Brian Aird | Board member interview
Brian Aird is Westward’s chair of board. He has spent well over 40 years working in the public and not-for-profit sectors before joining the Westward board in 2016.
We took the opportunity to speak with Brian and learn more about why he wanted to become a Westward board member, discuss the current housing crisis and more…
Why did you want to become a member of the board?
There are many reasons. When I was a wee boy in Glasgow, where I was born, my parents – who had no money – managed to get a council house on a large estate. It was a big step up from where we had been because it was a secure home, there was a small garden, a safe street for us kids to play. It was pretty rough, but people helped each other out and I have happy memories from that time. I guess that was part of why I felt an affinity with the work. Also, I have spent much of my working life in health care and charities so the whole concept of public service – service to the public – is deeply ingrained in me.
How have your previous experiences helped you with your work as chair of board for Westward?
I have spent more years than I care to remember as a part of various Boards, both as an Executive and as a non-Executive. I spent 15 years on the boards of learning disability charities, so I know a bit about providing support services and 10 years on NHS Boards as a NED. I’ve also been the Chairman of a small community interest company and of a small charity, so I guess I know my way around good governance. On top of that, I’ve been a Chief Executive, so I understand the importance of a good working relationship between the Chair and the Chief Executive, as I’ve seen it from both sides.
What is one thing you wish everyone knew or understood more about social housing?
One thing? There are many things – for example, the stigma, which still exists in some quarters, is completely undeserved. There are good and bad neighbours wherever you live, not just in social housing. And too many people think of a house as an investment but forget that a safe, secure, warm home is one of the most basic building blocks of a decent life. Social housing provides that to those who otherwise couldn’t afford it.
What are your views on the current housing crisis?
There has been a housing crisis in this country for decades and no government has truly got to grips with it. Too much is left to private developers whose job is to make a profit for shareholders not to provide homes. Having a decent home is surely a basic human right and if government of whatever political flavour can’t provide that, what is it there for.
How important is it for Westward to have customer engagement and opinions?
Any business that does not pay attention to what its customers are thinking and saying is not doing its job properly. I’m not saying it’s easy – after all we have 7,500 properties spread across the whole of the SW peninsula, much of it in small scale developments – so we have many different opinions and many different issues to address. But knowing some of that information is what keeps us connected to what’s important, helps to keep it real.
What are your current top priorities for Westward?
My priorities are the Board’s and the Board’s are Westward’s. The Board sets the strategic direction, and we then check that the Execs are making progress towards our goals. So … creating places where people want to live, providing customer focused services, being a great place to work and of course staying financially strong so that we can do all those things.
What has been one of your biggest achievements since your time with Westward?
Being able to keep on recruiting skilled, talented, experienced people to our Board. There’s a natural turnover as everyone is appointed for a maximum term, so we have to keep refreshing the Board with good people, able to carry the responsibility of the role of looking after over 15,000 tenants. That and the fact that we continue to have a top rating from the Regulator of Social Housing.
What is your favorite thing about working for Westward?
The people, by a mile. Westward has a great team, at every level in the organisation. There’s such a strong sense of wanting to do a good job, to keep improving, to keep our tenants safe and secure. Of course, they don’t get everything right all the time, but they keep trying. Part of our job as a Board is to give good people the time and space to do great things – and they do.