Tenant Involvement
Consultation
Apex Housing will consult you and all affected tenants about the proposed
changes to management and maintenance policies or practices, in particular
where:

Apex proposes a change in the arrangements for management and
maintenance, which substantially affects you.

Physical improvements to your property or environment are proposed
by Apex.

Apex proposes to change significantly the extent and cost of services
paid for out of your service charge.

Apex is proposing to transfer your property to another association.
Apex Housing will periodically consult you, and organisations who represent
tenants on their views about existing policies and service delivery. This might
concern the services that Apex provides directly to you, or the effect of its
activities in the area where you live. This consultation may take the form of
individual letters, local or general newsletters, tenant satisfaction surveys,
public meetings, or any other appropriate method.
Apex Housing produces an Annual report and Business Plan which provides
statistics on its performance during the previous year and its objectives for the
coming year.
If you have any comments or suggestions to make about any of Apex’s
services or activities, you can contact Apex Housing individually, or as a group
at any time, about any aspect of its activities affecting you.
Community Involvement Strategy and Action Plan 2011-2014
This is the fourth Strategy & Action Plan developed by Apex, in consultation
with interested parties. Development of this strategy has taken account of
regulatory standards, best practice, and consultation with ’interested parties’,
including our tenants and residents, our staff, our regulators, funders and
those with expertise in the area of community involvement and tenant
participation.
The Strategy & Action Plan puts our tenants and residents at the centre of
what we do and how we do it. We are inviting people to become involved,
offer an opinion, comment on our services and challenge us to improve. We
are offering opportunities for people to be involved at a level which they
choose.
This Strategy & Action Plan:

Tells you the standards, best practice and consultation outcomes we
have considered when developing this Strategy & Action Plan.

Sets out our aims and objectives for involvement in the next 3 years.

Outlines what has been achieved to date by working in partnership with
our communities.

Defines the standards our tenants and residents can expect in regard
to information, consultation and involvement.

Details the resources we will put in place in order to provide tenants
with effective involvement.

Outlines the ways in which our tenants and residents can become
involved.

Tells you how we will monitor, evaluate and report to you on
implementation of the Strategy & Action Plan.

Sets out what we will deliver in the next 3 years.
The Community Involvement Strategy and Action Plan 2011-2014 can be
found at (insert link).
Community Involvement Forum
Subsequent to a review of tenant participation structures 5 Regional Fora
were set up in Derry, Belfast, Dungannon, Portstewart and
Tyrone/Fermanagh. Meetings were held in all of these areas and 32 tenants
agreed to represent their respective areas and go forward to the Community
Involvement Forum – the central tenants’ representative body. The
Chairperson of the Community Involvement Forum is a member of Apex
Board of Management.
The role of the Community Involvement Forum is to:

To act as a central customer panel for Apex through, for example,
participation in specific policy working groups; providing advice on
tenant orientated Apex publications and communications; and
providing feedback to Apex on proposed new initiatives, particularly
where it involves tenant and community development.

To deal with general issues of concern, such as tenancy conditions
and service delivery, referred to it by the regional fora.

To identify issues for the Community Involvement Forum chairperson
to raise at Apex Board of Management meetings.

To maintain two-way communications between the Community
Involvement Forum and the regional fora, and Apex staff and Board of
Management.
Tenants Associations
Apex Housing encourages the development of Tenants Associations in these
areas. These provide opportunities for tenants to come together to discuss
matters of mutual concern and collectively decide how to take these forward.
While Tenants Associations are independent, Apex encourages constructive
working relationships to ensure effective participation.