Case Studies
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PREPARING FOR INSPECTION
The client
A small housing association with 3,500 housing units under management, which was established to receive the transfer of a district council's housing stock.
The challenge
To assist the client to prepare for inspection by the Audit Commission's housing team. Having recently separated from the council the housing association was already facing a number of demanding risks. This meant that it needed to plan carefully its allocation of resources, both human and financial, to ensure that it addressed as much of its overloaded agenda as possible.
The solution
The Consultancy Company designed a three phase programme which project managed the client's preparation for inspection and provided additional human resources in areas where the client was stretched.
Phase 1: Reviewing the client's policies and procedures:
Working with the senior management team and middle managers across the organisation we developed a corporate style for the presentation of policy and procedure documents, checked for consistency of approach and introduced cross references.
This work proved the starting point for the preparation of the client's self-assessment. We then acted as independent reviewers, encouraging the client to challenge their understanding of their organisation and the service which it provides.
Phase 2: Coaching for focus groups and interviews:
Using our experience as inspectors we selected those members of the client's staff who were likely to be interviewed during the on-site inspection.
We gave these individuals two coaching sessions and a mock interview (based on Audit Commission's Key Lines of Enquiry) followed by feedback. To fully replicate the inspection process, where appropriate, two consultants conducted the mock interviews.
Phase 3: Planning for continuous improvement:
Throughout phases 1 and 2 we worked with the client to identify areas where performance needed to be improved and service standards raised. We assisted the housing association to implement our post-activity action plans immediately, allowing the client to demonstrate a strong recent track record of improvement.
Benefits at a glance
- A well managed project which gave a double benefit to the client - a comprehensive preparation for inspection and solid proof of the organisation's capacity for improvement.
- Audit Commission outcomes at the top end of the client's expectations.
- A step change in the quality of internal documentation and performance management data.
