Now recruiting voluntary board members
We now wish to further enhance the strength and diversity of our Board and are seeking enthusiastic, community-minded people from all walks of life. While you don’t need to have previous board-level experience, we do require people who can support our team in delivering our ambitious business plan. In particular, we would like to hear from people who have, or have held, positions in finance, social housing or in a charitable or third sector organisation.
Although the role of Board member is unpaid it is highly rewarding. You will benefit from support, development and a sense of real pride and satisfaction from providing quality homes for people who need them. And while we don’t offer remuneration, we pay reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.
If you think you would be interested in becoming a Board member at Grampian please keep reading:
What is the Role of a Board member?
The Grampian Board comprises up to 15 individuals who together are ultimately responsible for the work of the Association. The Board’s role is to provide leadership and strategic direction for the Association and to ensure that the Association complies with its statutory and regulatory requirements. The operational management of the Association is delegated to staff, within a framework of controls established by the Board.
Board members are also ambassadors, acting in the best interests of the Association at all times.
What is the board responsible for and what decisions does it take?
In relation to its strategic and leadership function, the core responsibilities of the Board are to:
- safeguard the Association’s central purpose, its values and its culture
- establish Grampian’s strategic direction and business objectives, review regularly and adjust as required; disseminate and ensure compliance with the values of the Association
- develop and maintain an understanding of the operating environment of the Association, and take this into account in assessing Grampian’s strategy
- establish a framework for the development, approval and review of policies and plans to achieve the Association’s business objectives
- ensure that the Association is adequately resourced to meet its business objectives
- build and maintain strategic links with external bodies; decide on and keep under review formal partnerships and alliances with other organisations
- foster effective relationships with senior staff to enable them to discharge their strategic and leadership duties.
In relation to its control and compliance function, the core responsibilities of the Board are to:
- oversee a framework for delegation to office bearers, to committees and to staff
- establish and regularly review systems of internal and external control
- establish and oversee a framework for the identification and management of risk
- ensure the solvency of the Association, approve the annual budget, and approve the annual accounts prior to publication
- monitor and assess the Association’s performance against plans, budgets, controls and targets
- establish and oversee a framework for the employment of staff
- appoint, support, and scrutinise the performance of the Chief Executive, and determine his/her remuneration
- ensure that the Association meets all its statutory obligations and acts in accordance with regulatory expectations and accepted good practice standards
- ensure that the Association’s activities are consistent with its constitution and corporate control documents
- assess periodically the Board’s own effectiveness including how well it follows its Code of Conduct.
In both sets of responsibilities, the Board is informed, advised and supported by the staff group.
Examples of the type of tasks that are completed by Board members include the following –
The Board is responsible for the following approvals:
- Direction of the Organisation
- Business plans
- Annual Budget
- 30 and 5 year financial plan
- Land sales and Acquisitions
- Major Projects
- Major changes in staffing structures
- Changes in management team structures
- New house building developments
- New development projects of any kind
- Business plans of subsidiary
- Policies of the association
- Adding to risk register
- Changes to Brand
- Treasury management
And reviewing and noting:
- Management Accounts
- Key Performance Indicators
- Risk Register
- Briefings on Scottish Housing Regulator, local authority activity and practice, Scottish and UK government legislation and guidance
- Receiving any inspection reports from regulator
- Keeping updated on new ideas and opportunities and giving guidance on whether they are of interest to the association to pursue.
What does being a Board member involve?
To be effective each Board member must have:
- a commitment to the Association
- the ability to see the big picture and to contribute to strategy development/long term planning
- sound, independent judgement
- the ability to analyse information and reach decisions
- a willingness to question, make constructive suggestions and to express themselves succinctly
- the ability to work as part of a team
- a willingness to learn
- adhere to our organisation values of Honesty | Integrity | Respect | Empathy | Commitment | Trust
Members of the Board need to understand and act in accordance with their legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities. Full details will be provided as part of the induction of new members.
Board members must commit the time necessary to prepare for and attend up to 11 Board meetings a year plus the annual Board Away Day off-site event. In addition there are training events and conferences that members are asked to attend. As a guide, members should expect to spend around fifteen days preparing for and attending Board meetings, sub-committees and the annual Away Day and between two and three days on training and conferences. Members are encouraged to work with at least one of our committees where some more detailed tasks can be reviewed in more depth. Generally each committee will meet around four times per year.
