Tenant and resident involvement
statement 2006/07
(See PDF version under Tenants Handbook)
SPH Housing’s Tenant and Resident Involvement Statement was discussed with small groups of tenants between September 2005 and March 2006.
This is the resulting statement that will be reviewed each year. If you have any comments you would like to make about the statement, especially anything you think we should change, please telephone us for free on 0800 040 7989 or write to us for free at Freepost NW3 744, St Richards House, 110 Eversholt Street, London, NW1 2YQ or email us at info@sph.org.uk.
This document has been produced in large print (minimum font size 14) as a result of feedback from our tenants. If you need it in even larger print please contact us and we will arrange this for you. It is also available on tape, CD, in Braille and in other languages on request.
If you would like this document translated please contact your Area Office on 0800 040 7989
Our commitment to you
SPH Housing is committed to involving tenants and residents in the work of the Association and will identify appropriate means, in consultation with tenants, for this to take place.
We are committed to listening and responding to the feedback that we receive from our tenants so that they can genuinely influence our decision-making. This is the case in our day-to-day work as well as our longer term planning and target setting.
We are committed to providing feedback to our tenants on the changes we have made as a result of listening to them and the lessons we have learned from complaints. We do this through our annual written report to tenants, our annual tenants conference, our newsletters and our local action plan meetings and scheme coffee mornings.
Ways to be involved
We recognise that people want a variety of opportunities to be involved so that they can choose the ones that suit them best, so we have developed a wide selection for people to choose from.
Individual levels of involvement
· Feedback views to individual staff members
· Take part in telephone surveys and reply to questionnaires
· Read and submit articles to Our Newsletter, Gold magazine and SPH News
· Attend local events
· Attend tenant conference
· Write in with your views
· Join a tenants group, attend their meetings
· Attend Local Action Plan meetings about the area you live in
· Attend housing surgeries held at community group venues
· Attend specific consultation events (for example on major repairs or service charges)
· Attend Tenant Advisory panel Meetings
· Attend the Retirement Housing Forum
Higher levels of involvement at local level
· Form a Tenants Association or Group, be on the Committee
· Attend training events
· Become a tenant representative
· Attend Local Action Plan meetings and help to monitor outcomes
· Attend Estate Inspections with the Estate Officer
· Take part in estate fun days or clean up events
Influencing wider decisions/service
· Become an SPH standard inspector
· Become a core member of the Tenant Advisory Panel
· Join the customer panel and attend focus groups on subjects of particular interest
· Join the Editorial Panel
· Attend training sessions to increase skills
· Involvement in planning the Tenant Conference
· Involvement in continuous improvement/best value reviews
· Speak up at the Tenant Conference/help to lead a workshop
· Volunteer to attend and give residents perspective at staff training events
· Volunteer to be a mystery shopper and feedback on service received
· Make suggestions for improvements and feed them through in time for budget decisions
· Directly control a service by taking on responsibility for delivering it through a management agreement
Direct involvement in governance
· Attend advanced training on strategic issues
· Apply to become a board member
· Become a shareholder
· As a Board Member attend strategy day/weekend events
Funding and training to support your involvement
We support tenants groups and Tenant Associations with grants to assist them with their running costs and advice and assistance. We also provide practical support where necessary through access to a computer and the Internet, photocopying and printing, and training opportunities. This help is available to all groups who keep to a code of conduct that ensures that everyone is treated fairly.
We provide incentives and expenses for people to attend meetings; this can include transport and childcare costs, refreshments, prizes, and bonus bonds that can be spent in high street stores.
Equal opportunities
We want to give every one of our tenants the chance to be involved whatever their needs, we can provide interpreters and signers, information in a variety of formats, support workers and advocates to provide moral support, transport, accessible venues, and we will listen to people to decide the best time to hold meetings for them this includes day, time and avoidance of religious festivals.
Our 2006/07 priorities
This year our priorities are to:
· Involve more tenants in a meaningful way in decisions on strategies, policies and priorities for the Association in its business planning.
· Involve tenants in improving the day to day repairs service
· Involve younger residents through a youth forum
· Attract more tenant inspectors and mystery shoppers
· Increase the number of people on our customer panel. Make sure that the range of people involved reflects the diversity of our tenants
· Make sure that the information we send out is in Plain Language
· Strengthen Tenant Editorial Panel
· Streamline funding opportunities for community groups and provide clear information
· Involve tenants in developing a meaningful Tenant participation Strategy; including tenants in delivery of the Tenants Conference
· Improve information to tenants on how the Association spends its money and the programme of planned works
· Make better use of notice boards on estates
· Publicise the work of the Tenant Advisory Panels (TAP) and the changes that have resulted.