Tenant involvement is about tenants taking part in the decision making process and influencing choices which affect the services, homes and communities in which they live. It is an evolving two way process of communication between tenants and their landlord.
We recognise that tenant involvement can lead to real, positive outcomes for residents, communities and us as a landlord, by:
- Improved effectiveness and efficiency of services, giving better value for money
- Increased tenant/leaseholder satisfaction
- Increased sense of being part of a community and working together to improve and support local areas
- Giving tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders a better quality of life
- Enhanced ability for tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders to influence decisions
- Improved relations between landlord and tenant leading to mutual respect and trust
The purpose of this strategy is to reinforce our commitment to Tenant Involvement, by setting out how we will provide opportunities for effective involvement of tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders to influence the housing services delivered to them.
National Fit
In November 2020 the Government published its Social Housing White Paper – The Charter for Social Housing Residents. The paper sets out seven rights of tenants:
- To know how your landlord is performing
- To have your complaints dealt with promptly and fairly
- To be treated with respect, backed by a strong consumer regulator for tenants
- To have your voice heard by your landlord
- To have a good quality home and neighbourhood to live in
- To be supported to take your first step to ownership
The Social Housing White Paper looks to balance the power between landlords and tenants following the Grenfell Tower disaster. Additionally, there will be changes with a tougher housing regulator who will “empower” millions of social housing tenants to hold landlords to account, with the culture of transparency and accountability. This is to be achieved through benchmarking and reporting on key areas including home quality and repairs, landlord tenant engagement, and complaint handling and a closer working relationship between the Housing Regulator and the Housing Ombudsman.
Through this strategy and our Tenant Involvement Offer we plan to make sure that tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders can help us to shape how we respond to the white paper.
Local Fit
The Council’s Corporate Plan 2019-23 mid-term review in 2021 focuses on what we have been doing to deal with the effects of Covid and our commitment to being a carbon neutral area by 2050.
Of the eight key aims identified in the review housing cuts across or is affected by all of these:
- “Ensure development meets future needs, with associated investment in infrastructure” and “Protect and enhance Wealden’s unique natural environment and heritage”. Our Housing Strategy highlights the importance of good quality homes with access to good facilities and services.
- “Promote a better quality of life for Wealden people through activities that improve health, resilience and well-being.” Our Housing Strategy recognises that good quality housing also has an impact on quality of life.
- “Improve access to essential services for all our communities.” Our Housing Strategy highlights the importance of access to housing advice and support.
- “Ensure that Wealden is Carbon Zero by 2050 at the latest.” Our HRA Business Plan has as one of its three priorities decarbonisation of our council homes.
- “Support our local businesses, tourism sector and entrepreneurs to achieve a locally sustainable economy” and “Work with partners to regenerate our diverse market towns, creating jobs and attracting investment”. Job creation will have a positive impact on housing enabling more residents to find and afford their own housing solutions. Our Homelessness Review highlights the importance of employment in tackling homelessness.
- “Generate ongoing sources of income to reinvest in local priorities and optimise funding from external sources.” Housing have been very successful at securing external funding to deliver housing related projects such as housing and support for rough sleepers.
Our Housing Strategy is therefore consistent in meeting the priorities of the Corporate Plan through its three strategic objectives:
- Increasing housing supply
- Improving housing quality
- Providing housing advice and support for individuals and communities, which includes tenant involvement
Our strategic objectives continue to be underpinned by a set of key principles:
- Reducing inequality – making sure that services are welcoming and responsive to the needs of Wealden’s whole community.
- Improving neighbourhoods – making sure our services contribute to creating safe sustainable communities.
- Accountability to local people – ensuring that local people are involved in decisions about the services that affect them.
- Value for money – making sure services are good quality and provide excellent value for money.
- Partnership working – making sure the Council works with other agencies that can help improve the quality of life residents in the District.
Throughout our Corporate Plan and Housing Strategy the importance of partnership working, accountability, improving communities, value for money, ensuring quality of life through engaged and resilient communities are key.
Through this strategy and our Tenant Involvement Offer we plan to make sure that our tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders are at the heart of helping us achieve these objectives.
We have a strong background of positive engagement with tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders. In the past this was achieved through close working with a tenant representative forum. However, in recent years it have become clear that this is not necessarily the most effective or inclusive way for working with tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders.
