Tenants prove getting involved really does count

Giving you more of a say in decisions affecting your home and neighbourhood is a key element of the new regulations which have been introduced by government to raise standards in social housing.

And of course it makes perfect sense for those who use the housing service to help shape and influence how it should be run.

That’s why our Tenant Participation and Engagement team exists – to offer a wide variety of ways for you to get involved, share your experiences and hold us to account. From monitoring grass cutting to challenging us on building safety issues – it is essential that your voice is heard on all aspects of the housing service.

Your involvement genuinely counts. In a survey undertaken last year 79% of involved tenants felt their involvement led to improvements in the housing service. Just some of the recent changes brought about by tenants include:

• Tenants on the Repairs Panel helped to review the repairs information on the website and reported back after scrutinising Housing’s call waiting times and empty property turnaround times
• Tenants on the Resources Panel have been tackling the Decent Homes issue, holding the council to account by looking at where the budget is spent and examining what is needed to bring more homes up to the required standard
• Our Tenant Inspectors have contributed to the national Stop Council House Stigma campaign and worked with us to develop an action plan
• The Tenant Inspectors have also created a ‘tenant friendly’ version of our antisocial behaviour procedure to ensure more people understand how to report an issue
• The Tenant Scrutiny Panel made useful recommendations on the new tenant sign up process, including enhancing online information about the special decorating scheme
• Tenants on the Building Safety Group have been instrumental in ensuring residents can now request electronic fire risk assessment reports for their block
• Tenant reps who sit on the Decent Neighbourhoods board have been busy familiarising themselves with the project to help decide which areas of the city should receive funding for improvements. Presently, they are reviewing the agreement between the council and the tenants looking after communal green spaces (H.E.L.P agreement: Housing and Environmental Local Partnership Agreement)
• More community gardening clubs have been established and received funding thanks to involvement from green fingered tenants
• Increasing numbers of younger tenants are signing up to the popular Junior Neighbourhood Warden programme to help improve communities and bolster a sense of civic duty

Whatever your time commitments or interests, there is a tenant engagement opportunity for you – from completing a quick survey, joining a local tenant’s group, sitting on a citywide panel or forum or attending an event. It doesn’t matter how you chose to get involved what’s important is that you can have your say and know that we are listening.

Get in touch to find out more about how you can genuinely make your voice heard.