Draft Tenant Participation Strategy and Agreement

2011-14


TENANT PARTICIPATION AND STRATEGY AGREEMENT 2011-14

“Working together to make a difference”

Contents

1 / Introduction / 5
2 / Why do we need a Tenant Participation Strategy and agreement / 5
3 / What is tenant participation / 5
4 / Aims and objectives of the Agreement / 7
5 / Tenant participation and the bigger picture / 7
6 / Tenants’ legal rights to involvement / 9
7 / Promoting and valuing equality and diversity / 10
8 / Involvement methods / 12
9 / Current tenant participation structure / 17
10 / Tenant Participation service standards / 18
11 / Monitoring and review of the Agreement / 22
12 / Complaints and Dispute Resolution / 22
13 / Tenant Participation – the future / 22
14 / Future tenant participation structure / 23
15 / Action Plan for 2011-12 / 25
16 / Further information / 41
17 / Appendices / 42

MESSAGE FROM WORKING GROUP

Message from tenant members of the Tenant Participation Strategy and Agreement Working Group

We have worked together with the Housing Directorates’ Customer Engagement Team to develop this Agreement. We’ve had three Agreements before, two of which were called a Tenants Pledge in 2000 and 2003 and the last one was named the Tenant Participation Agreement 2006 - 2008. We have therefore produced this Agreement to take into account the changes to social and council housing tenants regulation, in particular the Tenant Service Authority’s the six National Standards that came in to affect on 1st April 2010 and the changes to Communities & Local Government Department’s Statutory Guidance for Tenant Participation and Empowerment.

We want this agreement to be more than a document that sits on the shelf. We are hoping that its practical nature with actions and monitoring activity outlined will make it really useful for tenants and housing staff involved in quarterly monitoring and reviewing of the performance of this document and actions contained in it.

We have also looked at examples of best practice and how other councils, housing associations and arms length management organisations involve their tenants and leaseholders and tried to include what we think will work specifically for Northampton tenants and leaseholders.

To ensure the Council and Housing Directorate meet their service delivery commitments, we need to regularly monitor and review the performance of the action plan in section 15 on a quarterly basis and to update and continuously improve this Agreement as we know that things will change as time moves on.

FOREWORD

Lesley Wearing – Director of Housing

Welcome to our new tenant participation strategy and agreement, which covers the period 2011-14. This agreement is the result of several months work by a group of volunteer tenants and the Housing Customer Engagement team and is due to be widely consulted on.

The aims of this agreement are:

  • to give people a greater say in the way in which housing services are delivered
  • to develop or change existing services to meet your needs
  • to provide new opportunities for participation

It sets out all the ways that tenants can get involved, the level of commitment required and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to get involved at a level and pace of their choosing.

We recognise that you are at the heart of the housing service and that tenant participation methods we use need to be flexible to adapt to suit the varying ways in which you wish to participate. Whatever way you wish to get involved you will want to know that your views count and make a difference. All of us within the Housing Directorate are committed to listening to what you are telling us about your experiences and using this to improve the service.

We don’t want this document to gather dust on the shelf! Together we will check our progress regularly and discuss how we are getting on

Lesley Wearing

Director of Housing

Photos and signatures

Chief Executive

Director of Housing

Working group

1.Introduction

The Housing Tenant Participation Strategy and Agreement 2011-14 (referred hereafter as the Agreement), is the first stage of turning goals into reality and with your involvement this will result in better decision making and better housing services. This Agreement is for tenants and leaseholders (referred to as tenants hereafter) of Northampton Borough Council, it aims to set out how the Housing Directorate and tenants will work in partnership together in the shaping and delivery of quality, high performing housing services.

We recognise that local people have a wealth of knowledge, and experience as residents living in neighbourhoods and as users of our housing service. As such the Housing Directorate has a long established commitment to engaging with its local communities, and recognises our responsibility to involve local people in the issues that affect or interest them. This will be undertaken in a way that offers choice and flexibility for people to become involved in the way that best suits them.

The Housing Directorate recognises that our customer base is subject to continual change and that communities are now diverse. Whilst diversity is actively welcomed and celebrated, we need to promote equality and diversity and develop links with all under-represented groups including black, minority and ethnic groups, young people and those with disabilities.

2.Why do we need a Housing Tenant Participation Strategy and Agreement?

Nationally tenant participation strategies and agreements are part of the Governments’ agenda to improve service for local people. The aim is to place tenants at the heart of decision-making and service delivery; to ensure that tenants have a real say in how Northampton Borough Council manages its homes, outline how tenants can get involved on housing issues that affect them and to encourage the Housing Directorate and tenants to work together to improve housing services and tenant involvement.

