The Care and Support Panel is a customer-led advisory group established to enhance the quality, responsiveness, and inclusivity of Riverside’s Care and Support services. The panel plays a vital role in shaping service delivery by providing informed feedback, scrutiny, and co-production opportunities that reflect the lived experiences of customers across our diverse service areas, including homelessness, young people’s services, retirement living, and care provision.

The Panel’s purpose is to:

1. Support continuous improvement in Riverside’s Care and Support services by offering quality assurance feedback and constructive scrutiny, with the aim of increasing customer satisfaction and service effectiveness.
2. Provide insight into customer experiences, highlighting areas of success and identifying opportunities for improvement across services.
3. Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion by sharing perspectives on how services are currently meeting the needs of all customers and identifying gaps or barriers.
4. Identify and share themes of good and poor practice across regions, contributing to strategic discussions and informing the Customer Committee to drive positive change.
5. Champion co-production, by sharing successful practices and exploring areas for development to ensure services are designed and delivered collaboratively with customers.
6. Contribute to the development of customer-focused strategies, policies, plans, and procedures, ensuring alignment with Riverside’s Group Policy Framework and reflecting the voices of those who use our services.

The Panel will comprise up to twelve members, selected to reflect the diversity of Riverside’s Care and Support customer base in terms of geography, service type, and protected characteristics.

One membership space will be reserved for the Care and Support customer representative from Tenant and Resident Influence Partnership (TRIP).

Members must be current Riverside customers at the time of appointment. However, the Panel may co-opt an independent member to provide specialist knowledge, subject to agreement.

Members may attend meetings with support if required; however, persons supporting will not hold voting rights or decision-making authority.

Membership is for a one-year term, with the option to renew for a second year following a review conducted by the Customer Engagement Team and, where appropriate, the Chair of the Care and Support Committee.

Selection will be via a customer co-designed application and interview process, managed by Riverside.

Membership may be forfeited if a member misses two formal meetings within a year without providing apologies, subject to individual circumstances and review.

A quorum shall consist of a minimum of four members, including either the Chair or a nominated Vice Chair.

The Panel will meet formally six times per year, using a mixed format of virtual (Microsoft Teams) and face-to-face meetings. Locations for in-person meetings will rotate to accommodate geographical diversity.

Additional ad hoc meetings may be convened in response to emerging priorities or projects. Attendance at these meetings is encouraged.

The Care and Support Panel is a customer-led group that offers the lived experience perspective on Riverside’s Care and Support services, offers improvement solutions and holds us to account for better performance. The Care and Support Panel will:

1. Recommend service improvements to enhance the customer experience.
2. Review and monitor customer satisfaction metrics relevant to Care and Support.
3. Advise on and support customer consultation on policies and procedures.
4. Monitor and challenge performance data.
5. Analyse feedback trends across service types, demographics, and regions, reporting priorities to the Care and Support Committee, TRIP, and other relevant Panels.
6. Contribute to service reviews, improvement plans, and customer communications, offering insight into projects and programmes.
7. Hold Riverside to account for the accessibility and inclusivity of services.
8. Engage with other customer groups within the Customer Influence and Accountability Framework, receiving relevant reports from the Scrutiny Group, Accessibility Group, Customer Communications Group, and Homeownership Group.
9. Maintain open, two-way communication across the Customer Influence and Accountability Framework to gather insights and influence service improvements.
10. Help Riverside understand and respond to the impact of poor service delivery on customers.

The Panel will elect a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members annually. The Chair will be responsible for facilitating meetings, ensuring inclusive participation, and representing the Panel in relevant forums.

The Vice Chair will support the Chair and assume their responsibilities in their absence.

The Chair and Vice Chair will work closely with the Customer Engagement Team to set agendas, review minutes, and ensure follow-up on agreed actions.

The Panel plays a critical role in embedding lived experience into Riverside’s governance and assurance processes.

The Panel will report to both Care and Support Committee and TRIP using the Assure, Advise, and Alert framework, highlighting key findings, escalations, and recommendations. These reports will inform TRIP’s submissions to Committees and the Group Board.

A senior representative from Care and Support (e.g., Head, Director, or Chief Officer) will attend Panel meetings.

Staff from operations, quality, business development, or other relevant teams may be invited to attend meetings based on current priorities.

All Panel members are expected to adhere to Riverside’s Code of Conduct, which promotes respectful behaviour, confidentiality, and safeguarding.

Members must treat each other, staff, and guests with dignity and respect, and contribute to a safe and inclusive environment.

Breaches of the Code of Conduct may result in a review of membership, with outcomes determined by the Customer Engagement Team in consultation with relevant stakeholders.

New members will receive a structured induction by the Customer Engagement Team to support their understanding of Riverside’s Care and Support services, the Customer Influence and Accountability Framework, and their role within the Panel.

Ongoing training and development opportunities will be provided to ensure members are equipped to contribute effectively, including access to relevant resources, briefings, and mentoring where appropriate.

The Customer Engagement Team will provide administrative support, including scheduling meetings, distributing papers, and recording minutes and actions.

The Panel will participate in an annual evaluation process to assess its effectiveness, impact, and member experience.

Feedback will be gathered from Panel members, Riverside staff, and other stakeholders to inform continuous improvement.

A summary of the Panel’s activities, achievements, and recommendations will be produced annually and shared with TRIP, the Care and Support Committee, and the wider customer base.

These Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually by the Customer Engagement Team and every three years by the Care and Support Committee.