Competence and conduct policy

Introduction

Magna’s vision is creating great homes together. We’re committed to doing this by providing excellent customer experiences and acting in line with our shared values.

Our customers expect all colleagues to have the skills, knowledge, and behaviours to provide high-quality services and deliver positive outcomes. We will achieve this through high standards of professional competence and conduct, and to developing a culture of continuous learning, accountability and improvement.

Who this policy applies to and what it covers

This policy applies to:

All Magna colleagues.
All Magna board and committee members.
Any consultants or contractors working on our behalf.

The policy covers how we will:

Involve customers in shaping professional standards.
Promote and maintain professional conduct and positive behaviours.
Support colleague competence and development.
Monitor and assure compliance with regulatory expectations.

This policy supports the requirements of the Competence and Conduct Standard and our commitment to providing safe, effective and customer-centred services. It’s informed by sector good practice including the Chartered Institute of Housing Professional Standards and National Housing Federation codes and guidance.

Customer influence

We recognise the important role customers and colleagues play in shaping our
services.

We’ll provide meaningful opportunities for customers to influence and review:

Customer service expectations.
Relevant policies and procedures.
The Code of Conduct.
This Competence and Conduct Policy.

We’ll seek customer insight when developing and reviewing this policy and the Code of Conduct. Customer feedback through Magna Voice, Colleague Voice and other insights, will help shape how we develop colleagues, improve services and maintain professional standards.

The competence and conduct standard

The Competence and Conduct Standard applies to ‘relevant people’ who are senior housing executives or managers working in social housing in England and Wales and who are involved in the management or delivery of housing management services. We’ll maintain a list of relevant roles and review them periodically to ensure appropriate competency and qualification requirements are identified.

We'll take appropriate steps to ensure suppliers, contractors and other service providers delivering landlord services on our behalf maintain appropriate standards of competence and conduct consistent with this policy.

These steps may include setting competency expectations through procurement and contract arrangements, seeking evidence of relevant qualifications, training and experience, monitoring performance, undertaking contract assurance activities and responding appropriately where concerns regarding competence, conduct or service quality are identified.

We expect service providers to ensure individuals delivering services on our behalf have the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours necessary to provide safe, effective and customer-focused services.

Professional conduct

We expect all colleagues, board and committee members and others acting on our behalf to demonstrate professional conduct, that reflects Magna’s Values, in their day-to-day work and interactions. This is explained in detail in our code of conduct and can be summarised as:

Treating customers, colleagues and stakeholders with dignity and respect.
Acting with honesty, integrity and accountability.
Taking ownership of responsibilities and delivering on commitments.
Demonstrating good judgement and professional curiosity.
Working collaboratively and constructively with others.
Maintaining appropriate boundaries and behaving ethically.
Continuously developing the skills, knowledge and behaviours required for the role.
Following relevant policies, procedures, regulatory requirements and
codes of conduct.

We’ll promote professional conduct through leadership, learning and development, performance conversations, customer feedback and positive recognition.

Colleague competence and development

We’ll support all colleagues to develop and maintain the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours required for their role.

All colleagues will participate in regular performance and development conversations with their manager. These discussions will provide an opportunity to review performance, behaviours, development needs, objectives and progress against expectations.

Managers are responsible for providing ongoing feedback, recognising good performance and identifying areas where additional support may be required.

Competence expectations will be proportionate to role responsibilities and reviewed regularly to ensure colleagues remain competent to deliver highquality services and positive customer outcomes. We’ll use our job profiles to set out role requirements and expectations, including any mandatory qualifications.

We’ll identify and maintain appropriate specific competency requirements for relevant roles as defined by the Competence and Conduct Standard.

We’ll review development and competency requirements periodically to ensure they remain appropriate and reflect changes in legislation, regulation, professional standards and organisational priorities. Where regulatory or statutory qualification requirements apply, Magna will take appropriate steps to ensure these requirements are met within the relevant timescales. This will include the Competence and Conduct Standard.

Competence will be supported, monitored and evidenced through a range of development mechanisms including:

Induction and probation arrangements.
Mandatory learning and compliance training.
Role-specific training and qualifications.
Continuous professional development activities.
One-to-one meetings and supervision.
Performance and development reviews.
Customer feedback and service outcomes.
Quality assurance, audits and compliance monitoring.

Where conduct, competence or performance falls below the standards expected, we will take a supportive and proportionate approach to improvement. This may include additional supervision, coaching, training, development plans or other appropriate interventions.

Where concerns remain or are more serious in nature, they will be managed in accordance with the Managing Performance Procedure, Managing Behaviour Procedure or other relevant processes.

Monitoring and assurance

We’ll monitor compliance with this policy, and the conduct and competency standard, through:

Training and development records.
Qualification tracking.
Supervision and appraisal arrangements.
Customer feedback.
Complaints and learning reviews.
Internal assurance activities.
Annual self-assessment against Regulatory Compliance (Consumer and Economic Standard).
Where required, third party assurance.

Information gathered through these activities will be used to identify trends, inform improvement activity and provide assurance to leadership and governance groups.

Responsibilities

The Strategic Organisational Capability Director is responsible for the development and review of this policy, making sure that it meets all relevant legal and regulatory requirements and guidance.

The Head of People is responsible for ensuring this policy is reviewed and updated in accordance with the policy review timetable.

The Head of Governance and Legal is responsible for ensuring compliance with the competence and conduct standards is monitored and reported to Strategic Board through our annual self-assessments with the regulator’s consumer standards.

Managers are responsible for supporting colleague development, monitoring competence and addressing conduct and performance concerns, with advice and support from the People Team.

All colleagues are responsible for maintaining appropriate standards of professionalism, competence and conduct and for participating in learning and development activities.

The Strategic Board expects all members and colleagues to lead by example by following our values, regulations, codes of conduct, policies and procedures at all times.

This policy will be reviewed and approved every year by the Strategic Board.

Annual reports will be provided through appropriate governance arrangements to monitor compliance, development activity and assurance against regulatory requirements.