Derby Homes Board

Roles and responsibilities

The Derby Homes Board is made up of three tenants, three councillors and three independent members (someone with no connection to Derby Homes). Members of the Board are non-executive company directors who are responsible for the strategic running of the company. 

The Board meet once every two months to make decisions about the services provided by Derby Homes.  

Our board members vote on decisions affecting how Derby Homes is run. They question our Heads of Service, check that we're providing value for money, and make sure we deliver services of the highest possible standard to our tenants and leaseholders.  

Board members always act in the best interests of the tenants they represent, making sure our services always have our customers in mind. Board members also decide how money should be spent across the city, approve rent increases, and scrutinise our performance statistics.  

The board is responsible for the overall strategy, direction, and the financial management of Derby Homes.  

Council Board Members

Councillor Lucy Care (Vice- Chair)

Lucy joined the Derby Homes Board in 2018. She is a councillor in Littleover ward, having been first elected in 1993. Lucy's background is in engineering and she takes a keen interest in the sustainability of housing. This includes the energy use in homes and the way communities work.

Lucy has also worked on national policy development with the Liberal Democrats and stood for parliament.

Declaration of interest - 3 August 2023

• Member of Derbyshire Environmental Trust
• Member of Pensions and Investments Committee, of Derbyshire Local Authority Pension Fund
• Member of Council of Governors, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
• Elected Councillor of Derby City Council
• Partner in Littleover Community Print
• Partner in Derby LD Adverts
• Member of Friends of Littleover Parks
• Member of Derby Cycling Group
• Member of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
• Member of Derby Quakers

John was appointed to Derby Homes Board in May 2023 and has been a Derby City Councillor since 2016. He has lived in Derby all of his life.  John works in electrical engineering and has been involved with housing, new builds and refurbishment for the past 40 years.

Councillor John Evans

Declaration of interests - 12 June 2023

• Director of Versine Electrical Limited
• Elected Councillor of Derby City Council
• Member of Alvaston Park Friends

Councillor Jamie Mulhall

Jamie joined Derby Homes Board in 2023 and is one of the ward councillors of Oakwood ward elected in May 2023. His background is Project Management currently working for Rolls-Royce PLC. Jamie has a keen interest in housing and providing good quality homes to Derby’s growing population. He believes passionately that everyone should have a place to call home.

Declaration of interests - 20 June 2023

• Employee of Rolls Royce plc
• Elected Councillor of Derby City Council
• Member of Friends of Chaddesden Wood

Tenant Board Members

Robert (Bob) MacDonald (Vice-Chair)

Bob has lived in Derby since 1987, spending the last 25 years in Alvaston. He served in the Royal Air Force joining at the tender age of 16. Since leaving the RAF, he has spent most of his working life in a customer service environment. He also spent time as an area manager for a Contract Security Company.

Bob became a Derby Homes tenant in 2011 and served on the Tenant Panel, City and Operational Boards, before being appointed to the Board of Derby Homes.

He looks forward to continuing to represent tenants at Board level. Bob is the Board's Champion for Customer Service.

Declarations of interest - 4 August 2023

• A tenant of a property in the Derby area, which belongs to Derby City Council
• Tenant representative on the National Federation of ALMO’s (NFA’s) tenant advisory panel
• Tenant representative on the Housing Ombudsman Advisory Group

Jenn Layton-Annable 

Jenn has lived in Derby for seven years with her family and is developing a career as an academic studying mental health and identity in autistic women. She is passionate about equitable services for all and strives to include a diverse and co-produced perspective in all the work she is involved in.

Declarations of interest - 4 August 2023

• Director of Change Making Limited (Dormant)
• Tenant of a property in the Derby area, which belongs to Derby City Council

Independent Board Members

Jsan Shepherd (Chair)

Jsan has over 20 years experience working in the social housing sector and has worked as a senior housing manager at neighbouring organisations in the East Midlands. She also has extensive experience of governance, customer involvement and community development.

Jsan is passionate about good quality social housing and the positive impact well-designed and delivered services can have on communities. She lives in Nottingham, but was brought up in Derby and still has family living in the area, maintaining close links with the city.

