Recruitment Pack

Chair of the Group Board

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Contents 1. Welcome Letter

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2. A message from our Current Chair

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3. Key Dates

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4. About North Wales Housing - North Wales Housing Group Board

- Group Board and Remuneration and Membership Committee Dates

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5. Key Selection Criteria

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6. Role Specification 13

7. More Information 19

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1. Welcome letter Dear potential new Board Chair, Thank you for your interest in North Wales Housing and more specifically the role of Chair of our Group Board. Peter Gibson, our existing Chair is standing down from the role later this year having guided North Wales Housing successfully for a number of years. At North Wales Housing we are looking to the future and we are developing a new Corporate Plan which will take us up to 2021,

mapping out our vision and direction. The new Group Chair will have a significant influence on the way we deliver this plan and our strategic direction. I have the privilege to work with a great team of people within North Wales Housing, but we also need a great Chair to lead the way and help us achieve our vision for the future. I joined North Wales Housing in November 2016 and with the support of the Board and our staff team we have achieved a lot in a short period of time. We have had some challenges recently and the people here really know how to pull together and demonstrate our ‘One Team’ culture. We now want to embark on changes that will make us stronger and more resilient and your input into these will be a key element of the role. We provide homes and services to over 2,600 homes across North Wales and we continue to make significant investment in our homes. Our day to day repairs are provided by our in house repairs team with pride and good local knowledge, which is of value to our customers. Engaging with and listening to our residents is important to us and we work alongside an active Resident Advisory Panel who help us understand our tenants needs for today and tomorrow. We are proud of our Supported Housing Team and we have provided homes and services to vulnerable service users for over 20 years. We provide over 300 supported housing units for vulnerable people including the homeless, people with drug and alcohol problems, mental health issues, ex-offenders, people with learning disabilities and young people leaving care.

We are looking for a new Chair who has strong leadership skills, drive and ambition for North Wales Housing, to lead our strong board and work with myself as Chief Executive and to make sure we deliver on our mutual aspirations. If that strikes a chord with you and you share our ambition then we'd like to hear from you. You are invited to submit a copy of your CV and a statement on how you meet the Selection Criteria to Anne Elliott, EMA Consult (anne.elliott@emaconsult.co.uk ) by no later than Wednesday 19th July 2017. I look forward to hearing from you. Helena Kirk Chief Executive

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2. A message from our current Chair Dear potential new Board Chair, It has been my pleasure to be Chair of North Wales Housing for the last six years and Vice Chair prior to this. The organisation has grown over this time and many new initiatives have been launched. Some have been outstandingly successful and this has been reflected in the national awards we have received. All were undertaken with the aim of improving the lives of our tenants and the quality of life in the surrounding communities.

We are now entering a time of great challenge with an ever increasing need for quality housing provision, but with major pressure upon resources. New and innovative approaches will be necessary and a strategy which embraces collaboration with national and local providers is going to be needed if our aims are to be achieved. This is a demanding and challenging role, but will give great satisfaction to anyone taking on the role of Chair. I shall be sorry to stand down and can only wish the very best to my successor who will be taking over at an exciting point in the history of North Wales Housing. Peter Gibson Chair

3. Key dates

Closing date: 19th July 2017

1st Stage Interviews: 26th July 2017

2nd Stage Interviews: 1st – 4th August 2017

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4. About North Wales Housing

Founded in 1974, North Wales Housing today is a successful social enterprise providing homes and delivering services to over 2,600 households across North Wales. We employ up to 180 people and are proud to display the Investors in People accreditation. All of our employees work to a set of values that collectively sum up the character of the organisation. We understand the value and importance of a good home…That’s where our heart is. As well as maintaining existing homes we are also continually building new homes and bringing empty homes back to life. But we are about more than bricks and mortar; we are a regional market leader in vital areas such as Supported Housing, providing housing and services for vulnerable people including the homeless, people with drug and alcohol and mental health problems. Our tenants are put at the heart of everything that we do, having developed a Tenant Participation Strategy that expands our approach to engagement to ensure that all customers have access to an appropriate level of involvement. The Group includes a commercial subsidiary called Domus Cambria, launched in 2011 which is a residential development enterprise that develops and builds homes for sale.

