CCG Activity

How We Work

Forward Work Plan
CCG activity 2020-25

We help drive improvements in company performance, service, delivery, culture and ambition levels in line with changing stakeholder views via the following key mechanisms:

• Main CCG meetings - usually we have meetings of the full CCG every two to three months though these become more frequent closer to business plan submission. During these meetings members scrutinise and challenge the company’s approach and performance. Following the meeting we provide a CCG feedback note to the company with our views and suggested improvements. Any formal recommendations are captured in the log and important recommendations where we have failed to see progress are escalated to the Board as Challenges. We work to an agreed Forward Plan with occasional ad-hoc meetings if improptu issues emerge.
• Working group meetings – smaller ad-hoc groups of members with relevant expertise undertake deeper dive scrutiny sessions on an area. For example, in 2020 we set up the Drought Management Plan Working Group and in 2021 two special sessions were held to feedback on the company’s proposed online Performance, People and Planet report to be published in July. In 2022, we have set up an Engagement Sub-group to review the design and delivery of the company's engagement for PR24. In particular if the company is meeting Ofwat's minimum high quality standards for engagement and Principles for Engagement.
• Engagement observation – in order to assess the quality of engagement, members of the CCG also observe the company’s engagement activity including workshops and focus groups. This is to hear customer and community groups’ views first-hand and to evaluate if the company’s approach is high quality. CCG observers fill in an observation sheet which acts as a record of the quality of engagement and feedback to South East Water.
• Independent research and information requests – we request information from South East Water and conduct our own research from time to time. For example, to inform our assurance report to Ofwat on the company’s business plan in 2018, we sought views from the company’s ESG on how well the company had listened to their views in developing its water resources proposals, or we request information on specific supply interruptions incidents to understand action taken and lessons learned.
• Participation in Water Resources South East (WRSE) – the CCG nominated Leslie Sopp to participate in the WRSE stakeholder engagement CCG group, providing views on cross-water company regional engagement. Our role has been to ensure that views of South East Water’s customers and stakeholders are appropriately represented in this process and the insight from the process faithfully reflected in the company’s decision making
• Participation in the Challenge Co-ordination Group (CoG) - The CoG brings together the Chairs of each water company in England and Wales' independent Customer Challenge Group to share information and best practice.
  

A record of our work before 2020 is available here: CCG work pre-2020

Engagement with SEW Board

• The CCG Chair meets individually with the Board, CEO and senior management team. This includes one to one meetings with non-executive directors.
• Senior leaders, including Executive and Non-Executive Board members also attend CCG meetings by invitation.
• The CCG issues a feedback note to South East Water after each meeting which is shared with the Board and relevant teams. This includes our reflections on company progress and recommendations. Recommendations are captured in the recommendations log.
• We carefully considered the role of the Group and regularly review our effectiveness. Our approach follows best practice.
• All meetings post March 2020 were undertaken remotely by Zoom online tele-conferencing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This has worked well and we are planning to continue a high level of remote working going forward. Overall this has the benefits of reduced costs and travel time, is better for the environment and provides members with greater flexibility to manage CCG activity with wider work and home commitments.

For more information on how we work and the scope of our Activity - see Terms of Reference.

CCG views on company performance

Advocacy

Consultation responses:
Ofwat – Reflecting customer preferences – CCG response

CCG activity 2020-2025

The following outlines our programme of historic activity and upcoming meetings and key areas of focus. Alongside these deep dive areas, all meetings include a company update regarding operational issues such as dealing with heatwave/droughts and an ODI performance discussion. Members also share relevant updates.

Observing South East Water’s stakeholder engagement

South East Water Engagement events observed and reviewed:

Customer Challenge Group Engagement Observation Log