Resident Involvement Policy Statement
Introduction
1. This Resident Involvement Policy Statement has been drafted in conjunction with tenant representatives.
2. At MHA we put great reliance on residents for feedback on the impact of policies and services. We make every effort to respond to residents’ requests. We welcome constructive criticism and we hope that through involvement we are able to improve services to our residents.
3. At MHA we are always grateful to the residents who engage in participation, especially the active members of residents’ associations and Area Panels. They have made a significant contribution to shaping the Association.
4. The Resident Involvement Policy Statement will be publicised in Opendoor, on our Website and displayed in our offices. Copies of the statement will also be made available in large print, audio tape or in other languages, on request. The Statement will be reviewed annually.
Our approach
5. MHA recognises that collectively and individually residents make a real difference, not only to their own communities but, to policy development, decision-making and service delivery.
6. Our residents are at the core of everything that we do and we will encourage them to become involved in shaping the services that they receive from us.
7. Our commitment to resident involvement is continually re-enforced with staff and impressed upon all new employees during their induction.
8. Our approach is centred around our engagement with Area Panels, which consist of tenants and leaseholders. We take a minimalist approach to control but always aim to provide support and guidance where it is needed. Panels have to abide to certain criteria, for example by adopting an Equality and Diversity Policy, other than that; they are self-regulating, autonomous bodies with their own constitutions and rules.
9. This approach has worked well. As well as creating independence, it allows panel members and the Association to focus on policy development, decision-making and service delivery, rather than on rules and structural relationships.
10. Our commitment to resident involvement incorporates the Housing Corporation’s themes and is demonstrated by:
10.1. Sharing information on performance and service delivery with Area Panels.
10.2. Involving and consulting with Area Panels on policy and procedures.
10.3. Obtaining Area Panels’ views on how we should put right service failures.
10.4. Delegating a Community Initiative Fund of £50,000 per annum to each Area Panel.
10.5. Bi-monthly meetings between Panel Chairpersons and the MHA Director.
10.6. Holding quarterly tenant representatives’ seminars to discuss broader housing issues.
10.7. Consulting and informing residents through ‘Opendoor’, our quarterly residents’ magazine.
10.8. Consulting and involving residents through newsletters and public meetings.
10.9. Consulting residents through the use of surveys.
10.10. Consulting and involving residents in major improvement programmes.
10.11. Establishing focus groups to look at our services.
10.12. Including residents on our Design Panel for new homes.
10.13. Paying for resident training, travel, childcare, communication and dedicated meetings.
10.14. Employing a Community Liaison Manager to co-ordinate resident involvement activity.
10.15. Having residents who are shareholding members of the Association. Shareholders have a role in appointing the Board, appointing our auditors and adopting our financial statements. Shareholders can also attend training events and are eligible to join our committees.
10.16. Providing four out of eleven seats on MHA’s Board for tenants.
11. Resident involvement will continue to be an integral part of our activities and we will seek new ways of engaging residents. To continue our commitment in the future we will:
11.1 Assess the training needs of Panel members to help deliver more training and develop skills.
11.2. Arrange panel member visits to other housing associations to help draw comparisons with what we do.
11.3. Increase the number of opportunities and explore the ways we can attract a more diverse range of people to become involved in tenant participation in line with MHA’s Equality and Diversity policy.
11.4. Implement ‘Magna 60’, a consultative body who will give us their views on policy performance and service delivery.
11.5. Involve tenants’ representatives on ‘Best in the West’ service reviews.
11.6. Review the Association’s involvement and consultation structures annually.
For more information on resident involvement within MHA, please contact our Community Liaison Manager on 01305 216086.