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There's quite a detailed relationship between Stockton council and its ALMO, Tristar Homes, so we sat down and negotiated a handbook of working arrangements.

In ALMOs, a lot depends on the relationship between people.

If the people change, it helps to have something written down to define the relationship.

The handbook is very detailed, so it did take some time to put together. It contains the business plans of the council and the ALMO, the management agreement between us and protocols to define any interaction we have. There are 14 sections on finance – preparing annual fees, bad debt, cash flow, income collection and housing benefit, for example. There are also sections on strategic development, performance management, complaints, antisocial behaviour, allocations and communications.

The handbook is available in a loose-leaf file or on a CD-ROM. There are about 20 – enough for each section to have a couple of copies. We have also produced 12 pocket diaries to remind key individuals who have signed the protocols what actions they and others are responsible for each month. We need to request information at certain times from each other, so in December it would say: "Following the subsidy settlement, Stockton council starts thinking about negotiation on company fees."

The handbook has just been reviewed after a year to ensure that the lessons learned in our first year of operation are now part of our working relationships. It may sound bureaucratic, but the pace of change is rapid and this way, people know what is expected of them and others.