As a result we consulted with tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders to understand their preferences for consultation and to influence how we moved forward.
In May 2020 we carried out a Satisfaction of Tenants and Residents (STAR) survey. The results of the survey indicate that tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders wished to be represented and consulted with in different ways and no longer supported the tenant representative forum as the preferred option. The results of the survey are:
- 63% of respondents stated their preferred way of being represented and consulted was responding to surveys and consultations
- 25% of respondents said that they prefer to be consulted through local groups or resident associations (where one exists)
- 16% of respondents would prefer to take part in online meetings and discussions
- 16% of respondents wished to attend meetings on specific issues
- 14% of respondents wanted to attend focus and working groups
- 9% of respondents supported a group consisting of members of existing groups and organisations
In order to respond to these findings we are working to ensure that we offer a range of different involvement options that meet the needs of all tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders and have produced a ‘Tenant Involvement Offer’, which is set out in Appendix 2. This offer was distributed to all tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders in January 2021 and all new tenants are provided with this when moving into their new home.
Our Tenant Involvement Offer will be kept under constant review to ensure that it continues to meet tenants and Retirement Living leaseholder’s preferences to be involved and responds to changes in best practice and technology.
In addition our STAR survey found that:
- 70% of respondents were satisfied that we listened to residents’ views and acted upon them
- 71% of respondents felt that we gave than an opportunity to make their views known
Although these results are good, we are not complacent and strive for continuous improvement. We aim to increase satisfaction levels amongst tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders through the delivery of this Strategy and our Tenant Involvement Offer.
This strategy through our Tenant Involvement Offer aims to provide a range of options for tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders to be involved in a way which suits tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders.
This is because we believe that tenant involvement and consultation should be at the heart of everything that we do and believe that is essential to achieve successful outcomes. Tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders should have a say in relation to their homes, their neighbourhoods and the services that they receive. Understanding tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders changing needs and aspirations of is vital if we are to deliver truly great housing and related services.
Though effective engagement we aim to:
- improve the quality of services provided
- increase the level of satisfaction
Our four strategic priorities will ensure that our aims are met and set out how we will ensure effective involvement of tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders in our delivery of services to them.
Involvement
Ensuring as many tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders who want to be involved, can engage in a way that suits them.
We will do this through:
- Providing a wide range of opportunities to be involved (see priority 2)
- Removing barriers that may prevent tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders from getting involved
- Raising awareness of tenant involvement options
- Ensuring all information and the services we provide are accessible and suitable for all. We will make responsible adjustments and will meet our responsibilities under the Equalities Act 2010
- Making sure that tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders feel supported by our staff and officers of all levels, including the Tenant Involvement Team
- Ensuring that tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders have the necessary skills to engage through the provision of relevant equipment and training
Engagement Opportunities
In order to encourage a greater level of involvement we will offer a wide range of opportunities for tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders to participate. There will be varying levels of time commitment needed to fit around our tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders’ lives.
We will do this through:
- Our Tenant Involvement Offer, which provides details of the different involvement options available
- Continually reviewing and updating our Tenant Involvement Offer to ensure we respond to tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders needs, current best practice and changing technology
- Continually engaging and consulting with tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders on different aspects of our service
- Using a secure IT system to record tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders interests and involvement preferences
- Supporting tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders to deliver improvements to the local environment and community, as necessary
Transparency
We will be open and honest with tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders in our communications.
We will do this through:
- Providing tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders with clear information
- Listening to what tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders have to say
- Publishing details of all consultations on our website
- Carrying out open and transparent engagement activities e.g. through consultations and surveys and by being clear about what can and can’t be influenced or changed
- Providing updates and feedback on tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders involvement in Threshold
- Ensuring tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders views are represented when decisions are being made
- Ensuring regular communications through our monthly e-newsletter, bi-annual Threshold and our website
- Providing tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders with regular performance data
- Producing a detailed annual report
- Encouraging tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders to give us feedback, both compliments and complaints in a way that suits them
- Supporting and facilitating a Scrutiny Panel to carry out reviews and investigations into any part of our services and making recommendations on how and where improvements can be made
Valuing tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders contribution
Tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders have an important role to play in helping us to deliver and improve our services. We will show that we value their contribution by:
- Delivering our Tenant Rewards Scheme, which awards Participation Points for involvement. Points build up over the year and are converted into shopping vouchers in time for Christmas
- Reimbursing travel costs, child or other care costs and any direct out of pocket expenses incurred as a result of taking part
- Acknowledging tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders’ contribution to involvement.
