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Community Engagement Strategy

2019-23

ENGAGE EMPOWER INNOVATE DELIVER

O U R V I S I O N I S :

O U R VA L U E S A R E :

TO CREATE THRIVING COMMUNITIES AND PLACES PEOPLE ARE PROUD TO CALL HOME

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C O N T E N T S1. STRATEGY OVERVIEW AND AIMS2. ENGAGEMENT3. INVESTMENT4. HOW DOES THE STRATEGY LINK TO

OUR AMBITIONS?5. MONITORING AND REVIEW6. DEVELOPING THE STRATEGY

A P P E N D I C E S1. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 2. CONSULTATION

STRATEGY OVERVIEW AND AIMS The importance of community engagement is recognised nationally. The Localism Act 2011 introduced new rights and powers for communities. The Social Housing Green Paper and the “see the person” campaign has increased focus on resident involvement. Austerity and public sector cuts have affected the amount of investment opportunities available to our residents.

Locally, Lewisham is a growing borough with 303,500 residents in 2018. A quarter of the population is under 19, and the birth rate is higher than other London boroughs. Lewisham is also a diverse borough with residents from more than 75 nationalities, 47.4% of residents in 2013 were from BAME backgrounds. This is predicted to increase and 65% of residents aged under 19 are from BAME backgrounds. We need to ensure we take into account the demographics of our borough, and engage with a representative group of our residents.

This document sets out our strategic approach to Community Engagement in line with our 2019-2022 Corporate Plan. This strategy will enable us to plan and deliver inclusive and comprehensive community engagement, allowing us to improve our customer’s journey and help meet our objectives.

The strategy will focus on two key strands – engagement and investment and will be linked to our corporate ambitions, which are:

Landlord

Consistently delivering an excellent and reliable customer experience

Placemaker

Building and investing in safe and sustainable homes and neighbourhoods

Employer

Creating an inclusive team and a place to do great work

Partner

Working in partnership to improve life chances

Enterprise

Being an efficient high performing business, maximising opportunities so we can deliver more

We have consulted with 794 residents and spoken to our board members, stakeholders, partners and staff about this strategy. We have also engaged the Tenants Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) to provide advice on best practice and innovation in the sector.

Our main learning points from the consultation were residents:

• felt they were not listened to enough

• find it hard to contact the right people

• want more resident-led activities and more activities for young people

• want more services for their communities and sustainment of existing activities

Based on this our focus over the next three years will be on achieving the following outcomes:

• Improved communication with residents and partners

• A variety of ways and methods of engagement that suit our resident base

• Ensuring our community projects and services are self-managing and sustainable

We will focus on the following objectives to enable us to deliver these outcomes to:

• improve the scope of our engagement (digital, including social media, written and face to face options)

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Where we want to beTo achieve excellent services we need to understand what matters to residents and what they would like to be improved. We need to reach out and engage with more residents, and particularly a more diverse and representative group. We want to be a listening and learning organisation with transparent, easy to access information that allows for constructive feedback. We will have a Listen, Learn, Repeat approach to service improvement.

Our current approach to engagement is heavily reliant on TRAs, REP and evening meetings. We spend a significant amount of time attending these meetings, but they are not always representative of our residents. We will review our approach and the way we engage with TRAs. We want to make REP more representative, and less focused on TRA membership.

We want to use our resources more effectively to ensure we reach a greater cross section of residents. We will focus on improving engagement with young people, those with English as a second language and residents with disabilities. We also recognise engagement with leaseholders is an area we want to continue to work on improvement.

We will

• Place a greater emphasis on promoting what we do well, and what we have improved in response to resident feedback.

• Utilise technology to host online forums/ panels and will reach out specifically to underrepresented groups. We will also develop and improve the resident’s portal enabling more access to information and increasing usage.

• Increase the amount of non-statutory consultation with all residents (tenure blind) about major works and improvements to our estates.

• Have a resident engagement plan for all high-rise blocks

• Continue to support consultations and community engagement around building new homes.

• Engage residents with the procurement of large contracts, offering training and the skills to sit on a procurement panel.

• Review and tailor our offer to TRAs, recognising they are independent organisations. Provide information and problem solving routes in a more cost effective way.

• Increase the scrutiny opportunities for residents. Use a mixture of deep dives through the Resident Scrutiny Committee and one off “bootcamps”

• listen to a wider group of residents, representative of our overall resident demographic

• provide effective ways for residents to influence service quality and strategic direction

• allow residents to decide how the community investment budget is allocated and which community projects are funded

• communicate outcomes of engagement and investment with stakeholders

ENGAGEMENTEngagement is a planned process of working with our residents, and encouraging them to be part of decisions that affect their community.

We want residents to be involved at every level, actively participating in decision-making and shaping the services we deliver. We recognise we have a long-term relationship with the majority of our residents, and we want them to trust us and have confidence in our services.

Where we are nowWe have a formal engagement structure, which includes:

• Places on our Board for seven resident members, out of the 15 available

• Resident Engagement Panel (REP) – a forum for involved residents, mainly made up of Tenant and Resident Association representatives

• Resident Scrutiny Committee (RSC) – where residents look in detail at specific issues or performance issues identified by REP

• Tenant and Resident Associations (TRAs) - we have 27 currently. They access funding from the Lewisham Tenant’s Fund

Since January 2018, we’ve had a dedicated Community Relations Team. Part of their role has been to support the formal engagement framework. Our Housing Management team also help to support our TRAs. In contrast to the industry trend, we have seen an increase in the number of TRAs being set up. This is in part due to the support from Lewisham Tenant’s Fund, as they have a dedicated officer to encourage this.

We consult with residents through regular satisfaction surveys. We have carried out service specific consultations in a number of areas including green spaces, stock investment, anti-social behaviour and signage. We have carried out formal and informal consultation around building new homes.

We communicate with residents through our website, bi-monthly e-newsletter, weekly TRA emails, posters and utilising social media. We ensure projects and community engagement activities are promoted in Lewisham Homes’ bi-annual HOME magazine and on our social media. Our online portal allows residents to access information and update details. Currently 33.5% of our residents are registered.

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• Maintain our formal engagement structures, including the Resident Engagement Panel and the Resident Scrutiny Committee. These are formal strategic forums to consult with our residents, but we want to review how residents are part of this.

INVESTMENTCommunity investment is a way to support residents to add value, create positive opportunities and encourage change to build resilient communities.

We want to make sure our community investments are sustainable, provide value for money and deliver the best results for residents - supporting thriving communities and places people are proud to call home.

We will ensure our projects focus on deliverable and measureable outcomes that benefit our residents. We will review and evaluate all projects using appropriate methodologies and impact measurement tools, to ensure value for money.

Where we are nowTo support our engagement and develop positive community relations we facilitate a range of projects and programmes. These have been focused on four themes and cover a range of community activities that benefit young people, older people and families.

Health and Wellbeing

Gardening programmes, intergenerational projects, youth residential, Love 2 Dance, Meet Me at the Albany, Cookery

Digital

Coding course, digital skills for work project and digital training for independent living residents

Financial

Community store, South East London Community Energy partnership, budgeting courses

Employment

Jobs fair, partnership with employment support agencies, attendance at school careers days, youth conference, national careers service drop in, training courses for residents. Changemakers programme (to support the set-up of social enterprises)

Most of our programmes are free to residents, which is especially helpful for those on low incomes.

We fund other activities through a variety of sources

• £150,000 per year made available from our management fee

• Funding from Lewisham Tenant’s Fund (£15k in 2018-19, £4.4k in 2019-20)

• Funding from contractors as part of their social value commitment

• Independent and joint funding bids (eg. creative ageing and digital skills for work)

In July 2019, we signed the Lewisham Deal. This is an agreement to work together with partners to provide more local apprenticeships, promote the Living Wage and create opportunities for local businesses to trade.

Where we want to beThrough our consultation for this strategy, residents have told us they want us to focus our investment on four key themes:

1. Providing training and employment opportunities for residents

2. Delivering activities for young people, to improve life chances and reduce anti-social behaviour

3. Offering digital support to improve skills and assist with employment and benefit claims

4. Improving health and wellbeing of our residents

Residents have told us they want more input in how funding is allocated, and want to enable community empowerment to support delivery of community projects.

We will:

• Create a Community Investment Fund and increase the money available incrementally over the next three years

• Create a Resident Community Investment Panel (representative of our resident demographic) to decide how to spend the Community Investment Fund.

• Ensure social value is a key part of the evaluation of all contract tenders.

• Increase the number of apprenticeships we offer to Lewisham residents

• Create a register of social value commitments and ensure this is a key part of all contract management.

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• Give staff one day a year to volunteer their time to “give back” in the borough

• Provide opportunities for the development of social enterprises and encouragement of new community projects in the community spaces we manage.

• Continue to work in partnership with organisations and stakeholders to deliver projects, outcomes and provide publicity and funding.

• Bid for appropriate external funding to enable us to deliver projects that meet our corporate priorities.

HOW DOES THE STRATEGY LINK TO OUR AMBITIONS?Landlord

By engaging with a representative group of residents, and listening to their feedback we will ensure our services deliver what residents tell us they want. By involving residents in the scrutiny of our services and being transparent we will improve trust and encourage further feedback.

Placemaker

To ensure there are thriving communities, we will develop strong partnerships with relevant stakeholders. Good community engagement will facilitate our aim to build 1000 new council homes by 2022.

Employer

Staff from all areas of the business will be involved in engagement activities and will receive customer care training. This provides a focus on the resident experience and allows us to deliver the aims of our Customer Experience strategy.

Partner

To maximise our investment we will work in partnership with key agencies who can deliver more than we could on our own. We will use social value and funding bids so we can deliver more. We will get good value from the community investment programme, ensuring the aims and outcomes are clear, measurable and deliverable.

Enterprise

To deliver more we will maximise our relationships with contractors and partners. Providing measurable and quality social value that gives back to our communities in ways residents want. We will continue to support social entrepreneurs and work with local community groups to support our priorities in unique and exciting ways.

Objectives Monitoring OutcomeTo improve the scope of our engagement

Clear communications plan for each engagement activity

Increased and varied use of communication tools

To listen to a wider group of residents, representative of our overall resident demographic

Record who attends engagement activities and compare this to Lewisham Homes’ residents overall demographic.

Increased engagement of currently underrepresented residents

Proactively target and advertise opportunities to underrepresented groups

To provide effective ways for residents to influence service quality and strategic direction

Monitor who feeds back through the current formal engagement structures

Increase in residents who are currently not engaged, taking part in formal engagement activities

Diversify the formal opportunities available

To give residents a say on how the community investment budget is allocated and which community projects are funded

Targeted recruitment process for investment panel that identifies and proactively engages underrepresented residents

Panel who make decisions on community investment spend is made up of a cross section of residents.

To communicate outcomes of engagement and investment with stakeholders

Details on the communications plan of how the outcome of the project will be shared with stakeholders

Promotion of community programs and outcomes through email, HOME magazine and using other communication methods

Annual report of community engagement activities

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MONITORING AND REVIEWWe will monitor and review to ensure the strategy continues to meet its objectives and provide improved outcomes

We will formally review this strategy in 2023. This is in line with the regulatory framework.

We will amend and review policies and procedures linked to the strategy to ensure we keep abreast of development with new regulatory standards and policies.

We will measure the delivery of the strategy in line with the action plan (appendix 1) alongside other activities including:

• Resident satisfaction surveys

• Project evaluations

• Annual report

ITEM DETAIL MISSION/ VALUE DATEContinue and develop training programmes for residents

Continue with improving and introducing housing services course. Develop training offer in partnership with local providers. Encourage and follow up on beneficaries. Evaluate and grow Changemaker program.

Working in partnership to improve life chances (Partner)

Mar 22

Develop consultation and engagement framework

This will be used to ensure effective planning and engagement on our major initiatives - new build, major works programme, estate improvements etc. stablish new forum for resident to be consulted/ be involved in service delivery (Procurement panel, and digital approach to consult with residents and feedback)

Consistently delivering an excellent and reliable customer experience (Landlord)

Mar 22

Develop key partnerships to deliver community investment programme- broadening options for engagement

Consult stakeholders to establish a communtiy investment programme that is sustainable and meets the ongoing needs of residents and the busines (eg. Lewisham Deal and Public health initatives). Ensure succint and sound evaluation is in place. - Review offer with the Albany. - Developing success criteria and evaluation of investments

Building and investing in safe and sustainable homes and neighbourhoods (Placemaker)

Mar 21

Generate more income through social value commitments from contractors and ensure strategy is in place to manage the funding to ensure prioritised projects are supported

Acquire funding for projects through bids for grants and social value aspects in contracts. Publicise the work of the teams both externally and internally

Being an efficient high performing business, maximising opportunities so we can deliver more (Enterprise)

Mar 23

Appendix 1 - Community Engagement Strategy Implementation Plan

DEVELOPING THE STRATEGYConsultation for this strategy has included door-knocking, online surveys, paper based surveys and focus groups. A full list of engagement can be found in appendix 3

This strategy has included an equality analysis assessment - this has found no changes in approach that would have an adverse impact on any particular group of residents. The strategy includes a broadening that we will engage with a more diverse group of residents, which should have a positive impact on groups currently under-represented in the more formal structures.

APPENDICES1. Action Plan

2. Consultation

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ITEM DETAIL MISSION/ VALUE DATECommunity facilities - work with LB Lewisham to take over the management of facilities

Consultation with residents, ensure insurance, policies, procedures are in place and effectvie management in line with the agreement.

Being an efficient high performing business, maximising opportunities so we can deliver more (Enterprise)

Mar 20

Improve offer to young people

Partnership working with other housing providers, youth organisations and schools, youth funding bids

Working in partnership to improve life chances (Partner)

Mar 22

WHAT WHO’S SURVEYED WHENOnline survey Link emailed to TRAs and residents

who all residents who have opted in to marketing

May 2019

Text message with link to survey

Sent to 3807 18-40 year olds across Lewisham Homes’ estates

May 2019

Consultation event Everyone invited. Marketed through text, social media and emails

11 June 2019

Paper surveys Given to people in reception 2019

Door-knocking Hostel residents June/ July 2019

Attending coffee mornings at independent living schemes

Independent living residents June/ July 2019

Youth focus groups Young people June/ July 2019

Work and Skills questionnaire All residents of working age Ongoing

Community Centres Residents on Pepys, Evelyn, Honor Oak, Somerville and Winslade estate

200 residents were surveyed through January- March 2019

Focus groups Project beneficiaries and TRAs March 2018

17 people attended a targeted focus group. It included young beneficiaries from Love 2 Dance, Young Creatives, London Youth Conference and Wide Horizons, alongside parents, TRAs and involved residents

REP REP members and observers January 2018 and June 2019

1-1s Board- Ainsley Forbes (chair), Nigel Bowness and Steve McGann

March 2018

Workshop Lewisham Homes’ staff February 2018

LBL LBL’s Executive Director for Community Services and her Heads of Service

March 2018

Informal feedback All residents who attend events and TRA meetings

Ongoing

Appendix 2 - Consultation

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C O N TAC T S :0800 028 2028lewishamhomes.org.uk

Old Town Hall Catford Road London SE6 4RU

facebook.com/lewishamhomes @lewishamhomes

lhomes.org.uk/lhlin instagram.com/lewishamhomes

2019-23

Community Engagement Strategy