Afzal Ismail, Group Risk & Compliance Director
I’m Afzal Ismail, Group Risk and Compliance Director and I’m going to share with you some of my highlights from the last few weeks……..Well I thought I’d share more than the week Anne Turner (Group Finance Director) was prepared to tell you about………she’s like that!
Monday starts with an early 7am morning trip to Cardiff for an Audit Committee meeting at one of Internal Audit’s external contracts where I’m accompanied by one of our Senior Auditors (Sarah Hammond). Prior to the Audit Committee I had a quick chat with their Finance Director about how risks are being managed within the financial plan – the current economic climate has a lot to answer for but makes it interesting. Travelled back just in time for a 5pm hospital appointment to sort out a problem with my foot – not pleasant but seems o.k. now. Quick bite to eat at home before taking my son for his 7pm swim club armed with my laptop – no rest for the wicked.
Next day, brief catch-up with Group Chief Executive, Paul Tennant on Orbit Group Board papers – Paul had a few queries on the risks information I had sent to him in relation to the Group Business Plan.
In the next few days, met with a number of my Senior Management Team to discuss a variety of issues which ranged from the revised performance management framework; Group’s business critical performance indicators through to data protection issues with the Head of Governance, Richard Wright and our Data Protection guru, Paula Tighe. Also met with the Group Director for Organisational Development, Tony Williams, Annabel Roberts (HR) and the Head of Research & Business Information, Anne Hall to discuss how we can roll out the revised performance management framework with the appraisal training – that was a productive meeting with some good ideas coming through!
Oh…..almost forgot – had a call from our Lead Regulator wanting some information for the DCLG regarding a disposal – so it was a quick chat with Vicky, Harwood, Head of Support Housing and Older People and Paul Tennant. Vicky very quickly sourced the information required even though she had to interrupt Orbit Heart of England’s MD – Stewart Ferguson’s annual leave to find the answers she needed……sorry Stewart!
This week I also had the pleasure to watch my son in a play (Aladdin) at his school. Play was due to start at 7.30pm but just like his dad he wanted to make sure we would not be late so he made sure we got there at 6.30pm only to wait outside in the freezing cold – winter in March ? Anyway he was great and the play was very enjoyable.
First thing Wednesday morning, quick catch up with emails – one from Simon Addley (Business Support Manager Orbit East & South) about control issues in relation to data validation and input – mark that one for a phone call to Simon later. Popular this week……two calls from Internal Audit’s external clients – one chief executive talking about how they need to respond to changes in the regulatory regime and another from a Housing Director to discuss changes to their resident satisfaction related PIs – that was lucky, I could input into both of those given some work I had been involved in here at Orbit recently!
Still in the same week, Richard Wright and I went to see the partner on Governance issues at Trowers (our main solicitors) to discuss what governance may look like for Orbit following the introduction of the new TSA standards before heading back to watch Liverpool lose to Benfica – it’s only football I thought and tomorrow was a day off – Easter Friday. Having already had the views of Orbit’s Chair (Liz Potter) and Paul Tennant, Richard and I can now go and put together some proposals of how we can respond to the changes in the regulatory regime in time for the Group Services Committee in May and board meetings in June.
Tuesday after bank holiday – not easy to wake up after the long weekend and the rest of the family staying at home for the school holidays! Anyway, I got to Garden Court, Coventry where I am based, fairly early and then travelled to Stratford for a 9am meeting with Anne Hall and Orbit’s E&D Advisor about E&D issues and then a meeting with Vivien Knibbs, MD of Orbit South and Stewart Fergusson around the key priorities for the Research & Business Information Team going forward into 2010-11. Spent the afternoon writing papers for two audit committees for our external business before catching up with my emails. Oh yes and also started to think about my end of year appraisal with Paul Tennant due in a couple of weeks time – something to look forward to!
Wednesday – what a day it was going to be – back to back meetings from 8am with the Group Director of Organisational Development on some Data Protection issues to support the HR Team automise a number of processes finishing with planning of work for the whole of 2010-11 pencilling in audit reviews across all of Internal Audit’s clients with one of our Audit Managers, Michelle Roe. In between met with Anne Turner and Tony Williams about Orbit Services priorities and what we needed to do (in detail) to deliver our objectives particularly around the Group objective of ‘Organisation’. Then it was Anne and Tony again on Orbit Services contribution to the delivery of Customer First. I finished a long day with a meeting with Chris Parsons (Senior Auditor) to discuss amendments to the standard internal audit report template for 2010-11. Long day but a productive one I think.
Wednesday evening is Karate night for my sons. Again home for some dinner and then to the Karate class for 7.30pm – they have their grading in a couple of weeks time and so they were keen to practice using me as a punch bag – ouch !
Towards the end of this second week, met with Sandra Blakeley the Group Insurance Manager to discuss the Residents Contents insurance scheme and which one we will be implementing for the next few years. This has worked really well in helping our residents to buy contents insurance at affordable rates to cover their possessions. Sandra’s team administer this scheme and residents are able to pay in instalments which enable them to have access to this type of insurance when otherwise they might not be able to have had.
Bumped into John Ashton, the Group Health and Safety Manager in the kitchen – he updated me on the software that he and his team were implementing to ensure that we have an effective way to capture all of our health & safety related information. Facilitated by John and his team, I will use this to report performance to the Group Executive Team (GET) and Orbit Group Board (OGB). The systems will also be used locally to report performance to Operating Association Boards. My attention then turned to OGB scheduled later in April – prepared some powerpoint slides to facilitate the presentation of some papers I had put forward on behalf of GET on the Group’s Products & Services and secondly a revised Performance Management Framework.
Finally the week ends with a discussion with Richard Wright discussing our usage of secondary panel of solicitors and associated costs. I had asked him and Rachel Adamson, the Assistant Company Secretary to have a look at this with a view to making some efficiencies – this work goes on.
A great result last night…..Liverpool thrashed Benfica in the second leg to get through to the semi’s of a European competition. The only major English Team to get through to a European semi-final this year……..!
Afzal Ismail
After just over six months in existence, Orbit Homes is already marking itself out as a key developer in both the RSL and commercial sectors, born out by the £14 million of Kickstart 2 funding recently awarded to us by the HCA – meaning we can build just under 300 homes.
