Transparency

Optivo aims to be open and transparent with residents, stakeholders and service users. 

Our guiding principles, we will:

• Make information easy to find 
• Provide timely, accurate information that meets the needs of customers and other interested parties
• Offer information in alternative formats such as large print or signpost to other options through our website
• Respond to requests for information in a cost effective and proportionate way
• Always meet our regulatory and legal responsibilities when providing information 
• Actively encourage our colleagues or anyone associated with Optivo to raise their concerns.

Optivo is not classed as a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act and therefore not required to respond to these types of requests. 

We provide information in a variety of ways to meet the needs of our customers, stakeholders and service users. Information is available on Optivo’s website and social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. We also provide some printed documents.

Here is the information we routinely publish:
 

Resident information

• Quarterly magazine
• Annual report to residents 
• New homes to rent or buy.

Service standards, performance and plans 

• Strategic plan 
• Main policies and procedures
• Gender and Ethnicity pay and gap report.

 

Financial information

• Annual financial statements
• Salaries of Non-executive directors and the Chief Executive plus salary bands of other executives 
• List of expenditure over £500 for affordable homes programme ^. 

 

How we are governed

• Membership of our Board and Executive Team
• Board members’ declarations of interest.

 

Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs)

•    Residents can request a copy of the Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) for their building here. 
 

Information that we will supply  

•    We’ll provide information that is routinely published
•    We’ll provide an individual’s personal information when we hold this data. 
 

Occasions when we are unable to provide information

Sometimes we’re unable to provide information. For instance:

•    It would involve disclosing someone else’s personal information
•    Information is confidential or commercially sensitive
•    Technical reports from third parties that assist our decision making
•    The information is draft and not finalised
•    Disclosure is prevented by law
•    Information that could prejudice any claim or legal action
•    Historical information that is not relevant
•    Information isn’t readily available or would be too costly in our opinion to provide.

Our aim is to respond to requests for information within 20 days. If we’re unable to provide the information requested then we’ll explain why. 


^ 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 3 (from 1 October to 31 December 2021) is as follows;

• Greater London Authority (GLA): £16,000 (Right to Acquire grant)
• Homes England (HE): £4,160,542 (of which £11,000 is Right to Acquire grant)
• Total £4,176,542 (of which £27,000 is Right to Acquire grant)*

*Right to Acquire allows housing association tenants to buy their home at a discount. Housing Associations claim grant to cover the Right to Acquire discount from Homes England once the sale has completed.

For further information on access to personal data, please refer to Subject Access Request Form.