Agenda item

To consider the draft Tenant Engagement and Influence Strategy 2025-2027 (Appendix B) (report of the Assistant Director – Housing enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Housing which asked members to consider the draft Tenant Engagement and Influence Strategy 2025-2027.

The HRA Transformation Officer introduced the report, and the following main points were highlighted:

• The Policy Development Panel had considered the Tenant Engagement and Influence Strategy on 11 February 2025 and supported the recommendation to Cabinet for adoption;
• Following the initial presentation to the Policy Development Panel, the Tenant Engagement and Influence Strategy was circulated to residents for consultation;
• Key findings from the consultation were outlined at point 4 of the report, with further tenant feedback outlined at point 5;
• 130 feedback responses were received from residents which indicated requirements for improved accessibility, enhanced clarity, improved communication and for the availability of the document contents in alternative media;
• Revisions to the strategy were made based on tenant feedback, including the repositioning of the inclusivity statement to the first page of the strategy document; and
• The document presented to the committee at the current meeting included the revisions for consideration by the Panel prior to its onward journey to Cabinet.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• Members queried whether tenants would be encouraged to join the scrutiny groups and whether information relating to such matters would be given to tenants at the start of a tenancy.
  • The HRA Transformation Officer responded that:
    • A Tenant Forum was to be launched;
    • Details of how to participate in the forum were to be included within new tenant packs; and
    • Interest expressed from tenants would be followed up by the Tenant Engagement Lead with the opportunities available.

• Members requested that where changes were made to a document previously considered by the committee, that these be highlighted or colour-coded for ease of reference when being represented to the committee
  • The HRA Transformation Officer responded that the request was noted. In the current document, the summary of the changes made to the original document was included at Appendix A, from page 14. This detailed the first version of the strategy and the corresponding revised version where changes had been made.

• Members welcomed the access statement being relocated to the front page of Tenant Engagement and Influence Strategy (Appendix B) and suggested that this approach be taken on all council documents. 

• Members queried how the location for the scrutiny groups were decided and whether there any stipulations were in place regarding the composition of group members across the district.
  • The HRA Transformation Officer responded that the Tenant Forum would help to determine the location, frequency, Terms of Reference and development of the scrutiny groups. Tenants would be consulted on participation training needs which could range from shadowing opportunities to formal training.

• Members queried how officers planned to engage residents in areas of the district where community centres did not exist.
  • The HRA Transformation Officer responded that Independent Living Officers would engage with tenants in sheltered accommodation. In addition, Housing Officers were to undertake ‘summer walkabouts’ to engage directly with tenants in rural communities.

• Regarding the TPAS (Tenant Participatory Advisory Service)  Executive Summary at Appendix E, members sought clarification of acronyms ‘NEC’ and ‘SMART’, and of ‘slide 54’ stated at page 6.
  • The HRA Transformation Officer responded that the document was provided by TPAS for officer use and was not shared with tenants. The document was therefore not able to be amended however the following clarification was given regarding the queries raised:
    • That NEC was the Housing Management System;
    • That SMART referred to targets which should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound; and
    • ‘slide 54’ related to a presentation made to relevant SHDC staff.

• Members queried whether the Tenant Scrutiny group would contribute to the tenant newsletter.

• Members queried whether the strategy had been positively received by tenants.
  • The HRA Transformation Officer responded that many people who had engaged with the TPAS work had a previous experience with the council and were looking to develop a trust relationship;
  • The Director of Communities added that:
    • TPAS were engaged by the council due to their position as sector experts in tenant engagement. The TPAS report was produced for officers and reflected the initial stages of development of the work;
    • A key lesson from the exercise was a focus and refinement of the correct approach for tenants of South Holland, including the nurture of two-way communication channels with tenants to ensure that views came forward and were genuinely reflected upon;
    • A positive result of the approach being taken was that engaged tenants were encouraging other tenants to become involved;
    • The development of a revised Tenant Engagement framework was changing the engagement culture and enabling improvements; and
    • It was anticipated that results from tenant engagement would be visible in the future, potentially through the influence of policy changes.

Members queried how the council ensured that a wide demographic were involved.

·        The HRA Transformation Officer responded that the Tenant Engagement and Influence Strategy included the trialling of a range of approaches including consultation events at different times of the day, online surveys and sheltered focus groups. Results of the online survey had revealed that ‘over 75s’ were not strongly digitally engaged and therefore an in-person approach had been taken for this demographic.

AGREED:

1)     That following consideration by the Policy Development Panel, the Tenant Engagement and Influence Strategy at Appendix B be recommended to Cabinet for adoption;  and

2)     That the recommendation to Cabinet to delegate minor operational amendments to the Assistant Director – Housing in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing, be supported.