Recruitment PackChairFebruary 2019

www.campbelltickell.com 020 3434 0990

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Contents Your Application ............................................04

Welcome Letter...............................................09

About Grand Union.......................................... Housing Group.................................................10

Meet the Board Team.................................12

Meet the Executive Team.........................16

Role Profile.........................................................20

Key Terms............................................................22

Key dates and the........................................ selection process............................................23

Media advertisement................................25

3 We’ve been in business for almost 25 years and provide 12,000 homes for more than 27,000 people

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In order to apply you should submit:• An up-to-date CV which shows

your full career history – we recommend that this is no longer than three pages;

• A supporting statement explaining why you are interested in this role, detailing how you are a good candidate for this post and how you fulfil the person specification – we recommend that this is no longer than three pages;

• The declaration form (completion of the equalities section is not mandatory, but is requested for monitoring purposes in line with our commitment to equality and diversity); and

• Indicate on the declaration form if you cannot attend any of the interview dates.

Please note that applications can only be considered if all the documentation is complete. Please send your application, preferably in MS Word format by email to: grandunion@campbelltickell.com. Applications must be received by Friday 1 February 2019, by 12 noon. Please ensure we receive your application in good time. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt within 24 hours of sending, please call the team on 020 3434 0990. To help avoid your submission being treated as spam, please use a secure email address from which to send

your application and refer to the role and organisation in the header.Please do call me if you wish to have an informal discussion about the role and organisation, or if you have any other questions to help you decide whether to apply. Kind regardsMark Glinwood Senior Associate Consultant 07944 411484Gera Patel Partner 07813 149629

Thank you very much for your interest in this post. On the following pages, you will find details of the role and the selection process to assist you in completing and tailoring your application.

Your Application

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We build affordable homes, provide personal support and care, and help people to learn, work and be healthy.

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We believe in partnership and collaboration

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Welcome Letter

I am very pleased that you are interested in considering this exciting opportunity – to be the Chair of Grand Union Housing Group (GUHG). We think this is a unique chance to be the leader of a very special organisation. In the current environment our vision for ‘more homes, stronger communities and better lives’ has never been more important and in this post you get to make a meaningful impact in ensuring we continue to live up to that vision. We celebrated our 10 year anniversary in March 2018 and took the opportunity to reflect how far we have come. We have grown considerably, from 3,000 to 12,000 homes over the last decade. We are continuing to develop a range of new homes to tackle the considerable shortage of affordable housing in our region. With funding in place for further development, we are well positioned to meet the on-going and changing needs of our local communities. Customers remain at the heart of our vision. Our Customer 2020 transformation programme is bringing together creativity, digital technology, energy and resource so that we challenge every aspect of our service design and delivery to ensure a great customer experience. We anticipate that our new Chair (whatever their professional and sector background) will

be equally passionate about continued affordable housing delivery that is matched by service excellence, to make that all important difference in people’s lives. Over the last few years, we have been focusing on our governance infrastructure, recognising that it needs to keep pace as Grand Union evolves. We have moved away from the subsidiary structure, while still being able to retain a strong local accountability to those original commitments of the individual organisations within our Group. Unification is fostering increased efficiency with more streamlined decision making. So our new Chair will joining us at an opportune time, with a robust governance platform, including recently reviewed governance processes and tools. I work with excellent long-standing and newer Board colleagues. They offer breadth and depth in the skills and experience they bring to Grand Union. We are keen for our Chair to spend time with us and get to know us, so that we can further develop as a team. You will want to ensure that you get the best out of us and that as a collective we add value. As an experienced governance practitioner you will also appreciate the importance of the broader Board and Executive team in setting that

all-important leadership tone – internally and externally. You will find dedicated and effective people at Grand Union, at every level. Staff who live our values every day, constantly stretching to be the best they can be in their roles. My Board and Executive colleagues and I feel that this amounts to a fantastic opportunity to lead a dynamic organisation that can take pride in its legacy and feel confident about its ambitious future. At Grand Union we know that having a home is fundamental to health, learning and the ability to lead a good life. We believe that providing good, affordable, secure and safe homes in decent neighborhoods shapes people’s lives positively. What we do matters – and if it matters to you too, we would love to hear from you.Good luck! Gillian Walton Vice Chair GUHG

