tp charter 12a4 v8 sml

7/31/2019 TP Charter 12A4 v8 SML

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ContentsWelcome to the Kirkle es Tenant Participation Charter 4

The outcomes we want to achieve: 5How will we do it? 6

Area forums 7

Children and yo ung peo ple 8

Choo sing the right contract and contracto r 9

Choo sing the right sta ff 10

Community events 11

Community premis es 12

Community voices 13

Conferences 14

Estate inspections 15

Estate manifestos 16

Focus groups 17

Funding 18

KNHBoard of Directo rs 19KNH Excel 20

KFTRA Management Committee 21

Improvemen t schemes and regeneration 22

Leaseh olders involvemen t 23

Myster y shopp ers and tenant inspector s 24

Newsletters 25

Notice of concer n and performance improvement notice 26

Scrutiny Panel 27

Service Champio ns 28

Social media 29

Speak Easy 30

Surveys 31

Tenant and resident ass ociations (TRAs) 32

Tenant and resident committees 33

Training 34

Working groups and forums 35

Service Standards 36Who to contact: 38


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Page 4.

Welcome to the 7th edition of the

Kirklees Tenant Participation Charter

The Chart er is an agreem ent

betwe en Kirklees Federation

of Tenant and Resident

Associations (KFTRA), Kirklees

Neig hbourho od Housing (KNH)

and Kirklees Council about how

tenants and resident s are involve d in

decisio ns af fecting their homes and

communities.

It tells you how you can get involved

in planning changes and improvements

to your home and where you live and

what yo u can expect from us.

We have a proud traditio n of involv ing

pe ople in improving our serv ices and

this Charter lo ok s to build on that

successful tradition and commitment,whilst also focusing on building

and sus taining safe and vibrant

communities.

Our ambition is that all members of

the community:

feel that they are listene d to

have a real say in decisions

abou t where they live and the

services they receive.

Our challenge is to :

strengthen current ways of

wor king, reaching out to more

people

develop new ways of work ing

that help people to get involve d

in different ways.

This is our invitation to you to

get involved and applies to you

whether y ou are a council tenant, a

leaseh older or a homeowner.

Tenant Participation Charter Steering

Group, June 2012.


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Page 5.

Increasing community respect and

unders tanding of pe ople from different

ba ckg rounds, ag es and areas

Increasing con fiden ce and skills among st

residents and communities to shape and

influence their local place and services

1. We will have a range of me tho ds in place to

allow resident s to get involve d in a way and

at a l evel t hat suits them. We will enco urage

and dev elop a wid er range of innov ati ve, less

formal approaches to encourage more people

to take part.

2. We will hav e arrangement s in place to con sultand involve people who are not involved infor mally recognise d groups and make a spec ial

eff ort to reach those tenants, leaseholders

and residents who do not normally get

involved.

3. We will explore new ways of get ting tenants,leas eholder s and resident s views and ensurethat they have the chance to express their

views and influence the planning and delivery

of local servi ces.

4. Irrespective of age, ethnicity or social

bac kground, we will desi gn our invo lvem ent

met ho ds around the ne eds o f th e community.

5. We will put mo re suppor t into areas that nee dit and be clear about the reasons for doing it.

6. We will develop ef fective part nerships witha range of agencies to address the differingpriorities in each local area.

7. We will devel op a programme of sta ff lear ning

opportunities to ensure the sharing of best

practice.

Community events where everybody mingles

Training to be a community leader

Family day out at a community event

The outcomes we want to

achieve:What we are doing

How we will do it


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Page 6.

How will we do it?

Consulting

About t he development,

delivery and perfor mance

of servi ces and policies

that affect your homes &communities e.g. tenant &

resident committe es

Listening

Ensuring that we capture

information f rom you and

can start a dialogue e.g.

community events

Discussing

Creating an ongoing dialo gue

directed towards exploring

a subject or resolving a

probleme.g. area forums

Developing

Making decisions about the

choice of optio ns and / or

the deliver y of a service e.g.

community premises

Participating

Taking part in designing,

delivering or assessing

a ser vice e.g. wor king

groups and deciding on

improvements

Informing

Providing relevant, clear

and accessible information

abo ut our services and

decisions e.g. newsletters

Buildingsuccessful

communities


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Page 7.

What are they?Area forums are a great way to keep

up to date with w hats going on. KNH

organises the forums ever y six weeks

or so to share information and consult

with tenants and residents ab out

what is happening in their area.

What are they for?If you are a representative of a

tenant and resident asso ciation or

community group, a community voice

or a local councillor, you are invited to

th e area forum.

A Kirk lees Federatio n of Tenant

and Resident Associations (KF TRA)

fieldworker attends to feed in the

latest developments from KFTRA

and housing officers will come if

asked to speak about specific issues

or to keep in touch with th eir local

representatives.

If you are interested in attending,

please let us know.

Why are they important?Area forums are infor mal meetings to:

Discuss any issu es raised by

KFTRA Offer o ne another support in

th eir wo rk and share idea s and

news

Discuss tenants, resident s

and councillor s conce rns. This

may mean offi cer s from KNH

or ot her ser vices, for example,

neighbourhood policing, will be

invited to talk about spec ific

issues.

Discuss perf ormance

management information for

th eir area and get upda tes

on estate plans and estate

inspections.

Recommend improvem ent s

for the environmental wor ks

budget to the tenant and

resident committees.

