Independent Advice Services for TRAs, Tenants and Homeowners

Overview

Tell us what needs to be included in independent advice services for Tenants and Residents Associations (TRAs) and people who live in council homes.

Background

We are making it easier for more people who live in council homes to get involved in decisions about council housing. These changes, approved by the council in February 2020, aim to strengthen the way we work with the people who live in council homes and are part of our commitment to make homes and estates in Southwark great places to live.

The aim is to open up the council’s approach to resident participation so everyone who lives in a council home can get involved in a way that suits them. The aims of the current resident participation service changes are to:

• Involve more people
• Provide more and easier ways to get involved
• Increase support for the grass roots and Tenants and Residents Associations
• Reflect changes to council services

As part of these wider changes, the council is modifying the procuring arrangements for existing independent support and advice services for Tenants and Residents Associations and people who live in council homes. These two services are currently funded via grants and the council is going to procure them as contracts.

These services are being commissioned on behalf of tenants and residents by the council based on priorities set in consultation with the Joint Tenants and Homeowners Forum, TRAs and people who live in council homes.

Why your views matter

The council invites you to take part in this consultation to help define how these services can help the council deliver its vision of modern and inclusive resident participation, and feed into setting the priorities for these services going forward.

This survey survey should take no more than five minutes to complete.

What happens next

The council will undertake wider consultation with residents to help define the priorities for these services and report back to the Joint Tenants and Homeowners Forum. The plan is to present the consultation findings to the Joint Tenants and Homeowners Forum in May and then they will be used to shape the service specifications for these two contracts. It is expected that the procurement will take place in July and August with the new services starting in October 2021.