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Tenant participation

We are committed to ensuring our tenants influence our decision making processes. We want our customers to be involved in shaping the services they receive so we deliver services that meet their needs, and our performance continually improves.  

In consultation with members of our tenant steering group, we have developed a Tenant Participation Strategy. The strategy outlines how we aim to engage with tenants on an individual and collective basis.  

You can read the strategy here:  Tenant Participation Strategy 24-25

What is tenant participation?  

Tenant participation is key to our vision of providing home and services that make life better.  

It’s a two-way process involving our tenants working in partnership with us to share ideas, input in to decision making process and influencing decisions about housing conditions, policies and services. Tenant participation gives you an opportunity to help shape the future of our services.  

Caledonia Housing association provides various services to tenants including repairs, making sure our neighbourhoods are well maintained, advice on tenants’ rights and responsibilities and dealing with breaches of tenancy agreements such as anti-social behaviour. Your views as a tenant are crucial in helping us to monitor and deliver these services effectively.  

The Association recognises that tenant involvement can lead to real, positive outcomes for tenants and their communities.  

These benefits include: 

  Better communication and relations between Caledonia and tenants – each being more aware of the others position 

  Opportunities for tenants – to develop new knowledge and skills as well as meeting like-minded people 

  Enhanced communities – making them positive places to live by fostering a sense of community and ensuring estates are well maintained 

  Services that reflect tenants’ needs – the services delivered by us are those that tenants wish to receive, and that these are delivered to the highest standards 

  Increased tenant satisfaction – with their home, neighbourhood and the services delivered 

  Increased accountability – the views of our tenants are heard when decisions are made at all levels, and that these decisions are communicated to tenants in a transparent manner 

  Improving tenant skills – supporting tenants to develop the relevant skills and knowledge to take part in tenant participation. 

  Improved effectiveness and efficiency giving better value for money 

Download as PDF

 Tenant Participation Strategy 24-25

How can I get involved? 

We provide the opportunity to get involved in a number of ways, and at different levels. We also understand that participation or ‘taking part’ means different things to different people, so you can be as involved as little or as much as you want - it really is up to you.  

You don’t need any specific experience to join in, every tenant is welcome.  It doesn’t matter if you have recently moved in or if you have been a Caledonia tenant for years.  Here are some examples of how to get involved: 

  • Become an Armchair Editor by reading our literature such as leaflets and newsletter articles and other and returning your feedback and comments. 
  • Complete questionnaires or surveys and provide us with your comments and suggestions. 
  • Take part in neighbourhood walkabouts 
  • Join our Tenant Participation Steering Group 
  • Form a tenant group in your area or become a member of an existing group
  • Connect with us on social media.

Our commitment to tenant participation

We firmly believe that tenants should have real opportunities to feed in to and shape the services we deliver

We want our tenants to be involved in designing the services they receive so that we create and deliver services that meet their needs, and our performance continually improves.  

We are fully committed to participation and will take all reasonable steps to encourage involvement. We realise that often there may be barriers to getting involved such as; time constraints, lack of training/confidence and expenses such as travel. 

Caledonia is therefore committed to offering practical solutions to make tenant involvement a viable option for as many tenants as possible. These solutions include, but are not limited to: 

  • Arranging meetings at times and locations most accessible to tenants 
  • Offering a wide range of involvement methods to suit all lifestyles 
  • Providing training and support for tenants who are committed to engaging with the Association 
  • Covering the financial costs incurred by tenants in carrying out their roles for example transport costs
  • Providing information in alternative formats to ensure it can be understood by all
  • Providing practical and financial support to establish resident groups. 

As part of our ongoing commitment to Tenant participation we will ensure we:

  • Co-ordinate joint working and communication between the Tenants Groups or Individuals with relevant organisations
  • Support tenants who would like to explore the possibility of setting up a new Tenant Association or Group 
  • Develop, promote and support Tenant Participation initiatives across the organisation 
  • Provide support, guidance and assistance to existing Tenant Associations, Groups and Individuals such as regular attendance at meetings, accompanied estate walk arounds, help with the producing and printing of posters and leaflets
  • Aim to increase and develop tenant participation by marketing opportunities and providing different methods of getting involved

Feedback 

Feedback is a two-way process and as such, we are committed to making sure that we listen to the opinions and ideas of our tenants and they know how their contribution has shaped policy and service delivery, and where it has not, we explain the reasons for this. 

We provide feedback through the following methods: 

  Our website 

  Meetings and focus groups 

  Individual letters 

  Newsletters and information leaflets Retirement noticeboards 

For further information on becoming involved, please email info@caledoniaha.co.uk or call 0800 678 1228