Monday 17 October 2011

Phil Morgan's Annual Report


Phil Morgan 2011-12
·
Welcome
Just over a year ago I was thinking about what to do next.
Having led the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) for ten successful years, I had taken the idea of tenant scrutiny and local offers into the Tenant Services Authority and seen them implemented into its regulatory framework.
I met ALMO and housing association chief executives, directors of housing, contractors, tenants, former bosses, housing agencies – lots of people I’d worked closely with. And I became confident of a market – in consultancy and commentating – for someone with integrity and honesty to stand
up for tenant involvement and improving services.
Little things started to fall into place…
·
Grant Shapps’ utterly barmy ideas on a ‘democratic filter’ brought out the fire in me – to make tenant involvement work at a local level and to write about it.
·
I chaired the International Union of Tenants Congress
in Prague 1-3 October 2010
·
I joined the Chartered Institute of Housing North West committee, chairing a Budget briefing and running two sessions on social enterprise with Helen Scurr for the North West and West Midlands
·
I became a board member for Wulvern Housing
·
I started blogging for Dash Housing
·
I became a regular columnist for Excel Publishing for Northern, Midlands and Southern Housing
·
I joined the Guardian’s Housing Advisory Panel.
Here I detail the consulting, speaking and commentating that
followed.

Enjoy.

Phil Morgan


Consultancy
Rochdale Boroughwide
Housing
·
Supported early work on a proposal for a mutually owned housing association, liaising with the Tenant Services Authority and working with the newly formed Tenants Panel
·
Ran a procurement exercise for tenants recruiting an Independent Tenant Advisor
·
Helped set up and recruit a tenant scrutiny Commission in consultation with tenants and staff
·
Developed terms of reference, a person specification, code of conduct and tenant benefits
·
Ran the requirement process with staff – informal meetings with interested tenants, setting out questions, holding interviews, writing up notes
·
Supported the panel’s (now the Tenant Scrutiny Commission) meetings, led agenda-setting and workplan meetings, liaised about the commission’s work and role
·
Set out working relationships between the Commission and RBH's Operations Committee
·
Ran training sessions on policy and board member development for the RBH Board
·
Mentored the Commission’s chair
‘We are extremely happy with the work that Phil has done for
us. His ability and knowledge within the field are invaluable.’
Lynne Brosnan, Chair, Rochdale Tenants’ Panel

Central and Cecil Housing Trust
·
Appointed residents’ friend by residents
·
Worked with tenants and staff to revitalise a Joint Service User Forum and set up a Resident Scrutiny Panel
·
Set up open forum meetings, increasing residents’ attendance and ability to input into staff’s work
·
Led in recruiting a Resident Scrutiny Panel – setting out terms of reference, person specifications, code of conduct, benefits to tenants ·

Held two drop-in sessions with staff and interviewed 12 successful panel applicants
·
Supported panel meetings, working closely with staff,
the chair and vice-chair on the panel’s workplan and continued development
·
Undertook a review of the panel – all proposals were fully accepted
·
Spoke at the Central and Cecil residents’ conference on resident involvement.
‘Phil has really helped our residents to move forward significantly and we now have a reformed open resident debating forum and a fully formed resident scrutiny panel, with representation from 12 people from a cross-section of our resident population. Individual panel members have been well supported to develop into their role – they speak very highly of how Phil has helped them individually and collectively as a group. I have personally found Phil to be very supportive indeed. He has provided valuable information and insight, shared his experience willingly and has been truly committed to seeing resident scrutiny work in practice for the benefit of our residents and for Central and Cecil as a business.’
Julia Ashley, Business Development Director, Central and Cecil Housing Trust

West Lancashire Borough Council
·
Worked with the council following its Audit Commission report
·
Supported the Council with the Tenant Services Authority on regulatory compliance
·
Ran workshops with tenants and staff to contribute to the Council’s response to the Tenant Services Authority
·
Led work on the voluntary undertaking to the Tenant Services Authority, related overview statement and gap analysis of complying with the regulatory framework.
·
Supported the tenant led Scrutiny Evaluation Group and Service Improvement Groups
‘Your approach to delivering these Projects has been superb. You have delivered projects that were complex and difficult dealing with the often fraught interface between tenants, staff and elected members. Your product has been balanced, well received and led to significant improvements in
delivering change and in how we have been perceived externally. I would have no hesitation in recommending your professional services to others.’
Steve Jones Strategic Housing Manager

Other
·
Ran a development session for Homes In Sedgemoor tenant board members
·
Led a policy briefing session for the City of London
·
Undertook an independent review of Wycombe BC’s scrutiny arrangements.

