Issue - items at meetings - Resident Involvement Strategy

(1)       That the Resident Involvement Strategy be approved.

41.1    The Cabinet Member considered a report of Strategic Director Place which concluded the Tenant Compact Monitoring Group’s (TCMG) current round of work on the Resident Involvement Strategy and presented the revised and recommended document.  The Strategy was endorsed by the HMCC on 26 September 2011.

41.2    Councillor Peltzer Dunn drew attention to the reference to the Innovation Group in paragraph 4.10 of the report.  The minutes of the HMCC of 5 September stated that this group was likely to commence in September.  The current report simply referred to the establishment of an Innovation Group.  

41.3    The Head of Housing and Social Inclusion explained that there had been some delay in forming the group at the request of tenants.  They had been keen to re-elect tenants from the Area Panels, rather than the previous election from the Tenant Compact Monitoring Group. 

41.4    RESOLVED  (1)       That the Resident Involvement Strategy be approved.

Report of Strategic Director, Place (copy attached).

35.1    The Committee considered a report of Strategic Director Place which concluded the Tenant Compact Monitoring Group’s (TCMG) current round of work on the Resident Involvement Strategy and presented the revised and recommended document. 

35.2    The Head of Customer Access & Business Improvement thanked the Tenants’ Compact Monitoring Group and the wider tenant movement and participation officers for the production of the strategy. A shorter summary would be available once the strategy was endorsed. The strategy would be a live document.

35.3    The Committee received a presentation from members of the Tenant Compact Monitoring Group.

35.4    Ann Ewings spoke about Objective 1 (Provide a wide range of opportunities for residents to be involved in their housing).  She stressed the importance of communication by such methods as posters and more modern methods such as Facebook, Twitter,  and texting.  Meanwhile in order to help more tenants to become involved in the tenants’ movement it was necessary to gain their confidence and help them develop skills.  The Resource Centre provided training and guidance.    Ann stated that tenant only meetings were very effective and there was a need to publicise the City Assembly better.   

35.5    Muriel Briault explained that in her area, it was necessary to have social items in a newsletter in order to engage interest.  Therefore newsletters had recipes, poetry and pet stories.  More serious matters could also be added.  It was important to be approachable when communicating with tenants.  

35.6    Muriel went on to present objective 2 (Develop a framework for agreeing local offers and priorities with residents).  Tenants wanted to concentrate on locally based issues.  There was a need to get more residents to put their views forward.  When tenants had decided on their priorities these should be carried out.  For example, tenants wanted to make sure that what they requested from the Estate Development Budget could be done.  They wanted more help before bids went in.  They wanted housing officers to visit people more regularly.

35.7    Where areas did not have an association, tenants wanted to be able to represent them so they were not left out.  Tenants wanted more staff presence at local meetings and activities.  There needed to be better co-ordination between different working groups.   

35.8    Muriel stated that her wish was to get more leaseholders involved.  Those that were involved wanted to make a difference in their local area.  Issues in Muriel’s area of Portslade included grass cutting on banks, anti social behaviour, play areas for the children and bus shelters.  Muriel stressed that people in Portslade felt left out.  They wanted more information about the Housing Centre, and how it could help people in Portslade.  They hoped the strategy would change that by involving all the areas equally. 

35.9    Linda Shaw presented Objective 3 (Involving residents in the development of housing policy and the design and delivery of housing services). 

35.10  Linda explained that she had been involved in the tenants’ movement for about 20 years.  In order to get more involvement tenants and leaseholders needed to feel that consultation was genuine and not just a paper exercise.   Whilst looking for new people it was necessary to keep hold of people already involved.  Involving residents in the direct testing of services encouraged the maintenance of a constant level of performance.  

35.11  Linda stressed that there needed to be a clear process for enquiries or complaints, and involvement in all aspects of budget setting.  People with a financial background might want to get involved. They would need training but could be of great help. There needed to be a code of conduct that encouraged mutual respect.  For example the Leaseholders Action Group had moved from confrontation to collaboration with positive results.   It was important to provide more choice over the services delivered and to compare performance with other Local Authorities.  

35.12  It was recognised that some people might be excluded from the consultation process due to language and culture.   The dynamics of the estates was changing and there was a need to engage with BME residents.  Tenants wanted to be more creative about how they engaged.  Questions to ask were how to get more people to use the online services and social media.  The more information was shared about consultation and resident involvement the more the process had credibility.

35.13  The Chair stated that comparing performance with other local authorities and involving tenants in all aspects of budget setting was key.   

35.14  Faith Matyszak presented Objective 4 (Involve residents in monitoring and scrutinising performance in delivering housing services).  Faith stressed that one of the issues tenants and leaseholders would like was a scrutiny panel.  Tenants wanted new people sitting with more experience representatives to scrutinise work, and training to enable tenants to have the skills to scrutinise and judge performance.   

35.15  Tenants wanted to decide on the information collected and to be able to collate their own information.  They wanted to decide what to present to other tenants and leaseholders, and to present their work to the city.   

35.16  In addition to work already carried out tenants wished to develop how performance reports were monitored, and decide how annual reports were presented.  They wanted a link with the regulators’ website so they were able to compare standards of achievement and compare the city with other organisations of a similar size.    

35.17  Faith stated that in her personal experience some elderly people struggled with reading English and other languages.  There needed to be a way of telling everyone what tenants were doing.   For example a pictorial page in news letters.

35.18  Faith suggested encouraging more young people to become involved by utilising the computer.  There could be a game in which young people could be asked to design a solution to housing and environmental issues and to discuss issues such as fly tipping, anti social behaviour and their neighbourhood.  Faith suggested running a competition about housing by young people.  A prize could be given to the winner and a donation to their club or charity.  

35.19  The Chair thanked Ann, Muriel, Linda and Faith for their presentations.  She thought the suggestion of developing a game for young people was an innovative and brilliant idea.  Schools and youth clubs could have a competition to come up with an idea for a game. Faith stressed that young people needed to be encouraged.

35.20  Stewart Gover mentioned a visit he had made to the Crew Club.  He had been very impressed and had never seen a club like it. 

35.21  Ted Harman thought the report was good and thanked everyone for taking part.  

35.22  Tom Whiting thanked the Head of Customer Access & Business Improvement and everyone who presented the report. 

35.23  The Chair also thanked the Head of Customer Access and Business Improvement and the tenants who had worked on the report.

35.24  Councillor Randall stated that the report demonstrated that tenants were a valuable resource.  There was a need for better communications and a need to include ethnic monitoring.  He too thanked officers and residents involved in presenting the report.

35.25  RESOLVED - That the Resident Involvement Strategy be endorsed.