Housing and the Post Office scandal
As the next stage of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry gets underway, Yorkshire Housing chair Ingrid Fife (pictured) looks at the key takeaways for housing association boards and senior leadership teams.
If you didn’t watch Mr Bates vs The Post Office when it first aired, I am willing to bet that by now someone has persuaded you to. I was fascinated and shocked. How on earth was something on this scale allowed to happen and drag on over two decades?
More than 700 innocent postal workers were accused of theft, fraud and false accounting. Many were sentenced to time behind bars and, tragically, others took their own lives.
More than 700 innocent postal workers were accused of theft, fraud and false accounting. Many were sentenced to time behind bars and, tragically, others took their own lives.
Viewed by many as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history, the Post Office Horizon scandal is complex and involved many participants.
And yet, when it is stripped back to its foundations, it is a case that’s built on a severe failure of governance by successive boards to thoroughly scrutinise a new IT system and listen to feedback from colleagues and their customers.
The role of housing association boards has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, particularly around hearing their customer’s voice. The tragic events laid bare by the Grenfell inquiry and the death of Awaab Ishak highlighted the importance of having the right governance structures in place, and what can happen when these don’t operate as they should.
The Post Office scandal should serve as a reminder for boards and business leaders to focus on their approach to decision-making and put people at the heart of everything they do.
I have watched as housing associations have worked hard to modernise their business models over the past decade. I have often been the voice promoting the benefits of adopting new technologies or processes to transform organisations, improving customer experience and creating a more efficient service. But do we fully appreciate the impacts?
So, what can housing associations learn?
Don’t just tick boxes – take time to engage with colleagues and customers.
Community Voice Carlisle is the blog of Carlisle Tenants` and Residents`Federation. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 52
