We take resident involvement very seriously indeed and are committed to involving you in all that we do putting you at the centre of our Business. We want to work jointly with you to make decisions based on your needs. Working with you we have developed an involvement structure whereby decisions about customers and services are made by you.
The Trust is committed to making sure residents’ voices are heard. We have a number of ways in which residents can get involved with the Trust at different levels to suit. Please read these pages and if you wish to become involved or to find out more about the areas which interest you, please complete this quick questionnaire and we will then be in touch with further information.
Click here for Menu of Opportunities.
The Future’s Bright
The Future’s Bright Campaign has been launched to tell you that we are changing our involvement techniques so that not only everyone has a say in the decisions that impact on your homes and communities, but that we also have some fun!
There are a number of ways to get involved. We offer an appealing range of involvement opportunities which are accessible and will engage our diverse communities, such as younger people and customers from different ethnic backgrounds. We will offer childcare and assistance with transport to remove any barriers to effective engagement.
We’re always looking for people to get involved
We are looking for people to get involved in a number of ways but at a level that suits your needs, as we recognise how precious your time is.
To compliment our already involved, dedicated customers we are looking for more people to join in a number of ways:
The Challenge Group – this is the link between the Board and the full spectrum of resident involvement activities taking place. Attendance on this group would represent the highest level of resident involvement other than being a Board member. It is quite a lot of responsibility but a real challenge if you have time to spare once a month. This group monitors and challenges all involvement outputs and produce papers for our Board.
Service Delivery Groups – In order to embed the involvement culture across the Trust we have set up monitoring groups for each service area, such as lettings, rent arrears, neighbourhood management and repairs. These groups are responsible for the delivery of involvement relating to their function. We are looking for customers who will focus specifically on a particular service that really interests them. There could be monthly or quarterly meetings, forums and focus groups, however they are set up it is a perfect way of making a contribution to the community.
Residents Register – This is a Database made up of a number of residents who have agreed to be included on a register allowing the Trust to contact them on an ad-hoc basis. The Residents’ Register provides interested residents with the opportunity to be involved in various ways at a level that they feel comfortable with.
Estate Walkabouts – We have introduced a series of estate walkabouts where residents, staff and local agencies including the police, are invited to walk a neighbourhood to identify areas of concern. It is an ideal opportunity for residents to meet with Trust representatives on site and discuss how their input can lead to improvements being made. For the most up to date list of dates you can download a document at the bottom of this page.
Mystery Shopping – Interested customers are trained to become ‘mystery shoppers’. They carry out a number of checks to test the quality of front-line Trust services from the customer’s point of view with aim of working with the Trust to improve services.
Focus Groups – Residents are invited on an ad-hoc basis to participate in service related focus groups.
Tenant Associations - Many residents are particularly interested in helping to bring about improvements in their local area. The Trust actively supports and encourages the formation of Tenants & Residents Associations, both informal and formal, to enable residents to improve their communities. We can provide advice, printing, a grant and training to enable residents to run their association in an effective manner and represent their community in a meaningful way. You can download a list of current associations and meetings at the bottom of this page.
HomeChecker Group – A group of residents who inspect our vacant properties before we re-let them to ensuring they meet the Trust’s lettable standard.
We also have other established groups that meet regularly and are always looking for new faces. These include our:
Disability Forum
Gender Equality Forum
Diversity Service Improvement Group
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At your own pace
We are aware that there will always be more tenants who prefer to receive information about us and give their views than those who wish to be actively involved so we will provide regular information to tenants on our activities and performance and display this information in our offices for you to see.
We will provide information about services and service standards in a comprehensive range of languages and formats appropriate to your needs e.g. Braille, large print and other languages.
We have set up the Tenants “Plain Language” panel to judge the clarity of all our information provided to customers.
Information about our services and how you can get involved is included in “PlainSpeaking”, our new look Tenants’ Magazine. PlainSpeaking is user focused, presented in innovative ways to promote your interest and reflect our values.
Information leaflets detailing our resident involvement options are available in an appropriate range of formats and languages to reflect any special requirements. The information also gives details of the process by which residents can become involved.
Other ways we keep you informed
Through rent statements
Through service charge and rent increase letters
Through reading our annual report
By attending our annual Residents Conference
Tenants on the Board
The Trust’s Board of Management includes five Tenant Board Members who have exactly the same rights and responsibilities as other Board Members. Our Tenant Board Members will hold office for three years each, after which they can retire or stand for reselection, so if you are interested in serving on our Board or want more information on our Board, contact us on 0800 012 1311
Become a member of the Trust
Becoming a Member is a great way to get involved in the running of the Trust and have your say on important decisions that affect you and your community.
As a Member you will have certain additional rights, such as:
· You will have the right to vote on resolutions at general meetings, including changes to the Memorandum and Articles
· You will be invited to the Trust’s Annual and Special General Meetings
· You will receive a copy of the Annual Report and Accounts
· You will have the right of information about the Trust’s affairs (although information classed as confidential cannot be disclosed to Members)
· As well as other individuals, Members have the right to be considered for and / or elected to vacant places on the Board.
· Being a Member doesn’t require any special commitments of time or effort, although if you are a tenant you are unable to become or remain a Member if you are in serious breach of your tenancy agreement.
So if you’re interested in improving housing and housing services in the area, why not apply to join us?
To take up any of these opportunities or to find out about new ways we are involving our customers, contact us directly on Freephone 0800 012 1311 (it may be cheaper to call 0330 440 9707 from a mobile), email getinvolved@cppht.com or write to Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust, Ropewalks, Newton Street, Macclesfield, SK11 6QJ.
http://www.cppht.com/contact.asp
Other customers also found these documents interesting:
Becoming a member of the Trust
Programme of Estate Walkabouts
