[KF] The recruitment company Hays Social Housing is working with Communities and Local Government (CLG) and an advisory tenant-majority project group on a nationwide campaign to recruit 26 tenants to sit on the newly formed National Tenant Council, which will be an important part of the National Tenant Voice.
Any social housing tenant can apply and the task of Hay Social Housing is to find candidates from a variety of regions across England.
The National Tenant Voice was the brainchild of Professor Martin Cave, whose Every Tenant Matters report on social housing regulation highlighted the need for tenants to have their say at a national level.
A tenant-led project group set up by CLG recommended that the National Tenant Voice be an independent organisation controlled by tenants, and included a National Tenant Council made up of 50 tenants. Of these, 24 will be nominated by existing tenants' organisations and 26 positions are currently being recruited.
Matt Lewis, Business Director at Hays Social Housing, commented:
"This unique and challenging project aims to provide a platform where the people who matter will be able to air their views. We are hopeful that we will receive applications from every region across England."
Richard Crossley, responsible for co-ordinating the setting up of the National Tenant Voice, said:
"Our vision is for the National Tenant Council to reflect the strength, diversity and vibrancy of social housing tenants. It will meet every three months or so, and will debate and put forward its views on the major issues that affect tenants."
For further information or to apply for a role visit: www.hays.com/jobs/ntv.
Tenants Recruited for National Tenants Council
Thirty-seven innovative housing projects from across the country, which involve the development of local standards between landlords and their tenants to improve services, have been selected as local standards pilots by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA).
The successful projects will benefit tenants living in 380,000 homes and will see landlords working on a wide range of projects that involve tenants playing a key role in agreeing local targets that reflect priorities and needs.
Some 185 organisations - which include local authorities, co-operatives and housing associations answered the TSA's - invitation to bid for funding of up to £9,000 to support the development of agreements between landlords and their tenants in formulating 'local deals'. Grants totalling £281,000 have been awarded.
One of the projects benefiting from this cash is being undertaken by the Bristol Housing Partnership. The partnership is between the City's housing associations, Council and the Bristol-wide housing association tenants' network. It will ensure that disabled tenants have the same levels of access to services and the support they need to live in their homes, by developing a common standard which provides greater transparency and holds landlords to account.
Other examples of the successful bidders include:
Bromford Group and Homezone Living. This project is aimed at developing a standard around the access needs of groups who are at risk from encountering barriers to the allocation of homes. This includes vulnerable, older and disabled people, people with learning disabilities and those leaving care.
The aim is to provide greater choice and flexibility and a wider range of housing options for tenants, which will ultimately provide a set of standards to help judge the success of the service.
Moat aims to develop a new inspection regime in each of its estates in Merton. This will include an estate award pilot and estate champions. Starting in Pollards Hill, a bi-monthly inspection will be carried out and will be giving a gold, silver or bronze rating. The inspections will cover safety, security and fly-tipping.
Tenants will receive training and support from an external consultancy to help challenge the services they receive, and to agree local standards for their estates.