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About Grand Union Housing Group

More homes, stronger communities, better livesGrand Union Housing Group has a strong people-focused culture and is ideally placed to create and sustain dynamic neighbourhoods across its operational area.In October 2018, the Group unified its four subsidiary organisations into a single charitable entity, which provide specialist accommodation and support to people with learning disabilities as well as general needs and older persons’ accommodation. Unification will unlock considerable extra development capacity for the future and ensure more streamlined decision making. Grand Union Group Funding plc was formed in November 2013 as a public limited company in order to issue bond money on behalf of the Group and Grand Union Homes was set up to manage the growing number of homes we are building.

We have also launched a major new initiative, Customer 2020 which is transforming the delivery of services by truly putting our customers at the heart of what we do. We are significantly enhancing our digital delivery for example, but more than that, by simplifying our internal processes we’ll simplify them for our customers too. We will, however, maintain our additional services like our Benefits and Money Advice service which raised over £3m for our tenants last year, our employment and community investment services and the other services which add so much value to the people with whom we work.

Over the last 10 years, we’ve built 2,000 homes and we will build that same number in half that time – doubling our development programme. Alongside this consolidation of our governance we have agreed the refinance of our long-term loans on a Group basis with our lenders and raised an additional £25m of short term facilities from them to support our new homes programme in the years ahead. We are well placed, in the centre of the Oxford – Cambridge arc, to achieve this step-change in our development programme and provide the new homes desperately needed in our area.

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Achieving this means focusing on more land-led delivery and the creation of new strategic partnerships so that we can share risk and bring forward sites quickly. Through Grand Union Homes Limited, we have started to build our first homes for sale – the profit generated from these will fund more rented homes to house those currently waiting on the Local Authority housing registers in our regions. Central to this is our commitment to providing more supported housing, in particular for older people and those with a learning disability. Despite the uncertainty around long term revenue funding for supported housing, we have maintained a healthy development programme of specialist supported housing and we are proud to have opened another domestic abuse service during this year.Since its formation in March 2008, Grand Union has established itself as a major operator in the region and owns and manages almost 12,000 homes across Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and the surrounding counties. We’re a £73m turnover social business with more than 300 staff. We’re a financially stable and innovative not-for-profit organisation that believes in partnership and collaboration. We work in partnership with a number of other organisations

and deliver both homes and services which benefit the community as a whole.Our visionOur vision is to:• Increase our development

programme to provide 1,800 new homes over the next five years with a range of tenures, enabling more people to rent or own a home that they can afford.

• Deliver an ambitious, expanded programme of high quality services that our customers want, in the way that they want to receive them, whilst improving the wellbeing of those who need extra support, particularly the elderly.

• Be a force for positive change by investing in our homes and local communities to reduce fuel poverty, support people into work and provide opportunities for young people.

• Give our employees rewarding careers by investing in them and enabling them to exceed the expectations of our customers.

Our valuesOur values represent the framework within which we operate:• Integrity - we will deliver our

promises and be clear about what we can and cannot do.

• Respect - we will listen to and respect our customers and everyone we work with.

• Quality - we will always aim to provide excellent services and products.

• Innovation - we will look for innovative solutions to resolve problems, deliver outcomes and achieve value for money.

• Teamwork - we believe we can achieve far more by working together in partnership.

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Meet The Board Team

Harry Walker Chair

Harry is a Chartered Surveyor with 30 years’ experience working in predominantly real estate projects in both the private and public sector and is currently an Associate at Arcadis LLP. Sector experience includes aviation, railways, student accommodation and affordable housing. He is Chair of the Board and also sits on the Remuneration & Nominations Committee, Development Committee and the Grand Union Homes Limited Board.

Gillian Walton Vice Chair

Gillian has over 35 years of social housing experience. She worked in two London housing associations before becoming a consultant with Chapman Hendy Associates and joining the project team on the stock transfer that resulted in Mid Beds HA, later Aragon. She joined Aragon in 1999, initially to implement a restructure, and stayed for 11 years, project managing the second transfer of Mid Beds homes to Aragon and the stock transfer that created South Northants Homes, leading to the development of the Grand Union Group. Gillian is Vice-Chair of the Group Board and Chair of the Remuneration & Nominations Committee.

