Axiom Housing Association
Resident Involvement Strategy
Resident Involvement Strategy: approved October 2010
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Introduction
This resident involvement strategy should be read in conjunction with the
Corporate Strategy, as this provides the framework which underpins all aspect of
resident involvement Our strategy states:•
Axiom is committed to high quality resident involvement in all aspects of
our service and place residents at the heart of our decision making and
our activities
The strategy has been developed in conjunction with Axiom’s Resident Forum
(ARF).
Corporate strategy
This strategy sets out a range of activities and objectives to ensure that Axiom
residents and service users have the opportunity to be involved in all areas of
our services.
Our corporate strategy pledges to ‘empower residents to have greater control
over resources and the provision of services’. The strategy has the following key
objectives:1. Ensure all residents have real choice and opportunity through the
development, management and delivery of services.
2. Ensure that all residents have the opportunity to be involved and included
in all aspects of the association’s activities at community, operational and
strategic levels.
3. Ensure that all our residents and service users have access to services
and support to live independent and successful lives.
4. Ensure the needs of ‘harder to reach’ dispersed residents and underrepresented groups needs are well understood and these residents are
supported and encouraged to participate and contribute
5. Communicate clearly to residents our standards and procedures
6. Developing more innovative methods for the inclusion of residents,
residents and service users.
7. Support the activities of Axiom Residents’ Forum to be the umbrella body
for all resident and resident groups throughout Axiom
8. Draw up a residents’ charter for all.
9. Provide training, facilities and support to Axiom Residents’ Forum and
associated residents groups.
Resident Involvement Strategy: approved October 2010
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Tenants Services Authority
In 2010 the Tenant Service Authority (TSA) introduced a new regulatory
framework; the new framework has cross cutting themes across six standards,
with the Resident Involvement and Empowerment Standard being central to the
TSA’s approach.
This strategy sets out our objectives over a three year period, and reflects the
changes introduced by our regulatory (TSA) and the strategy will be reviewed
annually in conjunction with ARF and residents.
Axiom’s Resident Forum (ARF), is the ‘umbrella’ group of resident involvement.
ARF is an integral part of residents` involvement and our joint goal is to strive to
ensure involvement is accessible for all.
All staff are responsible for resident involvement; however we recognise that
training programmes are required to underpin involvement to ensure that it is
embedded across the organisation.
1.1
Overall Approach
Axiom places residents at the heart of our decision making processes.
Involvement opportunities are encouraged at all levels, from joining the Board of
Management, to taking part in a telephone survey. The current range of
involvement activities are:•
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3 ARF members on the Board of Management
ARF members have representation on Axiom Committees (Performance
and Improvement and Policy)
All resident involvement groups are given the option to be affiliated
with ARF
Contributing to setting our Axiom’s Key Performance Indicators and
targets
‘Feedback’ Survey group formulated and review our action plan to
address the results of the Feedback Survey
Planning Groups for conferences and fun days
Comprehensive consultation with Residents for setting our Local
Standards
Maintenance Advisory Panel to shape and influence our maintenance
service
Residents contribute to Advance review groups, to improve services
Residents contribute to and edit their quarterly newsletter “ARISE”
Residents monitor our performance on complaints and compliments
and shape future service delivery
There are three “core” aspects of this strategy to strengthen resident
involvement. They are:•
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Strengthening the role of Axiom Residents Forum
To involve greater numbers of residents from our wider property
portfolio and diverse groups
The establishment of a Residents Scrutiny Panel
Resident Involvement Strategy: approved October 2010
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ARF is at the forefront of resident involvement and is shaping services on the
ground. There are many examples of excellent practice; the maintenance
advisory panel, the Arise newsletter group, the complaints review group, the
community projects and most recently the work of our team of conductors in
producing our first annual report to tenants.
We shall continue to further strengthen the work of ARF and embed that
philosophy throughout the wider organisation – the work of volume controllers, a
new initiative, will be a core part of that approach as we monitor local standards
of service delivery within the regulatory framework.
We will continue to increase the number of residents involved and seek to reflect
the diversity and geography of Axiom. We will use the Volume Controllers who
are monitoring Axiom standards to involve greater numbers of residents who will
play an active part in shaping our future services and service improvements.
The scrutiny panel will strengthen our residents’ involvement in monitoring and
reviewing our performance. The panel is a subsidiary committee of ARF and will
be supported with training and external advocacy services.
Over the life of this strategy will also look to secure the following outcomes:•
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1.2
Embed resident involvement throughout the organisation
Enable residents to thoroughly scrutinise all aspects of our performance
via ARF and the scrutiny panel
An annual Residents Conference for all residents and service users
Develop a Foyer group for young people
Develop the model of Volume Controllers
Affiliate all resident inclusion bodies to ARF
Develop and implement a training plan to grow capacity of involved
staff
Set up a website for Axiom Residents Forum
Produce a Residents Charter for supported housing
Provide ARF with greater facilities and support to meet their growing
commitment and needs
Our Resident Involvement will have strengths consistent with a top
performing association
Accountability
We will develop a training programme for residents that gives them the
confidence and skills to challenge our working practices, procedures and
services, and in turn hold us accountable for our service delivery.
We shall continue to support ARF building upon their relationship with TPAS; this
supports good working practices and has assisted in the growth and increased
confidence within the committee.