Agree any issues that need

to be rais ed a t tenant and

resident committees for wider

discussion.

Who can help?Area housing managers organise the

meetings, inviting other officers wh en

appropriate, and share information

abo ut ho w we are doing and what is

planned for th e area.

Area forums

I like my AreaForums because I feelthat we get to makeproper decisions and

that they are ourmeetings.

Time commitment: Small

Level of involvement:Discussing and consulting

For more information, contactthe Community Engagementteam: 01484 223213

See also:Tenant and resident

associations page 32

Community voices page 14

KFTRA p age 21

Tenant and resident

committees page 33


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Page 8.

What do we do?We like to work wit h you to improve

the es tate w here you live improving

the environment, your safe ty or

putting on social activities and clubs.

If you are interested in working with

us, get in touch.

We also work with you in schools

through our KNH Kids programme. We

come to your school so you can tell us

what its like to live in your community

and we lo ok at the kinds of projects

that you might get involved with to

help to improve things (age 7 to 11).

Communities United Project is wo rking

with us to provide activiti es for young

people where they live and to involve

parents and oth er local p eople in

them (age 7-13).

If yo u are over 16, you might want

to join our leader ship course, which

is a way of building your confidence

so that you can play an even bigger

part in leading improvements on your

estate.

If you are 16 or 17 and are a member

of our yo ung tenants suppor t schem e,

we involve yo u through our texting

service, newsletter and annual

satisfaction survey.

Who is it for?This work is often targeted at areas

that nee d a bit of extra support

or wh ere young pe ople and other

residents are having difficulty

getting along. For more infor mation

about getting involved, contact the

Community Engagement team.

Why is it important?This work helps us to understand what

it is like for you to live on our estates

and helps make sure we take your

opinions into account when we plan

changes or improvements.

Who can help?Staf f from across KNH and KFTRA help

to make sure these p rojects su cceed.

Children and young peopleTime commitment: As muchor as little as you like.

Level of involvement:Talking and listening

For more information please

contact Community Engagement

team: 01484 223213


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Page 9.

What does this mean?It is important that tenants,

leaseholders and residents are

involved in the process of develo ping

contract s and cho osing contracto rs

to carry out major improvements on

their estates.

Who is it for?If you are actively involved in our

work, you could be involved in

agreeing the con tract and selecting

contracto rs for work in your area.

Why is it important?By involving those w ho will be

benefiting directly f rom the

improvements, we believe we will get

the con tract right a t the b eginning

and will get the b est con tractor s

for the job. This will give tenants

and residents the most p ositive

experience.

Who can help?The Inves tmen t team suppor ts you

to influence t he decisions w e make

when appointing contractors to carry

out improvement sch emes in your

area.


Level of involvement:Decision-making



team: 01484 223213

Choosing the right contract and contractor


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Page 10.

What does this mean?We aim to employ staff who share

our vision and who are committed to

providing an excellent s ervice to our

tenants and residents.

We achieve this by involving tenant

and resident representatives in the

recruitment of s taf f who have direct

contact with tenants and residents and

for some senior posts. We also involve

tenants and residents in our staf f

training and development programme,

which includes sessions on involving

residents and customer care.

Who is it for?Tenant and resident representatives

who are actively involved with our

work are invited to take part in a

training programme that will give

them the skills needed to take part in

recruiting staff.

Why is it important?By involving those w ho have direct

experience of receiving the services

we off er, we b elieve we will recruit

excellent staf f who can deliver our

vision. The t raining and development

programme will equip our sta ff with

the sk ills and information t hey need

to provide an excellent service.

Who can help?The KNH Human Resources team

offers support and training for

representa tives w ho are interested in

this area.

Choosing the right staffTime commitment: Small




team: 01484 223213


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Page 11.

What are they?Events can be anything from

celebrating somet hing youve

achieved on your estate and local

galas to events for the whole of

Kirklees.

We concentrate particularly on estate

event s so that we can get to know yo u

better, unders tand what the part icular

issu es are where you live and plan to

make appropriate improvements.

Who are they for?If you have to ld us that you are

intereste d in getting involv ed with us,

you could help us to plan and organise

event s for yo ur area. Of cours e, if we

hold events n ear you, we would love

you to come and tell us what it is like

for you to live there.

Why are they important?These are opportunities for

residents to come together and

meet neighbours in a relaxed and fun

environment.

They are also opp ortunities for us

to hear w hat it is like to live on your

estate and what we might do to

improve things; we o ften u se t hese

event s to consult on the es tate plan

and see w hat ideas residents have for

fut ure developments or to try and set

up a tenant and resident group.

Who can help?If you are interested in getting

involved, the Community Engagemen t

Team and KFTRA f ield wo rkers have

lots of experien ce and information

to help you to organise a successful

event. A KNH Achiever may als o be

able to support you.

I like being involved inorganising communityevents; everyone had

a great day out at ourgala and it broughteveryone together.

It involves as much or

as little time as youlike

Time commitment: Variable



contact Community Engagementteam: 01484 223213

KFTRA: 01484 223466

Community events


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Page 12.

What are they?Where community premises are

available (houses, flats, disused

shops), the council can agree to lease

them to tenant and resident groups if

the group is able to show the ne ed for

such a centre, their ability to manage it

well and a desire to provide a range of

activ ities and services for residents.

Who are they for?If your group feels that it can manage

a centre and provide community

activities, please contact the

Community Engagem ent team fo r

further information ab out w hat is

involved.

