social enterprise

This article is provided courtesy of the news feed at http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/news

Resident-led self-regulation has the potential to change social housing for the better by giving real power to customers who have little consumer choice or voice, according to a new report.

The approach is outlined in a paper commissioned by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and written by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), which claims involvement in performance management offers tenants the power to challenge their housing organisation, driving up performance and cutting down on external intervention.

It follows three years of work by CIH on a model that helps residents influence decisions. The approach draws on existing practice where tenants pioneered schemes that saw them call landlords to account, take a lead role in improving frontline services, scrutinise performance and ensure their housing organisation was well-governed.

Aldwyck Housing Group established a Customer Scrutiny Panel in 2008 which meets the board twice a year to question them on performance. Concerns raised over vacant properties led to a re-examination of the process. The time a property is now left empty was subsequently cut and savings made.

CIH head of policy Abigail Davies, who co-authored the report, said: ‘The early adopters of resident-led self-regulation have done some great work and have paved the way for others to follow.

‘If it becomes widespread in the housing sector, it will bring clear benefits to tenants, housing providers and the regulator.’