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Tenant panels & annual reports Nic Bliss TAROE CONFERENCE 23 rd February 2011. scrapping the TSA and removing direct access to the Ombudsmen governance/viability & “long stop” regulation in Homes & Communities Agency tenants taking complaints to MPs, councillors & tenant panels.
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Tenant panels & annual reportsNic BlissTAROE CONFERENCE23rd February 2011
scrapping the TSA and removing direct access to the Ombudsmen • governance/viability & “long stop” regulation in Homes & Communities Agency • tenants taking complaints to MPs, councillors & tenant panels Tenant panels
“a stronger role for local tenants to hold landlords to account for service delivery” • retaining regulatory framework • how to enforce it? • doesn’t like anything that looks like national “regulation” • NTOs asked to lead Tenant panels
Empowering tenants? • 76% satisfaction ratings for local authorities & housing associations • 88% satisfaction ratings for housing co-ops • only 1 in 2 tenants satisfied with opportunities for involvement • only 1 in 6 tenants feels that their landlord takes notice of their views
Some basic issues • tenants need to be able to take power to make change happen • tenants need to be in charge of how they are empowered • tenants need performance information about their own and other landlords
scrutinising landlord performance • dealing with complaints • liaising with MPs & councillors • raising matters with the regulator • “serious service failure” • “serious failures to implement effective scrutiny” Roles for tenant panels
must be tenants not landlords who set up panels • reflective of all the tenant constituency • dialogue between tenants and landlords about resourcing tenant panels • commitment to providing performance information and comparator information Basic principles
landlord wide – existing bodies? • borough wide, county wide • smaller neighbourhoods • multi-landlord tenant panels • conflict between multi-nationals and local panels • tenants should be allowed to do what they want and what makes sense Level of tenant panels
enabling tenants to come together • local support & training • materials & support information • principles of fairness, equality & excellence • accreditation Tenant academy?
basic level and advanced level accreditation • basic – understanding responsibilities; reflective of tenant constituency; not controlled by landlord; acting sensibly • aimed at skilling and enabling tenants to achieve critical mass without being “national” • rights for accredited panels Accreditation
formal response (and remedy) from landlord • right to response from regulator • right to expect response from Ombudsmen • access to defined information • formal access to Boards of associations and governing structures in local authorities Accreditation rights
resources!!! • developing framework & guidance • setting each panel up & accreditation • promotion • transition arrangements • consultation with tenants Challenges!
NTOs asked by TSA to review 1st year reports • analysing reports and identifying good practice • aiming to improving annual reports in 2nd year • an important tool given that tenants are the new regulators! • “Your homes; your landlord; your reports” • “A good start – but could do better” Annual reports to tenants
some good reports; some appalling – but most generally “adequate” • far too much PR & corporate back slapping • tenant-led reports were amongst the best • far too little comparisons; weak on diversity, value for money, governance • very little understanding of “local offers” • not much attempt to excite the reader Analysis
making the report accessible • giving the report to all tenants • doing the report for tenants and not the TSA • getting across options for involvement • being honest about service standards • comparing them with the best Key issues considered
involving tenants in value for money • intentions to work with tenants “locally” • tenant management as a “local offer” • equality & diversity – the missing strands • tenants don’t need to worry about governance and viability – you can take our word for it Key issues considered
published in March - short paper version & longer more detailed version on websites • we are asking landlords to print the full report off for tenants… • but the TSA will print them off for tenants if landlords won’t – plus will do translations The report
Tenant panels & annual reportsNic Bliss07947 019287nic@cch.coop