To find out more please visit the North Wales Housing website:

www.nwha.org.uk

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The North Wales Housing Group Board North Wales Housing is led by a Group Board, supported by a Landlord Services Committee, Audit and Risk Committee and a Remuneration and Membership Committee. Below you can find a profile summary of the current Group Board members. You can find out more about the other committees on our website at: www.nwha.org.uk/about-us/governance/meet-the-board/

Peter Gibson – Current Chair of the Group Board

Joined: July 2008 Peter is a solicitor whose last role before retiring was as Director of Tourism and Leisure for Conwy Council. He had previously been Assistant Chief Executive at Clwyd County Council. Amongst a number of voluntary roles that Peter has carried out, he is the Chair of the Trustees of the Welsh Mountain Zoo. Peter became Board Chair in July 2011.

Lynne Parry

Joined: July 2002 Lynne has many years' experience within the housing sector, having developed and managed housing services in her previous roles with North Wales Housing and Shelter Cymru, establishing provision for marginalised groups such as prison leavers in conjunction with HMP Altcourse. As a private landlord accredited to provide quality HMO accommodation, she has experience of managing student, professional and family lets. Lynne also manages self-catering holiday cottages. Having recently qualified as a yoga teacher, she is now planning to develop a business within the community.

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Sally Ellis

Joined: July 2014 Sally was the Director of Modernisation and Well-being at Denbighshire County Council from 2001-2014 and has extensive experience of working in local government. She is the current Chair of the Strategic Improvement Steering Group, appointed by the Deputy Minister, to advise on implementation of aspects of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Bill and the new Regulation and Inspection Bill. Sally is training to be a Citizens Advice Bureau advisor.

Arthur Creber

Joined: July 2013 Arthur is the former Rector of Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire, where he was responsible for the town centre parish of St Giles, the Civic Church, and also the rural parish of St Thomas, Butterton. He was employed for many years within the local authority Social Services sector and was a Director of the Beth Johnson Foundation, a charitable trust aimed at improving the quality of life for older people. He has a wealth of experience in the voluntary sector and is a Trustee/Director of Conwy Citizens Advice Bureau and Chair of the Colwyn Bay Heritage Group.

Marion Pryor

Joined: July 2009 North Wales Housing initially co-opted Marion Pryor to its Audit Committee in 2006, before she became a full Board member in July 2009. She is currently a member of the Group Board and has chaired its Audit and Risk Committee since 2011. Marion is currently the Head of Audit and Risk at the Isle of Anglesey County Council, and she has also held senior roles in internal audit in North Wales Police, Natural Resources Wales, Countryside Council for Wales, Denbighshire County Council and more recently, Conwy County Borough Council. She has also worked as an external auditor for the Auditor General for Wales (Wales Audit Office) in his financial audit practice.

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Marion qualified as a chartered internal auditor, becoming a member of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (CIIA) in 1999. She gained her Masters Degree in Change Management from Liverpool John Moores University in 2004, qualifying with a distinction and became a fully qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in 2009. In 2014, Marion also completed a post-graduate certificate with CIPFA in Corporate Governance and was a member of the CIPFA working group tasked with revising the CIPFA/SOLACE Framework for Good Governance in Local Government, published in 2016. More recently, Marion has joined Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s Board and is a member of its Audit and Risk Committee.

Mark Richardson

Joined: July 2015 Mark is a social entrepreneur, consultant and researcher. Strategic lead on the NHF's influential 'Green Light' programme to help the housing sector engage effectively with the social enterprise sector, he is also Director of Social Enterprise at Bangor University and Fund Manager for FranchisingWorks, a social investment fund. Mark has written a variety of reports on social enterprise and co-founded Aspire, an award-winning social enterprise employing and training homeless people.

David Grant Jones

Joined: July 2015 A Banking, Operations, IT and Change professional, David has many years of experience managing and leading operational and change teams in the banking and financial services sector across Africa, Caribbean, Middle East and the UK. Employed by AlAhli and Barclays, he has also served as a non-executive director in the banking and insurance sectors. David has also been involved in HR, Risk, Facilities Management, Project Management and Strategic Planning.

