1. Tenant Involvement and Empowerment

1.1 Customer service and choice

We work with residents to provide a first class housing service that responds to your needs. We will agree our aims and targets with you and report on our performance so you can ensure that we are performing.

Contacting us

Wide ranges of options to choose from if you need to contact the Landlord Services team:

Phone

Your local notice boards and newsletters hold the direct telephone number and e-mail address of the officers who work with in your area enabling you to get through to the right person first time. Free phone facilities are available at our Gateway office in Margate and our District office in Ramsgate.

• Visit us at your local housing surgery, repair surgery or estate walkabout.
• Write to us – when we ask our tenants to provide information to us we provide them with Freepost envelope
• E-mail. housing@thanet.gov.uk  or e-mail individual officers direct.
• Visit our housing section which had 27,045 visitors in 2009/2010.
• Free phone repair line 0800 0234 320
• Out of hours call centre for emergencies 01843 292442
• Rent can be paid at the Gateway office, Paypoint card, website, and phone or by standing order.
• We can arrange to visit you at home.

These are complimented by the extended opening houses of the Gateway office, which also provides information about other services, such as Housing Benefits, Council Tax and Social Services.

Customer service standard

We will always try to help you at your first point of contact with us, either by phone or in person. However, if we are unable to do so, we will take your details and get the right person to contact you as soon as possible.

We have set up a range of customer service standards, which we aim to deliver to you:

• We will answer your telephone call within four rings stating our name and the service area we work for
• Our voice mail messages will be responded to within 24 hours of returning to the office
• For complicated enquiries we can book you an appointment to see a specialist officer to discuss your needs in person
• Your letters and emails will be acknowledged within three working days and responded to fully within 10 working days (some individual service areas may have different legislative requirements)
• We will respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests within 20 working days

Residents’ Charter

Our Residents’ Charter outlines some of the Council’s most important service standards, together with an A to Z of useful telephone numbers. This Charter was put together with help from the Community Matters Residents’ Panel and the Tenants and Leaseholders Consultation Forum who gave ideas on the content, style and name of the document.

Our Residents' Charter explains what you can expect from your Council in our main customer facing services:

• Collecting your rubbish and recycling
• How we deal with your benefits enquiry
• Are you getting everything you are entitled to?
• Your Council Tax
• Help with your housing
• Your planning needs
• Your right to equal treatment

Keeping you informed

We provide you with information using a wide range of media:

• New home packs for new tenants
• Tenancy conditions and Leaseholder handbook
• Tenants & Leaseholders Consultation Agreement (Compact)
• Your Say quarterly newsletter and ad hoc local newsletters
• Local community notice boards
• Service Information leaflets
• Events
• Attend resident meetings outside of office hours
• Monthly rent statements for tenants in arrears and quarterly statements for those tenants not on arrears.
• Housing web pages

Our information can be provided in a range of formats, Braille, large print, CD and other languages upon request.

Tenants are involved in helping us produce the information we provide to you via editorial boards and focus groups. We regularly ask tenants and leaseholders how satisfied they are with the different parts of the services we provide. Tenants and staff have recently attended Peer training which will be utilised to monitor and score the performance in partnership with our neighbouring social housing providers. The Customer Service and Landlord Services team receive diversity training, customer care training and refresher courses.

Choice

The council operates a Choice base lettings system for residents on the Housing Register and current tenants wanting to transfer to another property. Residents are currently reviewing Thanet’s Lettings Policy.

New tenants have a choice of 21 paint colours from Crown who deliver the paint and decorating tools direct to your door.

Current tenants can purchase a wide range of decorative materials from Crown using their ‘Residents Discount Card’. Where communal areas are redecorated tenants and leaseholders choose the colour schemes.

In addition current tenants have a choice of design, finishes and colours when their kitchen is renewed.

Contractors – tenants are involved in selecting new contractors. Tenants recently selected a new repair contractor and have had a significant input into the content of the responsive repair contract.

Tenants have a choice of appointment time when accessing the repair service.

