A Not-For-Profit Housing Consultancy

A GUIDE
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

Head Office: Allen House 22 Ironbridge Road Jackfield Telford TF8 7JZ

 Tel: 01952 883 324

Info@dwa-housingconsultants.co.uk

www.dwa-housingconsultants.co.uk

 DWA are members of the Creative Action Network giving you access to a network of specialist consultants: Graham Moody Associates, dbk Back and Gorrara Hayden Solicitors

 TELFORD BIRMINGHAM SOLIHULL NORTHANTS MANCHESTER MID-WALES DORSET

DWA publications are available in other languages and formats

To download a copy please click on the following:

Front Cover

Main Part

Back Page

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CONTENTS

(To view a section please click on the relevant heading below:)

Who We Are

  Our Values

  DWA At Its Best

What We Offer

  Consultancy Support

  The Creative Action Network

Our Training

  Topic By Topic

Our Expertise

1.  Organisational Development

Systems That Work – People Who Care

Service Excellence And Customer Service

2. “Fit For Purpose” Governance

Our Boardcheck – 6 Principles Of Good Governance

Boards That Lead And Inspire

      3.  Customer And Community Consultation

DWA’s Guide To Better Consultation

Consultation Is Not Just Telling. It’s Also Listening

4.  Managing Strategic Change

Change Can Be Understood And Managed

Overcome The 6 Main Barriers To Change

      5.  Sharpening Your Competitive Edge

Getting Ahead And Staying Ahead

Identify, Clarify And Promote Your Key Strengths

Getting The Best From DWA

WHO WE ARE

DWA is a not-for-profit consultancy company employing 12 staff and Associates across England and Wales. 

 Based in Telford we carry out large-scale assignments that include multi-million pound regeneration projects, challenging long-term community consultation programmes and complex multi-stakeholder redevelopment schemes.  We regularly undertake community consultation assignments for Britain’s fourth largest house builder.

 Our acknowledged expertise in RSL Governance led to our being awarded the 2007 contract to work with the Welsh Assembly Government and Community Housing Cymru (The former Welsh Federation Of Housing Associations) to write the current Board Members Handbook for all RSLs in Wales.

 To give our clients better access to other specialist advice DWA set up the Creative Action Network allowing clients instant access to our strategic partners Graham Moody Associates, dbk Back and Gorrara Hayden Solicitors.

 Directors, Deborah Walthorne and David Williams continue to be popular conference speakers and regularly publish articles in housing journals.

 Alongside this our Training Division continues to provide excellent, motivational training that really makes a difference. We specialise in Service Excellence and Customer Service, Managing Change, Reputation Management and Community and Resident Empowerment.

 Our Senior Management Development Programmes including  “Sharpening Your Competitive Edge”, “Fit For Purpose Governance” and “Gearing Up

For Transfer In Wales” and our “Communications Toolbox” are recognised as second to none.

OUR VALUES

DWA is an ethical company that offers solutions that are:

ü      Practical – based on sound, realistic solutions that work

ü      Ethical – because we have a passion for social housing

ü      Affordable – we deliver excellence and value-for-money

And, as our business relies heavily on rent-payers and taxpayers money, we adhere to the Business In The Community “Percent Standard” and donate 1% of all our annual business income to charity.

DWA AT ITS BEST

We flourish in a professional and business atmosphere that is based on:

ü     The Task In Hand

ü     Service Excellence and Quality

ü     Good Project Management

ü     Plain Language

ü     Honesty and Equality

We offer sound, practical, up-to-date advice and consultancy support to

help our clients meet the current challenges in social housing.

We offer you the best consultants with a wide knowledge of social housing and considerable experience of meeting and overcoming the challenges

you face.

DWA can help you design solutions that will work for you and your organisation.

We specialise in 5 crucial areas of social housing:

ü      Organisational Development
Strategies For Service Excellence. Becoming “Simply The Best”

Workforce Development To Increase Effectiveness

ü      “Fit For Purpose” Governance
Our Boardcheck Addresses The 6 Principles Of Good Governance
We Help Boards Add Value To The Work Of Managers And Staff

ü      Customer And Community Consultation
Use DWA’s “Guide To Better Consultation” To Support Your Strategy

We Include Resident Empowerment and Involvement Strategies
 

ü      Managing Strategic Change
6 Key Activities For Managing Change And Changing Paradigms
We Can Also Help You Overcome The 6 Most Common Barriers
 

ü      Sharpening Your Competitive Edge
Effective Communications & Reputation Management
We Use Our “Corporate Personality Matrix” To Clarify Strengths
 

Our consultancy service is backed up by our excellent training division.