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Susan Miller

Joined: July 2015 Susan is a former research scientist with extensive experience in business management and compliance. Until recently a senior director with Ethicon, part of the Johnson and Johnson group, she was responsible for regulatory compliance in both Europe and the USA, involving compliance auditing, change management and performance monitoring. Passionate about developing people, Susan also has an enthusiasm for sustainable housing design.

Janet Roberts

Joined: July 2015 Janet is a former Housing Inspector for the Audit Commission in England and has wide experience through working for Riverside in particular and lecturing in housing at John Moores University.

John Keegan

Joined: December 2016 John is the Chief Executive at Monmouthshire Housing. He has worked at a senior level in the housing sector for over 20 years, the last nine years as a Chief Executive. He has recent board experience with Community Housing Cymru as Chair and also at Agored Cymru an awarding body for further education colleges and courses.

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William (Bill) Farnell

Joined: December 2016 Bill is a Chartered Certified Accountant and works as a Finance Manager at Bangor University responsible for day to day financial transactions within the College of Business, Law, Education and Social Sciences. He previously held the post of Finance Manager/Company Secretary at the Management Development Centre, Bangor.

Christopher Taylor

Joined: December 2016 Christopher is a Chartered Public Finance Accountant and is a Technical Director with Arlingclose Limited, an independent treasury advisory company which provides financial advice and capital financing expertise for the public, private and the third sectors. He has previously worked for Clwyd County Council and Denbighshire County Council and his latter position was that of Principal Management Accountant.

John Ghader

Joined: December 2016 John is currently the Chief Executive of Pier Head Housing Association, having been in post for nearly four years. He has a wealth of experience in the housing sector having previously worked for the Anchor Trust, Headrow Housing Group, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council and the Tenant Services Authority. He has also worked as a Lead Housing Inspector for the Audit Commission. He is currently a National Board member with the National Housing Federation.

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Ian Alderson

Joined: December 2016 Ian is a partner with Brabners LLP and specialises in advising the social housing sector and other clients on housing management, property and commercial disputes and litigation, employment related litigation and judicial review and human rights cases. He is a qualified mediator and member of CIH and the Property Litigation Association.

Nanette Williams

Joined: April 2016 Nanette is a local government internal auditor, currently employed by Denbighshire County Council as a Senior Auditor. She also performs the same role at North Wales Police under an out-sourced contractual arrangement. Nanette has varied experience across the local government setting and the wider Welsh public sector of governance, internal control frameworks, risk and risk management. She has recently completed her professional training with the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors.

Group Board and Remuneration and Membership Committee Meetings Dates

Meeting Date

Annual General Meeting 21st September 2017

Group Board Meeting 19th October 2017

Remuneration & Membership Committee Meeting 2nd November 2017

Group Board Meeting 16th November 2017

Group Board Meeting 14th December 2017

Group Board Meeting 25th January 2018

Remuneration & Membership Committee Meeting 8th February 2018

Group Board Meeting 15th February 2018

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5. Key Selection Criteria Skills:

Sound commercial acumen with knowledge of how to apply those commercial skills in our

sector

Strategic awareness and the ability to see the big picture

Ability to effectively network on behalf of NWH and act as an ambassador

Understand how to maximise the opportunities in our environment

A sound understanding of risk and financial management

IT literate

Excellent Communication Skills

Experience:

Of leading in a similar organisation at the highest level to deliver objectives

Ideally someone with housing association leadership experience

Governance and board membership experience at a senior level within an organisation with a

multi-million pound turnover

Senior level experience in merger or acquisition to guide decision making

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6. Role Specification

Key Responsibilities:

1 To provide leadership to the Board.

2 To ensure that the Board fulfils its duties and responsibilities for the proper governance of

the organisation.

3 To support, motivate and when appropriate challenge the Chief Executive.

4 To ensure the Board works in partnership with the Chief Executive and his/her staff to

achieve the agreed strategic outcomes and priorities for the Group.