Budgets

Thanet Tenant and Leaseholder Forum has full control of the Tenant Participation Grant fund and consider applications from communities. In addition estate improvement suggestions from tenants and leaseholders are paid from the Estate Improvement budget.

What you have told us

We regularly ask you how satisfied you are with various parts of the service. This is what you have told us about customer service and choice:

Status Survey 2009

• Contact us by telephone is the most popular method
• Tenants prefer the Council to contact them by letter
• 69% of tenants surveyed found it easy to get hold of the right person
• 78% found staff helpful with 72% feeling staff dealt with their query or problem
• 64% were satisfied with the final outcome of their enquiry or problem

Equalities and diversity

We do all we can to make sure our services are open, welcoming and easy to use for people of every age, religion or faith, gender including transgender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, and people with disabilities or care and support needs. We achieve this by having, for example:-

• Staff have undertaken diversity and mental health awareness training.
• We have accessible offices that meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act, and offering home visits
• All of our tower blocks comply with the disability discrimination act for entry purposes.
• Hearing loops in interview rooms, reception and big button phones, textphone and a computer for public use on request.

We also:

• remove racist or hate graffiti within 24 hours
• arrange support for victims of hate crime and domestic violence
• comply with the CRE (now Commission for Equality and Human Rights) code of practice for racial equality in housing

100% of tenants from a black and minority ethnic (BME) background have indicated they are satisfied with the overall service.

The Housing Officers work with tenants with complex support needs, co-ordinating services from professionals such as social workers, health specialists and the police to reduce anti-social behaviour and resolve issues without the need for court action or eviction.

1.2 Involvement and empowerment

We will make sure that all tenants and leaseholders have an equal opportunity to influence decisions on all matters concerning the management of their homes. We recognise that meaningful tenant and leaseholder participation can achieve quality improvements in the housing service.

Consultation Standard

Consultation procedures will vary according to:

• The subject of the consultation, which may for example be an improvement or repair scheme, a regeneration initiative or a strategic issue.
• The people to be consulted, which might be a whole estate or specific individuals.
• Particular circumstances. There might be specific local issues, environmental considerations, related legislation or guidance to take into account.

The Council will aim to achieve the following standards where appropriate:

• Affected tenants, leaseholders and their recognised associations will be formally notified of consultations taking place in their area.
• Public meetings may be held to discuss how the issue will be progressed.
• A steering group may be established which involves tenants, leaseholder and residents affected.
• Information regarding who to contact, how to complain during the process and any planned timetable will be provided to all affected.
• Regular and timely updates and advice will be provided to everyone affected and involved on lengthy projects.
• Opportunities for choice will be identified and offered where appropriate.
• Those involved will be asked to evaluate the consultation at the end of the process.
• Those consulted will be informed of the outcome of any consultation.
• A variety of methods will be used to reach as many people as possible.

Opportunities to get involved

The opportunities to get involved are listed in the Tenants and Leaseholders Consultation Agreement. Detail is also provided of the level of involvement and commitment needed ranging from low to high, formal and informal.

Methods of consultation

• Postal, web or telephone survey
• Write or e-mail us
• Housing surgeries
• Repair Surgeries
• Estate/area walkabouts
• Focus groups
• Road shows and events
• Suggestion boxes

Our resident groups

Thanet Tenants and Leaseholders Forum (TTLF). The Forum membership is an elected one (latest election held early 2010). All tenants and leaseholders are given the opportunity to stand or elect a tenant or leaseholder onto the Forum body every 3 years. Residents agreed a Terms of Reference for the Forum, which included number of members, a criteria for members, meeting standards and a code of conduct. This newly elected group has set priorities for service monitoring and scrutiny.

They have also decided upon the performance information they wish to scrutinise on a bi monthly base. When making decisions on service improvements they consider the wider consultation results, information from other tenant groups and inspectors. The Forum awards the Tenant Participation Grant funding, which communities can apply for.

Wider tenants can contact the Forum via e-mail ttlf@thanet.gov.uk.

Thanet Repair Group

This group was formed following the tenant’s involvement in selecting the repair contractor. Its purpose is to specifically monitor and scrutinise their performance and work with them to develop the service to meet the needs and aspirations of the wider tenants.

