The Agenda Series (Edition 14)

(subjects for Tenants Groups to discuss with their landlord)
 

Published: 22nd May 2025

Background about The Agenda

Some tenant groups asked us for topical agenda items/subject briefings for their group to discuss with their landlord.  In response, TPAS Cymru created a briefing series called ‘The Agenda’, which provides tenant groups with an overview of a subject and suggested questions you might want to discuss with your landlord. 

This edition will be focused on the following 2 related subjects:

1) Corporate Hospitality & Gifts

Many landlords are large employers in their community. They spend significant money per annum on their supply chain. To many, this is the traditional image of paying building firms to build new homes and big contracts for maintenance, kitchens, windows, etc. But they also spend significant amounts on professional services, such as lawyers, architects, IT infrastructure, vehicle leases, etc.

I was recently at the CHC Governance conference, and some conversations got me thinking…

Corporate Hospitality and gifts are an established way for companies to give thanks and recognise business relationships. They can also support networking, maintaining relationships, developing new ideas, and establishing new contacts.

However, as The Institute of Business Ethics points out ‘...the acceptance of gifts, services and hospitality can leave an organisation vulnerable to accusations of unfairness, partiality or deceit, or even unlawful conduct. Commercial relationships may be subject to bias and an organisation’s reputation for ‘doing business ethically’ will be put at risk…’.

For transparency, when I worked in the private sector in digital marketing, I attended many corporate hospitality events and received some very nice gifts, such as posh Christmas hampers.

Did it influence business relationships? Of course, it has an impact! Equally, it sometimes helped me see the real companies. For example, I once attended a Premiership Football game with a tech company I was close to doing a deal with to become a supplier of the company I worked for. Over the day, with beer flowing, I saw the real company culture, and I didn’t like what I saw. Back in the office on Monday, the deal was off!

Social landlords do great things and are a credit to their communities, but they need to be transparent and open to scrutiny.

2)Overseas Travel

This is another subject that needs board-level accountability and tenant scrutiny. There are several international housing-related conferences worldwide. In particular, for social housing senior leaders, there is an annual week-long conference in Cannes, south of France, and another in Switzerland, I believe.

None of them are cheap, but its defenders will say this is where new thinking is formed, deals are made, and new supply chain is found. I have heard good things.

However, its critics say it’s expensive and ‘a jolly’ and aren’t there enough housing-related conferences already in the UK? 

Again, for transparency, when in the private sector, I experienced both – I went to many European Conferences and Symposiums … in all honesty, most were fun and social.  Equally, I went on a 4 day conference on a cruise ship around The Mediterranean,  and it was so productive and got a lot of fresh thinking and new business relationships.

As mentioned above, Social Housing landlords do great things and are a credit to their communities, but they need to be transparent and open to Board and tenant scrutiny on this subject. 

Suggested questions for Tenant groups to discuss and decide if this is of importance to them:

1. What is your landlord’s policy for Corporate Hospitality & Gifts?
2. If so, when did the Board last discuss and sign off the policy?
3. Was the recognised strategic tenant group consulted on it?
4. Are Board members included, and does it include hospitality accepted under a different employment?
5. What is the process for board scrutiny and sign-off?
6. What is the process for the tenant group to scrutinise the register?
7. Do you think it should be published annually on the website under the Governance section for transparency? 

1. How is VFM assessed for overseas trips
2. What is the process for board scrutiny and sign off?
3. What is the process for tenant group to scrutinise? 

We hope this edition of The Agenda has been of interest.
Do let us know what you think of The Agenda series. There are more to come in 2025.

Written by: David Wilton

The Agenda is part of a program of work looking to amplify the voice of tenants.  We are very grateful to Pobl Group, who sponsors our tenant voice work.

We would also like the thank Welsh Government for part funding TPAS Cymru as an organisation and to Wales & West Housing for the year-round lead sponsorship.