Social Housing Quality Resident Panel

TodayOn (2929 March 2022)2022 we arelaunched launching the Social Housing Quality Resident Panel, bringing together social housing residents from across the country so they can directly share their views with the government and ministers on our approach to driving up the quality of social housing.

We are committed to listening to social housing residents, making sure they can have their voices heard and acting on what we hear. The Minister for Rough Sleeping and Social Housing has already met with residents across the country, and many residents took part in discussions when we were developing the measures set out in the Social Housing White Paper. The new panel will be a way for tenants across the country to get involved in our work to drive up social housing quality.

The Resident Panel will be supported by a national survey. Around 5,000 residents will be asked to share their views about their landlord’s services during March and April 2022. The survey will be used to monitor the impact our reforms will have on social housing residents.

Topics of discussion

Residents should live in good-quality homes and neighbourhoods and feel safe and secure. They should know how their landlord is performing, be treated with respect and have their voice heard, and if they feel their landlord does not provide this service, be able to make a complaint promptly and fairly.

The Panel will discuss the measures we are already delivering to improve social housing quality, making sure this is the experience of every social housing resident. Some of these measures include:

• Reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which sets the minimum standard of housing every social housing landlord has to meet regarding hazards, states of repair, facilities and energy efficiency.
• Ensuring residents know how to raise complaints and have confidence in the system.
• Reviewing the training and qualifications available to social housing staff.
• Delivering a new access to information scheme for social housing tenants of housing associations and other private registered providers of social housing, so that information relating to landlords is easily available.

Wider issues which may impact on social housing quality, such as waiting lists, how much new social housing should be built and where this should be located, will not be discussed formally as part of this Resident Panel. We know these are important issues for many residents but want to ensure the Panel is focused on the specific measures we are taking to drive up quality. A full list of topics for discussion will be agreed in the first meeting.

Format of the meetings

The Social Housing Quality Resident Panel will involve up to 250 social housing residents from across the country, who will meet around three times a year for the foreseeable future. We will hold at least 6 meetings.

Full meetings of the Panel will be supported by smaller, focused discussions, which will follow up on points raised and agree targeted actions.

Short surveys and questionnaires may also be used to gather views.

Questions and answers

How many residents will be invited to join the Panel?

We estimate that up to 250 residents will be invited to join the Panel, although this is dependent on the level of interest we receive.

I’m not part of a tenant scrutiny panel / don’t have any experience, does that matter?

No. We want to hear from a wide range of residents, including those who are actively involved through tenant scrutiny panels, or other forums, and those who are not currently engaged in any way.

Will residents be paid to join?

There is no payment for taking part in our Resident Panel.

Will you share my information with anyone else?

No. All information shared will be treated confidentially and we will ensure that you cannot be identified. The privacy notice [link] sets out how we will protect your data, and how it will be used.

How will you choose which residents will join the Panel?

We will ensure the Panel has a broad mix of residents from different regions and types of landlords. We also want to hear from residents who are already engaged through resident associations, and those who are not, so that there is a mix of experience on the panel.

Why are you not talking about wider issues, such as waiting lists or supply of social housing?

We know there are many issues social housing residents will want to raise. We want to focus discussion on measures which will directly drive improvements in social housing quality, to ensure discussions are focused and recommendations for the Government are specific to this issue.

Will the Panel be online or in person?

The Panel will be hosted online, so residents from across the country can join. We understand that not every social housing resident will have access to the internet, so we are also planning ways to visit residents in their local areas over the coming months.

Why is the Panel only open to residents in England?

Social housing is a devolved issue. Separate arrangements apply in the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Is the Resident Panel a national tenant voice?

We know that ‘national tenant voice’ can mean different things to people. The Resident Panel will have a specific purpose, which is to discuss our social housing quality programme and the measures within this. We want residents’ experiences and views to shape our approach to improving quality in social housing.

What is the long-term future for the Resident Panel?

We anticipate the Resident Panel will run for the foreseeable future, having committed to at least six meetings to date. We will provide an update early next year about the long-term future of the Panel.

Can shared owners, leaseholders and residents of supported housing apply?

We will consider how to improve the quality of social housing for all residents of social housing, including those who rent, leaseholders, and shared owners. All social housing residents are welcome to apply.