governance
We have effective governance arrangements in place to ensure we meet legal and regulatory requirements while working to achieve our ambitious plans.
governance overview
believe housing is a Community Benefit Society registered with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
We annually review and report on our compliance with the RSH regulatory framework, as well as our adopted code of governance – the National Housing Federation Code of Governance 2020.
Our governance arrangements are established by our rules and determined by our Board.
our governance
The Board sets and actively drives the organisation’s social purpose, vision and values. Through these it embeds resident focus, inclusion, integrity, openness and accountability within the organisation.
Our Board ultimately responsible for the overall control of strategy, resources, legality and monitoring performance with (operational performance being regularly reviewed by the Performance and Standards Committee). The Board must steer and direct the business to achieve its corporate objectives and customers’ needs in compliance with the appropriate regulatory and legal frameworks.
The following representatives make up the Board: John Marshall (Board Chair), Kelly Henderson, Kevan Wales (Board Vice-Chair), Monica Burns (Member Responsible for Complaints), Rob Auty (Senior Independent Director), Michelle Meldrum, Chris White, Andrew Malcolm, Faye Gordon and Alan Smith.
Our Executive Management Team consists of:
- Chief Executive Alan Smith,
- Executive Director of Communities and Customer Services – Nik Welsh,
- Executive Director of Culture, Technology and Transformation – Lisette Nicholson.
- Executive Director of Governance and Strategy – Louise Taylor
- Executive Director of Investment, Growth and Performance – Faye Gordon,
Working with our Board, the Executive Management Team provide strategic focus for believe housing’s work while ensuring that we put our customers at the heart of what we do.
We also have our Customer Voices group (previously known as the Values Group), which is a trained panel of customers, independents and employee members. Its purpose is to ensure we deliver our core values of doing the right thing for our our customers, colleagues and business.
The group is essential to everything we do, to hear the true voice of the customer and learn so we can drive the business forward. Customer Voices has direct links to the Performance and Standards Committee and the Board as appropriate.
our committees
Responsibilities include:
- approving the appointments of internal and external auditors
- monitoring the implementation of audit recommendations
- overseeing arrangements for internal controls and risk management
- reviewing the organisation’s financial controls and reporting mechanisms
- monitoring policies for:
- anti-bribery
- anti-fraud and corruption
- anti-money laundering
- data protection
- whistleblowing and probity
- monitoring health and safety performance
- reporting on safeguarding issues and reviewing the organisation’s Business Continuity Plan.
Responsibilities include:
- reviewing and updating HR and people policies and other Board-delegated policies
- monitoring the development and performance of our people
- reviewing our equality and diversity performance and actions
- setting and overseeing appropriate and effective appraisal mechanisms for Board, committees, the Chief Executive and Customer Voices
- approving and monitoring training and development programmes for Board, committee and Customer Voices members
Responsibilities include:
- overseeing, monitoring and scrutinising the organisation’s financial position and performance against the Performance Management Framework.
- approving the organisation’s approach to customer satisfaction.
- monitoring the delivery of the organisation’s corporate strategies.
- considering feedback and monitoring recommendations from the Customer Voices, advising the Board as appropriate.
Responsibilities include:
- overseeing, monitoring and scrutinising believe housing’s development programme.
- approving development schemes and investment.
- overseeing Believe Developments Limited.
This committee is responsible for decisions about unforeseen matters of emergency relating to the organisation, where such matters cannot be addressed in a timely manner by the Board, another committee or Customer Voices.