Tenant Compact 4

Tenant Participation Compact - Code of Practice for Recognised Tenants and Residents Associations

Joint agreement between Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and the Rochdale Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations (RoFTRA)

1 Introduction

1.1 Tenant Participation should be empowering for all tenants in the Borough. Resources will be made available to recognised tenants groups in an open, transparent and consistent manner. This should enhance the involvement of tenants in the decision making process. It should also help to improve the quality of life on estates. There must be recognition that some estates because of their design, location or particular problems will need additional support at different times. Resources are limited and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing will try to ensure that grants given to recognised tenant and resident associations are in the best interests of the service and provide good value for money.

2 Future Development of the Code of Practice

2.1 It is expected that this code will continue to develop and be a mechanism to encourage good practice in the Borough. The Code should be reviewed on an annual basis and any changes will be jointly agreed between RoFTRA and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.

3 Tenant Participation Compact

3.1 The principles underpinning the Code of Practice are contained on the Tenant Participation Compact’s Core Standards.

4 Guidelines for recognition of Tenants and Residents Associations by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and RoFTRA

4.1 In order to help meet the objectives of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing the following guidelines are considered to be necessary for groups who wish to be recognised by the Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and RoFTRA. Groups need to:

Have and adhere to a proper Constitution that follows the principles outlined in the model constitution containing a sufficient equal opportunities statement.
Work towards improving the quality of life for all the community.
Meet regularly (preferably 6 times per year) when written accounts will be presented.
Meetings should, as far as is practicable, be held in venues and at times that are non-threatening, convenient and reasonably accessible to everyone. They should not be held in buildings perceived as having political or religious affiliations.
Groups should aim to keep all tenants in their area informed. Produce at least two newsletters per year, delivered to every household in the area the group represents.
Hold a public Annual General Meeting to which all residents living on the estate are invited.
Have properly elected officers who live in the area they represent.
Encourage involvement from all sections of their community.
Actively support equal opportunities.
Support a No Smoking Policy at their business meetings or offices. This does not include social events.
A majority of committee members are tenants.
Actively encourage young people to participate in decision making processes that affect them and to become members of the Committee
Volunteers must undertake training on child protection, first aid and health and safety where appropriate
Committee members should be encouraged to undertake regular training on chairing meetings, being secretary, finance, designing newsletters involving more people and other relevant issues.
Fulfil all the financial criteria including an annual audit of accounts, proper accounting procedures, and regular, written, financial reports.
The group must represent an area containing Council properties. At least two-thirds of properties in the area must be Council properties or former Council properties.

5 Encouraging New Associations

5.1 The prime responsibility for encouraging and helping tenants wishing to develop new tenants' association on their estate will be with RoFTRA, supported by the Tenant Participation Unit, the Priority Area Team. . Existing groups will be supported and advised by the Tenant Participation Unit. Groups will be funded via the Tenant Participation Unit.

5.2 New groups that have not had the opportunity to follow the Code of Practice should aim to do so as soon as possible and in any case within twelve months if they are to continue to be funded and recognised.

6 Associations no longer able to abide by the guidelines of the Code of Practice

6.1 Existing groups no longer able to abide by the Code will be offered training and support to find a level of representation that suits their estate. Should they wish to disband, their funds and resources must be dealt with in accordance with the dissolution procedure as stated in the model constitution.

7 Associations that do not meet the requirement for a majority of committee members to be tenants.

7.1 ROFTRA and the Tenant Participation Unit will provide advice and support to Residents Associations that do not meet the requirement for a majority of the committee members to be tenants where this can be done at no detriment to the service provided for recognised Tenants Associations. In the case of training sessions this means that where there are spare places on a training session such groups will be invited to participate free of charge.

8 The Role of RoFTRA.

8.1 RoFTRA’s role within the overall strategy is as follows: -

To represent all Rochdale Boroughwide Housing tenants in the Borough. This includes groups such as young people, ethnic minorities, disabled people; residents of sheltered accommodation and anyone not traditionally represented. . To enable this RoFTRA will co-ordinate and develop the tenants’ movement on an area basis and there should be regular liaison with RBH.
To provide a mutually beneficial network for supporting associations
To provide a resource centre and information service for tenants and residents associations in the borough.
In view of the increasing diversity of tenure on many estates and the lack of effective representation for housing association tenants, ROFTRA should actively encourage the involvement of owner-occupiers, tenants from overspill estates and non-council tenants as associate members.

9 Community Bases and Meeting Places

9.1 Rochdale Boroughwide Housing will provide practical and financial help and assistance to enable groups to identify premises in their area where they may be able to rent space or hire rooms for occasional use. The Tenant Participation Unit will liaise with Rochdale Council to try and ensure that if a community centre or similar, owned or supported financially by the Council, is the most suitable building available then tenants will be given priority, as a fundamental part of the local authorities commitment to tenant participation. If there is nothing suitable in the immediate area then advice can be given to develop alternatives including applying for grants from other organisations. However any community base or community centre used should be adapted to make it accessible for the whole community.

9.2 Rochdale Boroughwide Housing may, when practicable, be able to allow a group to use a property as a community base. This will only be considered when demand for properties allows, all other alternatives have been explored and the group can demonstrate that there are enough people to commit to run it on a regular basis, before a request is granted.

