1 Background Tenant Panels Options for Accountability TAROE Regional Conference 29 th February 2012 a tenant and resident perspective

2 Background The National Tenant Organisations CCH, NFTMO, TAROE, TPAS have been working together for several years met with Grant Shapps MP in November 2010 he asked us to set up a TENANT PANELS FRAMEWORK between then and July – developing the project with Government some debate with tenants and landlords key message – can’t be prescriptive - tenants will decide for themselves how to set up panels a tenant and resident perspective

3 Background “Tenants know the problems that plague their neighbourhood’s, so I want to put them firmly in the driving seat, so they have more opportunities to have a say about how their services are provided. I want them to challenge landlords to up their game where improvements can be made. Tenant panels can be an effective way of doing this and resolving issues at the local level. So I’m delighted to support the National Tenant Organisations in the development of a flexible framework for local tenant panels. This will be a valuable tool for those who wish take control of driving up housing standards in their area.” Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP a tenant and resident perspective

4 Background The context A stronger Involvement & Empowerment Standard – which refers to tenant panels There will be very limited Government enforcement for any of the “consumer regulations” Self-regulation through tenants & landlords Tenant panels a key part of that new framework In that context, we have aimed to develop an approach that has the support of tenants and as many landlords as possible Balancing being “robust” with moving on from where landlords and tenants are at now a tenant and resident perspective

5 Background What are tenant panels ensuring accountability to tenants tenants = all service users a set of arrangements rather than just one group of tenants - that cover functions: decision-making, shaping services, FINANCES value for money monitoring & scrutiny, complaints Collaborative Tenant Panels borough/county wide tenants & residents associations etc. – important but not part of our remit a tenant and resident perspective

Why are Tenant Panels important? to make the business more effective e.g VFM market competitiveness – things are changing to enable tenant input into services & operations to encourage constructive challenge tenant involvement in sorting problems to build tenant skills and confidence was regulation ever that effective at making people do involvement & empowerment?

a tenant and resident perspective

Involvement in complaints tenants helping to resolve issues locally before the complaints procedure supporting tenants through the procedure a tenant assessment of the complaint Stage 2 or 3 involvement in procedure overall monitoring & review of complaints following up complaints outcomes new options from Localism Act

a tenant and resident perspective Involvement in complaints emphasis on resolving complaints locally at conclusion of landlord process, an 8 week period to resolve complaint locally a councillor, MP or “designated” Tenant Panel designated by the landlord - a formal role in local resolution - referring to the Ombudsman RP landlords required to designate panels if tenants want them – can designate more than one – can be landlord based or “collaborative”

a tenant and resident perspective Collaborative Tenant Panels Enabling cross dialogue between tenants – local peer pressure across landlords Who initiates, facilitates, and funds them? Do tenants & landlords want them? Ensuring based on outcomes Projects we worked with Joint tenant scrutiny/inspections, joint tenant conferences/newsletters, allocations, shared training, comparisons & benchmarking, local authority strategies, FINANCES, projects, complaints?

a tenant and resident perspective Resources Rules & regulations (independence?) Recruiting and developing Tenant Panels Representation Resourcing Tenant Panels Remunerating tenants Reviewing & impact assessing Tenant Panels Embedding - Tenant Panels

a tenant and resident perspective Common principles – NTO approved co-regulation - partnership working effective tenant “leadership” access to all and fairness functioning structures & adequate support NTO approved – a tenant & landlord basic checklist of key elements comparatively cost effective - £900 plus VAT 5 pilot schemes in December the importance of this being a tenant and sector based approach

a tenant and resident perspective And the rest … a lot of case studies! support from the professional bodies foreword from the Housing Minister? launch of both projects at end of February an interactive (and update-able) pdf a printed flyer lots of events please help us to spread the word!

a tenant and resident perspective Tenant Panels Options for Accountability TAROE Regional Conference 29 th February 2012

15 TAROE Tel: Website: Tenants and Residents Organisations of England