Strategic Review, Walbrook Group

Walbrook HA was founded in 1966 as a charity.
They provided a wide range of accommodation and associated services to over 12,000 people.
Walbrook Group, the parent organisation, was a leading provider of housing and care services in Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
They have now merged with Rushcliffe Housing Association to form the Ashridge Group, which is part of the Metropolitan Housing Trust.

What did our client need?

Our client commissioned a review of ‘back office’ services and their operational contributions.
In particular they wanted to look at efficiency and effectiveness, and the cost of support functions.
We reviewed support functions and staffing resources in: administrative & clerical support; health & safety; HR; facilities management; finance; insurance; IT; legal; PR; procurement; and quality & performance.

How did we help?

We interviewed the section heads of support functions to clarify their roles, activities, service delivery and relationships with operational heads.
Through one-to-one meetings with senior operational managers we redefined the company’s operational support requirements.
We also benchmarked against comparable housing associations for arrangements and costs.
We used questionnaires and an agreement to share results with participating organisations.

What challenges did we face?

Improving support functions (some even seen as obstructive) to meet operational managers’ needs.
We identified twenty-five problematic matters and discussed these in detail with the Chief Executive. We submitted fourteen recommendations to improve overall effectiveness and encouraged support staff to identify more closely overall performance.
Helping staff to see how their roles contribute to organisational success.
We used performance management, with a structure of appraisal and target-setting, improved communications and periodic market testing of certain functions.

What benefits did our client gain?

We objectively assessed current processes, targeting problem areas; identifying and evaluating solutions.
Our onsite presence made the project reassuringly open, making it easier to hold progress meetings.
Staff-members accepted our ‘neutrality’ and welcomed the professional review as a chance to discuss issues and problems, and to identify improvements.

Contact

Ways HR