Why are they important?Community buildings provide a

community with a place to com e

toge ther and take part in a range

of activities and serv ices; they are

a useful resource in any successful

community.

Who can help?The Community Engagement team can

help you understand what is involved

in applying to manage community

premises. There is also a Community

Buildings Forum, where community

groups who manage centres come

toget her and share exper iences and

some o f the KNH Achievers may als o

be able to suppor t you with your

community activit ies. This is valuable

support if you are consider ing what

may be involve d.

Community premises

I like managingour own communitybuilding because we

can provide somewherefor people to get out

of their home andget to know their

neighbours

Time commitment: Sustained


For more informationplease contact Community

Engagement team:

01484 223213

Corporate Landlord (Kirklees

Council): 01484 226081

Community Buildings Forum

(Voluntary Action Kirklees):

01484 518457


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Page 13.

What are they?A community v oice is s omeone w ho

has agreed to represent n eighbours

views to KNH and other housing staf f

wor king in that area.

They are a link bet ween KNH and

resident s and may be as ked to

pass ou t information to residents,

welco me them to th e area, speak

to them abou t local issues and fee d

views back to KNH. There are also

other opportunities to get involved

in vari ous forums around a range of

issues.

Who is it for?Anyone who is over 18 and lives on a

KNH estate that is not represented by

a tenants and residents group may

volunteer to become a community

voice. You will need 10 other residents

to support your application to

represent them.

Why are they important?We want you to get involved in a way

that suits you. By having a range of

different opp ortunities, with different

time commitments we h ope y ou can

find something that interests you.

Who can help?KFTRA can help you become involved

and support you with training or

finding ou t ab out other things that

may interest you.

The housing officer is the most

impor tant contact for day-to-day

issues for community voices.

I like being acommunity voice

because I like to helppeople, find solutions

and feel that Iveachieved something

Time commitment: Medium



contactKFTRA: 01484 223466

Community voices


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Page 14.

What are they?Both KNH and KFTRA organise a range

of conferences each year. They are an

oppo rtunity for tenants, leaseholders

and residents to discuss specific issues

with the organisations and with each

other, making sure their voices are

heard and they influence how KNH and

KFTRA develop.

Who are they for?Anyone w ho is actively involved with

our work can come alo ng. If you are

interested in getting involved, please

let t he Community Engagement team

or KFTRA kno w.

Why are they important?Conferences of fer an opportunity to

look at some of the bigger issues we

face, such as t he fu ture of council

housing and sustainable energy. They

are also a goo d way to meet people

who are activ e in other areas of

Kirklees.

Who can help?The Community Engagement team

and KFTRA help organise these

conferences.

ConferencesI like attending

conferences becauseyou learn so much andyou get a real sense of

working together





team: 01484 223213

KFTRA: 01484 223466


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Page 15.

What are they?Estate inspections involve walking

around an estate to see ho w tidy it

is, find any problems and look for

oppo rtunities to make it a better place

to live.

Inspections are organised on a

quarter ly basis to pick up issues unless

a local agreement has been reached

with the TRA to vary this frequency

Who are they for?If you are nominated by your local

tenants and residents group or are

a community voice, you are invited

to join the housing officer, local

councillors and other local agencies

working to improve t he area on estat e

inspections.

Why are they important?The estate inspection helps to

improve how the area looks and

provides infor mation for the

neighbourho od teams to plan how

they are going to make the area more

attractive and successful.

By looking around the area with

pe ople who actually live there, we are

able to ch eck that communal areas

are being maintained as well as see if

problem areas have arisen and agree

what the b est solutions are.

Who can help?Estate inspection s are organised by

the housing officer, who draw s up an

action plan after each inspection and

sends it out to all participants within

10 working days.

Estate inspectionsI like going on

estate inspectionsbecause you pick upon problems and see

whats changed sincelast time we did an

inspection.

Time commitment: Small orMedium


For more information

please contact Community

Engagement team: 01484223213

See also:Esta te manifesto s page 16

Tenant and resident




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Page 16.

What are they?Tenant and resident associations

(TRAs) carry ou t a survey of ever yone

living in their area to establish their

priorities. This gives the TRA a plan of

issues which they address over the

coming years.

Who are they for?Estate manifestos are led by TRA s. If

you would like to get involved, you can

wor k with your local TRA.

Why are they important?The es tate manifes to helps the TRA

to concentrate its time and effor ts on

the local communitys main priorities.

The issues raised in this process are

also taken into the estate plan, which

is put toget her by housing officer s.

Who can help?KFTRA field wor kers support TRAs to

dev elop and follow up their manifesto.







Estate manifestos


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Page 17.

What are they?A focus group (also called group

discussion) is an opportunity for us to

research a particular topic or issue,

such as how young tenants feel abou t

their support service or how well

residents on a particular estate feel

the green spaces are maintained. It is

a single meeting or series of me etings

and not an ongoing commitmen t.

Who are they for?If you are interested in getting

involved, please let us know. From

time to time, the subject matter may

only be relevant for certain groups

of people, for example, leaseholder

tenants, younger people and only

members of tho se groups of people

will be invited to get involved.

Why are they important?A focused discussion is particularly

helpful when we need detailed

information ab out a particular issue.

Focus groups als o allow you to build

on each others ideas and test ou t

each other s experiences.

They are flexible enough to attract

people who are not otherwise

involved in our work and it may be

easier for yo u to get involved in them

as they are usually a single meeting,

or short ser ies of meetings,

Who can help?To tell us that you would like to get

involved, contact the Community

Engagement team or KFTRA.

