Resident Panel Round-ups

Chaired by Ceilia Gresswell, the virtual West Region Resident Panel meeting took place on the 26 February 2021.

Our Chief Information Officer Tony Blows reported on the changes from G1 to G2 in terms of governance grading, as well as the decision to prioritise spending on our building safety programme and Care & Support services – including a commitment to paying the London Living Wage. The panel recognised the positive steps we have taken in investing in our building safety programme.

Resident Engagement Officer Marie Djoma informed the Panel of our new campaign to recruit two new panel members in the West region. She also reported back on the Local plan, the launch of a new local newsletter called Berkshire Community News, and new projects such as the Parent Employment Wellbeing project in Reading and one-to-one digital support sessions for our older residents.

Key highlights were new partnerships with Age UK Berkshire and their virtual café for over 50s; online training courses for Berkshire residents delivered by WEA; and new opportunities with Reading Community Learning Centre and Foodshare Maidenhead.

Our Youth Development Officer Iksha Limbu will be working on engaging young residents the West region by providing projects for them to get involved.

Iksha also talked about the wide range of free activities which our young residents can join online, as well as the free English and Maths tuition classes for Year 4, 5 and 6 delivered by Tutors United. She’s also helping set up a Youth Voice Panel to consult our 16-21 residents on the youth-led projects we take forward.

Chaired by Linda Sluys, the virtual North Resident Panel meeting took place on 11 February 2021.

Group Director of Development Mike Johnson talked about the recent articles which appeared on Inside Housing and the changes from G1 to G2 in terms of governance grading, as well as the decision to prioritise spending on our building safety programme and Care & Support services – including a commitment to paying the London Living Wage.

Resident Engagement and Partnership Officer Sam Murfitt reported on the Local Plan and the recent partnership with North London Cares which will give our elderly residents in the local community the opportunity to take part in weekly social club online sessions.

Sam updated the Panel on the Digital Inclusion programme, which is supporting older residents in getting online and using new technology to keep in touch with family and friends. Also, a warm food delivery programme will soon target vulnerable families in Camden; our anti-social behaviour team have set up an action group for domestic violence; and we have received some very positive feedback about our Zumba weekly workshops and Quiz night, part of our programme of free online activities which anyone can join via Zoom.

Our Youth Development Officer Iksha Limbu will be supporting the North region with exciting Youth initiatives. Online Youth activities, organised by her team, have been helping to reduce feelings of social isolation among our younger residents who have been struggling during the last few months of lockdown. Sessions include an online film making course; and they’re also setting up a Youth Voice Panel to consult our 16-21 residents on the youth-led projects we take forward.

Iksha talked about the free Maths and English tuition classes our North region young residents can access thanks to a new partnership we’ve set up with Tutors United – we’re currently looking for participants! We’re also donating funds to Haverstock Secondary which will go towards laptops and free school lunches.

Chaired by Jan Bros, the virtual Island Resident Panel meeting took place on 2 February 2021.

Chief Operating Officer Chyrel Brown reiterated our commitment to building safety with the panel; and reported back that Richard Hill met with local MPs and wrote to parliament about getting additional help to fund our building safety programme.

Our Island and East region Youth Development Officer Ruth Stanger has been working on some exciting activities for our young residents which have been happening online since lockdown. She also updated the panel on an anti-crime project we have recently joined aimed at tackling knife crime in the borough, which has now been approved for funding by a number of Tower Hamlets Housing Associations.

Ruth Stanger reporter back on an Anti-crime project proposal which was approved for funding by various Tower Hamlets housing association, offering youth to parent and parent to parent delivery to tackle knife crime in the borough.

Rifle Street residents put forward an Environmental Improvement Bid to improve the communal garden space on their estate, which has been approved by the Resident Panel. As part of the ‘deep dive’ topics, our Development team delivered a presentation on how we decide what projects we take forward, regeneration, delivering quality homes and handover to our Sales and Marketing team. There was also an opportunity for the Panel to ask questions. Please do get in touch if you would like to find out more information about any of these topics.

Chaired by Richard Macmillan, the virtual East Region Resident Panel meeting took place on 23 February 2021.

Our Group Director of Governance & Compliance Hilary Milne talked about the recent articles which appeared on Inside Housing and the changes from G1 to G2 in terms of governance grading, as well as the decision to prioritise spending on our building safety programme and Care & Support services – including a commitment to paying the London Living Wage.

Resident Engagement and Partnership Officer Amma Nkrumah reported on the Local Plan and the recent partnership with East London Cares who will give our elderly residents the opportunity to participate in weekly social club online sessions. East London Cares will also provide support to our 65+ residents who need help with practical things such as accessing medicine, prescriptions, groceries, or other local services.

