Regulatin Cmmittee Meeting 20 Date 21 st September 2017 Venue Husing Agency, Munt Street Upper Time 11.00am 1.00pm Chaired by Mary Lee Rhdes (M.L.R.) Cmmittee Members Present In attendance Agenda Items 1. Aplgies Earnán O'Cléirigh (E. O C.), Rnan Heavey (R.H.), Onagh Breen (O.B.), Eddie Lewis (E.L.), Michael Camern (M.C.), Dnal McManus (DMc.M) Susanna Lyns (S.L.) (Head f Regulatin, Regulatin Office, Husing Agency), Jenny Murphy (J.M.) (Secretary t the Cmmittee, Regulatin Office, Husing Agency), Liam Smyth (L.S.) (Department f Husing, Planning, Cmmunity and Lcal Gvernment), Grainne Jhnstn (G.J.) (Service Perfrmance Manager), Clare Naughtn (C.N.) (Gvernance and Assessment Manager), Jhn O Cnnr (J.C.) (CEO, Husing Agency) Gerry Hunt and Margaret Geraghty sent aplgies. 2. Declaratin f Interest O.B. declared that she sits n the Gvernance panel f the Charities Regulatry Authrity. 3. Matters Arising The Chair welcmed Clare Naughtn t her rle as Gvernance and Assessment Manager. Part 1 Cnsent Agenda Items 4. a. b. Reprt n Sign Ups t the Cde c. Engagement Update due t the fullness f the Agenda, it was agreed that the Engagement Update wuld nt be discussed in detail at this meeting. The Cmmittee welcmed the idea f watch list entities and it was further agreed t include Engagement Update as an Agenda item fr the next meeting t prvide Cmmittee members with the pprtunity fr discussin and cmment. Cnsent Agenda items agreed by Cmmittee. Actin 1. Engagement Update t be included as Agenda item at next meeting t facilitate wider discussin by Cmmittee members. Page 1 f 5
Regulatin Cmmittee Meeting 20 Part 2 Items fr Discussin 5. Legislatin Update - Department EC updated Cmmittee Members regarding the prgress f the Bill. The Cmmittee was infrmed that wrk had been nging ver the summer mnths and it remains n the pririty list fr the Gvernment. The Department was asked t prvide an verview f the changes that had ccurred t the Bill ver recent mnths. Actin The first area discussed cncerned The Register f AHBs. There was still sme clarificatin required ver the prcess f being deemed t be n the register and the prcess fr remaining n the register. Further discussin tk place regarding cnsent t dispse. It was highlighted that this nw cncerns dwellings. The Cmmittee discussed ptential implicatins f this. The Cmmittee requested that the Department circulate the Bill fr them t prvide accurate and detailed cmmentary. 2. irc request that the Department share the Bill with Cmmittee Members in rder fr them t prvide input and accurate cmmentary. Perfrmance and Operatins 6. Reprt frm Head f Regulatin S.L. gave an verview f the Head f Regulatin reprt t the Cmmittee. The fllwing pints were discussed: Assessment Prgramme 2017 The Regulatin Office has initiated frnt end prcess imprvements fr the next Annual Regulatry Return and Assessment cycle. All Tier 2 and Tier 3 rganisatins were issued with an excel based Annual Regulatry Return n the 8 th f September. In additin, Tier 3 AHBs and 10 Tier 2 AHBs were issued with an Annual Financial Return. The web-based Annual Regulatry Return fr Tier 1 AHBs is being finalised currently and will be issued n later than the 30 th Nvember. Regulatry Assessment Reprt prcess imprvements are set ut in greater detail at a later Agenda item. Engagement Prgramme and Annual Review Meetings all Annual Review meetings have nw been held with Tier 3 rganisatins. All initial Engagement Meetings have als been held and fllw up meetings will be scheduled in the cming weeks. Financial Standard Tier 2 Rll-Out A wrkshp was held in the Husing Agency n the 3 rd f July fr representatives frm ten tier 2 AHBs t wrk thrugh the requirements f the Financial Standard fr Tier 2 rganisatins. The Annual Financial Return fr Tier 2 AHBs was develped, based n the Tier 3 Annual Financial Return fr 2015, fllwing the wrkshp. Statistical Review f the Classificatin f AHBs N additinal infrmatin r requests have been received in relatin t the Eurstat decisin. Page 2 f 5
Regulatin Cmmittee Meeting 20 Legislatin n additinal infrmatin r updates have been received by the Regulatin Office in relatin t the legislatin. Resurces Clare Naughtn has jined the Regulatin Office as the Gvernance and Assessment Manager. Matthew Walshe has als jined the team as a temprary member f staff. The pst f Prject Manager fr the transitin frm vluntary t statutry regulatin was reject by the Department. The Regulatin Office is wrking with the Institute f Prject Managers t scpe the rle fr frmal versight f the prject. Gvernance Standard The third Wrking Grup meeting was held with Tier 3 rganisatins in August and its final meeting in September. The tender prcess was cmpleted in July and Campbell Tickell were the successful cnsultants. A final draft f the Gvernance Standard will be circulated t Cmmittee Members in the third week f September. Further detail relating t the Gvernance Standard is set ut at a later Agenda item. Cmmunicatins and Meetings A meeting was held with the Charities Regulatry Authrity. The Head f Regulatin attended Meeting 15 f the Benefacts Prject Advisry Grup in August. The Annual Reprt will als be circulated t all key stakehlders when cmplete. Annual Reprt - Wrk is underway n the Annual Reprt. Data analysis and validatin has been cmpleted and text has been drafted with the design prcess in prgress. An Octber launch date was prpsed, hwever, the Cmmittee felt that there was ptential t launch the Annual Reprt in Nvember which culd serve as an pprtunity t cmmunicate additinal messages t the sectr. Cmmunicatins strategy t be included as Agenda item fr the next meeting. Perfrmance Management G.J. has met with a number f Tier 3 rganisatins regarding perfrmance management. This will becme a standing item in the Head f Regulatin reprt fr further meetings. Actin 3. Draft Gvernance Standard t be circulated t Cmmittee Members. 