Transparency data

RSH N&G committee minutes - 26 June 2023 [accessible version]

Updated 8 February 2024

Applies to England

Public minutes of the Nominations and Governance meeting

on Monday 26 June 2023 at 2pm

hybrid meeting 2 Marsham Street and MS Teams

8 - Remote and virtual participation
8.1 Any member may validly participate in a meeting through the medium of conference telephone, video conferencing or similar form of communication equipment, provided that all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear and speak to each other throughout such meeting, or relevant part thereof. A member so participating shall be deemed to be present in person at the meeting, and shall accordingly be counted in a quorum and entitled to vote.
8.2 A meeting shall be deemed to take place where the largest group of those members participating is assembled or, if there is no group which is larger than any other group, where the chair of the meeting is.

Members

• Paul Smee - Chair (located in 2 Marsham Street, London)
• Bernadette Conroy
• Deborah Gregory
• Jo Boaden

In attendance

• Fiona MacGregor - Chief Executive
• Jonathan Walters - Deputy Chief Executive
• Richard Peden - Director, Finance and Corporate Services
• Emma Tarran - Senior Assistant Director, Head of Legal and Company Secretary
• Kirsty Marie-Morris - Board apprentice
• Christine Kitchen - Committee secretary (minutes)

1. Welcome and introductions

01/06/23 There were no apologies. PS welcomed everyone.

2. Declaration of Interests

02/06/23 There was a new declaration of interest from JBo.

3. Minutes of last meeting 24 April 2023

03/06/23 The minutes of the last meeting were approved, subject to minor typographical errors. BC queried why there were public minutes, and RBP advised that we have had an FOI for N&GC minutes and have decided that going forward we will publish, with redactions where appropriate.

4. Matters Arising

04/06/23 L&D – management development programme is on-going, but we cannot use the Government Campus till the framework contract has been allocated.

5. Pay remit update

05/06/23 RBP advised members that Unite had balloted their members on 2022-23 pay remit. The regulator paid 3% which was the maximum allowed under the Civil Service Pay Remit that RSH is required to comply with, but Unite want discussions reopened, despite us advising them that the matters are closed. They want the regulator to take the issue to ACAS, but the 2022-23 award has been paid and cannot be reversed under the terms of the Pay Remit. The regulator needs to make its Pay Remit submission for 2023-24 by 14 July. The 2023-24 Pay Remit is 4.5% with an additional 0.5% to be targeted on more junior staff. The meeting to discuss this with the Unions was cancelled by the Unions, so discussions are now delayed. Unions are suggesting that the regulator is not competitive with other organisations but, to date, no evidence has been seen of this, and staff turnover at 3.7% is less than half of the previous year. Discussions with the unions will continue and if there is a case to be made to request flexibility to go beyond the Pay Remit’s 4.5%+0.5%, this will be made to Treasury by the cut off date of 31 October 2023. In addition, a £1,500 non-consolidated payment to staff at grades equivalent to Civil Service grades other than Senior Civil Service under an Addendum to the Pay Remit was due to be made to staff in July, but the PCS union are challenging the guidance which says part-time staff are only entitled to a pro-rated amount. Payment will be made to all staff except Regulation Executive Group members, once Union consultations on the payment have concluded.

06/06/23 Members discussed PCS unwillingness to accept the pro-rated £1,500 bonus. It was suggested that the payment to staff be delayed till a decision is reached on the pro-rata payments. RBP said that all our non-consolidated payments are paid on a pro-rata basis, and the aggregate difference amounts to c£5k. If the Civil Service position on pro-rating changes the difference could be topped up. The regulator is also having to take into account the impact this payment will have on any staff that are in receipt of universal credit, to avoid such staff being adversely impacted by any payment that will take them to the ceiling of what they can receive. Alternatively, phased payments to staff with that particular issue, if there are any, which is allowable under the guidance.

07/06/23 PS acknowledged this was a complex area and asked if there was anything the committee could do to help. FM thanked members, but said there was nothing they could help with actively at the moment, however we had felt it important that they were aware.

6. Pension Scheme update

08/06/23 HCAPS consultation – we are awaiting confirmation from Homes England as to the outcome of their discussions with Treasury on the proposed revision from the final salary scheme to a career average scheme. It is expected that the revision to 1/55th will be accepted. We will need to consult with our staff and update the modelling and are lining up suppliers to move forward with that.

7. Resourcing update

11/06/23 RBP had circulated a paper setting out the next two phases of the transformation work and the affected staff have been informed. The scale of the changes has generated a lot of discussion amongst affected staff. BC asked about communications around the consultation JW confirmed that the changes are what are needed and this is the right time to make the transition and we have been communicating with staff. REG will continue to address the concerns through the consultation period. The comms are pitched at the right level and questions are being replied to with the right level of transparency.

12/06/23 RBP advised that we have entered into a contract with Michael Page to manage the recruitment which will commence in late summer. It was accepted that there will be pinch points, but it will be manageable and on track. We are out to recruitment for a training manager which will help with the induction of new staff.

13/06/23 It was acknowledged that the Unions will be heavily involved in the consultation and restructure, and we are keeping discussion channels open.

14/06/23 PS thanked RBP for a very clear and informative paper and there was commitment to keep the committee updated

8. Any Other Business

15/06/23 BC updated the committee on an early conversation she and FM had had with GGI ahead of them presenting their findings at the July board. GGI said that in their opinion governance was good but felt there were areas for improvement and would be bringing suggestions on what can be done to bring governance up from good to great. BC advised that she had since written to GGI to clarify the position on how the feedback will be delivered to the board and to clarify the position on areas of development.

18/06/23 BS thanked PS and members for their views and asked that PS covers this in his feedback to Board. She confirmed that the intention is for GGI to produce two documents - a detailed report for internal use and a summary report that will go to the Department.

Date of next meeting: 25 September 2023