About West Devon Homes

About Us

West Devon Homes is a locally based housing company set up to meet existing and future housing needs of people in the West Devon area. West Devon Homes, although an independent organisation, is committed to working closely with Local Councils and other Registered Providers to meet housing needs.

West Devon Homes is a non-profit making organisation ensuring that all income generated from rents and other charges is reinvested to improve or enhance services.

We are also a Registered Provider which ensures that West Devon Homes meets and maintains nationally agreed standards due to the monitoring of the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), the Regulator of Social Housing. The Company is also registered with the National Housing Federation.

Board Members

The Board of Management of West Devon Homes is the Company’s governing body. The board comprises nine members. Three are tenants nominated by the Tenant Panel and six are independents recruited through open advertising. The independents bring skills, knowledge and experience to complement those of the tenant board members. 

Board members are normally appointed for a fixed period of three years, which can be renewed twice i.e. a maximum period of service of nine years.

The chair of the board is Marc Rostock. For full current board membership details, please click here (PDF)

There are two committees that report to the board which deal with the specialised areas:

• Audit Committee
• Governance Committee.

The committees’ memberships are drawn from the board. People with particular specialist knowledge may be invited to assist the work of any committee as needs require from time to time.

The board, with guidance and support from professional staff, is responsible for setting strategy and policy and ensuring that the company works effectively and efficiently. The ultimate responsibility for decision making in these areas lies with the board. All members of the board are subject to strict rules which govern their conduct. Board members are not paid and cannot benefit financially from their duties. They can however reclaim out of pocket expenses, such as travelling costs, incurred in carrying out their role. The board meets formally at least eight times a year.

Management Team

West Devon Homes’ Management Team comprises the Chief Executive, the Director of Resources, the Housing Services Manager and the Technical Services Manager. This team provides advice, information and recommendations to the board and has delegated authority to run the company on a day to day basis.

Business Focus Group

The Business Focus Group at West Devon Homes comprises fourteen members of staff within the Company. It is made up of the Management Team members plus the Sheltered and Supported Services Manager, Senior Support Officer, IT Manager, Performance Improvement Manager, Human Resources Manager, Neighbourhood & Communities Co-ordinator, Rental Control Officer, Finance Officer, Executive Assistant and Health Safety & Welfare Officer.

The main purpose of the Group is to take forward the Company’s strategic objectives as set by the board, reviewing the services delivered to our customers, assisting with the management of performance, reviewing policies, procedures, systems and risks and reporting back on progress with specific action plans.

History

West Devon Homes was formed in 1997 by West Devon Borough Council. The Borough Council held a ballot of all tenants living in Council accommodation in February 1998 and 81% of tenants voted to transfer the ownership and management of their homes to West Devon Homes. West Devon Homes started trading in February 1999 following the transfer of the ownership and management of the Council's former housing stock. This led to 1400 homes being purchased from the Council by the newly created Company.