Independent Committee Member - Growth

Great Places Housing Group is a leading provider of housing, owning and managing over 25,000 homes across the North West and South Yorkshire. With a strong commitment to creating great homes and communities, Great Places ensures that its customers receive high-quality housing and services that improve lives. The organisation strongly believes that everyone should have a safe, good quality home to provide a sound foundation that enables them to fulfil their potential in life.

Great Places are also one of the leading developing housing associations in the North. As a strategic partner of Homes England, Great Places will see 4,500 completions during the life of the Affordable Homes programme. Their aim is to maximise investment in affordable, high quality and sustainable homes, ensuring they meet the needs of their customers and enhance their local communities.

We are delighted to be continuing our long-term partnership with Great Places to recruit 2 new independent committee members for their newly created Growth Committee. These roles will hold the senior management team to account for meeting the agreed goals, objectives and targets in the relevant strategies, approving development schemes across the different functions and monitor the reporting of performance and management of risk across the Growth arena.

Core Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development of Great Places’ strategic vision, ensuring alignment with its social purpose and long-term goals.
• Participate in Committee meetings, providing constructive challenge and expertise to support decision-making.
• Drive forward the various development plans, including budgeting, monitoring financial performance and risk management.
• Provide advice and oversight around health and safety issues in a development context.
• Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring these principles are embedded across governance and decision-making.
• Ensure that the Committee remains customer-focused, with the views and needs of customers at the forefront of decision-making.

The Committee has up to seven members, of which five are already in place. Great Places is now looking to appoint two Committee Members with a range of experience in the following areas:

• Residential development and property.
• The development and provision of affordable housing.
• Private sector house building and property development.
• Land markets and the planning system.
• Finance, legal and technical matters related to housebuilding.
• Housing design and construction management.
• Regeneration and social value.
• Demonstrable understanding of social housing sector policies and challenges.
• Demonstrable understanding of risk management and Health and Safety issues in a development context.
• Previous Board experience, whilst desirable, is not necessary.

A diverse customer perspective is important, so Great Places would particularly like to encourage applications from those with a lived experience of social housing and other under-represented groups.

Time Commitment:

Committee meetings are eight times per year, with a mixture of 4 in person (Didsbury HQ) and 4 online meetings. Committee members may also attend the one-day Board Away Day in March and the 2-day residential away day in November with the Group Board.

Remuneration: £6,000 per annum to be paid in 12 instalments across the year (inclusive of travel expenses) – this is subject to biennial review. Reasonable additional expenses outside of the normal meeting cycle are reimbursed.