Transparency

Optivo aims to work in an open and transparent way. This supports our social purpose and makes good business sense.

In addition, the Regulator of Social Housing requires Registered Providers to be accountable to tenants, the regulator and stakeholders and have governance arrangements which are effective and transparent. To demonstrate our approach we will:

• Work in clear and understandable ways
• Inform residents what they can expect from us
• Make information about our business easy to find
• Respond to reasonable requests for information from anyone
• Protect personal data
• Support formal resident scrutiny of the business
• Work openly with the Regulator of Social Housing, the Care Quality Commission, other regulators and government departments
• Encourage staff to report concerns via our whistle-blowing process.

We are not classed as a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act. But we do receive public funds for some of our work, for example to build new homes.

We will make this information permanently available on our website:

1. Membership of our Board and Executive Team
2. How to contact us, including phone number, postal address, email and online chat
3. Our customer experience guide
4. How to complain and compliment Optivo
5. How to request information
6. Most recent statutory accounts and annual report to residents
7. Current strategic objectives, mission statement and core values
8. Procurement policy
9. How the resident of a block can obtain a copy of the fire risk assessment of their block, at no cost.

We receive grant from Homes England to provide homes on the ‘affordable homes programme’.  We will publish a quarterly list of expenditure over £500 relating to this programme on our website.

The total development grant received in quarter 1 (from 1 April to 30 June 2021) is as follows;

• Greater London Authority (GLA): £16,000 
• Homes England (HE): £3,198,500
• Total: £3,214,500 

In our annual statutory accounts we will publish:

1. Non-executive director (board member) remuneration and expenses on a named basis
2. Executive director remuneration as a combined figure
3. The remuneration of the highest paid executive (and if that is not the Chief Executive, we will publish the Chief Executive’s remuneration in addition)
4. The number of staff being paid more than £60,000, in bands.

Although not covered by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we want to work in an open way. We will charge £10 to provide the information. No charge will be made to residents for a copy of the fire risk assessment of their block of flats. Requests for information means business information. It does not include requests from residents about their tenancy or home which are covered by service standards to residents. Requests for business information can be made to;

The Company Secretary, Optivo
Governance department
Grosvenor House, 125 High Street
Croydon, CRO 9XP

Optivo will decide whether to provide the information or not. If we are not going to supply the information, the enquirer will be informed within 20 working days of receiving the request. We will give the reason, which will usually be due to data protection; business / commercial confidentiality or we consider the request is not reasonable.

If we are going to supply the information, we will do so within 28 working days of receiving the request and £10.

Anyone can request information. You do not need to be a resident. We will not release information about individual staff, residents or others.

This statement relates to information Optivo provides voluntarily. If an individual wants to see the personal and sensitive data we hold on them, a request should be made under the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’)  and Data Protection Act 2018 to:

Head of Data Protection and Compliance, Optivo
Governance Department
Grosvenor House, 125 High Street
Croydon, CR0 9XP