Resources and support for tenants

Our Resident Involvement officer and Housing officers will provide advice and guidance to tenants and leaseholders that want to get involved. They will also actively encourage those tenants who have not previously had the opportunity of being involved, including those ‘hard to reach’ groups.

Opportunities will be provided for tenants and leaseholders to receive appropriate training and the Council will support joint training of staff, tenants, leaseholders and councillors wherever possible.

Tenants and leaseholders participating in meetings organised by the council may claim reasonable travel expenses, childcare and other care expenses incurred.

The Council will support recognised residents associations financially by providing facilities such as meeting rooms, photocopying and printing of flyers and association newsletters.

In order to meet the commitments set out in this Agreement and the Action Plan, Thanet District Council have committed a resident involvement budget for 2007/2008.

In addition, residents groups will have the opportunity to apply for an annual resident involvement grant fund of £30,000 in 2007/2008. The Tenants and Leaseholders Consultation Forum will consider all applications and award funding.

Standards of meetings

Informal and formal meetings, whether they are organised by the Council or a recognised residents association, should:

• Be publicised effectively and in good time.
• Be held at a suitable time and accessible venue.
• Have clear objectives.
• Develop an action plan to deal with matters arising.
• Have arrangements for reporting feedback to those who took part and other tenants and leaseholders appropriately.
• In the case of formal meetings, should be properly chaired and conducted in a fair and democratic way.

Standards for tenant representatives

Individual tenants and leaseholders that want to get involved as a member of the Tenants and Leaseholders

Consultation Forum will have the opportunity to stand for election every three years. The current Forum members developed a criteria for tenant representatives, which is set out in the Residents Election Pack.

Standards for residents associations

In order for a residents group to be recognised by the council, they must adopt a fair and democratic constitution and must include:

• An agreement to encourage participation and represent all tenants and residents within the designated area.
• An equal opportunities statement.
• A statement of political neutrality.
• Arrangements to democratically elect committee members at a public annual general meeting (AGM).
• Keep financial records, which are independently checked and reported upon at the AGM.
• Records (minutes) kept of meetings held.
• Provide feedback to its members by regular newsletters, meetings and informal contact.

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