The Community Engagemen t team can

also help services get the most from

focus groups.




contactCommunity Engagement

team: 01484 223213

KFTRA: 01484 223466



Focus groups


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Page 18.

What is available?KNH supports tenants and residents

associations and groups with annual

support grants to help them car ry out

their work. They are also able to apply

for an extra support grant in times of

diff iculties and for an Excel co mmunity

grant to help with community activities.

Other f unding may become available

from time to time and there are pots of

money available locally and nationally.

Who is it for?If your assoc iation or group has

signed a partnership agreement with

KNH, it is entitled to a suppo rt grant

every year. You may also b e able to

apply for an ext ra support grant under

certain circumstances; applications

are considered by the Grants Working

Group and are straightfor ward.

Anyone wanting to provide activities

for i ts community is able to apply

for an Excel community grant. Thes e

applications are considered by the

Excel panel. You can apply online or

contact the Community Engagement

team.

Exter nal funders have dif ferent ways

that you can apply, so me on line and

some b y an application for m. KFTRA

and the Community Engagement team

can help you find the right funder for

you.

Why is it important?Suppo rting groups to o rganise and

provide a range of community events

and activities which allows pe ople

to come to gether and support one

anoth er, build their confidence

and skills and enjoy where th ey

live. Getting funding for resources

or activ ities can be a great wa y of

building a sense of pride in your

community.

Who can help?The Community Engagement team and

KFTRA F ieldworker can tell you what is

available and how to apply.

Kirklees Council has lots of

information too, www.kirklees.gov.

uk/grants or email funding@kirkl ees.

gov.uk

FundingFor more information please


team: 01484 223213

KFTRA: 01484 223466

See also:Excel page 19

Tenant and resident



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Page 19.

What is it?The main role of the board is to ensure

KNH achieves its mission of quality

homes and services in successful

communities. The bo ard provides

strate gic leader ship to the company

and challenges KNH on our visio n

for the f uture and the ser vices we

provide to our customer s.

Board members are respo nsible for

the so und management o f KNHs

finances by making sure KNH achieves

value for mon ey in all that it do es.

They are also responsible for the

performance of the company, and

the heal th and safet y of staf f and

customers.

Who is it for?There are three kinds of board

members: independents, council

representatives and tenant

representatives.

When a va cancy for an independent

member aris es, an advert is placed

in the local press for intereste d

pe ople to apply and a selection

process begins. This is similar to KNHs

recruitment and selection process forsta ff. Tenants and residents can be

selected as indep endents.

Council representatives are put

forward by Kirklees Council.

Four of th e tenant members are

elected through a secret postal

ballot of the tenants in their

neighbourho od. The fif th tenant

member is elected by KFTRA. Tenant

board members have to be tenants or

leaseh olders of Kirklees Council.

Why is it important?Board members are company

directors and have legal

responsibilities; they have to meet

set standards before joining the board

and have a number of policies and

procedures to follow, including a co de

of conduct

Who can help?The Go ver nance Manager and

Company Secretary support t he

board to make sure it meets legal

requirements, runs ef fic ien tly and

aims to follow bes t practice.



For more information contactGovernance Manager:01484 416412

KNHBoard of Directors


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Page 20.

What is it?This rewards scheme recognises

and rewards all our tenants,

leaseholders and staff who help

make our communities great places

to live. Its our way of saying thank

you in a way that people will find

rewarding, including community grants,

goo d neighbour awards, garden

competitio ns and a money-saving

discount card.

The scheme is developed and

delivered by tenants and residents,

who are involved in a variety of ways,

from making decisions about scheme

benefits and deciding on grants and

award recipients to helping judge

competitions and recruiting businesses

for t he discount card.

Who is it for?All secure tenants who have not

broken their tenancy conditions are

automatically members of KNH Excel.

But t here are also opp ortunities to

get more involv ed in the sch eme by

jo ining t he KNH Excel Panel. In order

to join the panel, you must be a

member of th e KFTRA Managemen t

Committee.

Why is it important?The schem e is designed to reward

and encourage positive tenancies and

to encourage residents to contribute

towards creating successf ul

communities.

Who can help?The Community Engagement Team can

help you apply for any of the initiatives

in the Excel schem e. KFTRA can give

you advi ce on how to get involved in

th e Panel.

KNH ExcelFor more information please


team: 01484 223213

or KFTRA: 01484 223466

See also:Esta te manifest os page 16

Tenant and resident


Community voices p age 13


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Page 21.

What is it?KF TRA has a demo cratic and

representative structure. Each

Kirklees tenant & resident

association elects two delegates

to represent their association and

attend regular KFTRA meetings,

conf erences and s eminars.

Delegates elect the KFTRA

Management Committee members

annually at the Annual General

Meeting, which is usually in June.

The Management Committee is made

up of the fo ur neighbourh oo ds that

KNH works within:

Huddersfi eld Sout h

Huddersfi eld Nort h

Dewsbury & Mirfield

Batley & Spen

Who is it for?Six representatives from each o f the

neighbourhoo ds are elected by the

delegates from their area. A further

fo ur of ficer s chair, vice -chair,

treasurer and publicit y of fice r are

also electe d.

If you are intereste d in standing for

KFTRA Management Committee, you

will need to be a KFTRA delegate on

your tenant & resident a ssociation.

