Update from the engagement panel 12 July 2023

Next engagement panel meeting: Thursday 10 August 2023, 5pm-6.30pm

This was a vibrant and engaged meeting with members joining virtually as well as in person. These meetings make it clear that Brighter Places is committed to listening to residents and giving them a meaningful position in how decisions are made.

Organisation overview and directorates

This meeting was meant to involve the Response Maintenance team but unfortunately the colleague was ill. A member of the team will join the panel next month to provide an update on the repairs service provided by Brighter Places and HRS Alliance Homes.

Danielle stepped in and gave the panel an overview of how the BP structures have been updated. Briefly this means that there are now four directorates in the structure, streamlined from the previous five directorates. The new directorates are Customer Service, Homes, People and Finance and Governance. This brings together the operational teams into a more logical and less siloed system.

Danielle highlighted the three strategic areas for Brighter Places – Great Customer Experience, Great Place to Work and Great Homes and Partnerships. The panel then had a discussion around what ‘great’ means in this context and we were assured that there are appropriate measures in place for this.

Committee Panel members

The panel also discussed the newly appointed Customer Experience Committee and congratulated Pete, Lucy, and Joy on being elected to this committee. The Customer Experience Committee will be similar to the Bridge meetings with a more formal approach. It will include Board Members and independent members who are Brighter Places residents. This committee will ensure that residents really are at the heart of the decision-making process. It will include reviewing policies, scrutinizing goals and customer key performance indicators, etc.

Pete, Lucy and Joy will take part in the first meetings. Brighter Places will be opening applications for residents to form the committee later this year. We all look forward to seeing how this committee works in partnership with the Engagement Panel. Harry Partington, Board Chair, expressed the Brighter Places ambition that, eventually residents will become fully fledged Board members, which we all supported.

If any resident is interested in the panel meetings and would like to attend as an observer at one, please do contact a member of our engagement team. All residents are welcome.

Sarah White – Panel Member