We have an exciting opportunity for a group of young people to become part of the Customer Scrutiny Panel of Portsmouth Water! Portsmouth Water are wanting to invite young people onto their panel to have their voice heard at decision making level across the organisation!

With origins dating back to 2012, The Customer Scrutiny Panel (CSP) is an independent group established to ensure that Portsmouth Water customers have been consulted on a range of important matters and significant plans from Portsmouth Water.

This panel will work with Portsmouth water and gather as many views as possible on the plans and achievements the company has particularly on areas that have impact on levels of service, the environment or the future provision of water. The purpose of the panel is to have informed scrutiny for a sustainable and equitable water future for Portsmouth Water and its customers.

This is done by way of a quarterly panel meetings where key members of the Portsmouth Water company including the Managing Director and other key execs attend and against a pre-set agenda present their plans and achievements to the panel. In turn the panel members using their specialist interest or skill will “challenge” the Water company on any such matter of importance. The term “critical friend” is often used to describe the relationship between the panel and the company.

Who is already on the panel?

The CSP comprises a range of key stakeholders including regulators, customer representatives, local government elected members and members who play key roles within the communities served by Portsmouth Water. The current members are listed below.

Stef Nienaltowski Independent Chair
Dr Aldous Rees, Natural England
Cllr Bob Maynard, Gosport Borough Council
Sharon Darcy Portsmouth Water Non-Exec Director
Catherine Jones, Consumer Council for Water
Roy Briscoe Chichester District Council
Chris Need, West Sussex Growers Association
Emma Langford, Environment Agency
Cllr Pieter Montyn, West Sussex County Council
Sandy Bramley Citizens Advice Solent East
Cllr Dave Ashmore Portsmouth City Council
Mark Sage Tackling Poverty Manager Portsmouth City Council
Note: More panel members will be announced shortly

By being a member of this panel you will directly influence the water companies thinking and actions across a range of topics, the environment being clearly one of them.

What will I be doing? What is the role?

The Role of the CSP

• Reviewing the performance against each one of Portsmouth Water’s commitments and measurements called, Outcome Delivery Incentives, (ODI’s), from its five-year business plan.
• The Chair of the Panel will produce a report to the Portsmouth Water Board annually to summarise The Panel’s findings on the above, which will accompany the Risk and Compliance Statement or Assurance Report produced by the company in its Annual Report. This report is also shared with customers and stakeholders.
• Maintain a key interest on the extraction of water Portsmouth Water needs in order to provide water to its customers for the long term and make sure that balances with the need to protect the wildlife and environment that could be affected by such extraction.
• Offer any short, medium or long-term advice and guidance on how to better protect the local environment and habitats used by the wildlife and animals.
• Advising on and monitoring the effectiveness of the ongoing engagement Portsmouth Water has with its customers in each community, recognising the diversity of all socio-economic groups that it supplies with water
• Work with the entire Panel and contribute to the overall success and impact the panel has on the water companies operation.

What is the commitment? 
The commitment is approximately 20 hours a year. Most of the meetings are virtual with one a year being onsite at the company’s office is Havant. Meetings last 2.5 hours.

What is the criteria to apply?

• You do not have to be a customer of Portsmouth Water (or your parents/guardians) but you will need to have an interest in the work they are doing to protect the environment and how they are going to provide enough clean drinking water to its 740,000 current customers
• Live in the area that covers anywhere from Eastleigh to Bognor (West to East) or Portsmouth to Petersfield (South to North)
• Be aged 14 – 24 years old

What do I get out of it?

• The experience of sitting on a scrutiny panel and having your voice heard to decision makers within Portsmouth Water
• Networking opportunities with all other members of the panel
• Experience of how professional meets are ran
• The chance to learn what a big organisation is doing to take steps to protect the enviroment
• Learn and develop key skills for life, such as debating, professionally challenging, critical thinking, communication, networking, professional etiquette and more
• A fantastic voluntary opportunity to put on your CV, job applications, university applications etc

If you are interested, please email Stef Nienaltowski, Chair of the Panel, on [email protected]. In your email, state that you are interested and that you hear about the opportunity through Unloc.