Brent O’Halloran

Brent is Director of Asset Management, Hyde Housing Group but worked for many years at British-Gas before joining the social-housing sector. He’s an advocate for improving the sector’s approach to property management, with a reputation for being a contrarian and challenging convention. He’s the architect behind several big ideas that have created a stir in recent times, including; same-day repairs, improving gas access rights, applying ‘nudge’ tactics to maintaining good tenancies, demand-led- component replacement programmes, and increasing customers’ choice including fitting whirlpool baths. Brent also sits on the Homes & Services Committee

James Macmillan

James is an independent executive coach working with individuals and organisations who are looking to develop their careers, manage change and achieve their potential. In addition to his role as a Grand Union Housing Group Board Member, James is also on the Board of the Milton Keynes Parks Trust and Chair of Whitecap Leisure. His background is in financial services, having worked for BlackRock and other companies for over 23 years. James also sits on the Audit & Risk Committee and Remuneration & Nominations Committee.

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Kami Nuttall

Kami is an independent consultant working with not for profits. She was until recently Associate Director at Moore Stephens working with not for profit and social housing clients. She is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors. She has been Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee since October 2014 and as a result of this role was co-opted onto the Grand Union Board in November 2014 and became a full member in September 2016. Kami also sits on the Remuneration & Nominations Committee.

Nicola Ewen

Nicola is a qualified accountant with over 15 years experience in the social housing sector. She is the Executive Finance Director at Paradigm Housing, one of the South East’s leading housing providers, managing over 14,000 homes across 33 different local authorities. Prior to this, Nicola was the Assistant Finance Director for Notting Hill and she previously worked as Strategic Project Manager for Housing 21, a specialist in supported housing for older people. She enjoys fund raising for the National Autistic Society and MASKS (Make a Special Kid Smile) charities. Nicola also is a member of the Audit & Risk Committee and the Funding Committee.

Peter Fielder

Peter is a self-employed banking and financial consultant. From 1998 to 2013 he was Head of Barclays Education Team in the East of England, with responsibility for the management of customer relationships with universities, further education colleges and independent schools. This included the role as ‘bank manager’ to a number of universities including the University of Cambridge and 25 of the 31 Cambridge colleges. His role included negotiation at Board level with Bursars and Finance Directors to deliver finance for the development of student accommodation, academic buildings and for the enhancement of the long term value of college endowment assets.

Peter is also Chair of the Homes & Services Committee and also sits on the Funding Committee and Grand Union Group Funding PLC.

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Richard Broomfield

Richard has worked in housing development for over 30 years, following an early career in town planning with Warrington Development Corporation.He has wide experience in property development, having worked at director-level roles for two housing associations before he established a flourishing and successful consultancy firm, advising on business strategy and matters relating to affordable housing development, procurement and planning. Richard is the Chair of The Development Committee and Grand Union Homes Limited.

Vanessa Connolly

Vanessa is a retired Chartered Surveyor with over 30 years’ experience in the sector, including posts with the Housing Corporation and Cambridge University (department of land economy).Her most recent role was CEO of a Bedford based charity where she project managed an £11m new build project to provide extra‐ care housing and registered care on adjoining 2 sites for over 120 people. She also held various NED and trustee roles in the NHS and the charity sector.Vanessa brings to the Board development, supported housing and governance experience and is fully committed to GUHG‘s aims. Vanessa also sits on the Homes & Services Committee.

John Edwards

John is a semi retired former banker, with 38 years experience in the financial services sector, specialising in risk management with a particular focus on lending to the property sector. He is now a director of a small business consultancy firm (Sage Grey Limited).John has extensive knowledge of property and financial markets and risk management practices over the years at a senior level in a large organisation, formulating business strategies and developing and implementing business policies and procedures.John also sits on the Audit & Risk Committee and Chairs the Funding Committee and Grand Union Group Funding PLC.

