GreenSquareAccord Unveiled

The Quest for Silence and the Battle for Truth

Embark on a journey through the intricate narrative of GreenSquareAccord, where the roles of heroes and villains unfold in a housing tale of triumphs and tribulations. In this exposé, we assemble the key players: a dedicated resident championing the right to safe homes, the CEO facing significant setbacks, the legal authority entangled in controversy, the communication director navigating transparency challenges, and the customer service director whose actions raise serious doubts. Join us as we delve into a story of leadership struggles, regulatory breaches, and a relentless pursuit of silence. This is GreenSquareAccord Unveiled - The Quest for Silence and the Battle for Truth,  a saga that reveals the hidden layers beneath the surface of the housing drama.

Like all good stories, there must be a hero and a villain. So, how do we determine the role we play in the story? To do this, we must first explore the motives that drive our actions and the results they aim to achieve.

So, let's assemble our players.

There is myself: a dedicated husband who works hard to support his wife and leads a happy, productive life. I believe that we all have a fundamental right to live in a home that is safe, warm, and dry.

When our housing provider, GreenSquareAccord, failed to provide these core services, I raised the issues with them. I supported my neighbours, who are often afraid or too busy to endure the endless effort required to rectify these issues with our housing provider. When I was blocked and vilified by GreenSquareAccord's senior leadership team, I pushed back and created a website to highlight their systemic failings.

When they failed to address the issues, and having gone through their complaint process, I sought support from our local MP, councillors, and the local press. When that failed, I took our collected complaints to the Housing Ombudsman and the ICO (Information Commissioner's Office). This resulted in myself and my neighbours having our complaints upheld, and compensation was awarded not just to me but to all my affected neighbours.

You can see my motives are good — exceptions being that our housing provider should offer homes that are safe, warm, and dry and not unreasonable. I have taken my experiences and shared them with other residents who are also suffering due to poor housing and have been ignored by their housing providers.

There is Ruth Cooke, the current CEO of GreenSquareAccord.

Ruth Cooke, the purported advocate for the significance of housing and care, has witnessed GreenSquareAccord facing a series of significant setbacks during her tenure, casting doubt on her proclaimed dedication and leadership capabilities.

Notably, the Housing Ombudsman has issued six severe maladministration findings for GreenSquareAccord, prompting a special investigation. This raises serious concerns about the management and practices within the organisation under Ruth Cooke's leadership.

Moreover, the regulator of social housing has downgraded GreenSquareAccord's Governance grade to G2 and the Viability grade to V2. These downgrades underscore systemic issues within the organisation that have not been adequately addressed or rectified.

In a critical breach of the Regulator of Social Housing standard, it has been revealed that hundreds of homes under GreenSquareAccord lack a current fire risk assessment, and over 10,000 homes have never undergone an electrical inspection. Such oversights in meeting essential safety standards raise questions about the efficacy of the organisations operational and regulatory compliance measures.

Adding to the concerns is Ruth Cooke's failure to deliver two previous corporate strategies, with the latest one, a year into implementation, lacking any supporting evidence of progress. This lack of transparency and accountability in showcasing the strategy's success raises doubts about Ruth Cooke's ability to lead strategic initiatives effectively.

Additionally, the mismanagement of the merger under Ruth Cooke's oversight has resulted in more delays to services. Her statement attributing challenges to the merger, such as the lack of a unified process for handling complaints and the complexities of merging policies and procedures, suggests a failure in overseeing the merger process efficiently.

In light of these recent developments, it becomes imperative for stakeholders to critically assess Ruth Cooke's leadership and the organisational practices at GreenSquareAccord. The litany of issues raises questions about the effectiveness of the current leadership and the need for a thorough reevaluation of the organisations strategic direction and operational management.

We have Sophie Atkinson, the Executive Director of Governance at GreenSquareAccord, who brings a legal and corporate governance background to her role, having qualified as a solicitor and attained the status of a chartered company secretary. In her own words, she states she has ‘Particular experience in mergers and acquisitions and post-merger integration.’ However, upon closer examination of her professional trajectory, concerning elements emerge that necessitate careful consideration.

Sophie Atkinson, GreenSquareAccord Resident In-house Lawyer and Executive Director of Governance, has been at the centre of several noteworthy issues during her tenure. The organisation has faced multiple reports to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) regarding data breaches, shedding light on potential gaps in data protection measures under her purview.

A notable incident involves her expenditure of over £9,000 on legal action to attempt the shutdown of the website GreenSquareAccordResidents.co.uk, raising questions about the appropriateness and proportionality of such actions (more on this at a later date). Furthermore, her decision to pursue a trademark dispute in the County Court rather than the High Court, where it might receive more comprehensive scrutiny, adds a layer of scrutiny to her decision-making.

Beyond legal matters, Sophie Atkinson faced criticism from members of the LGBTQ+ community for advising housing associations about the risks of 'pinkwashing' while simultaneously engaging in such practices. This discrepancy raises concerns about ethical considerations and consistency in professional advice.

In light of these occurrences, stakeholders may find it prudent to scrutinise Sophie Atkinson's role in governance and legal matters at GreenSquareAccord. The legal and reputational issues that have arisen during her tenure warrant a thorough examination of her decision-making and the effectiveness of the governance framework she oversees.

Now, let's take a closer look at Steve Hayes, the Director of Communications who claimed to have a specialisation in not-for-profit organisations.

