CHS Group (CHS) is an independent housing association with over 3,000 homes throughout Cambridgeshire offering a blend of social, affordable and shared ownership homes, specialist supported housing and a range of community support services.
DTP was commissioned by CHS to undertake a triennial independent review of governance to provide assurance that its arrangements are robust and to consider whether there were any areas for improvement. The review was commissioned alongside further support to prepare for regulatory inspection.
Project start-up
We held a start-up meeting to take a wider brief from CHS, agree key contacts, information requirements (and sources) and key stakeholders with whom we would need to engage. A timeline for reporting was agreed which responded to CHS’s meeting structure and availability of non-executives and executives. A schedule of ‘check in ‘ meetings was also agreed where feedback could be provided by both parties as the project was undertaken.
Desk-top analysis / structured interviews/meeting observations
We conducted desk-top analysis of a range of governance documentation to initially inform our review. We then undertook a programme of virtual interviews with all members of the Board and the collective Executive Team to gather feedback on the operation and effectiveness of the Board and governance generally, along with members’ skills, experience, knowledge and contributions. We observed meetings of the Board and its three Committees. Throughout the process we worked collaboratively with CHS colleagues to deliver the review to the agreed timescales and budget.
The review validated effective governance practice within the organisation and identified a number of proportionate, evidence-based recommendations and more general observations to support continuous improvement within the current operating and regulatory environment. The review outcomes aligned with improvements that CHS had already identified and were in the process of implementing.
We presented our report findings initially to members of the Executive Team, followed by the Board in October 2025.
Martin Wheatley, Chair of the Board