Speaking
·
Association of Retained Council Housing National Tenants Conference

Central and Cecil Residents Conference in London
·
Chartered Institute of Housing Future of Regulation conference in London – lead speaker
·
Chartered Institute of Housing Home Ownership Conference
·
East Midlands Tenant Participation Forum
·
Hull Tenant Forum
·
Paragon Tenants Conference
·
Rotherham Tenants Federation’s Conference
·
Sedgemoor Tenants’ Conference on Service Delivery and Involvement
·
Tenants conference organised by Teresa Warn of Teign Housing: Tenant
 Involvement Today

·
West Midlands Tenant Participation Forum

Chairing
·
Centre for Housing Studies Shaping the Future
for Sheltered and Supported Housing Conference in Oxford
·
Chartered Institute of Housing Budget Briefing in
Manchester
·
International Union of Tenants Conference in
Prague

‘At many conferences I have spoken before and after Phil. He was always willing to listen to the tenants’ point of view and put tenants first.’
Dennis Rees OBE, Chair
of National Federation of ALMOs

Judging
Housing
Excellence Awards
Old Trafford 11th May 2011

Commentating
Dash 24 blog
·
May the Force of the Ombudsman be with you!
5th August 2011
·
Yeah but no but yeah but no: Grant Shapps, Vicki
Pollard and tenant scrutiny
27th July 2011
·
Lies, damned lies and statistics about rich tenants
7th June 2011
·
Are tenant triggers the answer to zombie regulation?
24th May 2011
·
Annual reports - good start but must do better
9th May 2011
·
East Midlands tenants say strictly no to government
housing policies
14th April 2011
·
Failing to solve tenant worklessness - tragedy
repeated as farce
6th April 2011
·
To Hull and back - involvement, change and stuffed
Alsatian dogs
25th March 2011
·
Morgan's run - dying to be old? 26th
January 2011
·
New housing, affordable housing and Ringo Starr
4th January 2011
·
Grant Shapps and the TSA - the love that dares not
speak its name
24th November 2010
·
Life after the Comprehensive Spending Review
3rd November 2010
·
Is renting the new black – reports from the
International Union of Tenants Congress in Prague
13th
October 2010
·
No regrets – the future of social housing policy post-TSA 5th October 2010
·
Affordable rents 17th October 2010
·
HCA investment prospectus 22nd February 2011
·
Tenant cashback
22nd July 2011
Northern, Midlands and Southern
Housing
·
Housing regulation: dead and loving it? February 2011
·
Affordable rents and housing benefit May 2011
·
Power to the people? July
2011
·
Tenants and energy efficiency November 2010
Guardian Housing Advisory Network
·
Allowing accountability to lie solely with landlords is a risky business, 14 April 2011
·
Live Q&A: Accountability in social housing – how to get it right, 7 April 2011
·
Five steps towards tenant involvement for landlords to take in 2011, 23 Dec 2010
·
Tenant Scrutiny Panels: an easy way for lazy landlords to thrive? 22 Nov 2010

Inside Housing
·
Regularly quoted: Guess who? 5 Aug 2011
·
Get tenants on board, 26 Nov 2010

With thanks…
Thank you to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Central and Cecil
Housing Trust and West Lancashire Borough Council. Each has welcomed my
contribution – even when it challenges. Each supports the idea of making tenant
scrutiny, tenant involvement and regulatory compliance work together
harmoniously.
And many thanks to Helen, Magnus, the CIH WM Committee,
Gary, Dawn, Hilary, Niamh, Jenny, Debbie, Cathy, Sue, Chris, Gareth,
Maxine, Ross, Janice, Kate, Michael, Richard, Steve, Carla, Tim, Peter J,
Rafael, Mick, Claer, Ron, Rupert, Geraldine, Yvonne, Janet, Liz, Jayne, Janet,
Yvonne, Helen, Mark, Andrea, Sarah, Teresa, Philip, Geoffrey, Sarah, Sonya,
Andrew, Jane, John, Sharon, Lynne, Alan, Andrew, Michelle, Andrea, Aydin,
Rachel, Caroline, George, Adrian, Julia, Lee, David, Julia, Martin, Mark,
Helen, Ruth, Alison, Steve, Alison, Jo, Merron, Rachael, John, Hilary, Fiona,
Moira, Nickie, Alison, Deborah, PJ Harvey,
Barbara, Jane, Sarah, Leigh, Bob, John, Hazel, Sandra, Jenny, Chris,
Pat, Pat, Simon, Rachel, Debbie, Carol, Clare, Simon, Julie, Lydia, Jackie,
Tracy, Lisa, Penny, Nadja, Sven, Sven, Sue, Lesley, Su and many tolerant listeners along the
way.


1 comment:

  1. Hi Phil Morgan

    I think you our great and wish you was down in London to deal with my landlord called L & Q Housing Trust it is its own Group Structure and no real tenant involvement.

    ReplyDelete