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We plan to build 1,800 new homes in the next five years

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Meet the Executive Team

Aileen Evans

Aileen has had a career spanning over 30 years in housing and in her role as Group Chief Executive oversees everything at Grand Union Housing Group.She believes passionately that building properly affordable rented homes is a key part of solving the housing crisis.Aileen writes an occasional column for Inside Housing and other housing publications, she is regularly called upon to present at various industry events and her views are often sought in response to Government consultation and policy.Prior to joining GUHG, Aileen was Housing Services Director at South Yorkshire Housing Association and before that worked for Leicester

Housing Association, North East Derbyshire District Council and Nottingham City Council.In September 2018, Aileen was elected as the Chartered Institute of Housing’s (CIH) new vice president. As vice president, she will succeed incumbent president, Jim Strang, next summer and hold the position for a year.She is Chair of the Governing Body of her local school; has a Coaching Mastery and is a member of the Association of Coaching; holds an MBA; is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing; and is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts.

Phil Hardy

Phil has worked in housing for over 20 years and firmly believes that high quality affordable housing is a fundamental cornerstone for current and future generations achieving their aspirations. As Executive Director of Operations he is responsible for all customer facing services.Before joining GUHG he held senior positions at Sovereign Housing Association and Oxford Citizens Housing Association after starting his housing career at Ashfield District Council. He is the former Chair of Connection Support, a charity providing specialist support to people with complex life challenges, and is a trustee for his local Family Centre.

Mona Shah

Mona began her career in the media sector after qualifying as an Accountant. She has over 15 years’ experience working in housing and loves working for organisations that make a difference. She joins Grand Union Housing Group from Sovereign Housing Group where she held a senior position for three years. Prior to that she was at Catalyst Housing Limited. She has also worked in the insurance sector and has run her own travel business.In her role as Executive Director of Finance, Mona oversees the Finance Teams as well as IT and the Business Services Team

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Chair

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Purpose of the role: • The Chair provides

strategic leadership to the Board and to the organisation as a whole; working with and guiding the Chief Executive (CE) to ensure delivery of the vision and values of the organisation.

• Ensures that the Board delivers its key strategic role in securing the organisation’s long-term effectiveness, viability and sustainability, encouraging relevant and constructive discussions, and a positive working relationship between executive and the Board.

• Provides effective governance of the organisation, including playing a lead role in shaping the Board’s development and effectiveness, and in ensuring a suitable line of sight from the Board to the work of committees and any subsidiaries.

• Contributes to the promotion and positioning of the organisation across the range of external stakeholders.

Key responsibilities: Strategic leadership: 1. Ensure the Board sets

its vision, mission, values and standards and that its obligations to its stakeholders and others, including its regulators, are fully understood and delivered.

2. Promote good governance and ensure that the organisation’s affairs are conducted in accordance with all legal and regulatory requirements and a high standard of performance and propriety.

Conduct of Board business:3. Chair meetings

effectively, ensuring Board members have the opportunity to express their views and that their views are sought before important decisions are taken.

4. Deal with paperwork associated with the function of chairing Board meetings, including development of the agenda with the CE.

5. Ensure that the Board delegates sufficient authority to its Committees, Chair, CE and others to enable the business of the organisation to be conducted efficiently between meetings of the Board and that the Board monitors the use of these delegated powers.

6. Meet with the Vice Chair regularly to ensure all information and advice required to carry out delegated powers is provided.

7. Ensure that the Board receives professional advice when it is needed either from its senior staff or from external sources.

8. In the case of urgent business occurring between meetings, to take necessary decisions on behalf of the Board, in accordance with agreed urgency arrangements.

Role Profile

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9. Hold meetings of Committee Chairs as considered necessary. Make time to attend Committee meetings from time to time as needed. Be available for ad hoc discussions and urgent business in addition to formal Board and Committee meetings.

Developing an effective Board: 10. Consider the skills and

experience of Board members and take an active role in recruitment and succession planning.

11. Ensure regular individual and collective appraisal of the Board and members.

12. Focus on the development of the Board, carrying forward the outcomes from appraisal and other performance mechanisms.

13. Ensure that Board members work in accordance with the organisation’s Code of Conduct/National Housing Federation Code of Governance.

Working with the CE: 14. Establish a constructive

working relationship with the CE and support a positive working environment between the Board and the executive.

