We are committed to working with our tenants about the services they require and to providing tenants' and residents' groups or representatives with excellent opportunities to influence the policies, procedures and future decisions we make about our services.

WHY GET INVOLVED

We want to provide homes and services, which you will be happy with. To achieve this we are committed to listening to what you tell us about our services and our performance (good or bad) and taking action on what we have heard to improve things. To ensure this we have set in place a Tenant Compact. This is an agreement between local tenants and the Housing Division. The compact sets out how tenants will participate in decisions about the management of the homes and estates. The Tenant  Compact covers the whole Borough, and is reviewed and updated  appropriately.

Your help and involvement is vital if we are to provide the type services that you want and increase your satisfaction with your home.  

HOW CAN TENANTS GET INVOLVED?

There are several ways in which tenants can get involved:

Joining or forming a local residents’ group (click on the link in the right cloumn)

The Tenant Compact Group

The Tenant Compact Group is a group of tenants from across Blaenau Gwent who meet every two months. They represent the interests of all tenants within Blaenau Gwent. They are consulted on all manner of policies and procedures that affect services offered to council tenants. They play an important part in helping us understand what tenants think about the services we provide and how we can involve and listen to tenants effectively. The group is made up of two representatives from each recognised Tenants and Residents group throughout Blaenau Gwent and community representatives.

Completing surveys

We sometimes ask you to tell us what you think by completing a survey. This would mean answering a few quick questions either over the telephone or in person and which will provide us with valuable information of how Housing Services are performing. 

Personal contact – in person, by phone, by letter or email

If you think there is something we can do to improve our service (or something you have been particularly pleased with) you can write, telephone or send an email to the Housing Services Department.

Workshops, events, meetings and focus groups

Sometimes we may hold a workshop or focus group to seek tenants’ views on a particular service or issue. Other times we may arrange an informal consultation event locally and invite you to come along. This might discuss local issues to do with your neighbourhood, as well as the services we provide.

Tenant Participation Officer

To ensure that the Housing Department reaches as many tenants as possible about the services we provide; we have employed a Tenant Participation Officer. The Tenant Participation Officer will continually work to support the current methods of involving tenants while constantly looking at new opportunities of making contact, involving and encouraging tenants to work in partnership with Blaenau Gwent Housing Services.
Blaenau Gwent Housing Division realises that Tenants and Residents Association may also have concerns regarding issues which are not directly housing related or may wish to provide activities for residents of their local community. This could include such things as looking at developing a piece of land for a community garden, organising a fun day or discussing environmental issues which affect their particular community. The Tenant Participation officer role regarding such issues is to ensure that where possible relevant contacts are given to a group and help is provided to establish a relationship with possible contacts.

Blaenau Gwent Housing Department encourages partnership working, so the Tenant Participation officer will link Tenants and Residents associations up with the relevant organisations wherever possible.  Such organisations will include Communities First; Police Services, other council departments. Encouraging associations to work in partnership with other organisations and to get involved in other things as well as tenant participation means the group stands a better chance of keeping people involved.

If you would like to become involved or find out more about tenant participation and would like to speak to someone in person, then contact the Tenant Participation Officer on 01495 354638, who will arrange to hold a surgery in your local Outreach Venue to discuss tenant participation.

We will take note of what you say and make sure it is fed back to the right person.

Tenants who do not want to get involved

While we always want tenants to get as involved as possible in tenant particpation we understand that some people may not want to get involved or have the time to get involved.
 
Understanding this we will always keep tenants informed through letters, leaflets and newsletters. We will also consult you about matters that affect you directly.

To help inform and keep tenants up to date about all the services we provide and any activities that are taking place in their community, we send every tenant a tenants newsletter 4 times a year. We welcome any suggestions for items of news that could be included within the newsletter, as well as any feedback or comments you wish to make on any articles you may have read within the newsletter. To make any suggestions or comments regarding the newsletter please contact the Tenant Particpation Officer on 01495 354638.

Tenants will  be consulted personally about any changes that directly affect them
We must, by law, consult you about:

Any major changes we propose to make to your Tenancy Agreement (not changes to rules and regulations)

• Any modernisation or improvements we are planning to do to your home.
• Proposed changes on housing management policies.
• Options for handing over management or ownership of our homes to a different organisation.

How we will consult with you, will be dependent on what we want you to comment on. For issues affecting your individual property or Tenancy Agreements we will contact you in person either in writing or by telephone. If the issue concerned affects your community as a whole we will use a more general way of discussing with tenants. Such communication could include public meetings or discussions with representatives of your local tenant and residents associations. When using general methods of communication we will keep you informed about what is happening and how you give your comments by putting up posters, sending you leaflets, or through articles in the housing newsletters to ensure that you are made aware of any proposed changes.