DWA’s training style is lively, stimulating and enjoyable. Our team’s considerable experience in social housing enables us to relate well to a wide range of staff, senior managers, Board members tenants and residents. 

One of our clients regularly refers to us as “the best in the country”.

PLUS: THE CREATIVE ACTION NETWORK

All DWA clients have instant access to our strategic partners - 

where you want them, when you want them:

ü      Housing And Corporate Lawyers   Gorrara Hayden Solicitors

ü      Financial Analysts   Graham Moody Associates

ü      Property, Housing And Regeneration Experts  dbk Back

ü      Journalist And Photographer    Niels Christian Knutzon

DWA‘s training team provides excellent training that is Powerful, Practical

and Effective. We can inspire and enthuse your staff with training that can

be implemented the very next day.  Topics include:
 

ü      Best Practice In Housing Management
Step-By-Step Guides To Improve Overall Performance
 

ü      Customer Service and Service Excellence
KLOEs, Healthchecks And Practical Techniques To Use Immediately
 

ü      Community And Resident Empowerment Strategies
Rules For Designing Relevant And Responsive Strategies That Work
 

ü      Service Improvement Made Easy
Engaging And Thought Provoking. Changing Mindsets. Innovating
 

ü      Change Management Strategies
How To Change People’s Thinking, Attitudes And Behaviour
 

ü      All Aspects Of Good Governance
Our Boardcheck Is A Powerful Tool For Improvement
 

ü      Negotiation Techniques
Checklists That Develop Winning Strategies And Avoid The Pitfalls
 

ü      Problem Solving Techniques

      Learn How To Get A Huge Number of Good Ideas Quickly
 

ü      Crisis Management 

      How To Manage Crisis Events Quickly And Effectively
 

ü      Reputation Management
Five Rules To Protect Your Corporate Reputation
  

ü      Risk Analysis And Risk Management
Not Just One Off Problems, It Includes Sequences Of Events
 

ü      The Management Of Large Projects
The Do’s and Don’ts Of Coming In On Time And On Budget
 

PLUS

r      DWA’s “Getting The Job Done” Packages

Our Workforce Development Programmes

Our Management Development and Mentoring Schedules
 

r      DWA’s “Communications Toolbox”

Presentation Skills – Developing Your Corporate Personality

Plain Language And Effective Communication

Developing Diversity Strategies And Managing Diversity

1. Our Expertise In Organisational Development

Customer Service And Service Excellence 

Systems That Work And People Who Care 

“Customers are not impressed by high sounding Mission Statements. They judge you by the quality of service employees actually provide. And then they tell at least 9 other people.”

We know that social housing has never been so demanding. In particular,

we recognise the need for a sharply-focused, excellent organisation. Neither is it piecemeal - you have to be good at everything. What is more,

if we look into our crystal ball we see only that it is getting tougher and more challenging.

We know what you need to remain vital and responsive. We believe that it is more than policies, strategies, plans and budgets; it is about leadership, vision and organisational effectiveness from top to bottom, root and branch.

Our organisational development starts by building on what you have already achieved and helps you to increase your effectiveness by identifying and offering you new perspectives on how your organisation performs in the current competitive climate.

DWA’s Healthcheck for organisations is unique. It examines 5 key aspects

of your organisation and identifies your key strengths and your areas for improvement.

OUR TRACK RECORD

We have 10 years of experience in helping to build and develop successful, winning organisations. We have:

ü      Helped Clients Gear-Up To Meet Challenges Such Audit Inspections  

ü      Mentored Senior Managers To Help Improve Team Performance

ü      Advised On The Governance And Management Of 7 Brand New RSL’s

ü      Supported Organisations As They Refocus On Their Core Values

DWA’s Topical Tip - Being the Best:

Successful organisations have outstanding leadership:

1.      Leaders that are visible

2.      Leaders that provide the vision and care about it passionately

3.      Leadership thrives where there is clarity of purpose

We Need Boards That Add Value, Lead And Inspire

“The most common reason for being taken into Supervision is a failure in good Governance.”

