This strategy sets out Poole Housing Partnership s three-year plan for resident involvement. It details:

Contents 1. Background 2 2. Aims and Objectives 3 3. Structure 4 4. Strategy Development and Priorities 11 5. The Future 14 6. Equality and Diversity 15 7. Dealing with Complaints 16 Glossary and documents available upon request 19 Executive summary This strategy sets out Poole Housing Partnership s three-year plan for resident involvement. It details: The aims and objectives of resident involvement How we developed this strategy The current structure of resident involvement An action plan for the next two years Our hope is that there are enough ways to become actively involved to suit all residents and that the result is that more and more residents become involved in the way we deliver our services. 1

1. Background In 2004 Poole Housing Partnership was established as an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO), with Residents making up one third of the fifteen-strong Board of Directors. New offices at Beech House in 2005 provided the opportunity to establish a Residents Resource Centre to give all residents facilities for meetings, training, use of computers and newsletter production. Since 2004 the emphasis for resident involvement has changed focus from what PHP needed from residents to what residents need from PHP. This meant looking beyond the formal process and government requirements to greater choice, more incentives, regular training, increased flexibility and a more localised approach. The principle is to have a wide range of options so that there will be an option to suit all residents. Resident involvement has increasingly become an integral part of the job for every member of our staff, across the whole range of services provided. In updating this strategy, we have looked at best practice from other organisations, taken into account the Regulatory Framework for Social Housing 2012 and the Localism Act 2011 and consulted residents using the Housing Strategy Panel and the Board. The Localism Act 2011 The Act reforms the way that social housing is regulated and over rides the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. The Act provides social tenants with stronger tools to hold their landlords to account. Landlords will be expected to support tenant panels or similar bodies - in order to give tenants the opportunity to carefully examine the service being offered. The Act also abolishes the Tenants Services Authority and transfers its remaining functions to the Homes and Community Agency. The new Regulatory Framework 2012 This Framework implements the Localism Act. It details specific standards all social housing landlords must achieve, it is up to tenants, boards and councillors to ensure that service delivery is meeting these standards. The standards are broken down into 2 categories: 1. Standards relating to economic matters or 2. Standards relating to consumer matters Economic standards only apply to private housing landlords, consumer standards however apply to all social housing providers, including PHP, The consumer standards are: 1. Tenant involvement and empowerment standard 2. Home Standard 3. Tenancy Standard 4. Neighbourhood and Community standard 2

The Tenant involvement and empowerment standard applies directly to this strategy and requires PHP to achieve required outcomes. The main areas covered here are: - Customer service, choice and complaints - Involvement and empowerment - Understanding and responding to the diverse needs of tenants The full document can be found here: http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/ourwork/regulatory-framework This Strategy will be reviewed and amended periodically. This strategy sets out the way that Poole Housing Partnership commits to engage, involve and consult residents about services and communities. For the purposes of this strategy, tenants and leaseholders of Poole Housing Partnership will be referred to collectively as residents. The Resident Involvement Strategy: Aims to be an accessible document for involved and interested residents and staff Gives the principles of involvement Details the process of consultation leading to the Strategy Describes the menu of involvement Is written according to standards set out by the Government and national best practice, but mainly from consultation with residents across Poole Details the service standards for resident involvement and the core standards of our commitment to residents Describes how residents can make a comment or complaint about the resident involvement services A full review of this strategy will be carried out within 2 years (2015) Strategy summary: Aims to be a simple-to-follow document, summarising the key points of this strategy Describes all of the ways residents can be actively involved with shaping the services that PHP deliver Details the key service standards residents can expect Will be available both as a hard copy and online 3

2. Aims and Objectives The aims of resident involvement are: To continuously empower residents to shape the services they receive, by consulting to provide a flexible range of ways to deliver effective resident involvement To embed resident involvement as part of the culture of Poole Housing Partnership To ensure high satisfaction for residents within the involvement structure To support the wider objective of developing strong communities To ensure all sections of the community have their voice heard, especially under-represented groups such as youth To provide all residents with various training opportunities throughout the year, both within PHP and using the multi agency group TRUST To ensure that all staff members are aware of the importance of resident involvement, and the impact it has on their role. The objectives of resident involvement over the next two years will be: To ensure that residents are involved in an appropriate way such as in: o Service Contract letting o Neighbourhood improvements o Policy and procedure development o Sustainable community development o Changes to the way services are provided or financed o Service and performance monitoring To consult upon any significant change in the way that housing management service is delivered To increase the number of residents who wish to engage with us and at a level and in a way that suits them To involve residents to reflect the diversity and geography of Poole Housing Partnership s communities and housing stock, including hardto-reach groups such as young people. To continuously review and improve the opportunities and scope of resident led decision making 4

