Contact Us on 01206 244700
Resident Involvement
Our residents are at the heart of everything that we do. Staying in touch with residents' views is really important to us, and we try and do this in many different ways.
If you'd like to have your say about how we provide our services, or get involved in how the Society is run, we'd love to hear from you. Here are some of the options available:
- Estate Representatives
- Residents Forum
- Tenants or Residents Associations
- Resident Contact Database
- Board Membership
- Equality & Diversity Forum
- Environmental group
Residents' Forum
Please note that the next Residents' Forum is to be held on 17th March 2010 at 6.00pm at Greenstead Community Centre, Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3QE.
Our Residents' Forum is the place to come if you want to get involved in the bigger issues that affect residents. The Forum meets four times a year and its purpose is to:
- comment on and recommend changes to our policies, like our repairs policy or our policy for tackling anti-social behaviour
- look at our performance and suggest where we can improve
- discuss significant changes to our services, for example, rent settings, or changes to how services are delivered.
For more details about the Residents' Forum contact James Scott on 01206 244717 or e-mail getinvolved@colnehousing.co.uk.
Dates and venues for future resident forums are as follows:
16th June 2010 at 6.00pm at The Linton Room, West Maldon Community Centre, Sunbury Way, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6YH
If you are able to attend any or all of the above forums please e-mail James Scott or alternatively contact him on 01206 244717 to confirm your attendance.
Notes of our Residents Forum are taken and available below for your information:
17th June 2009
10th March 2009
17th December 2008
Meet the Board
It was agreed at Operations Committee on 14th July 2009 that increasing contact between residents and board members would be beneficial to both the Society and to residents. With this in mind, we will be holding a ‘Meet the Board’ event at our offices on Tuesday 13th October 2009 at 12 noon. The event will last approximately one hour.
Residents that wish to attend should inform us of the topics they wish to discuss with board members in advance. If you wish to attend, please contact James Scott, Resident Involvement Officer, on 01206 244717 or at james.scott@colnehousing.co.uk, and let him know what you would like to discuss.
The event is intended to be relaxed and informal. A buffet lunch will be provided.
Residents' Environmental Group
Are you interested in environmental issues? Well, why not join our Residents’ Environmental Group?! The Residents’ Environmental Group meets three times a year to discuss the Society’s environmental priorities as we are really keen to find out what you think about these issues. If you would like to join the group please call James Scott on 01206 244717 (Mondays and Tuesdays), or Customer Services on 01206 244700 to let us know that you would like to get involved. Alternatively you can e-mail james.scott@colnehousing.co.uk or fill in the reply slip on the flyer and return it to us so that we can invite you to future meetings.
The next meeting is on Monday 22nd February 2010 at 7.00pm and will be held at the Old Heath Community Centre, D'Arcy Road, Old Heath, Colchester, Essex CO2 8BB. Light refreshments will be provided.
Get involved with the National Tenant Voice Project
Background
Professor Martin Cave's Review of the Regulation of Social Housing recommended that Communities and Local Government (CLG) should establish a National Tenant Voice (NTV) to sit alongside the new social housing regulator the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), to give tenants a voice, influence and expertise at a national level.
The National Tenant Voice will enable tenants to influence national policy. It will be accountable to tenants, and aims to be inspirational and dynamic, reflecting the views of tenants sought through consultation and research. It will celebrate the diversity of tenants and communities.
There will be 50 members of the NTV council. 26 of these will be recruited via an open recruitment process. The other 24 will be nominated by tenant organisations. These are unpaid voluntary posts (travel expenses will be covered), requiring attendance at a minimum of 4 meetings per year. The recruitment campaign will be run throughout September to mid-October 2009, with regional interviews carried out thereafter, with a view to making the final appointments in late November 2009.
Anyone who is a tenant of social housing (including supported housing) can apply, and to be really effective the NTV will need to include tenants from a broad range of backgrounds (ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender, age, location, landlord type etc). The aim therefore is to encourage applications from as wide an audience as possible. No previous experience or particular qualifications are required – they are looking for people who are representative of their community and are interested in having their say on national housing policy. As long as you are able to express your opinions, listen to the views of others and have a desire to influence housing policy at national level, you can apply.
The Recruitment Campaign
The application process will be open from 1st September until 16th October 2009, after which a series of regionally based meetings will be held, with a view to appointing the 26 tenant members in late November. Hays Social Housing have been appointed to undertake the recruitment process and have developed a recruitment microsite (www.hays.com/jobs/ntv) hosting the application process. You can also apply by telephone on 0800 917 7396.
For more information please download the National Tenant Voice poster.
Estate Representatives
What is an Estate Representative? Being an estate rep is a great way to help improve your local neighbourhood. The role involves being in touch with your Housing Officer regularly, reporting neighbourhood problems like abandoned cars and giving us feedback on how our gardeners and cleaners are performing. As an Estate Representative, you are our link to the day to day issues of our estates and developments.
How much time do I need to give as an Estate Rep? Give as much or as little time as you like. It is up to Estate Reps to contact Colne Housing as and when they wish, although your Housing Officer will usually contact you once a month.
Will I be paid for my time? Colne Housing will help out by paying a contribution of £20 once every three months towards your telephone line rental.
How do Estate Reps contact Colne Housing? It's up to you. We would prefer telephone contact, but if this isn't possible, you can use post, fax or e-mail. There are also regular meetings between Housing Officers and Estate Reps.
What other assistance will I be given? You would be provided with the names and telephone numbers of Colne Housing staff for each of the services the Society provides. In addition, you would also have the contact details of services provided by the local council, police and details of other Estate Reps (with their permission).
If you want to find out more please telephone 01206 244700 or e-mail getinvolved@colnehousing.co.uk.
Residents' Associations
What is a Residents Association? These are groups of local residents who hold regular meetings to discuss issues concerning their neighbourhood. Some also organise social and fund raising events.
How do I form a Residents Association? Talk to your neighbours and then contact Colne Housing on 01206 244700 or at getinvolved@colnehousing.co.uk. We will give you all the help and advice you need, including training on how to run meetings, setting up your Association's constitution and lots of other practical tips.
Resident Contact Database
We invite all of our residents to offer feedback in a variety of ways. This could include taking part in a survey (postal, telephone or online) or being part of a focus group to study a specific issue. If you are happy to answer some questions from time to time, give your views or maybe take part in a small project, let us know by telephoning 01206 244719 or e-mailing getinvolved@colnehousing.co.uk and we will add you to our Resident Contact Database.
Board Membership
Colne has a long history of tenants being part of the Board that runs Colne. We aim to have up to four resident board members at any one time. As a Board member you can have an important say in how the Society is run. If you want to find out more contact us on 01206 244719 or e-mail getinvolved@colnehousing.co.uk.
Equality & Diversity Forum
Residents with a particular interest in equality and diversity issues are invited to join our Equality & Diversity Forum. The aim of the Forum is to:
- review and comment upon diversity issues
- agree policies, procedures
- review publications
- consider complaints relating to discrimination on the basis of inequality
- agree the Society's response to government guidance and case law, as well as set targets and develop new initiatives to improve performance in this area.
Meetings are held three times a year. For more information contact us on 01206 244719 or e-mail getinvolved@colnehousing.co.uk.
