Summary
The paper paves the way for a wider strategic discussion of future options and direction and comes at a time when the sector discourse about filling unmet public service gaps is moving rapidly from the why and what to the how and when. Also, coincides with the media spotlight on housing associations where customer service has been declining since 2015 and at their lowest for a decade (Jo Causon, CEO, Institute of Customer Service), and a general perception of being distant, insensitive, to customers.
Whilst there is considerable room for improvement, we have been shown not to be afraid to look into the mirror to acknowledge shortcomings and a culture that is receptive to learning lessons. I make this point because despite shortcomings we also do a lot of things well. From a community perspective I have listed some of those improvements, but equally see them as part of an ongoing journey of continuous improvement.
• Understand the importance of mobilising assets from places, communities, and organisations to tackle big challenges.
• Better versed with understanding social capital (the relationships within and between groups that form trust, relatedness, and collective capacity).
• Building common purpose.
• Lending voice to those who have a significant contribution to make but might not get heard because of disparities.
• Building on the existing strengths, capabilities, and methods for improvement. And, to capture and share data, learn, adapt, and innovate so that we improve.
There are other good ingredients in place:
We have a culture that has created an ethos and energy where people and teams feel supported, greater sense of agency, to contribute, develop new insights, and adapt their ways of working and make improvements towards collective goals. (Great Place to Work Survey Results, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Determined people function leadership has helped to uphold a strong sense of compassion for customers and colleagues, recognizing their individual personal stories through an assortment of support measures.
Through intensity of effort, and application of resources, and investment, we have strengthened infrastructure, enhanced financial capacity, and injected a renewed sense of ambition among colleagues, leadership, and the board.
Skillful finance leadership to reducing limitations of historic legacy funding has massively increased opportunities to create better futures for the people we serve.
And an assortment of good controls to ensure the organization regulatory, legislative and compliance obligations and responsibilities are met with high levels of diligence and integrity.