3. Structure To review and meet training needs for both residents and staff to enable effective resident involvement To make all staff responsible for promoting and encouraging resident involvement in a formal context, through job descriptions, one-to-ones and Employee Development Interviews To work closely with the Borough of Poole and other local partners in developing strong communities by empowering local people to have a greater voice and influence over decision making, and promoting the opportunities for residents to shape and support those communities The structure of resident involvement at Poole Housing Partnership is designed: To provide information To consult with residents To listen to residents views To actively encourage involvement in decision making To enable residents to influence housing policy and strategy To ensure no resident is excluded because of discrimination The resident involvement structure permeates the whole of Poole Housing Partnership, up to and including the Board of Directors, where five residents make up a third of the Board. There is a spectrum of involvement, from the more formal Board and Housing Strategy Policy Panel, down to the very informal People s Panel, a questionnaire-based panel which does not require residents to even leave home. This spectrum is designed to allow residents to get involved at a level that suits them, and allows for flexibility. Some residents progress from being Local Community Representatives to sitting on the Housing Strategy Panel, while others are happy to attend one off focus groups. The structure was designed in consultation with residents to ensure a representative balance between tenants, leaseholders and special interest groups in Poole Housing Partnership managed housing stock. The three strands of the structure lead into the Housing Strategy Panel, ensuring that both significant special interest (leaseholders and sheltered residents) groups are able to be involved in ways that take into account their particular circumstances and are represented on the top resident panel. All three groups are able to represent their communities as Local Community Representatives. 5

Consulting Informing Resident Involvement Strategy 2012-2015 In future new additions to the structure will be designed to allow residents who are not represented currently, particularly children and young people, to become involved with PHP. Type Form Description At Home Magazine Website Annual Satisfaction Survey People s Panel Focus/steering groups Resident magazine providing information on current events at Poole Housing Partnership and publicises services Letters page and competitions for residents Resident Editorial group provides feedback and input on all issues At Home can be provided in a range of different formats, including different languages, Braille, large print, audio or electronic Collects all PHP information together Dates and events advertised Residents can carry out business with PHP through the website through forms, payment, etc. Annual survey with questions discussed with resident focus groups beforehand Easy opportunity for all residents to be involved at least once throughout the year Collects information about overall resident satisfaction with services Results improve services and ensure that they are meeting needs of all residents Quarterly survey conducted by post, phone or email Primarily for those with very little time Topics cover all service areas Focus or steering groups are held as and when required to discuss issues relating to the housing service such as the introduction of new car parking schemes Database of interested residents is used to determine invitees Focus groups are an ideal opportunity for residents to attend an occasional discussion 6

Involving Resident Involvement Strategy 2012-2015 Resident Scrutiny Panel Neighborhood Walkabouts Community Roadshows Neighbourhood Improvements on Communities and Estates (NICE) Training Residents check our services by reviewing each service area and recommending any improvements Any resident can be a member, subject to training Tours an estate and brings Local Community Representatives,, staff, local agencies and interested residents together to improve the estate and tackle any issues Conducted by the local housing officer and Estate Services Manager Aim is to improve the environment, reduce crime and design out anti-social behaviour, and to put residents in control of their own estates Localised fundays for residents in a specific community Providing an opportunity to engage with PHP officers Offer residents information on services offered Provide fun activities for families free of charge Allows residents to bid for up to a 3000 grant to improve their estate Encourages residents to work together in their community and provides tangible benefits for being involved Examples include garden seating and garden improvements, lighting, security works and art Various training sessions provided, ranging from short I.T. taster sessions to full training and personal development courses. They develop residents abilities to be effectively involved and are an incentive to further involvement Can also help people to find work and new careers 7

Engaging Resident Involvement Strategy 2012-2015 Working Groups Local Community Representatives (LCR) Sheltered Housing Resident Associations and Social Clubs Resident Associations in general needs housing Annual Leaseholder Customer Service Panel Sheltered Housing Forum Regular groups consulting on a range of issues Membership open to any resident and is not restricted to representatives Members give feedback on any proposal in a specific area of activity, help draft policies and proposals and monitor relevant service delivery Examples: Communications,, Disability, Reinvestment, Service Improvement Represents their street, block or neighbourhood Work to improve the quality of life for people in their community through liaison with staff and other agencies Receive regular training opportunities to assist them in their role Many Sheltered Housing communities have a Resident Association or social committee that represents all residents in that area Run democratically in accordance with aims set down in their constitution Provide a way for residents to be involved in their community Extend the use of sheltered common rooms for the wider communities including lunch clubs and intergenerational projects such as gardening Resident Associations represent all residents in a defined area Run democratically in accordance with aims set down in their constitution Provide way for residents to be involved in their community, and committee can represent them to PHP Meets with our Leasehold Services Officer to discuss issues relating to leaseholders and leasehold management, including service charges, maintenance and investment Made up of all the Sheltered Housing Local Community Representatives and the Housing Locality Managers Discusses housing needs of older people, issues that are common to all Sheltered Schemes and how to improve environment and communities in sheltered housing 8