Why is it important?It is impor tant that KFTRA has

representa tion from across Kirkle es

to take overall responsibility for

running the organisation, including the

control of spending.

Who can help?KFTRA field workers suppor t the

Management Committee members

and they wo rk ver y clos ely together.




contact KFTRA: 01484 223466

KFTRA Management Committee


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Page 22.

What are they?Improvement and regeneration

sch emes can include s imple and small

environmental improvemen ts o r

multi-agency regeneration schem es

involv ing demolition and remod elling.

But in all cases, the pe ople involv ed

in that community and their influence

over t he regeneration is as impor tant

as how the place look s.

Who are they for?Wh en KNH plans an improvement

scheme, we o rganise a meeting

involving those tenants and

leaseh olders directly aff ected and

any neighbouring residents to ou tline

the reasons for the schem e, show the

timetable and the costs involved and

discuss the arrangements for carr ying

out the work. We write to all those

involved to confirm the details once

the d esign and arrangements have

been finalised.

The contractors provide their contact

details and outline any opportunities

for yo u to influence what they are

doing, particularly w here there is

choice over co lours, styles and so on.

Representatives are invited to at tend

site meetings to check how the work

is going and to iron out any problems

which may arise.

Tenants and leaseholders who have

had improvements d one on t heir

homes are asked how th ey think the

work has gone and this feedba ck is

shared with representatives and KNH.

Some large schemes may have formal

arrangements that we cannot involve

you in, but we will keep you fully

informed.

Why are they important?We like to have a cl ose w orking

relationship with tho se residents who

will benefit to make sure that we meet

their nee ds and aspirations as far as

possible.

Who can help?The Investm ent team can support you

to get involved in schemes in your

area.

I liked being involvedin our improvement

scheme because I got tochoose my front door





team: 01484 223213



Improvement schemes and regeneration


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Page 23.

I enjoy attending theleaseholder forums

as its a way ofgaining an insight into how KNH works,

and being able to beinvolved in up and

coming works that areplanned.

Time commitment: Small orMedium



contact Home Ownership team:01484 416990

See also:Working groups and forums

page 35

Newsletters p age 25

Servi ce champions pag e 28

What are they?Leaseholders are tenants w ho have

bought the lease to a council flat,

either through the Gov ernments Right

to Buy scheme or through the op en

market.

Because leaseholders own part of a

building but not the whole structure,

they are still tenants. However, they

have a lease, rather than a tenancy

agreement, which sets out their

rights and responsibilities. They pay

a service charge for the services they

receive and pay part of the cos t of

maintaining the block.

Who is it for?You can attend the leaseholder

forums, which take place around

three times a year. The forums have

a set a genda, and leaseh olders wo rk

closely with the Home Ownership

team to shape the ser vice. Details

of th e forums are advertised in

Leasehold Matters, the dedicated

leas eholder newsletter. You could

also b ecome a Leaseholder Champion

if you want to get more involved

and have greater influence over

developments.

Why is it important?Leaseholders are important as they

are a growing sector within our

communities. KNH has a duty to ensure

they receive a high standard of ser vice

and to make sure their views and

opinions are heard and acted upon.

Who can help?The Home Own ership team is the firs t

point of contact for any leaseholder

questions

Leaseholders involvement


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Page 24.

What are they?Myster y shopper s and tenant

inspector s are residents who have

been trained to act as potential

customer s and who report ba ck

on their experi ence so that we can

improve how w e do things.

We also talk to customer s who have

actually used a KNH service so that we

can find out what th ey tho ught of it.


involved, please let us know. We have

a register of p eople intereste d in

getting invo lve d in this way.

Why are they important?Myster y shopp ing and inspecting are

impor tant ways o f giving us a clear

picture of ho w we are per forming.

Poor levels of ser vice damage

customer satisfacti on and anyone

who has had a bad experience

will often tell others abou t it, so

spreading negative p erceptions.

We involv e mystery shopp ers and

inspectors to make sure that our

servi ce is as goo d as it can be.

Who can help?The Customer Services team works

closely with mystery shoppers and

inspector s to provide us with usef ul

information ab out the quality of th e

services we offer our customers.







Mystery shoppers and tenant inspectors


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Page 25.

What are they?KFTRA produces Home Truths 10 times

each year for tenants and residents

groups and it is also distr ibuted to

libraries and other public buildings.

KNH produces Door to Do or magazine

three times each year for all residents

on its esta tes and Leasehold Matters

twice a year for all leaseholders.

Who is it for?If you have news abou t an event

in your area or would like to share a

success s tory, youre welcome to

submit an article. KNH also has a

Publications Panel, which priorities

the content for each edition.

Why are they important?Keeping pe ople up-to-date wit h what

is going on across Kirklees is very

impor tant and newslett ers provide a

wider picture for reader s. They also

share goo d news s tories and ideas

for how p eople can get involved in

improving wh ere they live.

Who can help?You can send ideas for articles to

th e KNH communications manager,

who produces Do or to Do or and

also conv enes the publicati ons

panel

the Home Owner ship team for

Leasehold Matters

KFTRA for Home Truths

NewslettersTime commitment: Small orMedium



contact Home Ownership team:

01484 416990

Communications team:

01484 416440

Home Ownership team:

01484 416990

KFTRA: 01484 223466.

Please contact us if you would

like to receive a copy.


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Page 26.

