/09

Language is important SELF ASSESSMENT Active Board Engagement Engage partners Outcomes and end results for customer Evidence for judgements Performance referenced to issues and services that matter most to customers Wider community based achievement Improvement priorities managed effectively SA is a live tool not an event Circular 33/09

Equality Act 2010 HAs are not public authorities under Equality Act 2010 – however Welsh Government is a public authority & wishes to ensure that aims of this legislation are passed on to HAs through the new regulatory framework that includes Delivery Outcomes relating to governance, finance & landlord services

Protected characteristics Equality Act 2010 Characteristics 1.Age2. Disability3. Gender Reassignment 4. Marriage and Civil Partnership 5. Pregnancy and Maternity 6. Race 7. Religion or Belief 8. Sex9. Sexual Orientation

SHAPING CHANGE, GOING FORWARD Unanimity across the sector in wishing to promote equality & diversity in housing Delivery outcomes compliment HAs in this endeavour because they require the HA to demonstrate outcomes relating to governance and landlord services not list of activities.

Conclusions Regulatory framework puts “citizens” at the heart of regulation i.e. regulation is more customer focused Equality & Diversity is integral to the delivery outcomes i.e. Robust framework in place

QUESTIONS 13 October 2011Nick Gerrard