Ways to get involved

Opportunities exist for tenants and leaseholders to be involved in influencing the delivery of housing services at an individual and local level through to a strategic level, from ad-hoc informal arrangements to more structured formal arrangements.

Tenant Participation Group

The Tenant Participation Group has a strategic role. It is responsible for monitoring and developing tenant participation and getting more involved in the decisions made by the council that affect homes and services. Members of the group should actively encourage other tenants to become involved and promote the different mechanisms available. Tenants are nominated to the TPG by the other recognized tenant participation groups within the district.

Sheltered Housing Forum

The Sheltered Housing Forum comprises three groups that will consider issues directly affecting the sheltered housing service. The groups represent the sheltered housing in the south, east and west areas of the district as each scheme nominates a representative to sit on the appropriate group within the forum and they provide feedback to other tenants and leaseholders on their scheme. Each of the three groups within the forum will have one representative on the TPG.

Leaseholder Forum

The Leaseholder Forum considers issues relating specifically to leaseholders, which includes Equity Share owners. Members of the forum can nominate two representatives on to the TPG.

Tenant and residents groups

The Council has some tenants and residents groups already established in some of its villages. Help can also be provided to set up new groups in areas where there are none at present. These groups look at issues relating to the estate/community where they live. A member of each group can be nominated as a representative on to the TPG.

Village voices

Where a village has less than 30 council properties, making it difficult to set up a tenant group, individual tenants can act as a village representative. Village voices can be representatives for their village on the TPG.

Disability Advisory Group

This group will look at disability issues affecting tenants. It will have representative(s) on the TPG nominated by the group.

Tenant e-say group

This group provides feedback on services, policies and documents via email. For example, as part of the development of the housing transfer proposal the group will be asked to comment on newsletters and information leaflets in terms of their language, presentation, style and general accessibility for tenants and leaseholders.

National Tenant Voice

From Grass Roots to Government -Your Chance to Influence National Housing Policy

The National Tenant Voice is an independent body that is being set up by Government to enable social housing tenants to influence key national policy areas. The Government's aim is for tenants to have a greater influence over the services they receive. It is supporting the setting up of the National Tenant Voice and wants tenants throughout England to volunteer to be involved.

At the heart of National Tenant Voice will be a National Tenant Council of 50 tenants that will meet to debate and discuss key housing policy issues. 24 of the tenants will be nominated by existing tenants' organisations and the remaining 26 will be by open recruitment.

The National Tenant Voice will be governed by a Board of Directors, made up of 15 people. At least 9 of these will be tenants recruited from the National Tenant Council. The people on the board will be chosen for their skills, knowledge and experience. The Board's job will be to make sure the organisation is governed properly and spends its money wisely.

Recruitment for the 26 tenant positions to sit on the National Tenant Council closed on 16th October 2009. We will keep you posted regarding the recruitment to these posts.