How will we support you?
Grampian is committed to ensuring that members receive support and assistance to carry out their responsibilities, and to make their role a rewarding and satisfying one.
In return for their commitment and time, the Association provides Board members with a warm welcome, a comprehensive induction, and clear guidance, information and advice on their responsibilities and on the work of Grampian throughout their time on the Board.
New members are supported by a more experienced member as a mentor for a period while they settle in and for as long as this is a benefit to them. They work together in a stimulating and mutually supportive environment and have the opportunity to network with others with shared commitment and ideals.
Who will you be working with?
As a Board member you'll be working closely with the other on the Board and our leadership team. Follow these links to find our more about our current Board members and members of our leadership team. You can also explore this website to find out more about us and the area where we provide homes and services.
Current members of our senior management team
A message from our Chair
Thank you for your interest in joining the Grampian Board, steering us towards our vision and values and helping us to stay focused on our exciting ambition of being better, cheaper and quicker whilst continuing to put our customers at the heart of everything we do.
Our focus is not just giving people a home, it’s building communities and giving support to help people maintain their tenancy, assisting vulnerable people in their homes. Grampian is on an exciting journey of transformation to deliver a service fit for the 21st Century
If you have any questions please feel free to contact our company secretary [email protected]
I look forward to receiving your application and hopefully meeting you during the selection process.
Abhishek Agarwal
Chair
How do I apply to become a Board member?
If you are interested in becoming a Board member please download and complete the application form below. Then return your completed form to the address below along with a copy of your CV and a covering letter (no more than 2 sides of A4 please) explaining why you wish to be considered for this role and addressing the following questions:
- What motivates you to join the Board?
- What are the key skills and knowledge you feel you can bring to the Board?
- At time of application is there anything which would reasonably prevent you from being a member of the Board for at least a three year term?
- What in your view are the main differences between the roles of Board member and staff member?
What happens next?
Your application will be shared with the Chair and Chief Executive and a meeting arranged with them and the Secretary. This is an opportunity to explore your application in more detail and also for you to find out more. After this and by agreement, you will be invited to observe a meeting of the Board and to meet other members.
The Secretary, Grampian Housing Association, Huntly House, 74 Huntly Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1TD
You can also e-mail your completed form, CV and covering letter to [email protected]
For further details and an application form please download the following documents:-
Download the Person Specification
Co-wheels car club scheme for tenants launched
Thanks to the launch of a new pay-as-you-go car hire scheme, tenants of Grampian Housing Association can now access electric cars.
Grampian is the first housing association in Aberdeen to be making the cars available in a partnership project with social enterprise Co-wheels Car Club.
Neil Clapperton, chief executive of Grampian Housing Association said:-
“We are always looking for ways to help our tenants. This initiative also ties in well with the Association’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint with the cars also available for staff to use when visiting tenants.
“The vehicles offer a cheaper, greener and convenient alternative to owning and using a car, especially for people who may only need to drive occasionally. This is a great opportunity for tenants, staff and local businesses to have access to a vehicle for as long or as little time as they need.”
People are being encouraged to sign up as Co-wheels Car Club members to benefit from the initiative. There is an added incentive for tenants with free membership for a limited period, £25 of free driving credit and 25% off hire charges on their first 12 months using the promotional code GRAMPIAN25.
Grampian Housing Association received a grant of £36,447.78 through the Energy Saving Trust from Plugged-in Households, a Scottish Government initiative which supports housing associations in running electric vehicles for use within the local community.
Tony Archer, Co-wheels Car Club Scottish manager, said:
“Through the launch of this great initiative we hope that both tenants and the wider Aberdeen community reap the benefits this creates for affordable zero-emission driving.”
Co-wheels cover costs including insurance, cleaning, servicing and refuelling. Co-wheels members just book a car when needed and drive away.
With cars available for booking for 30 minutes to days at a time, members only pay for the hire time and distance driven.
Booking is available via Co-wheels website or by calling Co-wheels, using smartcards to access the car. There is no need for keys.
At the end of a booking, the car is simply returned to its charging bay in Grampian Housing Association’s car park.
You can find out more about the scheme at co-wheels.org.uk.
