| Frequently Asked Questions
Magna publishes the information below to help you understand how we are run, how you can find out more about us, and how you can influence us.
The questions and points which we answer in this document are taken from the ‘Langlands Report’ on how public service organisations like ours should run themselves.
Publishing information like this is one of the recommendations of the Langlands Report. We hope you find it helpful.
Please click on the links below to access specific questions, or scroll down to read the whole document.
How Magna’s Parent Board carries out each of its primary functions
How Magna’s Parent Board establishes Magna’s strategic direction and aims in conjunction with the Executive
How Magna’s Boards ensure accountability to the public for its performance
How Magna’s Boards ensure that it is managed with probity and integrity
How Magna’s Boards hold their executives to account for achieving agreed objectives and implementing strategy
Why Magna’s Board believe their approach to each of the areas described above is appropriate for Magna’s size and complexity.
The roles and responsibilities of non-executives and executives
What is this organisation for ?
Can I easily find clear explanation of what this organisation is doing?
Can I easily find out about the quality of service provided to the public ?
What is being done to improve services ?
Can I easily find out about the organisation’s funding and how it spends its money ?
Who is in charge of the organisation ?
How are they elected or appointed ?
At the top of the organisation, who is responsible for what ?
What values guide Magna’s work ?
Does it follow these values in practice ?
What standards of behaviour should I expect ?
Does Magna put into practice the ‘Nolan’ principles for people in public life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership)?
Who is responsible for what kinds of decisions in Magna ?
Can I easily find out what decisions have been taken and the reasons for them ?
Are the decisions based on up-to-date and complete information and good advice ?
Does Magna publish a clear annual statement on the effectiveness of its risk management system ?
Does Magna publish a clear annual account of how it makes sure that its policies are put into practice ? Is the statement reassuring ? How does it compare with my own experience ?
How does Magna encourage people to get involved in running it ?
What support does it provide for people to get involved ?
How does Magna make sure that those running it are doing a good job ?
Can I easily get information to answer all these questions ?
Are there opportunities for other people to make their views known?
Does Magna publish an annual report containing its accounts for the year? Are copies freely available ? Is the content informative ?
How do I find out what decisions were taken as a result of my and others’ opinions being asked for ?
Are there opportunities to question the people in charge about their plans and decisions ?
Can I easily find out how to complain and who to contact with suggestion for changes ?
How Magna’s Parent Board carries out each of its primary functions
How Magna’s Parent Board establishes Magna’s strategic direction and aims in conjunction with the Executive
The parent Board agrees a Strategy for Magna. It does so with the benefit of advice and views from its executives and others, and by following a methodical process of analysis. Magna’s Strategy reflects its overall Purpose. From both are derived Magna’s aims. These represent the broad areas in which Magna has to achieve in order to, in turn, achieve its Strategy and Purpose.
How Magna’s Boards ensure accountability to the public for its performance
Magna accounts to the public for its performance in several ways. It follows its Policy on access to information about Magna, which states ‘we aim to make information available unless there is good reason to withhold it’. We make the information available through our Annual Reports, press releases, our website (www.magna.org.uk), our residents’ magazine, ‘Opendoor’, and other documents.
How Magna’s Boards ensure that it is managed with probity and integrity
We ensure that Magna is managed with probity and integrity by following a Code of Conduct and relevant policies and procedures, including a comprehensive Fraud Response Plan. Our internal audit programme checks their operation to provide independent assurance to all Boards. We operate a whistle-blowing system, which encourages staff to raise relevant matters confidentially with our independent Internal Auditors. We train and test Members and Staff alike in their obligations.
How Magna’s Boards hold their executives to account for achieving agreed objectives and implementing strategy
We hold our executives to account by, firstly, following a methodical approach to agreeing Magna’s business aims. Having these is a pre-condition for clear accountability. Boards and Committees receive periodic reports on achieving Magna’s objectives, and its key performance indicators. In particular, each makes an annual assessment of how far it has achieved its Purpose.
Why Magna’s Board believe their approach to each of the areas described above is appropriate for Magna’s size and complexity.
Magna has used a mixture of theory and experience in devising the systems described. The result is, as a recent independent expert review of our governance commented, that ‘Magna is a strong and well-run organisation’. This supports the view that our approach to each function is appropriate and effective.
The roles and responsibilities of non-executives and executives
Non-executives and executives have different, but complementary, roles to play.
Through Boards and Committees, and with the help and advice of their executives, non-executives draw on their wide experience and abilities to make decisions about strategy, direction, policies and other matters reserved for Boards and Committees in the agreed Scheme of Delegation.
The role of executives is to advise Boards and Committees on these matters, to implement what they decide, and to report back to them on the success or otherwise of implementation.
The Scheme of Delegation lists those decisions reserved for each Board. All others are delegated to the Group Chief Executive, who in turn delegates responsibility to his staff.
In summary, non-executives set out what Magna is for and what they want it to achieve. It is the job of executives to implement and achieve what the non-executives want, using whatever methods and procedures they think best. Non-executives then examine performance, holding executives to account, and amending strategy and direction as necessary.
What is this organisation for ?
Magna’s Purpose is to satisfy those we work with and want to work with, and to be their first choice.
Can I easily find clear explanation of what this organisation is doing?
Yes, in our Strategy and/or Masterplan.
Can I easily find out about the quality of service provided to the public ?
Yes, in our annual report, on our website (www.magna.org.uk), in our performance reports, or by asking for other specific data.
