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NB Housing is delighted to present its second Tenant Participation Strategy 2021-2024.
We continue to be an organisation where tenants can influence the decision-making process through a range of involvement opportunities and work in partnership with the association to deliver a housing service that not only meets their needs but exceeds their expectations
Tenant Participation is a plan to increase tenant involvement in the delivery of social housing services and the decisions that are made about these services. It aims to improve the quality of social housing services for tenants and landlords, by encouraging partnership and discussion between the organisation, tenants, service users, local communities and authorities.
We will strive to ensure that all tenants are involved in consultation whilst respecting that each tenant has a choice of whether to participate or not. Furthermore, we will provide a menu of involvement that is intended to explore all areas of potential involvement.
We will ensure all levels of participation adhere to equal opportunity policy. Everyone is involved in Tenant Participation, housing association staff, management, Board members, tenants and the wider community.
Our Tenant Participation Strategy is important to us and we are keen to work alongside you, our tenants, to share ideas and hear your views. We strive to do this through a menu of tenant participation options, giving you the scope to become involved on various levels of your own choosing.
We recognise that flexibility and mutual trust is key to forming good working relationships with our tenants, and we therefore have in place a Community Development Officer, Rebecca Wilson. Rebecca is a vital link between the Association and our tenants, and is responsible for encouraging tenant involvement through a range of methods, including participation the Tenants Forum, Focus Groups, Community Groups and activities.
Below are some examples of how you can become involved. More detail is contained in our downloadable document Tenant Participation Strategy 2021-2024
A tenant can represent their community on a wide range of issues by being part of a Tenant Forum. This is a formally constituted group with a Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary and encourages tenants to have formal input into how their homes and neighbourhoods are managed. Members are consulted on areas such as policy and procedures, services, development plans and information provision. Training and administrative resources are available to assist tenants to participate.
This is an informal tenant group and meets monthly for approximately 1.5 hours. It consists of tenants from all areas, apartment buildings, schemes and properties across the association. It provides a platform to discuss housing related issues and shares best practice ideas. A focus group can be set up to discuss any area a number of tenants would like to get involved in for example, housing issues, maintenance, anti-social behaviour to name just a few.
Tenants can accompany our maintenance and housing teams on tours of their local estates, identifying concerning areas with a view to overseeing improvements. These can be in the form of clean-up days, raising issues with local Councillors, and where possible, improvement schemes.
Tenants can test services and provide feedback as a mystery shopper by carrying out a series of pre-agreed tasks, such as telephone calls or reception visits.
Tenants can write and review articles for the Tenant Newsletter and website as well as report on Tenant Participation progress within NB Housing. Association publications can also be reviewed to ensure we have covered everything our tenants would like information on.
Tenants who have second languages can engage with other tenants to explain services and policies of the housing association.
One of our objectives is to work closely with tenants, with a view to eventually having tenant representation on our Board.
NB Housing works closely with Supporting Communities to drive our strategy of engagement forward. Supporting Communities can also provide many resources and training for both staff and tenants. If you would like to become part of this network and represent your housing association please let us know.
Another way to get involved is to get together with other tenants and plan events. This gives everyone an opportunity to get to know each other and discuss issues important to you as an NB Housing tenant as well as have some fun.
Our Community Development Officer organises various activities with a view to making tenant involvement fun. Some examples of recent activities are:
Zoom classes where tenants where given instructions on how to cook healthy meals on a budget. The association provided slow cookers and air fryers and all ingredients.
This was a programme that contained both support for mental health and pampering packs, which again were provided to all attendees.
Where tenants were provided with camera’s and asked to take pictures of something ‘negative’ in their areas. The Community Development Officer then worked alongside tenants in a clean-up, where new ‘positive’ pictures were taken upon completion and copies given to tenants to keep.
Fitbits were provided and a walking group established. Members of a local youth club got together with some of our older residents and formed a walking group.
Should you wish to become involved, have your views and ideas heard, or maybe just have a suggestion or comment, please contact Rebecca Wilson on 028 90 592 110 or email rebecca.wilson@nb-housing.org.
We can also be contacted via the contact form on this website.
We look forward to hearing from you!