Tenant Void Group

This group is currently reviewing the standard of our properties before they are re-let. They instigated the review of the decorating voucher system for new tenants, which is now provided by Crown. The new system gives tenant more choice and provides better value for money.

Joint Tenant and Leaseholder Group (JTLG)

This group is made up of three tenants and leaseholders form the East Kent local authorities who still have council housing stock, Canterbury, Dover Thanet and Shepway. Three representatives from the TTLF are members of the JTLG. The JTLG has been formed to work on the proposed ALMO.

Tenant editorial board

The editorial board assists with the content of the quarterly newsletter Your Say that is sent to both tenants and leaseholders. In 2009 they shaped the design of the Annual report into a calendar to provide key performance information to tenants and leaseholders. The cost to produce Your Say and annual report calendar in 2009/10 was £8515.44.

The Centre Re-development steering group

This group of residents has been fundamental in the selection of the RSL they wanted to work with to re-develop the area, which suffered from crime and anti-social behaviour. They have had a vast input into the re-development plans that have now been agreed with out planning department.

Friends of Whitehall Rec

This group of residents are working in partnership with the Whitehall Project Group which includes Thanet District Council, Hyde Housing, Orbit, Fegans and Community Wardens. The group agreed to be involved in discussions and decisions on the future of the Whitehall Recreational Ground.

Thanet Tenant Peer Group

A group of tenants have recently received training on inspecting other LA’s, initially communal areas. Cross inspections are due to commence in September.

ASB Champions

A group of residents from the Millmead area of Margate attended training on Anti Social Behaviour and the tools used to tackle it. They received £10,000 funding from Communities and Local Government department for projects relating to ASB in their area. They decided upon three main projects:

• Improve CCTV coverage in the area
• Hold a family fun day to bring the community together on the communal green. They invited, various agencies, Fire Service, Police who tagged bikes, RSPCA who micro chipped dogs, Pie Factory and Sport 4 ERG team who engaged local teenagers.
• Producing a film about Millmead and the effects ASB has and is having on the community and to raise awareness.

Service Review Groups

Tenants and leaseholders indicated the areas of services they are particularly interested in. Groups of residents from Thanet and the neighbouring authorities met to compare standards and identify priorities and aspirations within service areas.

Keeping you informed about tenant involvement

We use a range of ways to keep you informed of the opportunities to get involved and to provide feedback on consultations.

• Your Say
• Local newsletters
• Annual Report
• Community notice boards
• Information leaflets
• Housing and repair surgeries
• Resident Association meetings
• tenant participation pages

Maximising Involvement

Each year we ask you how you’d like to be involved and in which service areas. On consultation surveys and events tenants are asked if they’d like to be further involved in the project or service improvement.

We hold this information on a database and use it to involve tenants in a way that suits them and that they are interested in.

In 2010 an annual draw was introduced to raise involvement levels. Our contractors and local businesses have donated prizes. Every tenant and leaseholder will be entered into the draw every time they participate in a consultation.

Supporting and empowering

One full time tenant participation officer and one part-time tenant participation assistant supports the tenant groups. In addition our new repair contractor had committed to employing a full time Customer Care officer to support involvement in the repair service.

Thanet are members of the South East Kent Tenant Participation Forum (SEKTP) The Forum provide networking opportunities for tenant participation/resident involvement officers. In addition the Forum members join to facilitate training and conferences for their tenants and leaseholders maximising value for money. In 2009/2010 £1539.91 was spent on training courses.

This year our repair contractor has partnered with InSTEP and committed to part funding 8 InSTEP training sessions for tenants. Tenants helped select the courses, which will be delivered over the next 18 months.

• Anti-Social Behaviour Workshop: A Tenant’s Perspective
• Energy Awareness for Tenants
• How Can I Make a Difference? An Introduction to Tenant Involvement
• Mystery Shopping and Being a Tenant Inspector: A tenants guide
• Tenant Involvement in Day to Day Repairs
• Tenant Involvement in Services: A Customer Services Guide
• Working as a Group: Make a Difference Together
• Working with Contractors

Tenants and leaseholders attending training or meetings are paid travel, childcare and other carer expenses incurred. Our involved tenants voted against being paid for attending meetings.

