At the end of 2018 senior managers from across Advance gathered discuss progress against our Strategic Plan, by sharing examples of work that has been completed. Some of the examples shared included – the work done to improve the website and digital experience for housing customers, our progress in improving our CQC ratings with 'Good' now the new normal and the innovative and creative ways we are engaging customers in the recruitment of new staff.
The group also looked at some of the excellent work being done by housing and support working closely together. Two examples were highlighted – firstly, the work being done in Cornwall to develop a new supported housing scheme offering 24/7 support for customers with mental health conditions. The second was a look back at the work that has been done to build our reputation and support services in Dorset, which over a short period of time and as a result of a concerted effort to build relationships and our reputation with commissioners, has become an area of significant growth.
The afternoon session was spent looking at Value for Money: How we achieve it, measuring it and demonstrate how we provide it. Simon Bradfield, Director of Resources, led the session giving an overview of what Value for Money means. "What we need to achieve is actually quite straightforward. We want to know that we are making best use of our resources and assets and that we are efficient and effective in using them to achieve our strategic objectives. It isn't about cutting costs and being the cheapest – in fact the best value for money might come from the least cheap option. What we have to do is demonstrate that we understand our costs, that we manage our resources well and that in everything we do we deliver the results we want to achieve in the most efficient and effective way."