We are fully committed to improving and expanding our involvement methods with all tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders, and we recognise that specific engagement is needed for our Retirement Living Residents.
We have a dedicated Tenant Involvement Team who have developed this strategy, accompanying action plan and Tenant Involvement Offer. However, all our staff are expected to commit to delivering successful involvement.
In delivering our four key strategic priorities, we will:
- Work in partnership and develop relationships with other statutory agencies, as well as voluntary and charitable organisations to address local issues across our housing areas and Retirement Living courts
- Provide services that meet the needs of our tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders and are cost effective and meet our responsibilities as a landlord
- Review this strategy to ensure that it meets our needs as a landlord and those of tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders
- Ensure that we provide sufficient recourses for tenant involvement and to deliver the priorities of this strategy
This strategy will be reviewed and updated every five years or sooner if necessary, responding to legislation and changes in best practice.
The accompanying action plan, set out at Appendix 1, details how we will deliver this strategy. It will be kept under consistent review and updated as necessary to ensure we can respond to changes as a result of best practice, legislation and from the Social Housing White paper implementation.
We will report back to tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders annually via our Annual Report and housing newsletter, Threshold.
This strategy will be delivered within the resources of the Housing Revenue Account. External funding opportunities will also be utilised, where possible.
This document is the Tenant Involvement Action. It is in place to show what the Tenant Involvement (T.I) Team aims to achieve between by the end of 2026. This Action Plan will be regularly monitored and reviewed, reported back to residents what we have achieved.
Priority 1: Involvement | |||||
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
1 | Accessibility: set up weekly surgeries where Housing Officer will guarantee to be available to take telephone calls from tenants |
| Spring 2022 | Housing Management Team | · Improved customer service – tenants able to guarantee that they can speak to their Housing Officer and in many instances immediately. |
2 | Recruitment: Increase the number of tenants and RL leaseholders involved in different TI activities |
| April 2021 & ongoing December 2021 and ongoing | TI team Housing Officers | · Increase in the number of involved tenants and RL leaseholders · Increase in the number of responses to consultations and surveys · Identify barriers to involvement and the reason why tenants and leaseholders don’t want to engage |
3 | Create Database of interested tenants: Use TP Tracker to create a data base of tenants and RL leaseholders who have expressed interest in involvement |
| April 2021 & ongoing | TI team | · Increase in numbers of tenants actively involved in issues that interest them e.g. focus group · Increase in responses to surveys and consultations · Issues identified earlier · Increase in tenant satisfaction · Decrease in complaints |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
4 | Develop and implement regular tenant satisfaction surveys for all service areas: Identify service areas where satisfaction surveys and focus groups can be used |
| April 2021 and ongoing | HMT Team Leaders TI team HPISL | · Increase in satisfaction surveys carried out · Increase in responses to surveys and consultations · Issues identified and acted upon · Increase in tenant satisfaction · Decrease in negative feedback |
5 | Develop and support Tenant and Retirement Living Leaseholder Representatives: Recruit, train and embed 3 or more elected Tenant and RL leaseholders Representatives |
| April 2021 Via Threshold Annual Report Monthly Email update | TI team HMT HPISL | · Improved transparency · Increase in satisfaction · Decrease in negative feedback · Monitor, evaluate and report back to tenants and RL leaseholders on issues and progress |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
6 | Remove Barriers to Involvement: Support all tenants and RL leaseholders to be involved regardless of any disability, financial status, care commitments etc. |
| April 2021 & Ongoing | TI team | · All tenants and RL leaseholders have equality of opportunity to be involved and are supported to participate · Increase in number of tenants actively engaged |
7 | Training: Ensure that actively engaged tenants and RL leaseholders have access to relevant skills and training Promote other training and skills opportunities to wider tenant base |
| April 2021 & Ongoing | TI team HPISL | · All actively engaged tenants and RL leaseholders to have opportunities to access training and skills required · Increase in uptake of training and skills opportunities |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