Meeting venues with disabled access and hearing loop systems (when required) are provided for our resident groups. In addition printing of flyers, newsletters and photocopying is also provided.

• £205.99 was claimed in expenses by tenants
• £539.24 was spent on providing travel for tenants and leaseholders attending meetings.
• £561.80 was spent on hiring meeting venues and refreshments for tenants meetings.

Tenants were involved in selecting a company to provide independent tenant advice through out the proposed change to the management of their homes (ALMO) Arms Length Management Organisation and are currently supported by an Independent Tenant Advisor from (TPAS) Tenant Participation Advisory service.

To empower residents the Tenant Participation Grant Fund is available to enable them to improve their communities. The fund is awarded by the TTLF. In addition our repair contractor provides free labour to community projects.

In 2009/2010 the grant fund provided £20,180.34 to tenant groups and agencies helping them to deliver projects that benefited the local community.

• Newington community Centre received funding for a community computer facility.
• PCSO’s from Millmead received funding for sports equipment to enable activities for teenagers.
• Chatham Court residents received funding to improve their bin storage to enable recycling collections, and lighting.
• Funding was also used to upgrade and install new community notice boards.

What you have told us

We regularly ask you how satisfied you are with various parts of the service. This is what you have told us about tenant involvement and empowerment:

Status Survey 2009

• When consulting and informing tenants 84% preferred to contact by letter 36% by newsletter and 27% by telephone.
• Only 58% were satisfied that their views are being taken into account.
• Tenants feel Landlord Services are good to some extend at keeping them informed 77% but are less satisfied with how their views are taken into account 58%

Consulting and establishing ‘Local Offers’ by 1 April 2011

As well as meeting the TSA’s national standards, the TSA requires landlords to agree local standards with tenants, which reflect your local priorities.  It calls these ‘local offers’

Using the information you have already told us we will draft local offers and consult further to establish local priorities. We will give every tenant the opportunity to have a say.  We will use surveys to collect the information with wider opportunities to discuss the offers via e-mail, telephone and website.

We will use our resident database and Thanet Tenant and Leaseholder Forum to agree local offers and a monitoring/scrutinising mechanism for tenants.

Agree a method for reviewing the local offers and producing future annual reports

Monitoring and scrutinising our performance

• We will utilise our tenants groups, tenant inspectors and mystery shoppers to test the services provided and measure them against the standards and local offers.
• We will publish the results of consultations carried out in relation to the national standards and local offers in your quarterly newsletter ‘Your Say’
• We will publish a regular ‘You Said, We Did’ article in the Your Say and in community notice boards.
• We will publish performance reports using a wide range of media.

If you would like to get involved in the monitoring and scrutinising of our standards contact the Tenant Participation Officer by calling 01843 577221.

1.3 Responding to complaints

Thanet District Council wants to provide the best service it can to the Community.

We will not always get it right and we need you to tell us where things go wrong so that we can improve for the future. If you are in any way dissatisfied with the services we provide, or would simply like to make a suggestion, please let us know. Our complaints procedure is advertised in a leaflet and on our website. 

A complaint can be made:

• In person at Thanet Gateway
• By telephone
• By e-mail
• By letter or feedback form
• On line

The procedure/policy tells residents how their compliment or complaint will be dealt with giving time scales.  It also tells them how to take their compliant to the Local Government Ombudsman if they are unhappy with the response from the Council.

Our repair contractor has adopted the same complaints procedure, which was recommended by tenants, and the results are regularly feedback to tenants.  Our tenants group have also helped us develop a compensation policy. In 2009/2010 52 complaints were received.  39 of these complaints were about the repair service.

Changes we have made as a result of complaints

• Condensation and damp procedure and information leaflet has been developed.
• Procedures for dealing with domestic violence (DV) cases have changed and staff attended DV training.
• Upgrade of CCTV cameras in blocks.
• Installation program for the upgrade of communal satellite TV.

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