To further increase accountability to our residents we will:
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Provide ARF and our Scrutiny panel with performance information that is
clear and accessible
Resident Involvement Strategy: approved October 2010
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Be open and clear on our challenges and reported performance
information
Continue to promote service improvement suggestions by residents
The scrutiny panel will play a major role in developing this level of accountability.
1.3
Achieving excellence together
Axiom places a high priority on delivering a high standard of service to all of our
residents and service users. This strategy will ensure that staff and ARF work
collaboratively with residents in setting local standards/offers to improve service
delivery.
To continue to develop excellence with residents we will:
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1.4
Work to achieve resident involvement to a top performance standard
Meet with the Feedback Survey Focus group four times a year to review
and feedback on the action plan
Work with the newly established Volume Controllers to introduce service
improvements based on their direct feedback
Increase opportunities for mystery shopping and ensure the results feed
into Axiom’s service for improvement suggestions.
Continue to involve residents in reviewing complaints and shaping service
delivery
Continue to monitor best practice and ideas for innovative methods of
resident involvement through benchmarking and work with stakeholders
Communication
Communication is vital for successful resident involvement. We currently use a
range of methods:
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A high quality Annual Report to all our Tenants, produced jointly with our
Tenants
A quarterly residents newsletter (ARISE – Axiom Residents Influencing
Service Excellence)
Newsletter Editorial Group
Surveys – Feedback, New resident satisfaction, Repairs etc)]
Leaflets – on all services we provide
Neighbourhood walkabouts and Drop-ins
Panels (M.A.P, complaints and compliments)
Axiom Residents Forum (ARF)
Residents represented on our Board and Committees
Focus Groups
Planning Groups
Resident Associations
Resident Meetings
TSA consultation for local standards
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1.5
Scrutiny Panel
New resident annual report
Conferences
Letters/emails/Face-to-face
Website
Complaints and redress
Axiom aims to provide excellent services – we work hard to adopt a ‘right first
time’ approach, and we want to deal with all our residents, service users and
applicants in a prompt, courteous and efficient way. However, there will be times
when we don’t get things right – when that happens we will apologise and try to
put it right as quickly as possible.
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The Customer and complaints panel will meet on a quarterly basis where
Axiom and residents work together to review complaints, review the
outcomes, review procedures and offer suggestions for service
improvement
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ARF’s agendas include a specific item where committee members are
encouraged to make service improvement suggestions.
1.6
Choice
There is a wide menu of involvement that is graphically illustrated in the
involvement pyramid. This sets out different ways residents/service users can
choose to become involved:
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Board Membership
Axiom Residents Forum (ARF)
Committees
Volume Controllers
Advance Reviews
Advance Steering Groups
Focus Groups
Conferences
Training opportunities
Neighbourhood walkabouts and Drop in’s.
Surveys
Resident Associations
Mystery shopping
‘Get togethers’
ARISE (Residents newsletter)
ARF have arranged to hold two of their monthly meetings outside of
Peterborough
Axiom will provide travel and child care expense to support residents
attending and continue to encourage a wider range of involvement.
We will develop these areas further and look to consolidate some of the
involvement groups to achieve better outcomes.
Resident Involvement Strategy: approved October 2010
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These include:
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1.6
ARF to continue to hold meetings around all of our areas of management
allow for an inclusive approach with all residents
Develop a training plan for staff to embed involvement and increase the
promotion of choice
Continue to encourage involvement at all levels of participation
Actively plan to engage underrepresented groups
Engagement and consultation
Our plans for consultation in setting local neighbourhood standards were a key
part of engagement and consultation.
To support and actively promote engagement and consultation we will:
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1.7
Develop a scrutiny panel
Consult our residents in their local areas for their input in setting Axiom’s
local standard using the Volume Controller approach
Publish standards for all local areas and report back to residents on how
well we are performing
Ensure residents comments feed into our service standards
Meet with the ‘Feedback Focus Group four times a year
Conduct two advance reviews each year
Promote ARF with all new resident groups and associations
Governance
Axiom encourages residents to participate at all levels of the organisation. We
place a high value on residents being involved at the highest level – our Board of
Management. We aim to maintain 3 residents on the Board of Management, with
one resident coming from outside of the Peterborough area.
To continue this approach we will:
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1.8
Offer bespoke training designed by TPAS to support resident board and
committee members
Create an atmosphere that provides openness, responsiveness and
accountability.
Demonstrate a clear structure for involvement within Governance
Empowerment and control
Axiom works hard to ensure that residents have the option to influence the
services they receive. The development and implementation of local standards
will play a big part of empowerment and control throughout this strategy, as well
as introducing the new scrutiny panel.
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To develop empowerment and control Axiom will continue to:
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Provide ARF with the annual Estate Improvement Budget
Develop training packages and support practices
Maintain a wide menu of options for involvement
Embed involvement across the organisation
1.9
Support for residents
Training is key in equipping our residents and service users with the ability and
capacity to become involved at all levels of the organisation. We will continue to
offer a wide variety of training and advocacy options and support that include:
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TPAS and other external sources
In-house support for informal training, and mentoring opportunities.
Partnership working
Networking
Information Sessions
Incentives
1.10 Implementation of the strategy
The implementation of the strategy will be monitored by:•
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Axiom Residents Forum
Performance & Improvement Committee
The strategy will also form the basis of the Involving our Residents service plan.
Resident Involvement Strategy: approved October 2010
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