8 | Publicise Tpas membership and benefits for tenants and RL leaseholders |
| March 2021 April 2021 Ongoing Ongoing | TI team | · Involved tenants and RL leaseholders are aware of Tpas and benefits of landlord membership · Increase in skills and knowledge of involved tenants and RL leaseholders · Involved tenants and RL leaseholders can network and share information with tenants from other landlords |
9 | Continuing to promote the Tenant Involvement brochure |
| Ongoing Ongoing March 2021 April 2021 Ongoing | HSSO HO TI team TI team TI team | · New tenants and RL leaseholders are aware of opportunities · More tenants and RL leaseholders are engaging · Existing tenants and RL leaseholders who did not originally respond are still able to give their choices on being involved |
10 | Improve Internal Communications To improve customer service to our tenants and leaseholders | · Set-up monthly meetings between Housing Officers, TI team and Contracts Officer | October 2021 | TI team | · TI team more informed when attending Resident Group Meetings and able to respond to questions Housing Officers know what is happening out on their estates and what issues are coming up at Resident Group meetings |
Priority 2: Engagement Opportunities | |||||
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
11 | Marketing & Promotion: Promote the ‘Tenant Involvement Offer’ to increase awareness of TI options available |
| Jan 2021 & ongoing April 2021 March/April 2021 & ongoing Ongoing Ongoing | HPISL TI team TI team HSSO and HO TI team R.L Managers & TI team | · Increased awareness of different involvement options available · Increase in number of tenants and RL leaseholders getting involved in a way that suits them |
12 | Set up new Involvement Options based on the new Tenant Involvement Offer brochure |
| August 2021 September 2021 September 2021 as necessary Ongoing | TI team/HPISL TI TI TI TI team/HPISL | |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
13 | Reading Group: Further expand and develop the role of the Reading Group to give feedback and influence all Housing Service draft reports, letters and documents |
| April 2021 and ongoing | HMT TI team | · Increase in readability of finished documents e.g. plain English · Improved ways of communicating information e.g. use of charts, graphs if appropriate · Decrease in calls and emails from tenants asking for clarification · Decrease in feedback about letters, documents etc. |
14 | Support and facilitate Residents Associations and Community Groups: Continue to support and work in partnership with existing groups. Work with RL Service to increase number of Residents Association in R.L Courts |
| Ongoing | TI Team Housing Management team RL Team | · Increase in numbers of actively engaged tenants · Improved relationship between Housing Services and communities · Improved community cohesion and resilience · Increase in number of Residents Associations in RL Courts |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
15 | Tenant Portal Explore options to improve or replace the Tenant Portal to expand the amount of information available through it |
| To be completed by 2024 | HPISL HSAO Digital Services TI team Other Officers as necessary | · Increase in information available via the Portal · Improve communication/transparency with tenants · Increase % of tenants and RL leaseholders using the portal · Tenants and RL leaseholders able to update their contact details via the portal |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
16 | Tenant Scrutiny Panel (TSP) Continue and develop the Tenant Scrutiny Panel/s |
| Ongoing | HMT TI Team HPISL | · TSP carries out at least 1 review each financial year · Findings of TSP reports are published and are acted on · TSP to be a key influence in the delivery of housing services |
17 | Decent Environments Work with tenants and RL leaseholders to explore ways to improve local areas and utilise funding opportunities |
| Ongoing | HO TI team HMT HCSO | · Improved environments · Improved tenant and RL leaseholder satisfaction in their local neighbourhood |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
18 | Drive to Digital: help those who aren’t online get online where they want to and ensure access to service for those not online |
| Ongoing | TI team HPISL Housing D2D Rep | · TI Activities benefit from efficiencies of D2D · Increase in number of involved tenants and RL leaseholders engaging in TI activities · Increase in services that tenants and RL leaseholders can access online · Ensure tenants and RL leaseholders can engage in a way that suits them. · Increase the number and diversity of those who engage, attracting more engagement from younger tenants. |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
19 | Annual review of TI Offer, Strategy and Action Plan: Review annually to ensure the T.I Offer, Strategy and Action Plan is still fit for purpose and meet best practice |