Our Island and East region Youth Development Officer Ruth Stanger has been working on some exciting activities for our young residents which have been happening online since lockdown. She also updated the panel on an anti-crime project we have recently joined aimed at tackling knife crime in the borough, which has now been approved for funding by a number of Tower Hamlets Housing Associations.

The highlight of the meeting was a resounding yes from all Resident Panel members who approved an Environmental Bid application for vital improvements at Back Church Lane in Tower Hamlets.

Chaired by Ceilia Gresswell, the virtual West Resident Panel meeting took place at the end of November 2020. We were delighted to welcome our new Chair, Caroline Corby to the meeting.

Our Executive Director to the West Panel Ria Bailes thanked our panel members for their work on both customer experience strategy consultations and policy reviews. Ria reported on cladding, our continued pursuit of government funding and our support for the sector campaign on fuel poverty, lobbying the government to support our residents.

We updated the Panel on the Local Plan, specifically: how collaborations between in-house teams and local organisations will help us to achieve our objectives. For example: creating a youth TRA in the region and to utilise social media to give our young people a voice. We also introduced a range of festive online activities for residents and families to enjoy throughout December, including; arts, crafts and well-being activities.

Our new noticeboards will be rolled out across our buildings throughout December. We would like to join the Panel in saying a big ‘thank you’ to Iris Brown, one of our panel members who has stepped down after 14 years of service to the panel, we wish her all the best.

Chaired by Linda Sluys, the virtual North Resident Panel meeting took place online on 19 November 2020. The Panel welcomed new Resident Engagement and Partnership Officer Sam Murfitt.

Sam updated the panel on three key themes set out in the Local Plan; community, environment and customer services. We informed the Panel of our plans to create a Youth TRA in the region, our free online activities for residents during the festive period and our continued work with external partners to further support our residents.

Our Group Director for Development Mike Johnson updated the Panel on the government White Paper, a new charter for social housing residents. He also reported on our successful bid to provide Move On accommodation for the homeless; 34 new permanent properties that we will own and manage.

The Panel provided an in-depth session on service charges, followed by a question and answer session.

Chaired by Jan Bros, the virtual Island Resident Panel meeting took place online on 17 November. Our Chief Operating Officer Chyrel Brown updated the panel on the new customer survey sent to 10,000 residents which will input into our Customer Experience Strategy. Cheryl also talked about the government’s draft Building Safety Bill, fire safety and the social housing white paper.

The Chair of our Board Caroline Corby gave an overview of our priorities as an organisation: building safety, improving our customer service and resident engagement, delivering more affordable homes, and providing care and support to vulnerable people.

Our Director of Property Services Sue Hanlon confirmed that our safety works and the responsive repair services will continue to be prioritized during this pandemic.

The Resident Engagement team updated the panel on the Local Plan and the partnerships within the Island region. Also, our income team delivered a presentation on service charges as part of the ‘deep dive’ topic which aims to give the panel a deeper understanding of an area of interest.

The next round of meetings will take place in February.

Chaired by Richard Macmillan, the virtual East Resident Panel meeting took place on 24 November 2020. Our Director of Governance & Compliance Hilary Milne thanked the panel for their hard work over the year and provided an update on the building safety bill, fire safety and the social housing white paper.

Hilary talked about the benefits to residents in the new social housing white paper, including safety at home; getting to know how your landlord is performing; dealing with complaints promptly and fairly; listening to you; having a good quality home and a vibrant neighbourhood; and supporting people into home ownership.

Hilary also reported that Google Translate is available on our website, which means that residents can view our website in your preferred language. This will hopefully allow more residents to access all sorts of useful information, such as how to raise a repair or get involved with your community.

Our Resident Engagement Officer Amma Nkrumah is working with several local organisations and partners to deliver the improvements set out in the Local Plan including setting up a Youth TRA and new services for older people.

The Panel also approved two gardening projects which residents put forward: ‘How does your Garden Grow’ and ‘Our pathway’ – these were approved as Environmental Improvement Bids.

Chaired by Ceilia Gresswell, the virtual West Resident Panel meeting took place on 3 September 2020. We were pleased to welcome two new panel members to their first meeting. This is very exciting news and will enable us to have better representation from across Berkshire including Reading, Slough and Newbury.

The highlight of the meeting was the Local Plan and its key priorities. We updated the panel on the key themes focusing on community, environment and customer services. We also discussed how we can work together, alongside our internal teams and partners, to identify areas of need within the region. The panel wants to develop a ‘newsagent’ approach by creating local hubs for our residents where they can find relevant information and support.

Our Executive Director to the West Panel Ria Bailes thanked the panel for reviewing and feeding back on several policies since the last meeting. She also reported on the Building Safety Bill going through parliament, as well as the national issue of cladding and the impact of these on the housing sector.