Housing Strategy Panel The Board of Directors Made up of elected tenants and leaseholders from the Sheltered Housing Forum,, the and special interest groups (such as Focus on Disability Working Group) Reports directly to the Board. Monitors work and performance of PHP and agrees strategy, direction and standards of service Supported by Councillors, Board Members and staff, but residents alone make decisions Consists of 15 members; four Tenant representatives, one Leaseholder representative, five Councillors and five Independent members Responsible for long-term strategic direction of PHP and ensuring management team turns these strategies into reality Has a dedicated Resident Involvement sub-committee to make decisions and recommendations about engaging residents 9

4. Strategy Development Consultation and engagement with residents is the key focus of this strategy, and accordingly we have based the direction of our resident involvement upon the priorities our residents put forward. Resident Involvement Service Standards Poole Housing Partnership promise to deliver the following to you: Information We commit to: Ensure you receive at least 3 At Home magazines per year Update the PHP website on at least a fortnightly basis Share information with residents through a variety of mediums; letter, newsletter, phone, text, email, website, in person and in communal areas Publicise the dates and venues of open meetings three months in advance Consultation We commit to: Allow residents to be effectively involved at a time and in a way that suits them Allow residents to be involved in issues that interest them Consult our residents on: o Service Contract letting o Neighbourhood improvements o Policy and procedure development o Sustainable community development o Changes to the way services are provided or financed o Scrutinising service and performance monitoring Groups and meetings will have clear objectives and mandates Outcomes of consultation will be reported to residents, including any implemented changes, within two weeks of the outcome being known Engagement We commit to: Provide regular training for interested residents Provide expenses to ensure involved residents are not out-of-pocket, including travel, carer, stationary and communication costs Include interested residents from all backgrounds, including traditionally hard-to-reach groups, in strengthening the community Be proactive and innovative in going into local areas to work with the community and other agencies Good service We commit to: Benchmark our service performance against other organisations 10

Review Resident Involvement Strategy, menu of involvement and service standards annually Standards for Areas of Involvement Resident Involvement is expected and welcomed by PHP in all possible areas of service delivery, service improvement and community engagement. This includes the following areas, but we are always finding more: Developing the council s housing policy and strategy Drawing up and appraising options for housing investment and improvements Developing and taking forward the chosen option for investment Drawing up the council s capital and renovation programmes Developing and implementing regeneration and improvement programmes Budgets, finance, rent-setting Allocation and lettings policies and procedures Anti-social behaviour policies and procedures Management of housing services Policies and procedures for repairs, maintenance, rent collection and rent arrears, voids Tenancy management and sustainability issues, tenancy agreements and conditions Housing benefits, debt advice and debt recovery procedures Leaseholder issues and charges Sheltered housing services PHP service and performance strategies; and arrangements for monitoring and reviewing PHP performance, addressing shortcomings and remedial action Setting, monitoring and reviewing services, performance standards and targets for housing management and neighbourhood services Proposed remedial action if performance on services falls short Proposals to contract housing services to other providers including through partnering contracts Monitoring grounds maintenance and cleaning standards Neighbourhood issues which affect tenants homes or the management of the housing service Equality policies, including race equality policies and policies on racial harassment Customer care standards Environmental works and estate improvements Arrangements for providing information, for tenant consultation and involvement including handling complaints and remedial action Sustainability planning and projects Developing strong, safe and pleasant neighborhoods 11