| Every March | TI Team HPISL | · The TI offer is refreshed and adapted according to the needs of tenants and RL leaseholders · TI Strategy and Action Plan respond to the needs of tenants and leaseholders · TI service and activities respond and adapt to the needs of tenants and leaseholders · TI team is accountable to tenants and leaseholders, HMT and Portfolio Holder |
20 | Continue to be a member of Tpas and utilise benefits to ensure we are up-to-date with best practice |
| Ongoing | TI team HMT Other staff as applicable | · Improved understanding for both staff, tenants and RL leaseholders on topical issues and best practice |
Priority 3: Transparency | |||||
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
21 | Develop effective reporting of results and feedback: Agree format and produce quarterly report on results of feedback received from TI activities for HMT |
| April 2021 & ongoing quarterly | TI Team HPISL HMT | · Increase in tenant satisfaction · Decrease in complaints |
22 | Performance Management: Including recording and monitoring all Tenant Involvement Activities |
| Annually | TI Team HPISL | · Progress reported quarterly both internally and externally · Report in Threshold and Annual Report |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
23 | Setup and embed Complaints Panel subject to demand from tenants and RL leaseholders: Form and support a complains panel consisting of tenants, RL leaseholder and lead member of Housing Staff |
| April 2021 Quarterly | HMT TI Team HPISL | · Complaints are recorded and dealt with effectively · Increased transparency · Tenants and RL leaseholders have understanding of complaints process · Tenants and RL leaseholders have trust in the complaints process |
24 | Ensure website is kept up to date Include information on service performance, feedback – compliments and complaints including formal complaints data as well as updates on action plans |
| Initial review and Update March 2021 then Ongoing | HPISL TI Team | · Webpages contain up to date information · Tenants and RL leaseholders can early find information · Increased transparency |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
25 | Review information provided in Annual Report Responding to requirements of the White Paper |
| Each October | HPISL TI team | · Annual Report has been influenced by Tenants and RL leaseholders · Annual Report contains all required information and data as per the Regulator · Tenants and RL leaseholders are aware of the Annual Report and the information it contains |
26 | Develop and implement Local Offers Work with and consult tenants and RL leaseholders to develop local offers that deliver improvements that are important to them |
| April 2021 April 2021 March 2022 and ongoing | HPISL TI team HMT | · Local offers reflect the local issues identified · Increased awareness and understanding of Local Offers |
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
27 | Actively encourage feedback for Compliments and dissatisfaction |
| March 2021 April 2021 April 2021 Ongoing | HPISL HMT HPISL TI Team TI Team TI Team | · Increase in feedback · Overall understanding of the issues arising from feedback · Better service to tenants and RL leaseholders · Learning from feedback and undertaking any changes needed to address negative feedback e.g. changes in procedures as well as highlighting where things are working well |
Priority 4: Valuing tenants and Retirement Living leaseholders contribution | |||||
Action | What | When | Who | Outcomes | |
28 | Develop and implement a Housing Communications Plan: Work with tenants and RL leaseholders on publication and benchmarking of our performance across Housing Services and ensure feedback on contributions of tenants and RL leaseholders |
| April 2001 & October 2021 Ongoing Ongoing Monthly Annually Ongoing | TI team HPISL HMT | · Improvement in standard of information and communication · Increased satisfaction with communication · Increased feeling of being valued and listened to · Tenants are aware of issues that may affect them · Decrease in feedback about lack of or timing of information |
29 | Tenant Involvement Recognition Scheme |
| Review October 2021 and as necessary thereafter | TI team HPISL HMT | · Increase in tenant and RL leaseholders satisfaction |
Key
TI – Tenant Involvement
HPISL – Housing Policy Involvement & Standards Lead
HSSO – Housing Services Support Officers
HO – Housing Officer
HSAO – Housing Systems Administration Officer
HOH – Head of Housing
HCSO – Housing Contracts Supervising Officer
Tpas – Tenant Participation Advisory Service
TL – Team Leaders
RL – Retirement Living
Increased in satisfaction will primarily be measured through the following STAR questions:
- Satisfaction that we as their landlord listen to residents’ views and acts on them
- Satisfaction that we as their landlord give opportunities to residents to make their views known
- Satisfaction with neighbourhood as a place to live
In addition transaction surveys following a repair, moving home, the closure of a case of antisocial behaviour etc. will be used in addition to one-off surveys.