5 To establish and maintain a clear division of responsibilities between Board and Executive

Duties and tasks to fulfil the key responsibilities

1 To provide leadership to the Board by ensuring that:

business is conducted in alignment with the Code of Conduct and Board behaviour

models the values of the organisation;

meetings are chaired effectively, seeking consensus, balancing the need for full debate

on key questions with efficient time management;

all Board Directors participate and feel free to challenge constructively both the Chair

and the Chief Executive;

clear decisions are reached and recorded and implementation is monitored;

Board agendas are meaningful and reflect the key responsibilities of the Board, in

particular those items which cannot be delegated;

the Chief Executive and his/her staff provide the Board with relevant, timely and

accurate information in order to allow the Board to discharge its responsibilities. (This

should include alerting the Board to major risks, informing of current and future key

issues, and external changes which may impact on the organisation);

Board decisions are made in the best, long-term interests of the organisation and that

the Board takes collective ownership of these decisions;

there is an annual programme of Board and committee meetings, Board development

activities and events with carefully structured agendas and high quality briefing papers;

The Chair of the governing body of the RSL should tell us when the notifiable event

relates to a governance or organisational issue, for instance if the Chief Executive has

left the organisation or if there is an issue about the Chief Executive or the governing

body.

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2 To ensure that the board fulfils its duties and responsibilities for the proper

governance of the organisation by ensuring that:

the Board sets the mission, vision, values, strategic objectives and high-level policies for

the organisation;

the Board monitors the performance of the organisation at the strategic level;

the Board satisfies itself that the organisation complies with all regulatory and legal

requirements;

major risks to which the organisation is exposed are reviewed regularly and an effective

risk management framework is maintained to mitigate these risks;

the Board satisfies itself as to the integrity of financial information;

financial dealings are systematically accounted for, audited and all loan covenants are

complied with;

internal controls and systems are audited and reviewed regularly;

the Board engages effectively with key stakeholders, particularly residents;

the organisation has a governance structure that is appropriate to its size/complexity,

stage of development and objectives and that these structures and governing

instruments are reviewed regularly;

the Board delegates sufficient authority to its committees, the Chair, the Chief Executive

and others to enable the business of the organisation to be carried on effectively

between meetings of the Board;

the Board’s delegated authority is recorded in writing by means of terms of reference

for Board committees and role descriptions for honorary officers

the Board monitors and reviews the use of these delegated powers;

the Board has the skills it requires to govern the organisation well, that these skills are

utilised, and that the Board has access to relevant external professional advice and

expertise;

there is a systematic, open and fair procedure for succession planning and the

recruitment and co-option of Board members;

all members of the Board receive appropriate induction, advice, information and training

(both individually and collectively);

Board members act reasonably, always act in the interests of NWH and comply with its

code of conduct;

the Board regularly reviews its performance and that of individual Board Directors.

3 To support, motivate and when appropriate challenge the Chief Executive by:

ensuring there are clear and open processes for the recruitment (and if necessary

dismissal) of the Chief Executive, and for setting and reviewing the remuneration

package of the Chief Executive;

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ensuring that the Board focuses on its governance role and does not encroach upon the

legitimate roles of management;

arranging regular meetings with the Chief Executive and developing a professional

relationship within which each can speak openly about concerns, worries and

challenges;

acting as ‘line manager’ to the Chief Executive on behalf of the Board, always

remembering that the Chief Executive is responsible to the Board as a whole and not to

any one individual Board member or sub-committee;

ensuring the Chief Executive’s performance is reviewed regularly;

ensuring the Chief Executive has the opportunity for professional development and has

appropriate external professional support;

in partnership with the Chief Executive, agreeing respective roles in representing NWH;

ensuring that Board Directors challenge constructively as “critical friends”, and only in

the best interests of the organisation;

agreeing with the Chief Executive clear key performance indicators by which he/she will

be held accountable;

ensuring there are appropriate mechanisms, both internal and external, to verify that

the Board receives a balanced and honest picture of how the organisation is performing.

4. To ensure the board works in partnership with the Chief Executive and his/her staff

to achieve the strategic outcomes and priorities for the Group by ensuring,

through the Chief Executive:

that the staff understand the role of the Board and that the Chief Executive provides an

effective link between the board and staff;

that performance management is in place for everyone in the organisation and that

NWH invests in the development of staff.

