Our Board
Our Board
Our Board has overall responsibility for approving our strategy at SettleParadigm, ensuring effective management of resources and risk, overseeing performance and achievement of objectives, and ensuring effective governance.
Richard Moriarty
Chair
What made you want to join SettleParadigm as a Board member?
I passionately believe that good quality affordable housing makes a significant positive difference to people’s lives and their communities. SettleParadigm is my local housing association and I am keen to help it deliver on its ambitions for the communities close to where I call home.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to the role?
Hopefully my experience at Board level of governance, finance and driving customer service outcomes, gained across a number of different industries, can help SettleParadigm to provide excellent services for our customers whilst enabling more people to benefit from affordable housing by building new homes.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm (this could include your own experience of social housing, any volunteering work etc)?
My personal lived experience of social housing has given me an appreciation for how, if we get it right, we can enhance customers’ lives and their communities.
What do you enjoy most as a Board member for SettleParadigm?
The teamwork and strong collective sense of our social purpose for the customers and communities we serve.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for residents/potential residents?
The planning system. There is a profound need for more affordable homes in the areas in which we operate.
Sally Veitch
Board member and Senior Independent Director(SID)
What made you want to join SettleParadigm as a Board member?
Having been Chair of the Board at Settle for six years, and now as Senior Independent Director on the Board of SettleParadigm, I describe this as the role that allows me to look my boys in the eyes. I wanted the opportunity to be able to contribute in a way that genuinely helps people.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to the role?
I am a non-executive director with a portfolio of boards that I sit on. I work across different businesses and sectors (retail, banking, pawnbroking!) and have dealt with a range of regulators.
Despite being a finance director by background, the key theme to everywhere that I have worked is the importance of the customer and making sure the board stay truly customer focussed.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm (this could include your own experience of social housing, any volunteering work etc)?
I have three boys who are all still at school and I have been a school governor at both their primary and secondary schools as I strongly believe in contributing to the community. My middle boy has significant learning difficulties and attends a SEND school. I have spent a long time fighting the system to get him the support he needs, and it has left me determined to do all I can in life to help people to get the help they need.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a Board member so far?
The feeling that we are making a difference. I have regularly gone out on our ‘Big Door Knock’ and really enjoy chatting to residents and getting to know what matters to them
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents/potential residents?
Our residents want a safe, decent home and for it to be easy to keep it that way. Repairs still take too long, and I’d like that to improve.
Andrew Foster
Board member
What made you want to join SettleParadigm as a Board member?
The opportunity to be part of an organisation with a strong commitment to social justice, to improve existing-and build new- social homes, and in so doing giving our residents a decent and stable place to live and call home.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to the role?
As a lawyer, I’ve learned the importance of questioning and challenging in order to maximise the use of resources. But I’ve also learned the importance of listening and learning from both residents and staff, and showing appreciation for the good work our staff do in meeting the needs of residents.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit (this could include your own experience of social housing, any volunteering work etc)?
For some years now I have volunteered with a Foodbank and this has helped me to better understand the financial, work and personal challenges faced by some of our residents….. and the positive impact we can have on their lives by providing a stable home and targeted support to them.
What have you enjoyed most about your recent experience as a SettleParadigm Board member?
I’ve enjoyed being a Board member hugely and learned so much from the role so it’s hard to choose just one thing. But it’s probably the opportunity to knock on the doors of residents, meet them and hear about the practical things we can do to support them and make their lives just a little bit easier… and then see that these things are delivered.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for SettleParadigm residents/potential residents?
I would like us to use our greater scale to generate additional financial resources to invest in new and existing homes and in improving our communities, and in so doing support more people to live in good quality and genuinely affordable homes.
Amina Graham
Board member and Chair of Customer Experience Committee
What made you want to join SettleParadigm as a Board member?
I believe that everyone should have access to a safe place they can call home. I’m naturally curious, driven to make things better and love working with talented people who share a common purpose to keep improving and moving forward. SettleParadigm is an ambitious, forward-looking, customer-focused housing association that’s driven by its purpose to provide homes and services its customers can rely on. The country needs innovative solutions given the scale of the housing crisis in the UK and the ongoing significant impact, particularly on social housing tenants, of the pandemic and – more recently – the cost-of-living crisis. Being part of an organisation that wants to push the boundaries and think differently about how best to do this is very exciting to me.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to the role?