Festive Office Closure
This festive season our Aberdeen and Elgin offices will close at 1pm on Tuesday 24 December 2019 and will re-open at 9am on Friday 3 January 2020.
We wish all our customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
During the festive office closure the following arrangements have been made:
PAYMENT OPTIONS (rent, occupancy payment, factoring charges etc.)
ALLPAY
If you have an existing Allpay card please remember that you can pay your monthly charges by debit or credit card, either by telephone on 0844 557 8321, or online at www.allpayments.net. You can also pay by cash or card at your local PayPoint outlet (locations listed at www.paypoint.ie/locator).
If you do not have an Allpay card and wish to apply for one, then please contact our office and we shall set up an account for you.
ONLINE BANKING
If you have online banking you can make a direct payment to us. Please see the Pay Your Rent page on our website for more information.
EMERGENCY REPAIRS
During the holiday period, we operate a 24-hour emergency repairs service only. Any non urgent repairs should be reported when we reopen on Friday 3 January 2020.
If you need to report an emergency repair (for example, a significant leak or total loss of power), then please telephone 0300 123 9279.
For tenants experiencing problems with your heating, please telephone Heatcare Oil & Gas directly, on 01343 842042.
Please note that only communal repairs can be dealt with for sharing owners and owner occupiers.
Withdrawal of Allpay Windows App (Feb 2020)
ALLPAY - IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CUSTOMERS
On 1 February 2020 the Allpay Windows App will no longer be available. Apple and Android versions will continue to be available.
Allpay will make sure they provide a smooth journey for any Windows customers with assistance on how to pay using its simple and quick www.allpayments.net website.
Allpay is committed to Mobile payments and will be launching updates to their Apple and Android versions early next year as they continue to help income collection with the most convenient payment methods to suit customer spending preferences.
Allpay has noted fewer Windows users and ever decreasing use from the Windows App as customers move to Apple or Android devices.
New Chair and Vice Chair elected by Grampian
Dr Abhishek Agarwal (above left), course leader for the Aberdeen Business School MBA Programme at Robert Gordon University (RGU) has been elected as the new chairman of Grampian Housing Association, while Jim Cargill (above right) takes over as vice- chairman.
Dr Agarwal’s expertise spans the areas of strategy, business models, circular economy, social housing, governance and sustainability. The Association appreciates the support given by RGU in assisting Dr Agarwal with this important community role.
Commenting on his election, Dr Agarwal said: “It is a challenging time to take on the role of chair of Grampian Housing Association. We operate in a demanding environment but I feel that with my background in strategy and passion to help organisations realise their goals, I am well placed to ensure Grampian achieves its ambitious future plans.
“At RGU we place significant importance on sustainability and supporting our local community and this is an example of how we are committed to working in partnership with other organisations to provide a positive contribution to our society.”
Mr Cargill is currently chief executive of PlanSea Solutions Ltd, an independent commercial enterprise of RGU and a director of Calibre International Ltd, a business consultancy. He has just completed a second term as a board member of Montrose Port Authority and is also an advisor to NESTRANS (North East of Scotland Transport Partnership).
Jim Cargill said: “With my extensive experience in business development roles I welcome this opportunity to volunteer at Board level and I am looking forward to supporting Abhishek in driving Grampian’s strategic direction forward.”
Neil Clapperton, chief executive of Grampian Housing Association, congratulated Abhishek and Jim on their election and said: “These new appointments come at a time when our business transformation process is underway and I am confident that the experience brought by the chair and vice chair will help us realise our ambitious agenda.
“This will see the move to a new operating model designed to ensure that feedback from our tenants drives service improvements and delivers on our commitment to digital participation.”
One challenge for the association is ensuring that the needs of applicants for new homes are addressed in line with Scottish Government targets for new build homes while maintaining and improving service quality to meet the expectations of existing customers. This is reflected in the 500 new homes target set by the Association over the next five years. There is also a commitment to increase invest in its properties through installing new bathrooms, new kitchens and window replacements.
Members receiving the annual review at the recent annual general meeting heard about the association’s successes in: tenant participation and scrutiny; energy efficiency, including the installation of TESLA battery storage in properties with solar panels; support for tenants through its money advice and housing support projects; and building new homes for social rent at locations in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