Project Development Manager Steve Gair updated the panel on the Poundfield regeneration project, and on how the online and virtual engagement with our residents on this is progressing. We also presented an example of how the new notice boards will look like as part of an initiative brought forward by panel members in the Local Plan. With new members, ideas and initiatives, it is an exciting time to be a part of the West Panel.

Chaired by Linda Sluys, the virtual North Resident Panel meeting took place online on 27 August. The panel welcomed two new members Luciano and Gary, and is now made of seven people.

Our Group Director for Development Mike Johnson updated the Panel on building safety, cladding and the measures we are are taking to ensure the safety of all our residents. The panel also reviewed policies on rent and service charges, and on removing items from communal areas. Various regeneration projects in the region are progressing, and we are continuing to consult our residents on those by using a range of online platforms.

As part of the update on the Local Plan the panel welcomed the proposal to replace notice boards in buildings and review the information displayed on them. We encouraged panel members to set up Task and Finish groups, support our communications to residents and put forward Environmental Improvement Bids for small scale projects. Please contact our Resident Engagement team if you want to find out more information on this.

Chaired by Jan Bros, the virtual Island Resident Panel meeting took place online on 2 September. Our Chief Operating Officer Chyrel Brown updated the panel on building safety, cladding and the measures we are taking to ensure the safety of all our residents.

The panel reviewed policies on rent and service charges, and on removing items from communal areas. Various regeneration projects on the Island are also progressing and we are continuing to consult our residents on those by using a range of online platforms.

As part of the update on the Local Plan, the panel welcomed the proposal to replace notice boards in buildings and review the information displayed on them.

Panel members also approved an Environmental Improvement Bid for Virginia Quay Estate to improve lighting. This idea comes from a resident who wants to address anti-social behaviour on the estate. We encouraged members to take part in this project by joining Task and Finish groups, and by supporting our communications to residents. Please contact our Resident Engagement team if you want to find out more information on this.

Chaired by Richard Macmillan, the virtual East Resident Panel meeting took place on 1 September 2020.

Our Group Director of Governance & Compliance Hilary Milne updated the panel on the issue of cladding. We are currently undertaking a programme of works to assess the types of cladding in our on our taller buildings, and we are applying for government funding where remediation work is needed.

The key highlight of the meeting was the Local Plan. Our Resident Engagement Officer Rohul Miah is working with a number of local organisations and partners to deliver the improvements set out in the plan. These include recruiting an additional two new panel members; setting up a Youth Tenant and Residents' Association; and supporting older people by signing up to a befriender project in Tower Hamlets.

We showed the Panel how the new notice boards for buildings will look like and what information they will display. The replacement of notice boards is an initiative suggested by panel members and included in the Local Plan. The Panel also approved two gardening projects which residents put forward: ‘Our Beautiful Garden Space’ for the Emily Duncan Place, and ‘My Beautiful Balcony’ for Suttons Wharf.

Chaired by Ceilia Gresswell, the West Resident Panel took place in mid May 2020 by video conference using Ms Teams and we were so pleased that everyone was able to join in.

A key part of the meeting was a presentation and update given by Steve Gair, Project Development Manager. Steve provided an update about the development of garages at Poundfield where residents have chosen to create new homes to replace some of the disused and derelict garages. An architect has been commissioned to help design and build approximately 10 houses over the four plots at Poundfield. The proposal is for Modular construction of three-bedroom houses. This means that the homes will be constructed off-site and transported to the plot site. This method will create minimal disruption to local residents and ensure local needs are met.

The Panel asked many questions and raised the need to protect and off-set the environmental footprint associated with the development. There is still a lot of work to be done and a great deal of resident involvement to ensure that we support local people and answer any queries they may have.

Executive Director to the West Panel, Ria Bailes, reported that we are supporting the government's #YouAreNotAlone campaign to help victims of domestic abuse and that, following government guidelines, playgrounds and community centres remain closed. Ria also said that the Customer Contact Centre is contacting vulnerable residents for welfare checks and that we are carrying out emergency repairs only.

The key highlight of the meeting was the Local Plan. In previous meetings residents on the Panel had set out their key priorities in three distinct areas, Community, Customer Service and Environment. These priorities are now in a plan that will be overseen by the Panel, so that it can bring about lasting improvements.

The West Panel and particularly Ceilia spoke about being unique and requiring a different approach in comparison to other regions, and more will be said in future about how we develop the “newsagent” approach for West region. There are also a number of vacancies on the panel and residents are encouraged to see the check our website for more information.

The Panel also received an introduction to the new Customer Services Strategy. Customer services is so important, and we are all keen work together to produce a strategy that builds on the work done so far. Watch this space as there will be more opportunities for residents to get involved and help us shape this important strategy.

The Panel also approved a new strategy that oversees the management and maintenance of homes and buildings; and will play an important part of our continuing service improvement.