What are they?The Quality Guarantee tells you

abo ut th e main standards of service

you can expect from KNH and explains

how we work in partn ership with

Kirklees Council to provide servi ces to

your community.

If you feel that the s tandards have

not been met, our simple complaints

procedure is also explained in the

leaflet.

A notice of concern can only be

served by a tenants and residents

assoc iation if there has been a

consis tent failure to deliver the

standards set out in the quality

guarantee. It is ser ved to t he

neighbourh oo d op erations manager,

who explains the issue to the tenant

and resident co mmittee and presents

an action plan to resolve it.

If the issue has not been resolved

after four we eks, the TRA and tenant

and resident committee can issue a

perfo rmance improvement notice,

which is inves tigated by a senior

member of s taf f. The resulting action

plan will be reported at each tenant

and resident co mmittee until they are

satisfied that the service standards

are being met.

Who are they for?If you are not satisfied with the

servi ce you have receive d, you sh ould

use the complaints procedure. If the

problem affects a number of pe ople

in the area, your tenant and resident

assoc iation can issue a notice of

concern.

Why are they important?We believe t hat every one living on our

estates has a right to a high standard

of service and that things should be

put right as quickly as possible if we

fail to meet this standard.

Who can help?Your housing team or KF TRA can help

you i f you want to make a complaint.



KNH: 01484 414886



Tenant and resident

committe es page 33

KFTRA page 21

Notice of concern and performance improvement notice


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Page 27.

What is it?Scrutiny Panel is made up of tenants,

residents and leaseholders of KNH.

They must not be on the Board of

KNH or the Management Committee

of KFTRA. The panel is run by KFTRA,

assisted by a scrutiny officer seconded

from Kirklees Council.

Who is it for?Applicants to the scrutiny panel must

have an op en mind and be prepared

to wor k co-operatively in a small

team, focusing on the issue chosen

for scrutiny. Topics for scrutiny are put

forward by the tenants, residents and

leas eholders of KNH, and cover all

housing services.

Why is it important?Scrutiny is an important way to

bring about change, improve

standards, per formance, efficiency

and excellen ce. The reports and

recommendations are considered at

the highest level and influence how

KNH moves forward.

Who can help?KFTRA Field workers can tell you

more abo ut it, descr ibe the training

available and support to join.

Scrutiny Panel



For more information pleasecontact KFTRA: 01484 223466.

I like being involvedin the scrutiny panelbecause I enjoy the

feeling that Imdoing something forsociety rather than

for myself and we get

things done when weget together.


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Page 28.

What are they?A service champion is a resident

of a KNH estate wh o has agreed to

be a point of contact for specific

KNH serv ices such as Leaseholder

Services and the Older or Younger

Peoples Support Services. They share

residents views and experiences,

providing useful background

information, and they let residents

kno w what KNH is doing about t heir

issues.

Who are they?Any one wh o lives on a KNH estate

and who is interested in improving the

servi ces we provide can get involved.

Contact us and we will then discuss

your optio ns with you.

Why are they important?We want you to get involved in a way

that s uits you. By having a range of

different opp ortunities, with different

time commitments we h ope y ou can

find som ething that suits you.

Who can help?The Community Engagement Team

can help you b ecome involv ed and

suppor t you with training or finding

out ab out ot her things that may

interest you.





team: 01484 223213



Tenant and resident

committees page 33

KFTRA page 22

Service Champions


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Page 29.

What is it?A way of communicating that is fast,

cheap and easily accessible for the

whole community. It allows you to

know quickly what is going on and

what is available in your area. You can

stay in touch with both neighbours

and those who live further away. See

www.facebook.com/KNHCommunities

Who is it for?Every one wit h a smart mo bile phone,

computer or access to a Kirklees

Library. You can make sure you know

whats going on and make sure

everyone knows your news and views

too.

Why is it important?It is an easy way for ever y member

of the community to know what is

happening in their area and to be able

to comment, question or sugges t

improvements.

Who can help?The Community Engagement Team

and KFTRA field workers can help

you become involved and support

you with training or finding out about

other things that may interest you.

Social mediaTime commitment: Small




team: 01484 223213


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Page 30.

What is it?KFTRA has a panel of over 600

individual t enants and residents

who have a range of oppor tunities

to be involved such as attending

workshops and focus groups,

taking part in training even ts,

getting invitations to seminars and

conferences, or simply filling in a

questionnaire three times a year. I t is

entirely up to you!

Who is it for?An yon e who would like to make their

voice heard and wants to join the

Speak Easy panel can contact KFTRA

for more details.

Why is it important?KFTRAs main aim is to ensure that

tenants & residents living on council

esta tes in Kirkl ees are able to play

a full part in the decision-making

process and have a voice on issues

concer ning their h ousing, their

environment and their communities.

You can get your voice heard without

leaving the comfort of your own

home!

Who can help?KFTRA can tell you ab out w hat will be

expected if you jo in the panel.

I like being a memberof Speak Easy

because my views areimportant; Speak Easymakes sure that they

count





Speak Easy


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Page 31.

What are they?KNH and KFTRA use surveys to

collect and record information abou t

particular issues. We use th em when

we want to measure satisfaction

with p articular things, collect factual

information or get p eoples opinions.

They can be done face-to-face, by

telephone, by post or by e-mail.


involved, please let us know. From

time to time, the subject matter may

only be relevant for certain groups

of p eople, for example leaseho lder

tenants or y ounger people, and only

member of those groups will be

invited to get involved.