4. Cmmunicatins strategy t be included n Agenda fr next meeting. 7. Update fllwing Thematic Review S.L. prvided the Cmmittee with an update n the steps taken by the Regulatin Office, as agreed at the June meeting. The rganisatin in questin was prvided with a cpy f the Thematic Review Reprt and a meeting was held with the Bard t ensure that the findings were understd. The Regulatin Office ntified the Department and raised a cncern with the Charities Regulatry Authrity. The rganisatin has als been requested t cnduct a cmprehensive, independent review f the rganisatin s gvernance, financial management, perfrmance management and cntractual arrangements. A paper and plicy dcument has als been prepared and will be discussed at a later Agenda item fr irc apprval. Page 3 f 5
Regulatin Cmmittee Meeting 20 The Cmmittee were satisfied with the actins f the Regulatin Office and the steps taken, as utlined abve. 8. Assessment Outcmes and Reprt Plicy S.L. prvided the Cmmittee with a paper prpsing changes t the Assessment Outcmes and Assessment Reprts and seeking irc apprval fr the draft plicy prvided. The first part f the paper set ut a prpsed apprach and pssible changes t the Regulatry Assessment Reprts prcess. As many f AHBs are nw underging assessment fr the third r furth time, it was prpsed t issue either a full and detailed Regulatry Assessment Reprt r a Cmpliance Statement. This des nt cncern the Financial Assessment Reprts. The secnd part f the paper cncerned the assessment utcmes, including the engagement prcess and the prcedures and apprvals required prir t an rganisatin mving frm Engagement t Unsatisfactry. It is envisaged that when the plicy is apprved, it will be available nline. The prpsal put frward was largely supprted by Cmmittee members. The Cmmittee asked several questins regarding the prpsed Cmpliance Statement, e.g. hw wuld this generate imprvement in an rganisatin that has met 50% f the requirements and what lk and feel the cmpliance statement wuld take. The title f Cmpliance Statement was als queried as this has the ptential t imply that an rganisatin is cmpliant. It was suggested that there may be a mre accurate title that culd be used. The Cmmittee discussed the prpsed assessment utcmes in detail. The prpsal put frward by the Regulatin Office included six ptential assessment utcmes. The irc agreed this was t layered, particularly where there was perceived duplicatin in the prpsed utcmes. The Cmmittee suggested merging utcmes and reducing the number frm six. Cncern was raised regarding the assessment utcmes and the phase f engagement ccurring prir t being deemed unsatisfactry. It was felt that the Department shuld be able t restrict funding t an rganisatin where there are serius matters at play, hwever, the steps as utlined within the prpsal wuld nt allw fr this. The delisting prcess was als highlighted as an area fr cnsideratin and it had been prpsed that rganisatins are n lnger named n the website when they have been delisted. The Cmmittee did nt supprt this thugh and it was agreed that rganisatins that have signed up t the Cde and have been unable t cmmit, shuld cntinue t be named n the website. The Cmmittee als discussed if there shuld be a particular apprach fr apprximately 300 AHBs that have nt signed up t the Cde and questined if these rganisatins shuld als be named n the website. Page 4 f 5
Regulatin Cmmittee Meeting 20 Actin 5. Regulatin Office t amend plicy in light f the abve discussin and circulate fr irc apprval at next meeting. 6. Regulatin Office t cntinue t name delisted rganisatins n website. 9. Annual Return Prcess Imprvements A paper regarding the Annual Return prcess imprvements was circulated t the Cmmittee n 1 st f September 2017. This paper utlined the changes and imprvements t be made t upcming the Annual Return prcess. The changes were rlled ut in advance f the Annual Regulatry Return fr 2016 being issued t all AHBs during September. The Cmmittee welcmed the changes t the prcesses, particularly the data cllectin prcess. 10. Transitin t Statutry Regulatin irc Rle The rle f the irc in verseeing the transitin frm Vluntary t Statutry Regulatin was discussed further. The discussin fcused n what is the best rle fr the irc in this phase f wrk. It was agreed that the key rle f the irc is advisry and that this shuld cntinue. It was agreed that the transitin prcess will be a significant bdy f wrk and that it is critical that wrk cntinues implementing the Vluntary Regulatin Cde during the transitin prcess. It was prpsed that the statutry Bard shuld be established as sn as pssible and that the irc play a key rle in identifying the skills and expertise required and initiating the prcess fr identifying ptential bard members. It was als felt that when the Bard is in place, that its first rle culd be t versee the transitin prcess. Organisatinal requirements, such as ffice space etc. were als highlighted. It was agreed that further clarificatin was needed regarding these lgistical cnsideratins, but that this may be mre apprpriately dne by the new Bard r a subcmmittee made up f representatives frm the irc and the Husing Agency. The ptential fr the establishment f a wrking grup r sub-cmmittee was highlighted. It was suggested that this culd be a helpful interventin in the prcess. 11. Gvernance Standard and Assessment Update Agenda item nt discussed at this meeting. 12. AOB J.M. t circulate ptential dates fr irc meetings thrugh t June 2018. Actin 7. J.M. t circulate ptential dates fr irc meetings thrugh t June 2018. The next meeting is scheduled fr 30 th Nvember 2017. Page 5 f 5