Standards for Resources for Resident Involvement PHP knows that promises about involvement need to be backed up with the resources to deliver an excellent involvement service. Therefore we have set out the resources we are committing to support and develop resident involvement. Staff There will always be a Resident Involvement Coordinator to run the service, supported by their line manager as strategic lead. All PHP staff will be aware of and will carry out their responsibilities to involve residents in improving all aspects of PHP services. All new members of staff will meet the resident involvement coordinator for an induction into the importance of resident involvement and PHP s structure. Training for the customer services team was held in 2013 and very well attended. Budget A budget of at least 40,000 per annum will be provided through which the Resident Involvement objectives will be resourced, including (but not limited to): Start-up grants for recognised residents groups Support for resident projects Provision of a Resident Resource Centre with word-processing, internet, printing, photocopying and meeting facilities At least 3 At Home magazines per year Advice and support, both directly and through membership of groups like the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) Tailored training for representatives, resident groups and individual residents, including training jointly with staff Payment of resident expenses for being involved so that no resident is out-of-pocket, according to the expenses policy (including stationary, communication, travel and carer costs) Making involvement accessible to all, through hire of accessible rooms, provision of translation facilities, etc. Innovative approaches to encourage residents to get involved Standards for meetings We recognise that although meetings are not the only form of involvement, many residents find them the easiest way of engaging with PHP and making informed decisions. To make sure these meeting are effective, we guarantee that meetings will: Have clear objectives and a mandate Have a clear action plan to deal with matters arising 12

Have measures for reporting back the outcome, including feedback, to residents Be publicised effectively and in good time Be held at suitable times and in accessible places, to maximise attendance Be properly chaired, and conducted in a fair and democratic way so that everyone gets a chance to have their say and is kept informed. Standards for information Information is the first rung on the ladder of involvement, and is often as far as many residents want to go in participation. Therefore the timely provision of good quality, accurate and appropriate information is vital in delivering excellent involvement. PHP makes the following commitments in this respect. PHP information will be: Accessible (i.e. in plain language and be available in large print, Braille, cassette, translation etc.) Expressed clearly, avoiding jargon and racist, sexist or other biased language Of good quality, timely and tailored to tenants needs. PHP will distribute, through a wide range of formats, information including (but not limited to) the following: Housing strategies, policies and priorities Housing investment options and plans Arrangements and requirements for delegating housing management, including contracting out of services Arrangements for developing and implementing value for money, including monitoring and reviewing performance and setting service standards and targets Housing management and other relevant local services Present future capital works affecting tenants, their homes and their area PHP s race equality and racial harassment policies How tenants can get involved in housing management and decisionmaking and what this will mean for them, including benefits for both tenants and PHP Support available to help residents get involved Standards for Residents Groups and Recognition Residents can get involved individually or collectively. Where a group of residents acts on behalf of other residents, it is important that there is a standard to which they should adhere to, in order that relationships between residents, the residents group and PHP should remain productive. To that 13

end, we set a standard for PHP s recognition of resident groups. The standard is designed to be a minimal burden on residents and exists for their benefit. Where residents groups have a role in decision-making, they shall be able to show that they are democratic, accountable and have all of the following: A written constitution Equal opportunities policies Regular elections Open financial records (and annual accounts if appropriate) Regular meetings, including an annual general meeting that a minimum necessary number of residents attend before the meeting can take decisions and where minutes are taken A level of active membership determined by PHP and residents Procedures to make sure that information on the group is made widely available to residents and all residents are encouraged to become more active Membership clearly open to all residents Regular newsletters or other written communications with members Standards for Monitoring Performance Commitments need to be backed up by evidence, and these standards are no exception. Residents and PHP will work together to monitor that the standards are adhered to. We will: Assess the results and impact of involvement according to these core standards Review policies, practice and performance at regular intervals Set clear service standards and targets for resident consultation and involvement Monitor the effectiveness of the local community representative role through annual 121 s and regular meetings with their housing officer/sheltered housing officer If service standards and targets are not met, investigate and find remedies Look at best practice and evaluate different approaches to resident involvement, in order to remain effective and efficient Monitor resident representatives and groups to make sure they continue to carry out their roles effectively Monitor equality of opportunity and levels of involvement by all groups, including ethnic minorities Assess performance against what other housing organisations are achieving (benchmarking) Annually set targets for, and measure, resident satisfaction with opportunities to participate, housing services (including value for money) and their local area 14