Steve was brought in with the mandate to enhance the public reputation of GreenSquareAccord and pursue awards. His tenure saw the publication of numerous articles positioning GreenSquareAccord as leaders within the sector, yet these posts and articles failed to provide substantiating evidence.

Moreover, Steve appears to be resistant to any form of questioning that challenges his carefully managed narrative. This raises concerns about openness and transparency in communication within the organisation.

During a period when elderly residents were left without hot water, Steve allocated resources to create a board game for GreenSquareAccord colleagues, focused on the "GSA Way," while the senior team seemingly neglected the essential work and training needed to achieve this cultural shift.

While Steve Hayes vocalises the importance of communication professionals and their contributions, a critical examination reveals potential shortcomings in the implementation of effective communication strategies at GreenSquareAccord. Despite his articulate expressions, there appears to be a gap between rhetoric and action.

Steve rightly underscores that communication is not just a "nice to have" but an integral component of an organisations ability to fulfill its purpose and objectives. However, there is scant evidence to suggest that these lauded traits have been effectively implemented at GreenSquareAccord. The lack of supporting evidence raises questions about the actual effectiveness of communication within the organisation.

Now, let's delve into Julianne Britton, the Director of Customer Service at GreenSquareAccord.

Ms. Britton, as revealed in court documents to Oxford County Court, openly acknowledged her inability to fulfill crucial duties within her role, notably spending time with residents and tenants. This admission raises serious concerns about her capacity to effectively lead the customer service department.

In a court document admission, Ms. Britton's acknowledgment of her inability to carry out essential responsibilities, coupled with her potential exposure of the organisation to libel claims due to shared statements, raises questions about her suitability for her role as GreenSquareAccord's Customer Director.

Furthermore, when faced with unresolved customer complaints, and a failure to even track and record issues, Ms. Britton, along with the then Executive Director of Operations Rachel Crownshaw, made the astonishing decision to actively ignore emails. This egregious approach to numerous issues that would later be upheld by the Housing Ombudsman not only reflects a lack of professionalism but also leaves GreenSquareAccord vulnerable to justified criticism.

What is even more concerning is Ms. Britton's complaint that ignoring these emails was too time-consuming. This not only demonstrates a disregard for the legitimate concerns of residents but also raises questions about her prioritisation of responsibilities and commitment to resolving issues in a timely manner.

Rather than equipping her team with the necessary tools and training to address challenging customer behaviour stemming from multiple situations and long-standing issues, Ms. Britton shockingly advised her team to call the police. This questionable response not only reflects a failure in leadership but also showcases a lack of understanding of the appropriate channels for addressing customer concerns.

In conclusion, Julianne Britton's admissions and actions, as outlined in court documents, suggest a significant lapse in her ability to fulfill the responsibilities of her role. The decision to ignore emails, coupled with questionable advice to involve law enforcement in customer service matters, raises serious doubts about her effectiveness as the Director of Customer Service at GreenSquareAccord. A thorough examination of her leadership and the impact on customer service within the organisation is imperative.

So why all the effort?

Why is GreenSquareAccord going to such lengths to silence me? This month, they failed to close down my website in Court, couldn't remove my social media accounts, were unsuccessful in stopping me from commenting on their posts, and couldn't prevent me from offering support to other residents. 

Additionally, Steve Hayes and his team made multiple requests this week to stop a report focused on the uphill struggle for me and my neighbours from being aired on ITV Meridian News, but they failed - it airs next week. Whilst Sophie Atkinson has tried to stretch the agreed undertaking to include the removal of perviously published webpages, and has again breached data protection laws by sending private information to an incorrect email address.

Do any of the aforementioned players believe that the homes they provide shouldn’t be safe, dry, and warm? Are the issues so insurmountable and unreasonable that they cannot be resolved without considerable effort from residents such as myself repeatedly reporting issues and seeking external support?

Is this the backlash from my successful efforts in gaining thousands of pounds in compensation for my neighbours, and the very real threat that I intend to continue supporting other residents across multiple counties?

Or is there something else happening behind the scenes, something more Machiavellian?

Here is my prediction. Now, I could be wrong, but I suspect there are big changes afoot at GreenSquareAccord that have necessitated the need to ‘shut me up,’ and I suspect it could be one of the following:

• Funding - Having failed to build as many new homes as planned, having squandered cash on compensation payouts for their failures, and wasted funds on frivolous legal action, is GreenSquareAccord in need of further funding? Seeking funding would necessitate the need to portray a successful image, while any negative press would certainly detract from this and cause issues.

• Merger or Hostile Takeover - Is there a need to silence me to stop other housing providers from looking to bring this failing housing provider into their own stock? Have they spotted weakness due to the failings and are looking to come in and ‘save the day’? Is GreenSquareAccord desperate to consume another provider and grow their own footprint and legacy by looking for a smaller provider to take over?

• Change of Leadership - Have the board, like so many of us residents, just grown tired of the repeated failure and are looking to change the senior leadership at GreenSquareAccord? Has it become vital for the leadership team to hide the truth by silencing it?

• Reputation Management - Or is it simply a case of wanting to manage their reputation by removing any negative posts? While they’re unable to silence the Housing Ombudsman, Regulator of Social Housing, or multiple online review platforms, they hoped to silence me. If so, all they need to do is ensure every home is safe, warm, and dry; ensure complaints are acknowledged and drive the required action needed to address these issues. Achieve this, and the narrative of the GreenSquareAccordResidents website will reflect this.

Time will tell. In the meantime, try to stay safe, warm, and dry in your home…