The Council is committed
to involving residents of East Ayrshire in making decisions about the
services it delivers. Tenants have an important role to play in improving
current services and in helping shape the direction of the overall service.
We want to know what
tenants think about housing conditions and services, where the gaps are
and how services can be improved. Many tenants have already set up local
Tenants' Associations that allow tenants to meet regularly and tackle
issues that affect their area. The Council also consults these groups
about any major decisions that will affect the service tenants receive.
Tenant
Participation Strategy
The Housing (Scotland)
Act 2001 placed a duty on every Local Authority and Registered Social
Landlord (RSL) to prepare a Tenant Participation Strategy. The Act require
landlords to develop, with tenants, tenant participation strategies that
deal with a number of activities aimed at further developing tenant participation.
There are lots of
reasons to have a group. It’s an easy way to get local people together
to tackle local problems. Many Associations have sorted out problems in
their areas such as vandalism, parking, repairs, speeding and play areas.
Not only will you be able to sort problems out many groups also find that
having an associations helps to bring back a feeling of community in their
estate.
How do I join a
group?
If you live in an
area already covered by an association and want to join we will arrange
for the Chair Person of the association to contact you.
If there isn't
already an association in my area how do I set one up?
With the help of
a member of staff we will guide you through the steps you need to take
to have a properly constituted group. We will provide advice and assistance
as well as help with practical things such as letters, agenda and minutes.
Grants are also available each year to established groups to covers costs
such as photocopying and postage.
Okay - I want to
set up a group, what do I do?
Speak to your neighbours
to see if anyone else feels the same. If you think that a few people would
be interested in taking the idea forward contact the:
Customer Liaison
Officer
Civic Centre
John Dickie Street
Kilmarnock
Tel: 01563 576839 or 554854
Tenant
Participation Steering Group (TPSG)
This group comprises
of tenants and residents representatives from RTO's, TARA's and individual
tenants. The group meets approximately every six weeks and works along
with the Tenants Information Service (TIS) and staff to develop tenants
participation in East Ayrshire.
The activities of
the group include:
Participation in
the development and review of Tenant Participation and the Tenant Participation
Strategy,
Consultation on
proposed policies and surveys,
Participation in
the strategic option appraisal exercise for the development of the Local
Housing Strategy,
Meeting with Council
officers,
Awareness raising
and training on legislation and Council services,
Development and
design of the Council Tenant Hand book,
Study visits to
other local authorities to learn about their tenant participation activity.
Registered
Tenant Organisations (RTOs)
The Housing (Scotland)
Act 2001 introduces the concept of Registered Tenant Organisations (RTOs).
The aim is to give tenants' and residents' associations, that meet certain
criteria, a recognised role in the tenant participation process.
Registration imposes responsibilities on the Council as a landlord, and
clarifies which associations the Council will consult with, as the Housing
(Scotland) Act 2001 places a duty on the Council to consult with RTOs
on issues that affect them, and to take notice of the representations
made by RTOs, within timescales to be agreed with the tenants.
The Council encourages
tenants' and residents' associations to set up, and existing and new associations
to register to become RTOs. The process is designed to be both clear and
straightforward, and assistance is available at all stages of the process.
RTOs retain the right
to view published information in advance of publication, and will be given
the opportunity to comment on the accuracy of the information contained
in the register.
The register is a
public document and is available for inspection at all Housing Offices
within East Ayrshire, and online, and will be sent to all RTOs on request.
In accordance with data protection sensitivities, the information made
available consists of:
As well as providing
advice and assistance, help is available with practical matters such as
producing and copying letters, agendas and minutes, and conducting year
end audits for associations' and RTOs'.
Grants are available
each year to established groups with constitutions to cover costs such
as photocopying and postage. All groups can apply for funding from the
Housing Service for basic administration costs, as follows:
Start Up Grant
: £150
Annual Operating
Grant : £100 (minimum)
The resources available
to Tenants and Residents' Associations and RTOs will be reviewed during
2007, in conjunction with tenants, tenants' representatives and staff
from the Housing Service working with Tenants Information Service (TIS).
Tenants Conference
Since 2004 we have held an annual tenants conference. This one day event
which is open to all our tenants aims to encourage tenant participation
throughout East Ayrshire by inviting tenants along to discuss topical
issues such as Scottish Housing Quality Standard, the rent setting policy,
and wider issues such as exploring the ways in which tenants can influence
housing issues.
The conference is attended by Chief Officers, Elected Members and Operational
Staff, providing an opportunity for tenants to ask questions and put forward
their suggestions for improving the Housing Service.
The inaugural meeting of the East Ayrshire Tenants and Residents Federation took place on 26th September 2007 at the Railway Hotel in Auchinleck. The Federation sees all 17 tenants and residents associations accross East Ayrshire coming together to provide one another, and new groups with support and to share ideas. The Federation will become the main vehicle for all Housing consultations and will be available as a consultation mechanism for all Community Planning partners to use. The formation of a Federation gives the tenants movement in East Ayrshire greater strength to influence decision making within the Council.
FURTHER
INFORMATION
If you live in an
area already covered by an association and want to join we will arrange
for the Chair Person of the association to contact you.
If you live in an
area that is not already covered by an association and want to set one
up, please use the following online form:
Tenants conference report 2007
