Homes board
Homes Plus is run by a board of directors who bring together their skills and experience to make important decisions about the homes and services we provide for our customers.
The responsibilities of the Board include:
- Making sure that we are run lawfully and ethically
- Approving our business plan
- Agreeing strategies, policies and financial and investment plans.
- Monitoring our performance and ensuring that we deliver value for money
Jason Burt
Chair
A lawyer by profession, in 2016 Jason left the legal practice that he had successfully helped to build into a Chambers and Legal 500 listed firm to join Willis Towers Watson as a specialist consultant. He is now responsible for overseeing the development of a range of regulatory and strategic risk management services for a wide range of national and international clients with specialisms in education and regulatory matters including health and safety and care standards.
Jason is also Group Director of Health and Safety Compliance (having previously served 3 years as a non-executive Director) of Mears PLC where he is chair of the Risk Compliance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.
With a passion for social enterprises and values, throughout his career Jason has chosen to work with not for profit businesses or businesses that have social values at the core of their operations. As Chair of the Property Board, Jason looks forward to using his skills and experience for the benefit of Housing Plus Group’s existing and future customers.
Jeremy Pert
Board member
Jeremy has 15 years’ experience at board level in commercial roles and has spent two decades working in community leadership roles in Staffordshire. In 2011, he became a borough councillor and was appointed cabinet member for communities at Stafford Borough Council, with special responsibility for housing, health and wellbeing in 2015. He has also been a county councillor since 2017.
He is an active member of a number of local boards and panels including the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Health and Wellbeing Board, Health Staffordshire’s Select Committee, HM Prison Drake Hall’s Equality and Diversity Scrutiny Panel, Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group and Stafford United Almshouses.
Having spent many years in commercial and general management roles, Jeremy also has experience in the logistics industry and household products, food and packaging markets.
Craig Royall
Board member
With 28 years in the housing and construction sector – having previously worked for Taylor Wimpey, Midland Heart, Stafford and Rural Homes and currently working for Cannock Chase District Council – Craig has considerable expertise in property maintenance and repairs, health and safety, contract management, procurement and tenant liaison.
Craig is passionate about the most vulnerable people in our society and will always endeavour to help and improve the lives of those less fortunate in any way that he can.
Cath Purdy
Board member
Cath has been involved in housing throughout her professional life, over the last twenty years at a senior level and is currently the Chief Executive of South Lakes Housing. Throughout her varied career, Cath has been passionate about providing good quality, efficiency, value for money, customer-focused services.
In various leadership roles, Cath has been involved in the establishment of new housing organisations as a result of large-scale voluntary transfer of stock from local authorities. She has also led on successful mergers and significantly grown several businesses.
An active contributor to sector discussion and challenge, Cath regularly engages with sector leaders and takes a keen interest in reviews of standards, regulatory activities and assessments.
Cath has served on the boards and committees of national influential bodies, including the National Housing Federation, Housemark and Placeshapers. As a member of the Homes Board, using her analytical and pragmatic approach, Cath looks forward to adding value to its work and shaping its future direction.
Property board
Property Plus provide award winning repairs and maintenance services to the Group’s landlords Homes Plus and Severn Homes.
Employing over 250 colleagues, based at centres in Stafford and Shrewsbury, Property Plus deliver services to more than 19,000 customers across a wide geographical area in Staffordshire and Shropshire.
The property directorate is also responsible for delivering Group compliance. All landlords have important legal duties and obligations, involving safeguarding customers and their homes. Every year over 18,000 safety-first inspections are carried out, covering:
• Gas servicing and repair
• Electrical installation checks and associated repairs
• Solid fuel and oil central heating servicing and repairs
• Managing asbestos
• Solar PV roof panel inspections
• Un-vented cylinders checks
• Fire risk assessments
• Stairlifts and hoists
All this work is overseen by the Property board. You can find out more about it members below.
Jason Burt
Chair
A lawyer by profession, in 2016 Jason left the legal practice that he had successfully helped to build into a Chambers and Legal 500 listed firm to join Willis Towers Watson as a specialist consultant. He is now responsible for overseeing the development of a range of regulatory and strategic risk management services for a wide range of national and international clients with specialisms in education and regulatory matters including health and safety and care standards.
Jason is also Group Director of Health and Safety Compliance (having previously served 3 years as a non-executive Director) of Mears PLC where he is chair of the Risk Compliance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.
With a passion for social enterprises and values, throughout his career Jason has chosen to work with not for profit businesses or businesses that have social values at the core of their operations. As Chair of the Property Board, Jason looks forward to using his skills and experience for the benefit of Housing Plus Group’s existing and future customers.
Vivien Cross
Board member
Vivien has 25 years’ experience in the finance and housing sector having previously worked for Shipleys, BDO, and Dane Housing. She is a chartered accountant and has spent 11 years in audit roles which included managing the audits of large housing associations.
Vivien has been self-employed since 2015 working for owner-managing businesses advising on accounting and tax matters with some housing consultancy. She brings finance, risk, governance, change/project management and development expertise to the Board.
Ian Farrell
Board member
A Chartered Management Accountant by profession, Ian has 30 years experience in financial, commercial and development roles at Board level within the construction and housebuilding sectors. In 1997 he was instrumental in setting up a new Midlands region for Barratt Homes which he helped grow over the next ten years into a very successful region, building up to 500 homes per annum. Ian also has extensive merger and acquisition experience. In 2013, he successfully helped deliver the UK merger as part of a multi-million dollar agreement between Harsco Infrastructure (SGB scaffolding) and the leading US scaffolding company, Brand Energy.
In 2016, Ian joined Severn Trent Water to set up the new Property Development business, where he is responsible for identifying surplus land with a view to gaining an outline planning consent and the onward sale to residential and commercial developers. At HPG, using his finance, commercial acumen and wealth of housing development expertise, Ian looks forward to helping drive delivery of the Property business plan and associated excellent customer service.
Kevin Shaw
Board member
Kevin joined the Audley Group, a market-leading operator and developer of UK retirement villages, in 2013 having previously worked in the Holiday Park sector in a variety of roles for 16 years.
An entrepreneurial leader, as Managing Director of the Audley Group, Kevin is responsible for development business. Under his leadership, he has built an experienced and successful team; his key responsibilities include construction, real estate sales, sales and marketing, and all related financing and budgets. Kevin is also a non-executive director at Two Rivers housing trust.
Always focused on achieving successful outcomes, as a chartered Director with the Institute of Directors, Kevin will use his business experience and expertise to drive the delivery of our business objectives, ensuring that these are responsive to the needs of existing and future customers.