I started my career at Marks & Spencer and for over 20 years, before my move into housing, I gained a wealth of experience in a number of senior positions. During the last 15 years, I have been at the forefront of innovation and improving operations at RHP, L&Q and now at Housing 21. I have a strong track record in successfully leading and delivering cultural change, harmonising people, processes, and technology to deliver more efficient operating models and better, faster, lower-cost services to customers. Under my leadership, RHP topped the Great Place to Work list, was top of the Dolphin innovation index in the sector for three years running, won a plethora of national awards for customer service and employee engagement, and was one of the first housing associations in the sector to achieve IIP Platinum.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit (this could include your own experience of social housing, any volunteering work etc)?
Being a Board member at Network Homes, where I sit on the Customer Services and Audit and Risk Committees, has helped me develop my skills as a non-executive, scrutinising and challenging performance and contributing to shaping the strategic direction, vision and values of the organisation.
What do you enjoy most as a SettleParadigm Board member?
The people! The Board and Executive Team are super-talented and ambitious, really committed to making a meaningful difference for existing and new customers, and are open and receptive to new ideas. I love their shared ambition to want to do more, their intention to use their resources to help as many people as possible who are priced out of the housing market, and their relentless focus on delivering excellent services to every customer, every day.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for residents/potential residents?
Giving customers as much choice, convenience and control in how they access and experience services is incredibly important to me. We know we can do more to keep customers informed and deliver quality services, resolving as much as possible at the first point of contact, so that customers don’t ever need to chase us for a response.
Danny Sutcliffe
Board member
What made you want to join SettleParadigm as a Board member??
I am always keen to see good local organisations flourish. Having served on the board of Settle, and now SettleParadigm, I see this as a privilege, enabling me to give back to the sector that has given me such a worthwhile career. Settle’s core values are very close to those of Red Loft my company and so align with how I want to do business. Settle talks about being proud to work in social housing which I always have been.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you will bring to SettleParadigm?
Having worked in affordable housing for over 30 years with the last 20 years as an affordable housing consultant I have a wealth of experience and expertise I bring to the board. I have extensive experience of working with executive teams and boards with both housing associations and local authorities. Having worked on complex large-scale projects I have worked with executive teams and boards to unlock difficult projects and assess the risk on these projects and weigh them against the potential rewards of more affordable homes, better neighbourhoods and increased social value for residents.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm (this could include your own experience of social housing, any volunteering work etc)?
Having been a board member for over seven years with Hackney Homes and Lambeth Homes as well as my consultancy work with housing association boards I fully understand the role a non-executive need to play compared to the role of an executive. The role of non-executive is about empowering the executive to make the right decisions and drive the organisation forward. Our role as a board is to set the organisation’s strategic and risk management frameworks and ensure the principles and standards of the organisation are upheld.
I came into this sector to see as many new affordable homes built as possible and believe my experience within the sector will help SettleParadigm be part of this process.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a SettleParadigm Board member so far?
With others across the housing sector we have faced many challenges including, rising cost inflation, uncertainty in the sales market, shortages of skilled operatives and a cost-of-living crisis. These are all challenges to the delivery of the day-to-day services let alone the development of additional affordable homes which have affected our decision making at the Settle Board. I have enjoyed facing these challenges to help provide solutions to providing better services and more homes. We have seen a marked improvement in the delivery of our maintenance service with the number of damp and mould cases massively decreasing which leads to better outcomes for residents. Many of the challenges faced across the housing sector particularly impact the development team. I have enjoyed supporting them in navigating this period and enabling them to continue to deliver new affordable homes and regenerate our older homes.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for residents/potential residents?
My hope is this merger brings efficiencies which will see the new organisation’s delivery costs reduce and the quality of that delivery improve. i hope existing residents will see the benefit through faster turnaround times on maintenance requests, better communication with staff and so a better understanding of needs and aspirations. This will also mean there is more capacity within the organisation to deliver new affordable homes. The housing crisis is very real and the delivery of more new homes is a vital part of our mission.
Helen Evans
Board member
What made you want to join SettleParadigm as a Board member?
Having worked in social housing for more than 40 years I am due to retire but wanted to maintain my links with the sector. I was attracted to Paradigm initially, because it’s an interesting organisation, big enough to be fully developing but small enough to be fully invested in the communities it operates in.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring?
I have a deep knowledge of the social housing sector, having served as a Chief Executive and having held several non-executive positions. This experience has provided me with a broad insight into the challenges that associations and their customers face.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for SettleParadigm (this could include your own experience of social housing, any volunteering work etc)?
