Improving services for disabled tenants

Are you disabled or care for someone with a disability and want to help improve housing services? If so, then why not join the Disability and Housing Service Improvement Group?
Set up in June 2007, members include tenants and residents, with and without disabilities and those who act as carers.
They monitor services delivered to people with a disability and suggest improvements.
Covering all types of disability - physical, mental, or sensory, permanent or temporary - they ensure that access to services is easy and friendly.
So far they have

• mystery shopped the call centre's 300 347 textphone service
• monitored the performance of customer service centre staff.

"As a result of our monitoring, our members now offer council staff disability training advice," says Sue Roelofs, chair of the group.
"Currently, we are looking into the gardening service qualification criteria, the adaptations timescale from application to completion, the occupational therapy team and the numbers of people with a disability employed by the council and where they work."

To join the group call 300 300 or 300 347 and ask for the tenant participation team.

Spreading the Word STAR is working with the council to put together a comprehensive database of Tenants' and Residents' Associations (TARAs) in Hull. Once finished, this will be a great resource for people living in the city, helping them to find out if there is a TARA close to where they live and whom they should contact to get involved. "Getting new members involved in your group is a great way to maintain momentum and get fresh ideas," says James Russell, the co-ordinator of the STAR project. "This database, which we will update regularly, should be of great interest to the TARAs in Hull." If a STAR or council officer has not already contacted you and you would like to have your TARA's details included, either contact STAR at star@goodwin-centre.org or ring 485 918, or ring 300 300 and ask to speak to the tenant participation team.

tenant news in brief

Tenants' Forum The next Tenants' Forum meeting is on Thursday 18 March, from 1.30pm - 4.30pm at the Guildhall. For more details about this meeting ring 300 300 and ask to speak to the tenant participation team. New members are always welcome. Rent arrears It is important that the council collects outstanding rents to ensure we can provide necessary services to our customers. Council tenants' rent pays for the repair and maintenance of council homes, rent rebates, capital financing costs for neighbourhood and home improvements and general management costs such as building maintenance, housing offices and staff wages. Unpaid rent and persistent non payment is therefore not accepted. If tenants do not contact us and make an arrangement with us to repay arrears or do not keep to an existing arrangement, we will take legal action which could ultimately lead to eviction. That is why we make every effort to help customers who get behind with their rent by assisting them to claim benefits and obtain debt advice. If you have fallen behind with your rent and need support and/or advice to get back on track, ring 300 300 or call into your nearest customer service centre or information point. Rent information letters This month, you will receive your annual letter that explains what your weekly rent payment will be for the new financial year April 2010 – March 2011. If you have any questions about the content of your letter, please ring 300 300. New Bilton Grange Residents' Association (NBGRA) NBGRA's next meeting is Tuesday 2 March 2010 at the new time of 7pm, at St.Philip's Church, Amethyst Road. Everyone welcome.

You told us The Housing Academy finance session did not include information about individual housing projects receiving specific funding from the housing service annual budget.

We did We did The session tutor has rewritten the session to include an explanation about funding for specific projects, for future academy courses.

Penny - the voice of Hull's tenants nationally

Penny Rodmell, vice-chair of Hull's Tenants' Forum, is one of just 50 members appointed to the newly established National Tenant Council (NTC), which represents tenants nationwide.

The NTC is part of the National Tenants Voice, an independent organisation set up by the government to act as a sounding board on housing policy.
At the first meeting, its members set about responding to the Tenant Services Authority's consultation on standards for social landlords.
Penny (pictured right) isn't daunted by this task, having been a tenants' champion since she first became involved with the Preston Road Tenants' and Residents' Association, where she soon demonstrated her ability to influence policies and encourage other tenants to get involved.
"I see my role as helping people to have a voice in their community," says Penny.
"I hope I have been able to play a small part in evolving a strong tenants' movement in the city."
As Penny's responsibilities have developed nationally, she also sees herself as an ambassador for Hull, not only in promoting good practice in tenant participation and advocacy, but for the city itself as a great place to live and visit.
While Penny is happy to champion the cause for tenants, she doesn't like being called a 'campaigner.'
"That implies being a flag waver and sometimes being confrontational," she says.
"I believe the best way of influencing is to work together with the aim of becoming equal partners."
Penny is passionate about enabling people to have their say about how everyday services affect them and their families.
Her advice is "get involved," although she acknowledges that this may be difficult for some people.
"It's a case of making sure we have numerous ways by which people can be empowered to have their say," says Penny.
"Fortunately in Hull we do, through the tenant movement and the council's housing tenant participation team."
Penny's dedication and talent for influencing housing policies to improve the lives of people in Hull has led her to being appointed Northern Director for the Tenant Participation Advisory Service, the first from the Humber area, where she continues to make her mark on strategic development and share good practice.

Hull's council tenants hit back at Channel 4's documentary about Austin Mitchell MP experiencing the reality of life living on a council estate.
"Like most people in Hull, we are angry that TV's Channel 4 chose to substitute the true picture of living on Orchard Park for cheap sensationalism in "Tower Block of Commons."
It was an insult to use a neighbouring MP (and wife) to criticise and undermine the lives of residents as though such problems don't exist on his own patch.
As a Tenants' Forum, we helped compile the council's Lettings Standard and know that a flat would never be let in such condition.
There are problems on Orchard Park, yet both we and Channel 4 know that there is £160m to transform it into a more popular residential area.
Channel 4 was shown numerous excellent community projects and introduced to many residents.
There was no reference to the good things or the mood of optimism among people who live there.
It is disgraceful that this misleading series is allowed to be broadcast."
Tenants' Forum committee