Why are they important?Survey s help give us a clear pi cture

of how we are perfor ming. They

allow us to contact a large number of

pe ople across a wide area to collect

information, which helps us improve

how we do things.

Who can help?Many KNH teams use surv eys, as well

as KFTRAs Speak Easy panel.

SurveysTime commitment: Small




Team: 01484 223213

KFTRA: 01484 223466


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Page 32.

What are they?If youre interested in getting together

with neighbours to t ry to improve your

homes and communities, then y ou

might be intereste d in joining a tenant

and resident ass ociatio n (TRA).

By representing your neighbours, you

can campaign for better services,

improvements to the environment and

tenants homes and organise events

that br ing people to gether.

Who are they for?If you live in an area where th ere is a

TRA or similar group, and you are over

18, you can get involved by contacting

the group, KF TRA or KNH. If there isnt

one in your area and you want to start

one, help is available from KFTRA and

KNH.

Why are they important?People who work together to

improve t heir es tate can really make

a diff erence. KNH and other co uncil

servi ces want to consult with tenant

and resident groups and involve them

in making decision s abou t variou sasp ects of what they do. You can:

go on estate inspecti ons

send representatives to area

fo rums and tenant and residen t

committees

receive an annual grant from

KNH to support your expenses

and activities

organise community ac tiviti es

welcom e new neighbours

They are also an important way to

share information with p eople living

on the es tate and provide suppor t to

other tenants who might be finding it

difficult to get a servi ce or get their

views heard.

Who can help?KFTRA fi eld workers can help you set

up or develop a group and can advise

you on o rganising activities for your

community. Your ho using of ficer is the

mos t important contact for day-to-

day issu es and works with groups

to improve where they live. In some

areas, a member of the Community

Engagement Team or the Councils

community wor ker can also help you

organise activities.

I like being a memberof my TRA becausewe can help to solvepeoples problems

and work together tohave an integrated

community.





team: 01484 223213

KFTRA: 01484 223466

See also:Area forums page 7

Tenant and resident

committe es page 33

Funding pa ge 18

Community ev ent s page 11

Tenant and resident associations (TRAs)


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Page 33.

What are they?These are a formal (but fr iendly) way

for KNH to consult with tenants and

residents. There are four committees,

one for each KNH neighbourho od.

They meet six times a year and are an

oppo rtunity for you to influence key

decis ions made by t he KNH Board of

Directors. The agenda is set by the

committees themselves and you can

ask for p olicy or procedure issues to be

addressed here.

Who are they for?These are open me etings and anyon e

can attend to obser ve what is being

discusse d. They are made up of:

representatives from tenants

and residen ts g roups

th e KNH Board directo r for th e

neighbourhood

community v oice s

a KFTRA field worker

local councillors

Why are they important? Concerns raised at committe e

are fed ba ck to th e KNH Boa rd,

so t hey are a direct link with t hehighest-level decision makers.

They of fer a chance to

contr ibute to local decisions

about the pr iorities for each

neighbourhood.

The council consults wit h the

committees about key housing

decisions and the annual

budget.

The committees app rove estate

improvements to be funded by

KNHs environment al wo rk s

budget.

The committees can require

ser vices to improv e by issuing

a notice of con cern, which

requires a formal response and

action plan.

Committ ees may refe r relevant

items of concern to local

area committees for wider

discussion.

Who can help?Each committe e is suppor ted by the

neighbourh oo d op eratio ns manager,

KFTRA and by the KNH Community

Engagemen t team.

Tenant and resident committees

I like being a memberof the TRC because

you get to makedecisions





Team: 01484 223213

KFTRA: 01484 223466

See also:KNH Bo ard of Directors

page 19

Tenant and resident



Notices of concern &

performance improvement

notices page 26


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Page 34.

What is it?There are a range of training

opportunities for tenants and

residents to gain new skills or

knowledge, such as confidence

building or using computers, to help

them get involved with the tenants

movement, public ser vices or wider

community activit ies.

The opportunities include informal

training courses, one-off sessions,

briefings, shadowing staf f, one to on e

support and accredited courses; we

can often bring the courses to you

locally.

The cours es are provided by KFTRA

and KNH and are usually free. In so me

cas es, we can arrange for you to

attend courses offered by other

organisations like Voluntary Action

Kirklees and we can often contr ibute

to fees if the course is essential for

what you are doing to improve your

estate. KNH Achievers runs an annual

programme and links clos ely wit h

Nort hern College.

Who is it for?If you are a member of a tenants and

residents group or are involved with

us in another way, you can take part in

any of the opp ortunities of fered.

Why are they important?We hop e to increase the number of

tenants and residents who are able

to play an active part in our work by

offering you a range of opport unities

to beco me more confident and

kno wledgeable so t hat you can make

a dif ference to your community.

Who can help?KFTRA or the Community Engagement

team can tell you about current

training courses. To discuss what

support you think you might need and

what courses you might like to attend

in the fu ture, please get in tou ch.



team: 01484 223213

KFTRA: 01484 223466

Voluntary Action Kirklees (VAK):

01484 518457

Northern College: 01226 776000

Trafford Hall: 01244 300246

See also:Area forums page 7

Tenant and resident

committe es page 33

Funding pa ge 18

Community ev ent s page 11

Training


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Page 35.

What are they?These are groups that meet regularly

to look at specific areas of our work,

for example leaseholder issues or

repairs, disabled residents forums and

forums for those w ho live in flats. They

help us to consider issues from your

point of view and support us to make

improvement to our ser vices.


involved, please let us know. Training

is available so you feel able to

contr ibute fully.