Good Governance goes to the heart of good social housing.

With DWA’s considerable experience and commonsense practical approach we advise RSL and ALMO Boards on how to achieve Good Governance, create visible Leadership and govern well whilst supporting and adding value to the work of senior managers and staff.

A key aspect of this work is DWA’s Boardcheck addressing the 6 Principles of Good Governance outlined in the Good Governance Standard for Public Services (published by the Independent Commission for Good Governance in Public Services).  It helps Boards measure themselves against the Good Governance Standard and build an Action Plan for improving Governance in their organisation.

Other aspects include:

ü      Building Successful Strategies & Developing Your Vision And Values

ü      Managing Change and Risk

ü      Managing Your Reputation And Image & Achieving Excellence

ü      Board Appraisal

OUR TRACK RECORD

Recently DWA assignments include:

ü      Writing The Board Members Handbook For Wales

ü      Reviewing Board Effectiveness

ü      Supporting Boards Going Through Difficulties

ü      Preparing for Housing Corporation Registration

ü      Succession Planning For Boards And Board Member Appraisal

Our Managing Director regularly trains and advises Boards. She frequently speaks at Governance Conferences.

DWA’s Topical Tip – Fit For Purpose Governance:

A common mistake for Boards is that they often confuse “ends” with “means”. To avoid falling into that pitfall ask yourselves two simple questions: What is this organisation for? And; How will the world be different as a result of us being in business? Once you can answer these two

questions you can then set your criteria for success and focus on getting the right results.

Consultation Is Not Just About Telling. It Is Also About Listening.

“Now, more than ever, housing organisations need to build genuine partnerships with their tenants, and local communities.”

Community involvement is a key element in improving neighbourhoods and services. You need to find staff that are enablers and facilitators, who offer communities the support they need to formulate and voice their own

opinions. Staff who dominate, or staff who “take over”, no longer help us achieve our consultation objectives.

A key aspect of this work is to help you draw up a community map for the community you wish to work with and to plan the key messages you want to convey in your consultation. Involving local people delivers improved services and saves money by better targeting local needs, so it is important that you understand the community you are working with.

DWA understands the problems and pitfalls involved in developing customer and community consultation programmes and we can help you develop a strategy that works and can lead to better services.  DWA has produced a guide to better consultation.

OUR TRACK RECORD

Recently we have:

ü      Carried Out Resident Consultation In New Deal Areas

ü      Completed Community Consultations For A National House Builder

ü      Been Independent Tenants’ Advisors For 15 Local Authorities

ü      Trained And Supported TMO Staff And Committees

DWA’s Topical Tip - Customer And Community Consultation:

Remember - only 4% of us ever want to get involved in anything. So the trick is to provide as many different opportunities as possible for people to get involved and have their say. Plus, are you “telling” or listening? Consultation must be a two-way process!

Change Is A Process That Can Be Understood And Managed

 “A key aspect to this topic is your communication skills and how well you are able to win hearts and minds.”

In a fast-moving world, staff and other stakeholders can often feel left behind by the pace of change. You can initiate a programme of positive change and have in place a supportive infrastructure for your people. However, managing change successfully needs:

ü      Intense Selling, Which Comes “From The Top”

ü      An Open Learning Culture That Encourages Participation

ü      Time And Resources To Provide The Right Support

OUR TRACK RECORD

At DWA we have supported many organisations going through periods of change:

ü      Organisational Re-Structuring Or Other Critical Periods Of Change

ü      Reviewing Services In Preparation For Forthcoming Inspection

ü      Setting Up New Landlords For Housing Stock Transfer/ALMO

ü      Helping RSLs Work Their Way Out Of Supervision
 

We know the 6 main barriers to change and we can help you overcome them. We can help you review your communication strategies and implement the 6

key activities for managing strategic change and changing paradigms.

DWA’s Topical Tip - Managing Strategic Change:

Change is a process you have to go through; there is no “quick fix”. To be successful you need to communicate “like never before” and work hard to gain people’s commitment. Also, remember to stay flexible – don’t “over organise”…the trick is not to “lose the baby with the bathwater”.