This is a locally negotiated agreement between Northampton Borough Council and tenants about how they are to be informed consulted, involved, participate and empowered in decisions affecting their homes and neighbourhoods. It sets out the priorities and actions to be taken over the next three years and supports the overall tenant participation approach to involving tenants in housing, estate and neighbourhood management in accordance with best practice and government guidance.

3.What is Tenant Participation

Tenant participation is about the Council and tenants working together in partnership to improve housing services to ensure that the service is achieving value for money.

It is about listening to our tenants and using their views and input to help us improve, develop and change the housing service we provide.

The overall aim of tenant participation is to understand the needs, expectations, aspirations achievements and experiences of Northampton Borough Council tenants and to improve services as a result of this.

By involving tenants within the housing service, there are many benefits to both the Housing Directorate and tenants such as: -

Ensuring high levels of tenant satisfaction with their homes and neighbourhoods

Learning from our tenants’ experiences as service users to inform the continuous improvement of housing services

Increased number of tenants involved in participation activities

Development of our services so that they become more appropriate to tenants’ individual and collective needs

Ensuring that services are delivered in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

Tenants are able to provide scrutiny and challenge to the way in which the Housing Service is delivered within Northampton.

Ensuring that tenants are involved in making decisions that affect them and the community in which they live

Enabling Housing Directorate staff and tenants are more aware of each other’s perspectives and organisational/financial limitations

Breaking down misunderstanding between the Housing Directorate and tenants and building mutual respect and understanding

Enhancing tenants’ skills, knowledge, confidence and quality of life

4.Aims and Objectives of the Agreement

The overall aim of this agreement is to ensure that a wide range of involvement and participation opportunities are in place for tenants to work in partnership with the Council to influence, shape and improve housing services within Northampton. This will be met by delivering the following four objectives: -

Objective One
Ensure tenant and leaseholder participation is an integral part of our business by involving and consulting tenants to shape services to meet their needs
Objective Two
Ensure that we are fully inclusive and provide opportunities to widen participation by offering a range of ways that tenants and leaseholders can get involved, at a level and pace that is accessible to all
Objective Three
To provide and support training and development opportunities to enable tenants to make a difference
Objective Four
To maximise accountability and value for money to ensure that tenants have confidence in our services

How we will deliver these four key objectives, and how we will monitor and measure the outcomes of delivering the objectives is detailed in the action plan in section13.

5.Tenant participation and the bigger picture….

Tenant participation should not be seen in isolation, but as an integral part of the way we operate as your landlord. This Agreement links in with other relevant strategies and national priorities: -

Changing national agenda for tenant participation

The national agenda for tenant participation has changed considerably over the last 2 years. Tenant empowerment and involvement is at the heart of the Governments drive to ensure the delivery of quality housing services and ensure that decent homes are available to all who rent from social housing landlords. The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) was launched on 1 December 2008 and became the new social housing regulator for local authorities from 1 April 2010.

The Tenant Services Authority was established by the enactment of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, and was given powers to create a new regulatory framework for social housing within England. The new framework will place a greater emphasis on the relationship between Northampton Borough Council and its tenants at a local level.

The aim of the TSA is to work with landlords and tenants to improve services to existing and prospective tenants. As a result the TSA have introduced six national standards for Local Authority landlords, which will be regulated and monitored from 1 April 2010. These are as follows:

STANDARD / INCLUDES
Tenant Involvement / empowerment /
  • Customer service, choice, complaints
  • Involvement/empowerment
  • Understanding/responding. Diverse needs

Home /
  • Quality of accommodation
  • Repairs and maintenance

Tenancy /
  • Allocations
  • Rent
  • Tenure

Neighbourhood and community /
  • Neighbourhood meetings
  • Local area co-operation
  • Anti-social behaviour

Value for money /
  • Value for money

Governance and financial viability
(does not apply to Local Authorities) /
  • Governance/financial viability

As a requirement on stating how the Council will meet the above national standards the Housing Directorate will be introducing a number of “local offers” and standards which will be developed and meet local housing priorities identified by tenants from 1 April 2011.The Council will ensure that these offers will: -

  • Be agreed with tenants
  • Reflect local needs
  • Focus on outcomes
  • Have performance and tenant-led scrutiny/review arrangements in place to measure their effectiveness once introduced

In order to address these tenant priorities, regular area tenant meetings and other extensive consultation methods will see the development of borough-wide ‘Northampton offers’ in addition to the introduction of specific ones in each of the Housing Directorates’ four management areas. We will not only ensure that the offers are in place by 1 April 2011 but also that subsequent review arrangements are put in place to monitor the overall effectiveness and outcomes achieved through their implementation.

Northampton Borough Council is fully committed to working with the Tenant Services Authority, to ensure that our tenants can shape, influence and monitor the services we provide. We will also ensure that tenants are kept informed about national changes and are able to become involved with events and opportunities relating to the changing national agenda for tenant participation

Further information regarding the National Standards is available on the TSA website www.tenantservicesauthority.orgor by telephoning the TSA on 0845 230 7000.