Why are they important?We can develop way s of working

that are more in tune with what

you want and you can get a b etter

understanding of the current issues

we fa ce.

Who can help?Each service area develops wor king

groups as they ne ed th em and

supports you to unders tand the

issues so that you can play a full part

in the discussions.

Working groups and forumsI like being involved

in the DisabledResidents Forum

because were shapingthings to benefit

disabled people





Team: 01484 223213

KFTRA: 01484 223466

See also:KNH Bo ard of Directors

page 8

Tenant and resident


Community vo ices page 13

Notices of concern &

performance improvement

notices page 26


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Page 36.

1. Resources for tenant participation/communityengagement

A specific budget is set a side each year to support the following activities:

A dedicated tenant participation and community engagement staff

team providing suppor t and adv ice

Additional support through neighbourhood and specialist teams Annual suppo rt grant to KF TRA

Annual grants to recognised tenants and resident s groups

Annual training prog ramme

Printing and publicity support

Out-of-pocket expenses for volunteers who take part in engagement

activities at KNH request

Community premises leased to tenants and residents groups

Annual conf erences

Surveys

New, creative approaches to engagement

2. MeetingsMeetings are a us eful way of sharing informatio n and opinions. To make sure

they are as effective a s pos sible, we will:

Publicise meetings using a var iet y of means and in goo d time

Hold meetings at suitable times and venues

Make sure that everyon e has the opp ortunity to have their say and chair

the me etings proper ly, respecting everyon e

Make sure that the meeting has a clear purp ose which has been made

known to those attending

Send out relevant papers at leas t 5 day s in adv ance for regular, planned

meetings and wherever appropriate for oth er meetings

Not discuss individual issu es at meetings, unless invited

Record and monitor any decisions and actions through actio n plans and

minutes

Feedback to participants as so on as possible after the meeting.

Reimburs e agree d exp ens es

Provide special help wh ere required e.g. interpreter s

Items under any other business will be notified at the outset of

meetings to enable the chair to manage the agenda eff ectively

3. InformationWe will:

Make sure it is writ ten clear ly, in plain English and available in other

formats on request. Requests for oth er languages will also be

considered

Provide information in goo d time

Publish Doo r to Door for all resident s of our estates and Home Trut hs for

all tenants and residen ts groups

Make meeting minutes and pap ers available on request and on the KNH

and KFTRA websites, in particular those from the KNH Board, KFTRAExecutive and Tenant and Resident Committees

Include infor mation about how tenants can get involved in the new

tenancy pa ck and make it widely a vailable

Service Standards


37/40

Page 37.

4. ConsultationWh en we ask you for your opinions and ideas, we will:

Be clear abo ut what we are trying to achieve and how the results of the

consultatio n will influence ho w we do things or decis ions that we n eed

to take

Be clear who we want to consult with and how to include those who arenot often involved with our work

Work within a realistic timescale, allowing participants enough time to

consider their contributions

Use metho ds that are mos t suited to what we are trying to achieve and

that help parti cipants to con tribute f ully and creatively

Feedback the views that we have gathered through the exercise and

explain how t hese have b een us ed to influence o ur decisio ns and

actions

5. Tenant and resident groupsWe involv e many formal tenant and resident groups in our decisio n makingprocesses and they sign a partn ership agreement, which makes clear ho w

they will operate. They must:

Have a written co nstitu tion that supports the e quality and diversity

stat ement in the part nership agreement

Provide all local residents with information ab out how t hey

can conta ct t he group and publici se t he groups work in tw o

newsle tter s each year for all local residents

Hold regular mee tings, including a t lea st one public o r con sultati on

me eting each y ear and an annual general mee ting to hold electi ons

for th e committee

Keep written records of meetings

Have op en financial records and have all acco unts ex ter nally

examined ea ch year

6. Monitoring and measuring performance The Charter Steer ing Group will set standards and target s for ea ch

of t he co mmitm ent s made in the Charter, The g roup will monitor

progress, investi gate any that are not b eing met and devel op

appropriate respons es.

We will compare our perf ormance agains t similar housing

organisations.

We will review our p olicies and practices regularly t hrough the

Charter Steer ing Group.

We will monitor ho w diff erent pe ople are invo lve d in our wor k and

lo ok at wa ys to enc ourage any under-represente d groups to get

more involved.


38/40

Page 38.

Who to contact:

For all aspects of the charter:

KNH Community Engagement team

Perseverance House,

St Andrews Road,

Huddersfield,HD1 6RZ

t: 01484 223213

e: [email protected]

w: www.knh.org.uk

f: www.facebook.com/KNHCommunities

For information abou t and support for tenants

and residents groups:

Kirklees Federation of Tenant and Resident

Associations (KFTRA)Federation House,

St Johns Avenue,

Newsome,

Huddersfield

HD4 6JP

t: 01484 223466


w: www.kftra.net

For esta te management issues:

KNH neighbourhood teams

t: 01484 414886


Kirklees Council

Civic Centre 3,

Market Street,

Huddersfield

HD1 2TG

t: 01484 221000

e: customer.enquiries@kir klees.gov.uk

w: www.kirklees.gov.uk


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Kirklees Neighbourhoo d Housing Ltd. Registered Office:

T: 01484 414886E: [email protected]

tp charter 12a4 v8 sml

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