Jsan was appointed Chair of Derby Homes in September 2023 and is the Board's Champion for Equalities and Hate Crime.

Declarations of interest - 9 August 2023

• Employee of Kirk Hallam Community Centre
• Husband is employee of a Housing Partnership organisation

Mike Ainsley

Mike is a retired comprehensive school Headteacher. He has a long interest in social housing and was a board member of Derwent Living for 15 years before retiring and joining Derby Homes. At Derwent Living he chaired the Operations Committee for 10 years.

He joined the board of Derby Homes in 2011 and was chair from 2014 to 2023.

He also served as a member of Derby City Council for 9 years from 1987 to 1996, representing Abbey Ward.

As well as his interest in housing, Mike is interested in the arts and currently chairs the board of Derby Jazz.

Declarations of interest - 10 August 2023

• Director of the National Federation of ALMO’s
• Director of Derby Jazz
• Trustee of Northworthy Trust
• Volunteer of Derby CAMRA
• Member of Friends of Normanton Park

Iain MacDonald

Iain has been a member of the Board of Derby Homes since its inception and is Chair of the Audit Committee. Iain is the Board's Champion for Health & Safety and for Safeguarding.

He is a former local authority Chief Executive and former United Nations Chief Executive of the City of Pristina, Kosovo. Iain is also a former national President and Chairman of a number of professional Associations.

Iain is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a Member of the Chartered Management Institute.

Declarations of interest - 13 August 2023

• Derby Homes representative on the Board of CMAP (Central Midlands Audit Partnership) and current elected Chair of CMAP

Questions for the board and attending meetings 

If you have a question about any of the reports or items on a meeting’s agenda, you can submit it to our board. You can ask your question to the board directly at a meeting, or request the Chair asks the question on your behalf. We'll then send you a written reply after the meeting is over.  

If you have a general question that’s not about relating to the reports or agenda, please use our general contact form, or submit a freedom of information request. 

You must submit your question, or request to attend a meeting, at least seven days before the meeting date. Don't forget to include your name, and a contact telephone number. 

Submit your question or request to attend a meeting 

Email: [email protected] 

Write to us: Governance Manager, 839 London Road, Derby, DE24 8UZ 

If your question is about something that is confidential, or if it is defamatory, or offensive, it will be rejected. If we reject your question, we will explain why. 

Join our board 

You don’t need any qualifications, special knowledge, or previous experience to join either of our boards. You should be enthusiastic, able to express your point of view and committed to improving the services Derby Homes delivers to customers. You will be expected to attend meetings, training sessions and contribute to discussions to help the board come to decisions. 

The Board meets four times a year. Meetings are held in the evenings, usually on Thursdays and typically last around two hours. You can attend all meetings in person at London Road or online on Microsoft Teams. 

Check our current vacancies

Benefits and expenses 

All board members receive regular training, and a Derby Homes laptop so they can attend online meetings. 

Board members are not paid a wage, but some roles such as the Chair, Vice Chair and Committee Chairs are paid an allowance. 

Reasonable travel expenses are payable for company duties, including travelling to official meetings.  

Support with carers costs is also available. 

As a member, you will be an important part of the Derby Homes team and play an influential role in decisions being made. 

Terms and conditions 

You can apply to be a tenant board member if you are: 

• a current Derby Homes or Derby City Council tenant, or the family member of one, (you must be over 18 years old) - If you are the family member of a tenant, you must have lived with your relative for 12 months before you can apply. 
• not be more than two months in arrears with any rent, service charge or any other payment to Derby City Council or Derby Homes. 
• You must not be an employee of Derby City Council or Derby Homes Limited. 

You cannot apply as an independent member if you’re:  

• an employee of Derby City Council or Derby Homes Limited. 
• a tenant of Derby Homes or Derby City Council. 
• a Member of Derby City Council. 

You will need to declare any potential conflicts of interest during the application process; you may not be eligible to apply if there is a major conflict of interest, but we will discuss these with you.