What is being done to improve services ?
Magna has a very demanding Purpose. It guarantees that we constantly strive to improve. We assess annually how far we have achieved it, using feedback from customers. Our annual work plans are all designed to make us better. We implement a specific annual programme of service reviews, called ‘Best in the West’.
Can I easily find out about the organisation’s funding and how it spends its money ?
Yes, in our annual report, our annual financial statements, our press releases, our residents’ magazine, our website (www.magna.org.uk) or by asking for other specific data.
Who is in charge of the organisation ?
The Magna Group consists of four companies. Each has its own Board, which is responsible for the proper conduct of its company’s affairs. The parent body of Magna Group is Magna Housing Group Limited. It is responsible for the proper conduct of the Group’s affairs. All other Boards are responsible to it. The Chairman of MHGL is Mr Colin Rolls.
The Chief Executive of the Magna Group is Mr Graham Colls.
How are they elected or appointed ?
All Board Chairmen are subject to annual election by their respective Boards.
All Board Members are elected or appointed in accordance with the Rules
The Group Chief Executive is appointed by the Board of MHGL.
At the top of the organisation, who is responsible for what ?
The Chairman of the Board of MHGL is responsible for the proper conduct of that Board’s business. That Board runs MHGL and is, therefore, responsible for the proper conduct of that company’s business. As the parent body of the Group, MHGL is also ultimately responsible for the proper conduct of the affairs of the Group as a whole.
The Group Chief Executive is responsible for advising the Boards, carrying out their decisions and reporting to them on the success or otherwise of implementation.
What values guide Magna’s work ?
Magna conducts its business so as to achieve its Purpose: to satisfy those we work with and want to work with, and to be their first choice. In doing so, we follow our Principles which are "In all we do we involve existing residents, consider their interests first in allocating resources, and commit ourselves to fairness and equality for all. We also set challenging targets and check if we meet them".
Does it follow these values in practice?
Annual priorities are set according to how far they tend to help Magna achieve its Purpose and Principles. Budgets are set accordingly. Magna assesses annually how far it achieves its Purpose.
What standards of behaviour should I expect ?
Magna’s Code of Conduct and supporting policies require staff and Members to behave professionally and impartially.
Does Magna put into practice the ‘Nolan’ principles for people in public life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership)?
Magna believes its Purpose, Principles, methods, policies and culture all promote the Nolan principles.
Who is responsible for what kinds of decisions in Magna ?
Magna’s Scheme of Delegation, and supporting policies, describe who is responsible for what kinds of decisions. In broad terms, Boards reserve for themselves matters of strategy, policy, targets and performance monitoring, as well as any decisions which law or regulation requires them to make. Staff make all other decisions.
Can I easily find out what decisions have been taken and the reasons for them ?
Yes, although we may withhold information if the law or other good reason requires us to. Our policies place the burden of proof on us to establish if there are any reasons for not providing information, rather than on enquirers to establish why we should. Shareholding Members, and Board and Committee Members, may have access to more information, to match the greater responsibilities they bear. We encourage applications for shareholding membership.
Are the decisions based on up-to-date and complete information and good advice ?
Magna devises and maintains the right systems, and employs the right staff, to ensure that they are.
Does Magna publish a clear annual statement on the effectiveness of its risk management system ?
Magna publishes as part of its Annual Financial Statements an assessment of its system of internal control, which includes its risk management system.
Does Magna publish a clear annual account of how it makes sure that its policies are put into practice ? Is the statement reassuring ? How does it compare with my own experience ?
Magna’s system of internal control is designed to put policies into practice. Magna publishes an assessment of the system of internal control as part of its Annual Financial Statements.
Magna employs mystery-shoppers to check that individual experience is as we want it to be.
We welcome comments from service-users on their experience.
How does Magna encourage people to get involved in running it ?
Magna advertises job vacancies widely. It welcomes applications for membership, which are assessed according to published criteria. It also advertises non-executive positions, such as Chairmanships.
What support does it provide for people to get involved ?
Magna trains staff and non-executives, and provides other support such as meeting expenses incurred in helping to run Magna.
How does Magna make sure that those running it are doing a good job ?
Staff and non-executives are subject to a formal performance review. For staff, this takes place twice a year.
Can I easily get information to answer all these questions ?
We hope the fact that we publish these Questions and Answers means that the answer is ‘yes’.
Are there opportunities for other people to make their views known?
We welcome unsolicited comments. Our Formal Complaints Policy is open to all. We reward staff for nominations by customers and the public for good service. We formally consult residents and others on many aspects of our services.
Does Magna publish an annual report containing its accounts for the year? Are copies freely available ? Is the content informative ?
Yes, yes, and we hope so.
How do I find out what decisions were taken as a result of my and others’ opinions being asked for ?
Sometimes we will tell people directly. Sometimes we will issue a general press release or other similar public document. We are happy to respond to individual enquiries.
Are there opportunities to question the people in charge about their plans and decisions ?
Normal SGM, AGM, Board and Committee scrutiny provide these opportunities for some people. We invite organisations to our stakeholders’ conferences, and residents to our residents’ conferences and seminars. We use focus groups to provide challenge to Magna.
We are happy to answer any unsolicited questions.
Can I easily find out how to complain and who to contact with suggestion for changes ?
Magna has a clear Formal Complaints Policy which includes the appointment of a complainant’s “guide”, from amongst our staff, to help the complainant understand and use the system.
Please e-mail us or write to us with any suggestion for changes.
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