Northampton Borough Council Corporate Plan 2010-13

The Corporate Plan sets out Northampton Borough Councils’ ambition and priorities for 2010-13 and the partnership vision for Northampton to 2013. To support the Councils ambition of being “one of the best councils in terms of public service delivery” there are five corporate priorities.

The Tenant Participation Strategy and Agreement has strong links and is consistent with the priorities of the Council’s Corporate Plan 2010-13, in particular: priority 4 - ‘strong partnerships and engaged communities’.

Additionally, implementation of the Agreement will help to achieve priority 5 of the Corporate Plan ‘a well-managed organisation that puts our customers at the heart of what we do’.

Northampton Borough Council Housing Strategy 2010-15 and Housing Asset Management Strategy 2010-15

These documents set out how housing growth will be delivered through the provision of more affordable homes and how the Council will invest in its own stock to improve quality and meet the national Decent Homes Standard. Through extensive consultation with residents and service providers and taking into account evidence of local housing need, the above strategies set out detailed actions for tacking the housing issues and challenges faced by residents of Northampton over the forthcoming years.

Northampton Borough Council Community Engagement Strategy 2009

The Council’s current Community Engagement Strategy 2009 includes a consultation toolkit, which is intended as a guide and support document, to encourage better community engagement, empowerment and increased cohesion. All Council consultation on key strategies and policies must have due consideration to the requirements of the toolkit in particular the minimum standard of 12 weeks for effective consultation.

Northampton Borough Council Vulnerable Tenant Strategy 2010

The Council has recently introduced a vulnerable tenant’s strategy, which aims to assist vulnerable tenants to sustain independent living and to maintain their tenancies. This will be achieved through identifying vulnerability at an early stage, producing a support plan and providing advice, support and signposting to other agencies. The Customer Engagement team will ensure that they have due regard to this strategy when involving tenants through various participation activities.

6.Tenant legal rights to involvement

Northampton Borough Council as the landlord has statutory duties, obligations and responsibilities that are detailed in your tenancy agreement.

Tenants have both statutory rights in law as defined by legislation and guidelines as well as contractual rights outlined in tenancy agreements/leases.

Tenants rights and responsibilities are acknowledged and fully explained in the tenants Handbook and tenancy agreement. For additional information see appendix 1.

There are a number of legal obligations in relation to tenant participation. Tenants both individually and collectively have a number of legal rights. They include: -

  • The Right to be consulted (individual) – Tenants have the right to be consulted individually on housing management changes likely to affect them substantially (Section 105 Housing Act 1985)
  • Right to information (individual) – Tenants have the right to information about the terms of their tenancy, the repairing obligations of their landlord, the anti-social behaviour policy, and allocations policy amongst other items.
  • Right to Manage (collective) – Northampton Borough Councils’ tenants have the right to take over the management of their homes providing that they meet certain criteria. To do this they would have to set up a Tenants Management Organisation (TMO), which takes on a package of Housing Management responsibility for an estate after entering into a management agreement with the Landlord.

Whilst some tenants may choose not to get involved, the Council still has a legal duty to keep them informed.

Information comparing the Rights of Secure, Introductory and Demoted Tenants is included in appendix 1.

7.Promoting and valuing equality and diversity

Northampton Borough Council will make sure that in delivering services and tenant participation activities we continue to be inclusive and representative. We want all tenants to be involved regardless of age, ability and background and will provide the support needed to enable this. It is important for the Council to address equality and diversity issues and to comply with legislation and best practice

We are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all of our tenants and ensuring all have the opportunity to participate at a level that suits people best. We aim to ensure equality and embrace diversity in all tenant participation structures; in particular we will target under-represented groups including black, minority and ethnic groups, young people and people with disabilities

We aim to be effective in encouraging wider participation and to achieve this we will use the intelligence from our customer base to tailor and shape services to meet the diverse needs of people.

Northampton Borough Council monitors the profile of it tenants. The breakdown of the key groups for October 2010 is as follows: -

Ethnicity / % of tenant base
White British / 69%
Black or Black British / 8%
White Other / 15%
Asian or Asian British / 2 %
Mixed race / 2 %
Other / 4 %
Age
16-25 / 7%
25-40 / 26%
41-64 / 37%
65+ / 27%
Employment
Full-time – 30 hrs> / 19%
Part-time - < 30 hrs / 7%
Retired / 40%
Unemployed / 18%
Unable to work (medical/disability/carers) / 15%
Student or Government training scheme / 1%
Disability
Yes / 21%
No / 79%

The Housing Directorate will ensure that this profile information will be used to shape and tailor future services and help to meet expectations of how the future services should be delivered.