5. To establish and maintain a clear division of responsibilities between Board and Executive

Role Limitations

The Chair needs to be aware that:

the Chair of the board acts on behalf of the Board and is accountable to the Board;

no individual Board Director, including the Chair, has authority unless specifically acting on

behalf of the Board with the delegated authority of the Board. Collectively Board Directors

have authority, individually they do not.

it is the Chief Executive’s job to run the organisation. It is for the Board to provide the Chief

Executive with direction on strategic priorities then support him/her to perform well and

deliver against the priorities set. This boundary between the governance and management

roles is to be respected and clarified whenever necessary.

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A prospective chair will need to demonstrate:

experience of leading an organisation (e.g. at Chief Executive or Director level) with a

significant budget and of comparable complexity;

a considerable reputation within their field;

a portfolio of high level governance and organisational skills including strategy formulation,

financial management, risk management, organisational performance management and

service development in a regulated environment;

experience of building alliances and working relationships with a range of stakeholders.

The Chair of the board is required to have the following knowledge, skills and attributes:

Skills and Attributes

1) Leadership

Confidence and presence – can take charge of a group of Board Directors, build strong

rapport and command respect. Has high levels of self-awareness and able to appreciate and

utilise strengths of others on the Board.

Co-ordination and co-operation – can build an effective team; co-ordinate the work of the

Board and foster a spirit of co-operation along the way.

Flexibility – able to appreciate and be sensitive to alternative views and change own

position when appropriate. Has the intellectual flexibility to be creative, make sense of

complexity and clarify it for others.

Integrity – behaviour is beyond reproach; has high moral and ethical standards. Customer

focused and committed to equality and diversity.

Motivation – inspires others to achieve through demonstrating own commitment and

enthusiasm. Can clearly articulate a vision for the future and enthuse and persuade others.

2) Strategic

Strategic awareness – is aware of current environmental factors and those that could

impact in the future. Aware of the internal resources of the organisation and how these can

be best used to achieve ‘fit’ and NWH’s priorities.

Experience

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Perspective – is able to rise above the immediate problem or situation and see the wider

issues and implications. Ability to relate disparate facts and connect relevant relationships

and imagine possible future scenarios and their potential outcomes.

Change readiness – is alert and responsive to need for change. Can model agility and

encourage creativity amongst the board and executive in response to the challenges of

today and the future.

3) Results focused

Business acumen – is able to identify opportunities for the potential benefit of the

organisation; commercial awareness. Actively seeks new knowledge and information from

multiple sources to keep up to date and increase knowledge of sector and wider

environment.

Exemplar – sets challenging but achievable goals and standards of performance for self,

Board and Chief Executive.

Resilience – maintains energy and commitment in the face of adversity. Is able to live with

considered risk in order to achieve strategic objectives.

4) Analysis and decision making

Detail – insists on appropriate levels of detail to provide assurance. Is conscientious and well

prepared for Board duties.

High standard of literacy and numeracy – assimilates written and numerical information

accurately. Is able to critically appraise information and make sound interpretations. Can

explore counter arguments and probe more deeply when required.

Judgement – considers weighting of evidence, reasonable assumptions, alternative views,

the ethical dimension and other information before reaching a final decision.

Decisive – once reasonable judgement has been make is able to make decisions and take

action.

5) Communication skills

Written – can convey complex ideas and opinions with clarity and accuracy.

Listening – listens intently and with care to ensure clarity of understanding, asks questions

to ensure full comprehension.

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Presentation – can engage an audience and convey messages clearly and concisely and in a

way that connects with the audience.

Open – is honest and open when communicating with others. Self-aware and able to

acknowledge errors or shortcomings in own performance. Willing to invite and accept

constructive feedback.

Influencing – is able to gain support and influence; political acumen.

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7. More Information

If you have any questions please contact Anne Elliott at EMA on 01926 887272 The closing date for this vacancy is Wednesday 19th July 2017.

www.nwha.org.uk

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LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/north-wales-housing