Short Notice Inspection Workshop

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• Short Notice Inspection Workshop
• Jeremy Beatty Business Development Manager
• Sheree Russell Consultant

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What are Short Notice Inspections?

• Often called SNI
• Carried out by the Audit Commission
• Regulated by Tenants Services Authority
• Not to replace standard inspections
• HA methodology issued, LA under development
• Usually targetted at weaker areas

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Difference between existing inspections and SNIs?

• Notice period 5 days
• Less onerous / more flexible
• Purpose clear, fair and robust assessment
• Information 5 pieces asked for, up to additional
  5 chosen by organisation

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• Required information
• Most recent inspection report
• HC report on outcomes from a completed action
  plan arising from an earlier inspection
• The last three years HC PIs
• Current HC Assessment (HCA) and the Annual
  Self-Assessment
• Most recent HC Annual Viability Review Report for
  high or medium risk HAs or a Financial Health
  check for low risk HAs.

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Difference between existing inspections and SNIs?

• Scoring and style of reports
• Judgement 1 Word-based
• Strengths considerably outweigh weaknesses
• Strengths outweigh weaknesses
• Strengths and weaknesses are in balance
• Weaknesses outweigh strengths
• Plus bullet point analysis of strengths and
  weaknesses with recommendations
• Customer Involvement time limited, consultation
  on report and action plan

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Difference between existing inspections and SNIs?

• Judgement 2 (prospects for improvement) made 2 -
  3 months later, after the HA has developed an
  improvement plan taking account of customers
  feedback about the recommendations.
• AC will continue to use the Excellent / Promising
  / Uncertain or Poor prospects for improvement.
•  

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Difference between existing inspections and SNIs?

• Governance How are Board members involved?
  Less time overall means that there will be no
  Board focus group but still some individual
  interviews
• AC does not focus on governance arrangements as
  that is the TSA role but looks at the leadership
  of the organisation so issues of governance will
  mainly be brought into judgement 2 ... See Accord
  report for example

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It could be you! Who is chosen and how?

• Risk based PIs, customer satisfaction, any of
  the routine regulatory returns etc
• Main focus will be 1 star or lower organisations
• Focus on three weaker performing services
• KLOEs still in place
• Cross cutting issues always considered

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• The Process
• Reality checks
• Mystery shopping
• Interviewing / focus groups with staff, customers
  and Board members
• Review of improvement plans
• File checks, property inspections, observing work
  in progress.
• Increased emphasis on customer involvement to
  include involvement in reviewing recommendations
  and influencing the prospects for improvement
  rating

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Are You Prepared?

• Self Assessment ... Not mandatory but worth doing
• 5 Pieces of Information, plus 5 of your choice
• Consultation Who? How? Demonstrate outcomes
• On-site phase How it works in practice
• Follow up to the on site inspection what happens
  next?

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Governance SNIs

• Importance ... A learning opportunity, so be
  prepared
• Risk ... What are the risks and the opportunities
  associated with SNIs?
• Reputation ... How could the SNI affect your
  reputation?
• Performance

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Is Your Board Ready?

• Overview ... Does your Board have one?
• Their Role ... Who will do what and how they will
  be supported?
• Information received ... What does the Board
  receive and what quality is it?

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Board Preparation

• Awareness training
• Availability who will speak to inspectors?
• Tenant Board members
• Will definitely want to be spoken to
• How do they feel as part of the board?
• Are they listened to?
• How are they trained?
• Whats changed as a result of them being there?
• Officers need to support all Board members in
  this process

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Board Preparation

• Information sharing key updated bullet points
• Executives reporting on delivery not processes
• Outcomes that customers can recognise

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Future of SNIs?

• Feedback from pilots
• More reports to be published
• Assessment for inspection 2 or 3?

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What now?

• Prepare!

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Short Notice Inspections
Questions