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South Essex Homes is taking a customer focused approach to reviewing and improving our performance. For more information, please see our performance packs.
 What is performance management ?
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This is how we make sure that we are actually doing what Residents want us to do. It also means that we can make sure we are carrying out the work that the Government and Southend Borough Council expect us to do.
There are four stages in managing performance effectively. These are:
- Planning what we are going to do
- Measuring how we are doing
- Reviewing our progress, and taking action if necessary
- Consulting with all our stakeholders and setting new priorities
 How do we plan what we are going to do?
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South Essex Homes have a Business Plan, which describes our overall aims and objectives. This is based around our mission statement and our values.
All of South Essex Homes’ departments produce a detailed plan to say what they are going to do during the year to meet these objectives. The plan also says when this should take place, and how much it will cost. From this plan, each member of staff then knows what they will need to achieve during the year.
How do we measure how we are doing?
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The plan is just the start of performance management. We need to make sure that we carry out the actions, and achieve the results that we want. We do this by agreeing a set of indicators and targets, against which we will measure ourselves – and be measured by others. These indicators are set out in:
- Our Performance Improvement Plan
- A set of Key Performance Indicators
- Our budget
The Performance Improvement Plan brings together all the most important actions from the local service plans. The latest version is available below as a download.
Our performance indicators tell us if we are meeting our targets or not, and through our performance management system, we can easily see if there are any areas for concern. Included in our performance indicators is a list of service standards which our residents have told us are important to them. Every quarter we publish our performance, and these are available for the last year below as a download.
Each year Southend Borough Council gives us a fee for managing the service. We decide how to spend this money in our budget. There is a pie chart available for download which shows you what we are spending your money on this year.
How do we review progress and take action?
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Every month, the South Essex Homes’ Board receive reports on the progress we are making on our plans, performance indicators and budgets. If there are any problems, the Board will tell us what actions we need to take, or guide us in revising our plans. This might mean that we move money or staff from one area to another, or might mean that we try a new way of doing something.
How do we consult with our stakeholders, and set new priorities?
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At the end of each financial year, we review what we have achieved, and what might still need to be done. Through our Focus groups, Sounding Board and surveys, our residents tell us their views on our achievements, and tell us if they think we need to concentrate more closely on some activities. Southend Borough Council also tell us their priorities, either through their Housing Strategy or their own Corporate Plan, and agree with us how much money will be available to spend on our services for the following year.
Once we know what our stakeholders are thinking, and what money is available, the Board can then revise our Business Plan, setting new objectives for the year ahead.
In Summary
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Performance management is about us:
- Being clear what we want to do
- Knowing whether we are doing it – or not
- Taking quick and effective action if anything goes wrong
- Making sure we are doing what customers want
- Telling our residents and other stakeholders how we are performing
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