The Agenda
What's on at Board
February 2016

Welcome
This bulletin gives you an overview of what YHN Board will be talking about at their meeting on Tuesday 2 February. 

Our Board meets every six weeks at YHN House in Gosforth.   More information about governance at YHN, including a list of Board meeting dates, is available on our website: YHN Board information .

If you know of anyone that might benefit from receiving these bulletins, please feel free to share this with them - they can join the mailing list using the links at the end of the email.

Many thanks,
 
Jill Davison, Company Secretary, Your Homes Newcastle
Business Strategy
Board is being asked to approve a Business Strategy for YHN for 2016-2020. This is the foundation document for all subsequent corporate strategies and financial plans.

This strategy can't anticipate and answer all of the challenges and changes that we are likely to face between now and 2020, but it is specific enough to help with decisions and courses of action when necessary.

The role of the annual Delivery Plan is to turn the Business Strategy into a plan of action for the coming year.  The Delivery Plan for 2016-17 will be presented to Board in March for approval and then to NCC Cabinet.   Read more

Digital by Choice update
This report draws together new and existing work to create a coherent 'Digital by Choice' strategy for YHN, to which there are five elements:
  • Partnership  Joint working with the Council where possible, and with others where beneficial
  • Services  Excellent and accessible digital services, retaining face to face where needed
  • Capabilities  Helping customers and staff get the digital skills and confidence they need
  • Access  ... to affordable (ideally free) internet for tenants
  • Efficiencies ... so resources can be focused where they are most needed
This work will continue to be progressed through:
  • joint work between YHN and the Council
  • a rolling delivery plan for tenant internet access
  • a continuation of the digital champions programme for at least a further 12 months.
Other items include:
  • an update on Universal Credit (UC) and summary of UC-related activity since November's board report.
  • an update on the Governance Improvement Plan and the Learning and Development Plan for Board members
  • Stonewall Workplace Equality Index  This year, we were placed at number 36 in the list, a jump of 62 places from 2015.  Our point score has increased by almost 20% from last year and we were one of only seven housing organisations to feature in the list.
     
To access the full Board pack, please visit YHN Board Pack 2 February.