View from the Board: Update from the Chair

Our Board’s latest activities

The Peabody Trust Board met on 28 November 2024. This was our first meeting since the Government’s October 2024 budget. We discussed the impact of the budget on our business and we noted that although there are positives, the economic environment continues to be challenging for social housing providers and residents.

We considered the proposed rent increase for 2025-26 and the work that has been done to balance affordability for residents and Peabody. We agreed to seek feedback from the Resident Led Panel on the proposed increase. Confirmation of the final rent increase for 2025-26 will be communicated directly to residents early in 2025.

At every Board meeting there’s a slot for Board Members to hear directly from residents. At November’s meeting, residents who had attended the North-West London Regional Engagement Event on 21 September 2024 fed-back about the service they receive from Peabody. Recommendations from the regional event have been shared with the Board and we'll be giving feedback back to residents on these.

As part of a wider review of our governance arrangements, and noting feedback from residents who attended the Resident Engagement Conference on 12 October 2024, we agreed to recruit a new resident board member with a general needs background. Further information about the role and how to apply will be available in March 2025.

We received updates on operational and financial performance including progress with the programmes to ensure the health and safety of residents, including gas and electrical safety checks. Other key matters considered by the Board included:

• Our performance in responding to complaints. In my role as the Member Responsible for Complaints, I highlighted key points from her review of Housing Ombudsman reports
• A review of services delivered by external managing agents and the work being done by Peabody to obtain assurance on the health and safety of our residents living in homes managed by a third-party agent
• Progress with Peabody’s Environmental Sustainability Plan and the investment that we are making to improve the energy efficiency of residents’ homes
• The Board also met on 5 December 2024 to discuss the shared ownership model and to hear from resident board members about their experience as shared owners.

I participated in various internal and external meetings, events and visits during October and November, including going to:

• Churchend Estate in Harlesden, London on 4 October, where I met with colleagues from neighbourhood and estate services and heard about the work being done to support residents and tackle anti-social behaviour
• Victoria Park estate in Hackney, London on 23 October 2024, with Tracy Packer, Managing Director for North East London. I heard about the work being done to respond to issues raised by residents
• Earls Court, London on 30 October 2024, with Sharon Goddard, Managing Director for North West London, where Peabody has various homes and I was briefed on our investment plans
• Harold Wilson House in Thamesmead on 11 November 2024, with Wells Chomutare, Managing Director for South London and colleagues from neighbourhoods and building safety. They discussed the arrangements in place to keep residents safe. Also at Thamesmead, I visited the Moorings Estate and saw firsthand the environmental work being done there, including a Growing Club and a Nature Reserve
• One of the four Better Together launch sessions in East London, where I met colleagues and heard about Better Together, which aims to improve our services and make a positive impact on those we work with, by working better together.

The Peabody Trust Board met on 9 September and agreed the Annual Report and Accounts for 2023-24, which are available on our website.

The Peabody Trust Board held its annual Strategy Day on 19 September 2024 at the Burridge Gardens Community Centre in Clapham, South-West London.

At the Strategy Day the Board heard from internal and external speakers and considered how Peabody can ensure that the homes it builds are fit for future generations. The Board looked at the priorities for a new Group Strategy for 2025 – 2028, which will be developed with colleagues and stakeholders over the coming months.

The Board met with members of Peabody’s Resident Led Panel and heard about the work of the Panel and the priorities for Peabody residents.

The Board received updates on operational and financial performance including an update on the disposal of empty homes which are no longer economic to repair.

Building on the recent introduction of our local operating model, the Board considered regional monitoring information, highlighting the differences in performance and the areas of focus in each region.

The Board also considered:

• An initial review of the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry Report, noting that there are important lessons for the social housing sector, and that these will remain high on Peabody’s agenda. The Asset Management Committee and the Board will receive a further detailed report at their November meetings
• The Regulator of Social Housing’s Consumer Standards. The Board considered compliance with the new standards and noted that there are plans in place to make improvement in areas where it is needed. This will continue to be monitored closely by the Resident Experience Committee
• Changes to Peabody, including the full integration of Charlton Triangle Homes, which owns 1,000 homes in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and the transfer of around 330 shared ownership homes to another social housing provider, following consultation with those residents.

I have participated in various internal and external meetings, events and visits. including: 

• 10 August: Thamesmead Festival with Peabody Board Member, Pippa Aitken. This is an annual festival celebrating community and culture at Thamesmead
• 14 August: Peabody’s North Counties region with Peabody’s Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, Elly Hoult. Elly and I met residents at Presentation Court, a sheltered accommodation scheme in Luton and visited Hilltop Court where they heard about the work being done to promote community safety
• 19 August: Care and support services in Colchester including Berryfields, Bernard Brett, Hargood Close and King Harold Road. These schemes include services for families and young people experiencing homelessness and a home for people with severe learning difficulties.
• 3 September: Fish Island in Tower Hamlets with Peabody Board Member, Matthew Martin. Matthew and I met neighbourhood and estate services staff at the site to hear about how Peabody is responding to issues raised by residents relating to contract services and service charges.
• 11 September: New Peabody developments in South and East London with several Peabody Board Members. Members visited schemes in West Ham (Stephenson Street), Dagenham Green and Loughborough Junction (Higgs Yard).

The Peabody Trust Board met on 6 June and 24 July 2024.

On 6 June, the Board confirmed the ongoing relationship between Peabody and Town and Country Housing, a subsidiary with homes in Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

At the July meeting, the Board received updates on committee meetings, operational and financial performance, year-end reporting, and development and procurement approvals. The Board also:

• Discussed the inquest into the sad death of a young resident in the canal in Islington in February
• Considered ongoing investigations into the fire at Pembury and the support given to residents
• Approved the Home Ownership Strategy and addressed rising costs to leaseholders for works and insurance, which increased service charges
• Reviewed a report on asset compliance, including gas, electrical and statutory checks to ensure resident safety
• Considered updates on complaints and progress on the improvement plan
• Noted progress against the Plan for Thamesmead.

I have also taken on the formal role as the Board Member Responsible for Complaints. In this capacity, I’m reviewing the Housing Ombudsman’s maladministration findings against Peabody. I’m meeting quarterly with the CEO, Chief Operating Officer, and other colleagues to review what complaints are telling us. We’ll also meet the Resident Complaints Panel at least once a year.

The Resident Experience Committee will continue to play a significant role in monitoring complaints and the Complaints Improvement Plan.

My engagements at Peabody over the past few months included:

12 June: Together with the CEO, Ian McDermott, I met with the Resident Led Group to discuss their priorities and thank them for their valuable work.

26 June: I visited estates in Hackney and Islington to meet local residents and see the work of the Peabody Community Foundation at the Pembury Centre. I also visited the Cook for Good food pantry and professional kitchen near Kings Cross to meet volunteers who help make the pantry work.

10 July: Together with Board member and Chair of the Development Committee, Terry Hartwell, I visited homes in Deptford and Lewisham. We reflected on the diverse types of Peabody housing, and how the design and specification of buildings influence the experience of the residents who live in them.

21 June: I attended a meeting organised by the National Housing Federation with Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman and other housing association Chairs. This meeting covered the breadth of the Housing Ombudsman’s work and the relationship between them, housing associations and residents.

19 June: I went along to the G15 Ethnicity in Housing Awards, which celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic people in housing. Ebun Atinmo, Head of Communications at Peabody, was recognised with the Inspirational Leader Award. Peabody residents Donna Hall and Charmaine Clarke, who run the Bright Beginnings group, won the Resident Group Award.