15. Meet regularly with the Chief Executive, to give support and review progress.

16. Ensure that the Board makes proper arrangements to set objectives and appraise the performance of the CE and determine the remuneration of the CE; and ensure that proper arrangements are in place for remuneration of other senior staff.

17. When necessary ensure that, in conjunction with other Board members, the CE is replaced in a timely and orderly manner in line with the organisation’s employment policies.

Promoting the organisation: 18. Be an ambassador for

the organisation to help build its brand and public image and ensure an effective regional and national profile in consultation with the CE.

19. Represent the organisation at the highest level, engaging with key stakeholders, regulators, opinion formers and decision-makers.

20. Be visible to residents as required, support appropriate measures and mechanism to ensure an effective interface between resident engagement/scrutiny and the governance structure.

21. Attend ad-hoc meetings as required (for example, resident meetings) and travelling as required to promote the values and purpose of the organisation.

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Key Terms

RemunerationThe remuneration for the post is £15,000 pa. Time commitmentThe Board meets four times a year, and in between there are a series of Committee meetings and two strategy events. The estimated time commitment for the role is around 30 hours per month.The appointed candidate will need to be flexible in fulfilling role responsibilities. As well as the meeting schedule, the Chair will need to be available between meetings - face-to-face, by telephone, email and skype etc. including engaging regularly with the Chief Executive. TenureThe tenure for this role is two three-year-terms up to six years. We comply with the National Housing Federation Code of Governance (2015) and as such in certain circumstances we may consider an extension of tenure, by annual re-appointment up to a maximum of nine years.

Meeting location and travelMeetings are usually held at our head office in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. The Chair is required to be visible across our operating region. Occasional national travel can also be expected as part of the ambassadorial responsibilities of the post. Induction and handoverThe new Chair will formally take up the role at the September 2019 AGM. We are keen to ensure that the new Chair makes themselves available to attend meetings, get to know colleagues and learn about our business before handover and induction ahead of the AGM.

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Key Dates And The Selection Process

Closing date: Friday 1 February 2019, 12 noonWe will be in touch with candidates from Monday 4 February, to advise on outcome of application.First interviews: Monday 11 FebruaryLonglisted candidates will be invited to an interview with a Campbell Tickell panel. There will also be an opportunity for discussion with the Vice Chair, Gillian Walton and Group Chief Executive, Aileen Evans on the same day. Interviews will take place in Milton Keynes.

ShortlistingBetween first and final stage interviews, shortlisted candidates will be asked by Grand Union to complete an online leadership psychometric test. Telephone feedback on the test will be provided ahead of the final stage.Final interviews: Thursday 28 FebruaryAt the final stage of the process there will be an opportunity to meet with some of the Board, senior staff and a selection of customers. This will be followed by a panel interview.This will take place at Grand Union’s head office in Cranfield. If you are unable to attend on any of the identified dates for interview, please do speak to Campbell Tickell before making an application.

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Our vision and values should resonate strongly with our new Chair. We are a successful organisation that operates with purpose. Our exceptional growth over the last decade reflects our unstinting commitment to continue to tackle the shortage of affordable housing options across the region. But at Grand Union we know that it takes much more to ensure that communities can thrive and succeed. So our investment in neighbourhoods and people continues at pace. You will be working with exceptional people who bring experience, intelligence and creativity to strategic decision making, by setting direction,

ensuring compliance and raising standards. With £645m worth of assets and a financial turnover of £74m, we make important risk-based decisions. As such we are seeking a Chair who has prior governance experience, a track record of working commercially within a strong social values framework and a colleague who places a high premium on building relationships with others. This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a dynamic organisation that can take pride in its legacy and feel confident about its ambitious future. We believe that providing good, affordable, secure and safe homes in decent

neighborhoods shapes people’s lives positively. What we do matters – and if it matters to you too, we would love to hear from you. For an informal discussion with our retained recruitment consultants, Campbell Tickell, please contact Mark Glinwood on 07944 411 484 or 0203 434 0990. The candidate pack can be accessed at www.campbelltickell.com/jobs.Closes Friday 1 February 2019, 12 noon

Chair £15,000 pa Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and surrounding counties.

Third Floor Olympic Office Centre 8 Fulton Road Wembley Middlesex HA9 0NU

020 8830 6777 020 3434 0990 (Recruitment)

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