It Is About Being The Best Then Communicating That To Others

“Too many RSLs assume they have either a good reputation or no reputation amongst stakeholders. Many of them are wrong.”

With the growth in mergers, group structures, private sector Management Companies and Choice of Landlord in housing stock transfer, our Housing Association world has become more competitive than ever before.

More and more RSLs include growth strategies in their Business Plans that include plans for managing Local Authority stock (either through transfer or by way of Managing Agent agreements), entering into partnerships with other RSLs or even developing links with non-housing sectors (for example, health).

DWA’s Corporate Personality Matrix helps you identify how you come across in the competitive environment. We have identified 7 distinct Corporate Personalities.

Your Corporate Personality and Reputation are now crucial, yet for many organisations this remains a significant blind spot. A statistically well-performing organisation’s chances can be destroyed by a poor local reputation. This is a complex issue; yes it is about your culture and underlying beliefs; yes it is about attitudes and beliefs, but it is also more than that. It is about who you really are and how you present yourself to the outside world – all under the harsh glare of a competitive process.

Our approach is to help you identify, clarify and promote your key strengths – what makes you unique. This is not about “spin” or “hype”, we will help you to clearly analyse where your weaknesses may be and develop strategies for improving those aspects of your performance.

OUR TRACK RECORD

DWA assignments include:

ü      Raising Customer Satisfaction Levels - Quickly

ü      Consolidating An RSL’s Reputation

ü      Helping Successful Organisations Stay Successful

ü      Advising RSLs On Identifying & Then Putting Forward Their “Best Foot”

ü      Developing Better Communication And Presentation Skills

DWA’s Topical Tip - Sharpening Your Competitive Edge:

Reputation is the sum of the stories told behind your back. So what is your reputation really like out there in the communities you operate in? The “secret”, of course, is to be good – the best landlord and the best employer with the right “fit” – having both the right corporate culture and the right corporate personality.

We flourish in a professional and business atmosphere that is based on:

1. THE TASK IN HAND

DWA operates as a “task culture”. We pride ourselves on a job well done.

We are adaptable and form specific teams for specific assignments. Lead consultants are chosen for their specific knowledge and skills. Influence in DWA is based on expertise not rank.

We thrive when assignments recognise and value expertise, problem-solving abilities and where creativity is valued and nurtured.

2. SERVICE EXCELLENCE AND QUALITY

DWA has a passion for quality. David Williams was trained by Tom Peters in the early 1990s and we are committed to the Excellence model of Quality. However we also have considerable experience of implementing Total Quality Management, Best Value and ISO 9000. We have used the Business Excellence Model as a yardstick for research for the Housing Corporation.

DWA has been recognised as an Investor In People.

We flourish when our clients share with us our passion for quality.

3. PROJECT MANAGEMENT

We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver complex assignments on time

and on budget.

DWA employs experienced project managers who deploy a number of specialist techniques and approaches to facilitate our successful

management of any assignment.

We do our best work with clients who appreciate sound Project Management.

4. PLAIN LANGUAGE

DWA’s real strength is our ability to communicate. We are skilled Communications Consultants and believe that information should be communicated as simply and set out as clearly as is possible.

We believe that language is rich and versatile and allows us to say what we mean using short, vigorous, everyday words which most readers and

listeners will find familiar and which maximises understanding – whatever the language. DWA strives to be clear, concise and correct in all its communications.

We welcome working with clients who share our commitment to plain language, empowerment and effective communication.

5. HONESTY

We are committed to honesty in all our dealings: honesty in our project pricing, honesty in our project management and honesty with clients. We do not encourage clients to become over dependent on consultants.    

We also believe in exposing serious mismanagement or serious breaches of best practice or regulation in an appropriate manner.

If you share our commitment to openness we would like to hear from you.

6. EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY

We believe that everyone who comes into contact with DWA should be treated fairly and not in any way disadvantaged because of age, disability, ethnic origin, class, gender, tenure, marital status, race, sexuality or other factors.

If you also believe that everyone should be allowed the opportunity to participate in the parts of society they choose and benefit from the services they need we welcome an opportunity to work with you.

April 2008