duration

Location
Virtual

This final session of HQN’s summer school focuses on governance and oversight exploring how boards/governing bodies should prepare for inspection and the support that they will require. How will they demonstrate effective oversight of services, risks and improvement plans and evidence the assurance they are getting?

  • Read more

    The spotlight is on the people at the top – the board/governing bodies and leadership teams. They have a vital role to play in demonstrating compliance and oversight. They need to understand the organisation’s position, challenge effectively, oversee improvement and demonstrate that they have a clear grip on consumer outcomes.

    This final session in the series will focus on governance and oversight. It will explore how boards/governing bodies and committees can prepare for inspection, what assurance they need, and how they can demonstrate effective oversight of services, risks and improvement plans. And finally, how they should respond to the Regulator’s feedback and the grading at the end?

    It will look at the support and information they require from the rest of the organisation.

    What will be covered

    • The role of boards and governing bodies in consumer regulation
    • What effective oversight should cover
    • Assurance, challenge and evidence
    • Preparing board members for inspection conversations
    • Understanding risks, gaps and improvement plans
    • Demonstrating clear accountability and grip
    • Responding to the feedback and the grading.

    Who should attend?

    This session is essential for board members, committee members, councillors, housing portfolio holders, chief executives, executive directors, governance leads, regulatory leads and anyone responsible for reporting consumer standards assurance to boards.

    For more information on the other sessions in this series, please follow the links below:

    Wednesday 29 July 2026 – Organisation and planning: Suzanne Hemingway

    Wednesday 5 August 2026 – Your self-assessment and your evidence: Suzanne Hemingway

    Wednesday 12 August 2026 – Your presentation: Damian Roche

    Wednesday 19 August 2026 – Resident and staff engagement: Lewis Kinch

    Please click this link to return to the main Consumer standards page.

  • Our speaker

    Damian Roche, Director, HQN
    Damian is one of HQN’s experts on the consumer standards. He has played a key role in our consultancy projects since the new regulatory framework began its journey into law and supported a wide range of organisations (local authorities, housing associations and ALMOs) with their self assessments and improvement plans. His particular areas of expertise are in customer engagement and wider stakeholder engagement as well as governance, complaints management.

    Damian is a regular speaker at HQN events and recently devised and delivered a series of workshops to assist providers with their preparations for the new regulatory framework. He has developed toolkits for use in self-assessments, the latest covering the empty homes and lettings process and our condensed toolkit for the regulation of social housing.

    As well as the learning and insight that Damian has gained through consultancy and project work Damian also has hands-on practical experience of delivering services. He has worked in the housing sector for more than 20 years, much of which has been at a senior/executive level, including eight years as Director of Customer Experience for Accent Housing.
  • Programme

    9:30am Welcome and introduction

    9:35am The governing body under the spotlight

    • What’s expected of the governing body and the executive team?
    • Safe, capable hands
    • Demonstrating accountability and oversight.

    9:50am Assurance, evidence and constructive challenge

    • The information governing bodies need
    • Testing assurance and challenging effectively
    • Professional curiosity
    • Understanding risks, gaps and having improvement plans.

    10:15am Supporting your governing body and executive

    • Observing the governing body’s meeting
    • The interviews: deciding on who and preparing people for their conversations
    • It isn’t a memory test – providing the right data, assurance and briefings.

    10.35am And finally

    • Responding to feedback and the final grading.

    10:45am Questions and discussion

    11:00am Close

  • Testimonials

    • This session was informative, thought provoking and entertaining. All presenters were experienced and knowledgeable.

      Housing Manager, Saxon Weald HA

    • Really informative session with great speakers!

      Community Safety Officer, Platform Housing Group

    • Excellent session, really useful, practical advice and testimony.

      Safer Neighbourhoods Team Leader, Weaver Vale Housing Trust
  • Cancellations and substitutions

    If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected] Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable. If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance. Cancellations must be made in writing, and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.

  • Price and booking

    Bookings are closed for this event.

    If you experience any issues when submitting your booking, please email [email protected] with the name and date of the session along with the delegate name(s), email address(es) and job title(s) and we'll process the booking for you.

Dates



This event comes with a professional development certificate

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