Our statutory consultation on the standards that social housing landlords will have to meet in the future closed on 5 February 2010.
We are currently going through the responses we have received. We expect to publish our response in March 2010, and this will set out the standards in full.
Our proposals for a standard on tenant involvement and empowerment are set out below.
The required outcomes
1. Customer service and choice
Registered providers must design and deliver housing services that tenants can easily access. Tenants must be offered choices over the services they receive, and be treated with fairness and respect. In relation to all the standards, registered providers must consider equality issues and the diversity of their tenants, including tenants with additional support needs.
Registered providers must understand their tenants’ needs and use this information to:
- design and deliver housing services
- communicate with tenants
2. Involvement and empowerment
Registered providers will offer all tenants opportunities to be involved in the management of their housing. This must include opportunities:
- to influence housing related policies and how housing related services are delivered
- to be involved in scrutiny of performance in delivery of housing related services
Registered providers must offer tenants support so they are more able to be effectively engaged, involved, and empowered.
3. Responding to complaints
Registered providers must have a clear and accessible policy. They must deal with tenants’ complaints and any other feedback promptly, politely and fairly. The policy must include how they use complaints and other feedback to:
- change how they do things
- improve service
Specific requirements
1. Customer service and choice
1.1 Registered providers will be able to show they have arrangements for understanding their tenants, their views and needs so that in all the standards, they can use this information to:
- improve services
- offer choices in the services provided
1.2 For all the standards, registered providers must consider equality issues and the diversity of their tenants, including tenants with additional support needs and incorporate choices that are designed to meet the diverse needs of their tenants.
1.3 Registered providers will provide tenants with accessible, comprehensive and timely information about:
- how tenants can access services;
- the standards of housing services their tenants can expect;
- how they are performing against those standards;
- the service choices available to tenants;
- any additional costs that are relevant to specific choices; and
- how tenants can communicate with them.
2. Involvement and empowerment
2.1 Registered providers, having consulted their tenants, must have arrangements in place that support and enable tenants to be involved and empowered. Tenants must have the opportunity to:
- be involved in the management of their homes (including, for example, in relation to the repairs programme and choice of main contractors)
- influence their registered provider’s strategic priorities
- measure and scrutinise how effective their registered provider’s involvement and empowerment policy is
2.2 Registered providers must say how they will provide support to build tenants’ capacity to be effectively engaged, involved, and empowered.
2.3 Arrangements for involvement and empowerment must be clearly published and accessible for tenants.
2.4 Following consultation with their tenants, registered providers will establish by no later than 1 April 2011 local standards in those service areas where the TSA has indicated that its national standards should be tailored with local standards where tenants want them. Local standards should include commitments on:
- local standards for performance
- how performance will be monitored and reported to tenants
- how tenants can be involved in scrutinising performance
- what happens if local standards are not met
- arrangements for reviewing the local standards on an annual basis
2.5 Registered providers will consult their tenants about how many tenant members there should be on their governing bodies or service delivery committees. Registered providers will do this at least once every three years.
2.6 Registered providers will offer tenants a range of opportunities to scrutinise their performance. This applies to all standards.
2.7 When registered providers are required by law to consult tenants about changes to their constitution, (for example where there will be a change of registered provider), they should clearly and objectively set out the options, and the costs and benefits of the options.
2.8 Where registered providers intend to make a significant change in the arrangements for the management of their stock, they must consult their tenants.
2.9 Where registered providers have consulted tenants about the standards, they should feed back to tenants about how they have taken their views into account.
3. Responding to complaints
3.1 Registered providers will have an approach to complaints that is clear, simple and accessible to tenants and potential tenants. The approach should include:
- a range of ways for tenants to express a complaint
- details of what to do if they are unhappy with the outcome of a complaint
3.2 Registered providers will develop, agree and monitor service standards for complaints with tenants. Registered providers will make sure that complaints and any other feedback are managed and resolved promptly, politely and fairly.
3.3 Each year registered providers will publish information about:
- the number of complaints received
- the nature of the complaints
- the business area the complaints relate to
- the outcome of the complaints
- how they have changed the way they do things to improve services as a result of feedback