One of the non-executive roles I have at the moment is with an NHS Trust in the mental health sector. The connection between wellbeing and decent housing is clear, the work housing associations do has a clear link to the overall health of the nation.
What have you enjoyed most about your experience as a SettleParadigm Board member?
It clearly has a competent, interesting and diverse Board and I’m looking forward to working with them now as SettleParadigm.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for residents/potential residents?
It’s early days but I do think it’s important that, like all associations, it gets the balance right between its current and future customers. Developing is hugely important but it’s also essential we maintain services to current customers and continue to invest in the homes we already have.
Paul Phillips,
Board member and Chair of Treasury Committee
What made you want to join SettleParadigm as a Board member?
I had met a number of people who worked as Board members and senior staff at Paradigm and was attracted by the organisation’s desire to improve the housing of people in the Home Counties.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to the role?
I have been the Chief Financial Officer (or similar) of a range of housing associations for over 40 years. My most recent role was for 17 years as CFO for Notting Hill Housing, then Notting Hill Genesis, until my retirement in 2021. This experience gives me a detailed understanding of the finances of housing associations.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit for the role?
I am also a trustee for Richmond Charities, an almshouse charity in the London Borough of Richmond. This gives me the opportunity to see the work of such an organisation at close quarters.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for residents/potential residents?
I hope that SettleParadigm will continue to build new homes for those who don’t have anywhere decent to live, as well as improving the services and homes we provide to our existing customers.
Richard Osborne
Board member
What made you want to join SettleParadigm as a Board member?
A home is essential to personal and family wellbeing and growth, and having worked in social housing for many years I’ve seen how important the sector is in providing access to affordable, safe, good quality homes. Although I’m now retired, I’m still keen to support the sector in meeting the latest challenges to increasing the supply of affordable housing.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to the role?
I’ve been immensely fortunate to have enjoyed a rewarding and successful career spanning over 36 years in social housing, 23 of which have been at a senior level. My leadership experience includes housing management, repairs and maintenance and, for the last 12 years, property management including sustainability, building safety and strategic asset management. My experience covers large and complex property portfolios including pre- and post-war, traditional and non-traditional, high-rise, multiple tenure and supported housing.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit (this could include your own experience of social housing, any volunteering work etc)?
I’m a trustee of Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire, working with the charity’s board to provide accommodation and work for the homeless. Previously I’ve served on a variety of boards and committees which have included sports clubs for young people, a career academy for sixth form students, and Sure Start for young families.
What have you enjoyed most about your recent experience as a SettleParadigm Board member?
As a relatively new member I’ve really enjoyed the induction process, learning about the great work and, despite the hindrance of Covid, meeting and getting to know the Board, the Executive team and other colleagues. I’m also enjoying the mental stimulation associated with the many varied challenges and initiatives being worked through at the moment.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for residents/potential residents?
It would be great if we could use the zero carbon agenda to deliver really meaningful benefits in the cost of powering and heating the home for a high percentage of customers.
Simon Jones
Board member and Chair of Audit and Risk Committee
What made you want to join SettleParadigm as a Board member?
During my professional career as an accountant, I became involved in the Social Housing sector when I acted as an audit partner to several HAs including Paradigm. I was drawn to the positive impact the sector has on the lives of its current and future tenants and decided when I left the accountancy profession to get involved as a non-executive director. I was particularly attracted to Paradigm as I live in its area of operation and see the work it does in the local communities.
What skills have you gained through your professional life that you can bring to the role?
I spent thirty years in the accountancy profession as an audit partner and latterly in a variety of executive board roles including strategic development, chief financial officer, and chief operating officer. I will use the financial, strategic, communication and analytical skills gained over that time to support and challenge the SettleParadigm executive team on the delivery of the current strategy and in shaping the future direction of the Group. I am also a board member of another Housing Association based in Essex.
What skills/experience have you gained from your personal life that make you a good fit (this could include your own experience of social housing, any volunteering work etc)?
For most of my adult life, I have been involved with community-based charities where I have acted as treasurer and a trustee, as well as having been involved in voluntary youth work for many years. Through this, I have seen the importance of community and supporting people to enable them to support themselves and others.
What’s the one thing you would like to improve most for residents/potential residents?
As a new Board member, it is difficult for me to say at this stage. However I am passionate about the need and benefits of strong tenant engagement and involvement in Social Housing, so will seek to ensure we deliver on that.