5. The Future The changing face of social housing in general and resident involvement in particular makes predicting policy in coming years challenging, but we are committed to continuously seeking out good practice and applying it to the situation in Poole wherever possible. Recent developments in resident involvement have led to a strong community engagement and development focus, with the emphasis firmly on communities being sustainable. We want to consult with residents and empower them to influence decisions, but also to work with them in their communities. This would involve working with all residents in a community, including those renting privately and owner-occupiers We are looking to involve young people in a lot of different ways, meeting their needs and objectives for involvement rather than forcing them into channels more suited to our needs. Steps have already taken to tap into existing work from other organisations, and the next stage is to provide youth specific routes into involvement. 6. Equality and Diversity The strategy conforms to the Council s and Poole Housing Partnership s equality statements and policy. Poole Housing Partnership is committed to providing information and services, equally and without discrimination, to meet the needs of all sections of the community who are housed by the Borough of Poole, living near properties managed by Poole Housing Partnership or seeking access to information on housing services in the Borough of Poole. Poole Housing Partnership also understands and respects the broad range of qualities which characterise its residents which include race, religion, nationality, ethnic background, colour disability, gender, sexuality, age, literacy, vulnerability and income level. The Resident Involvement Strategy recognises the differing needs of our residents; in particular those from special interest groups such as those living in Sheltered Housing or difficult to reach groups such as parents with young children. To help overcome barriers to effective participation Poole Housing Partnership promises to: Collect resident data to accurately record and report the demography of our residents Review our activities and events to ensure a broad representation of residents are able to participate if they wish 15

Provide a range of options for being involved to encourage special interest groups (such as leaseholders or sheltered residents) or difficult to reach groups to participate Offer equalities and diversity training as part of the training program for Local Community Representatives and interested residents Monitor equal opportunities in our Resident Involvement Structure 7. Comments & Complaints If you feel that this Strategy fails to meet the standards we set for ourselves, in format, clarity or consistency of information, or if you believe Poole Housing Partnership has failed to fulfill our commitments in this Strategy, please contact the Resident Involvement Coordinator on 01202 264422, or in writing to Resident Involvement Team, Freepost PHP, or by email to getinvolved.php@poole.gov.uk This strategy will be continuously reviewed, with new action plans formed for each year. All resident comments will be taken into account in this process. If you feel this has not solved the problem, please contact the Chair of the Housing Strategy Panel who will take your issue to a meeting of the Panel (to which you will be invited) for discussion. If you are dissatisfied with the conclusions reached by the Panel, please continue with your complaint by using the Poole Housing Partnership complaints procedure, detailed below. Comments & Complaints about Resident Involvement Services We have a comprehensive and objective complaints procedure to deal with instances where a resident feels that they have not received the high quality services they have a right to expect. If you think that we have failed to meet the resident involvement service standards or did not follow the correct policy or procedure as regards resident involvement, please follow our official complaints procedure. If you require a copy of this leaflet, please contact the Complaints Officer at Beech House on 01202 264400 and we will send you one. Alternatively you can collect one from our reception at Beech House or download it from our website, www.yourphp.org.uk 16

Mediation We recognise that sometimes a difference of opinion or judgement will arise between residents, residents groups and/or PHP that are not necessarily appropriate for resolution through the official complaints procedure. In these cases we would recommend that mediation be used. Mediation will identify common ground between parties and work towards an outcome that all parties can accept. Independent mediators will be used. Independent Advice If you would like independent advice on resident involvement, it can be provided by the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) or the Tenants and Residents Organisation of England (TAROE). The contact details for these organisations are given at the end of this document. Contacts Poole Housing Partnership Resident Involvement Team Poole Housing Partnership 28-30 Wimborne Road Poole BH15 2BU Tel: 01202 264422 Email: getinvolved.php@poole.gov.uk Website: www.yourphp.org.uk The Borough of Poole Civic Centre Tel: 01202 633430 Email: community.development@poole.gov.uk Website: www.poole.gov.uk Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) Free advice for tenants of organisations with membership (currently, PHP are members of TPAS). TPAS Ltd Suite 4b Trafford Plaza, 73 Seymour Grove, Manchester M16 0LD Tel: 0161 868 3500 Email: info@tpas.org.uk Website: www.tpas.org.uk 17

Tenant and Residents Organisation of England (TAROE) TAROE, the Tenants and Residents Organisations of England, is an accountable, national organisation which unites tenants and residents groups from the regulated housing sector across England TAROE The Old Police Station Mersey Road Runcorn WA7 1DF Tel: 01928 798120 Runcornoffice@taroe.org Website: www.taroe.org 18

Glossary Academy BME BoP DIT HA HSP LCR NICE PHP PI RIC RSL SHF SMART Poole Housing Partnership s database Black and Minority Ethnic Borough of Poole Disability Information Team Housing Association Housing Strategy Panel Local Community Representative Neighbourhood Improvements in Communities and Estates Poole Housing Partnership Performance Indicator Resident Involvement Coordinator Registered Social Landlord Sheltered Housing Forum Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timebased Documents available upon request 1. Local Community Representative induction booklet 2. Local Community Representative code of conduct 3. Local Community Representative expense policy 4. Glossy summary of Resident Involvement Strategy 2012-2015 5. Nomination and election process for Local Community Representatives 6. Resident Training schedule for 2012-13 and 2013-14 (when developed) 19