THE RIVERSIDE WORRIES ON DEBUT DAY

Sarah Paton,

sleepless nights

and the need  of Horlicks

As Riverside Housing Association`s Carlisle boss Sarah Paton gears up for her debut appearance before  the city councillors in three weeks` time, her thoughts will very much be  focussed on  what had just happened  in Westminster.

On that occasion (November 23) just 24 hours previous to the debut appearance, Ms Paton and the rest of the nation will have found out just what Chancellor Philip Hammond had in store for us all when he delivered his Autumn Statement.

What will that statement contain? Will it be a repeat of last year`s statement and have big financial shocks for people like Ms Paton, regional director of Riverside`s Carlisle operations? Last year`s statement really did shake things up.

The shaking was so severe that Ms Paton`s boss, Riverside`s Chief Executive Carol Matthews had sleepless nights worrying about it in her Liverpool home. Little wonder there was no sleep, the Autumn Statement imposed massive cuts to the income all housing associations, including a forced reduction of rents paid by tenants.

Estimates then were that the cuts would cost Riverside £100 million a year. Ms Matthews told the world all about the cuts and about  her sleepless nights in an article in the social housing trade paper, Inside Housing.

 

Readers of this blog will recall that we recommended that  in future, the worried Ms Matthews gets some sleep by going to bed  with a cup of steaming Horlicks.

One year later we wonder: Will there be Horlicks for Ms Paton too?

Her debut appearance is  at a meeting of the city council`s Community Scrutiny and Overview Panel on November 24 . The question of Horlicks could depend on what happens at that meeting.

The question of Horlicks could of course also depend  on the Chancellor`s Autumn Statement the previous day. What is certain is that last year`s statement continues to reverberate as Riverside continues to make controversial savings  by cutting its operations.

These cuts  have already provoked much criticism from the councillors she will meet on November 24. That criticism together with councillors` long standing criticism of Riverside`s bossy ways, its ramshackle Carlisle operations and lack of accountability is worrying enough to create sleepless nights for the toughest housing association chief executive.

So get out the Horlicks and  be prepared to  brew up, Ms Paton.

If the city councillors are doing their stuff you will need it.
  
Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277 or 01228 532803.