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HQN consultancy work

Performance improvement and inspection support - the team

Lydia Dlaboha

Executive Director - Performance and Improvement

Lydia is the HQN executive director responsible for performance improvement work. Lydia oversees all of HQN’s inspection support work. Lydia has undertaken numerous mock inspections over the past years covering a wide range of social housing providers - local authorities, housing associations and ALMOs. In addition to this she has worked on a variety of projects including service reviews, benchmarking clubs, improvement exercises and Supporting People.

Most recently Lydia has played a key role in developing HQN’s approach to short notice 'mock inspection' exercises and has experience of running several of these across the country.  Lydia has assisted many organisations to achieve three stars and excellent including West Kent, Evesham and Pershore, and ALMOs including, Newcastle, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Derby. The pioneering tenant inspections at Hull and Hackney were managed by Lydia and she has trained staff as shadow inspectors at Haringey, MHT and Genesis. HQN’s work with the TSA also comes under Lydia’s workstream and direct supervision.

Telephone: 0845 4747 004

Mobile: 07801 073678

Email: lydia.dlaboha@hqnetwork.co.uk

  • “Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust has recently enjoyed a successful outcome to its first full inspection. The journey to this started with HQN and they have accompanied us on the way ever since. HQN carried out a mock inspection, utilising a professional team of experienced and very credible inspectors who were able to simulate the degree of challenge and appropriate judgement evident in a real inspection. The process was well planned and professionally delivered across a comprehensive range of services. We received a detailed and timely set of feedback slides with well observed and prioritised recommendations. Staff found the process challenging, but fair and accepted the recommendations that arose as being evidenced based and a recognisable interpretation of KLOE requirements. We subsequently called on HQN to help challenge us in our delivery of these recommendations and the credibility of the outcomes that we had achieved. As soon as were notified of our full inspection, we called upon a range of HQN support, from help in preparing our self-assessment, through an analysis of our KLOE compliance, coaching of staff to be interviewed and advice on everything from lettable standards to the stock tour. Each and every member of HQN of we dealt with had a great balance of expertise, objectivity, challenge, encouragement and friendliness. They proved incredibly flexible and responsive (sometimes at short notice) to match the inevitable changing requirements of our inspection plan. HQN was an important part of our team and should quite properly share in our fantastic inspection result”

    Tim Pinder, Chief Executive, Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust