THIS SHORT PRESENTATION IS ABOUT
THE COUNCILS’ PROPOSAL TO TRANSFER THE MANAGEMENT
RESPONSIBILITY OF THERESOURCE CENTRES TO
SGTO
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
THE TFMC CURRENTLY PAYS FOR FOUR RESOURCE CENTRES IN SOUTHWARK, ONE OF WHICH IS MANAGED BY SGTO. THE OTHER THREE ARE MANAGED BY THE COUNCIL.
The Council managed RCs are staffed with 2 Tenant Training Officers who provide training & support to users
SGTO managed RC is staffed with the Centre Administrator and on a rota basis, the Community Development Officers
Currently, the Council managed RCs offer free photocopying, whereas SGTO is charging cost price copying with the view to start offering free photocopying shortly.
At present, there is no RC servicing tenants living in Bermondsey & Rotherhithe
Council managed RCs are equipped with computersphotocopiers, printers and internet access
SGTO managed RC is also equipped with IT infrastructures including Updated Training Software on all MS packages .We also have a growing Reference Library on housing, repairs, tenancy, fundraising, Bookkeeping, meetingsand essential law books.
THE PROPOSAL
THE PROPOSAL IS TO TRANSFER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE 3 RCs CURRENTLY MANAGED BY THE COUNCIL TO THE TO MANAGEMENT OF SGTO
PLEASE NOTE:TRANSFER OF MANAGEMENT DOES NOT CONFER OWNERSHIPRIGHT TO SGTO. SGTO WILL REMAIN ANSWERABLE TO TFMC AND WILL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL IN RELATION TO THE RCs.
SO WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGESOF THIS PROPOSAL?
BRINGING ALL 4 RCs UNDER ONE MANAGEMENT
IT WILL MEAN BETTER SERVICE FOR TENANTS
FIRSTLY, IT WILL BE PUTTING TENANTS IN CONTROL
IT WILL MEAN PROVIDING A SERVICE THAT T&RAs WANT NOT OTHERWISE
INCREASING OPENING HOURS INCLUDING LATE EVENINGS
PROMOTING THE RCs TO INCREASE USAGE BY T&RAs IN LBS
ON-GOING PATNERSHIP WORKING WITH RIMs & RIOs
JOINT TRAINING INITIATIVES TO BENEFIT T&RAs
STAFFING
NONE OF THE EXISTING STAFF WORKING IN THE COUNCILMANAGED RCs WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS
WE INTEND TO MAINTAIN THEIR EXISTING CONTRACTSAND CONSULT WITH THEM ON STRATEGIES
SGTO CDOs WILL COMPLIMENT THE EXISTING RCsSTAFF TO DELIVER OBJECTIVES
SGTO WILL INVEST IN TRAINING ALL STAFF TO OCR LEVEL 3 AND BEYOND TO ENSURE OBJECTIVES ARE MET
ONE OF OUR OBJECTIVES IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL THOSE USING THE RESOURCE CENTRES ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE PROFICIENT SUPPORT & ASSISTANCE WHEN NECESSARY PROVIDED BY KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF IN A RELAXED & FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT
TRAINING
GROUP TRAINING
SGTO & SOUTHWARK WILL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP TOCONTINUE THE PROVISION OF CORE TRAINING RELEVANTTO T&RAs .
SGTO WILL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ADMINISTRATINGCORE TRAINING PROGRAMMESSGTO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMISSIONINGEXTERNAL TRAINING PROVIDERS ON SPECIFIC COURSESSGTO WILL INCREASE INVESTMENT IN TRAINING AND
DEVELOPMENT TO FULLY SUPPORT T&RAs & STAFF ON AYEARLY BASIS.
DOES THAT MEAN SGTO WILL OWN THERESOURCE CENTRE?
THE SIMPLE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS
NOCAN SGTO DO WHAT IT LIKES WITH THE RCs?
AGAIN, THE ANWER IS NO
MONITORING
A MONITORING MECHANISM HAS BEEN BUILT INTO THE PROPOSAL
THE COUNCIL WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR, ON AREGULAR BASIS, SERVICE PROVISION TO ENSURE THAT LEVELS ARE NOT JUST KEPT, BUT IMPROVED
THE COUNCIL WILL MEET WITH SGTO ONA REGULAR BASIS TO REVIEW PROGRESS AND ADDRESS ANY ISSUES THAT HAVE RISEN
SO WHY SGTO?
SGTO IS NOT RUN BY ONE (SINGLE INDIVIDUAL), BUT BYA COLLECTIVE EFFORT OF TENANTS GROUPS SUPPORTEDBY A VASTLY EXPERIENCED STAFF TEAM.
FOR A START:
SGTO IS A TENANTS FEDERATION IN LBS
SGTO IS A TENANTS LEAD ORGANISATION
SGTO IS A FORWARD THINKING AND ANINCLUSIVE ORGANISATION
SGTO IS A NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANISATIONALL RCs REVENUE WILL BE RING-FENCED FORTHAT PURPOSE ONLY
SGTO HAS AN EXISTING WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH SOUTHWARK
SO WHY NOW?
THE COUNCIL WILL STRUGGLE TO CONTINUE TO OFFER EXTENDED OPENING HOURS CURRENTLYAVAILABLE
THE RCs ARE CLEARLY A DRAIN ON THE RESOURCE SOF SOCIAL INCLUSION/RIM TEAM
SGTO IS NOW STRATEGICALLY PLACED TO OFFERA MUCH BETTER SERVICE AND SOURCE FURTHERINVESTMENT, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
TENANTS
AGAINST TENANTS
THE GOVERNMENT IS SUPPORTINGTENANTS EMPOWERMENT AND ACTIVELY ENCOURAGING LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO COMPLY
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RESOURCE CENTRES BY TENANTS IS A WONDERFUL CONCEPT PROPOSED BY THE COUNCIL FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL TENANTS AND RESIDENTS IN THE BOROUGH
SOME GROUPS OF TENANTS ARE LOBBYING THAT THE RESOURCE CENTRES REMAIN IN THE HANDS OFTHE COUNCIL
AS AN ORGANISATION, WE RECOGNISE THAT PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN VIEWS. HOWEVER, WEMUST ALSO RECOGNISE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR ACTIONS AGAINST THE OVERALL OBJECTIVES OF THE TENANTS MOVEMENT IN THE FUTURE
NO TENANT HAS YET APPROACHED SGTO FORCLARIFICATION IN RELATION TO THE PROPOSAL, AND YET, CAMPAIGNS ARE ALREADY IN MOTION
SGTO WOULD LIKE TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TOREASSURE EVERYONE THAT WE INTEND TO MAKE THERESOURCE CENTRES A REWARDING EXPERIENCE FORALL TENANTS AND RESIDENTS GROUPS IN LBS, AND NOTJUST FOR THE LIMITED FEW.
WE INTEND TO MAKE THE CENTRES MORE RESOURCEFULAND INCREASE THEIR USEAGE ACROSS THE BOROUGH FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL T&RAs.
WE INTEND TO LISTEN TO THE VIEWS OF ALL T&RAs REGARDING OUR MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
NO ONE WITHIN THE EXISTING MANAGEMENTSTRUCTURE OF SGTO WILL INTERFERE WITH THE PROGRESS OF THE RCs, BUT RATHER HELP TO FACILITATE IMPROVEMENT
SGTO IS NOT ONE PERSON, BUT A GROUP OF PERSONS WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL.
ANY QUESTIONS?