9.3 Training and support will be given to groups to enable them to deal with the responsibility of managing a Community base or Centre. Groups having this extra level of responsibility should make a special effort to attend relevant training sessions including those for Treasurers Duties.

10 Grants

10.1 Annual revenue funding to be known as Tenant Association Grants will be made available to recognised groups.

10.2 New groups will be paid pro rata depending on when they are recognised.

10.3 Recognised groups can also apply to their relevant Area Board for a ' One Off Tenant Participation Grants'

10.4 Groups will be encouraged to make good use of their revenue funding and therefore revenue reserves at the end of a financial year should not exceed more than three months revenue grant in that year. However, if the group has a community base it is recognised that reserves are necessary. Where excessive reserves have accumulated the following years grant should be reduced by an amount equivalent to that by which the revenue reserves exceed three months revenue grant. The only exceptions to this should be:

Where the reserves have accumulated through the groups own fund-raising activities and the amounts raised are clearly identifiable in the groups accounts or
Where the revenue money has been set aside for a specific purpose and is clearly identified in the account as such designated reserves.

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Home Information and Services Become a Tenant Current Tenants - Online Services for Tenants - About our Services Leaseholders * * *		Tenant Participation Compact - Code of Practice for Recognised Tenants and Residents Associations Joint agreement between Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and the Rochdale Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations (RoFTRA) 1 Introduction 1.1 Tenant Participation should be empowering for all tenants in the Borough. Resources will be made available to recognised tenants groups in an open, transparent and consistent manner. This should enhance the involvement of tenants in the decision making process. It should also help to improve the quality of life on estates. There must be recognition that some estates because of their design, location or particular problems will need additional support at different times. Resources are limited and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing will try to ensure that grants given to recognised tenant and resident associations are in the best interests of the service and provide good value for money. 2 Future Development of the Code of Practice 2.1 It is expected that this code will continue to develop and be a mechanism to encourage good practice in the Borough. The Code should be reviewed on an annual basis and any changes will be jointly agreed between RoFTRA and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing. 3 Tenant Participation Compact 3.1 The principles underpinning the Code of Practice are contained on the Tenant Participation Compact’s Core Standards. 4 Guidelines for recognition of Tenants and Residents Associations by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and RoFTRA 4.1 In order to help meet the objectives of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing the following guidelines are considered to be necessary for groups who wish to be recognised by the Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and RoFTRA. Groups need to: Have and adhere to a proper Constitution that follows the principles outlined in the model constitution containing a sufficient equal opportunities statement. Work towards improving the quality of life for all the community. Meet regularly (preferably 6 times per year) when written accounts will be presented. Meetings should, as far as is practicable, be held in venues and at times that are non-threatening, convenient and reasonably accessible to everyone. They should not be held in buildings perceived as having political or religious affiliations. Groups should aim to keep all tenants in their area informed. Produce at least two newsletters per year, delivered to every household in the area the group represents. Hold a public Annual General Meeting to which all residents living on the estate are invited. Have properly elected officers who live in the area they represent. Encourage involvement from all sections of their community. Actively support equal opportunities. Support a No Smoking Policy at their business meetings or offices. This does not include social events. A majority of committee members are tenants. Actively encourage young people to participate in decision making processes that affect them and to become members of the Committee Volunteers must undertake training on child protection, first aid and health and safety where appropriate Committee members should be encouraged to undertake regular training on chairing meetings, being secretary, finance, designing newsletters involving more people and other relevant issues. Fulfil all the financial criteria including an annual audit of accounts, proper accounting procedures, and regular, written, financial reports. The group must represent an area containing Council properties. At least two-thirds of properties in the area must be Council properties or former Council properties. 5 Encouraging New Associations 5.1 The prime responsibility for encouraging and helping tenants wishing to develop new tenants' association on their estate will be with RoFTRA, supported by the Tenant Participation Unit, the Priority Area Team. . Existing groups will be supported and advised by the Tenant Participation Unit. Groups will be funded via the Tenant Participation Unit. 5.2 New groups that have not had the opportunity to follow the Code of Practice should aim to do so as soon as possible and in any case within twelve months if they are to continue to be funded and recognised. 6 Associations no longer able to abide by the guidelines of the Code of Practice 6.1 Existing groups no longer able to abide by the Code will be offered training and support to find a level of representation that suits their estate. Should they wish to disband, their funds and resources must be dealt with in accordance with the dissolution procedure as stated in the model constitution. 7 Associations that do not meet the requirement for a majority of committee members to be tenants. 7.1 ROFTRA and the Tenant Participation Unit will provide advice and support to Residents Associations that do not meet the requirement for a majority of the committee members to be tenants where this can be done at no detriment to the service provided for recognised Tenants Associations. In the case of training sessions this means that where there are spare places on a training session such groups will be invited to participate free of charge. 8 The Role of RoFTRA. 8.1 RoFTRA’s role within the overall strategy is as follows: - To represent all Rochdale Boroughwide Housing tenants in the Borough. This includes groups such as young people, ethnic minorities, disabled people; residents of sheltered accommodation and anyone not traditionally represented. . To enable this RoFTRA will co-ordinate and develop the tenants’ movement on an area basis and there should be regular liaison with RBH. To provide a mutually beneficial network for supporting associations To provide a resource centre and information service for tenants and residents associations in the borough. In view of the increasing diversity of tenure on many estates and the lack of effective representation for housing association tenants, ROFTRA should actively encourage the involvement of owner-occupiers, tenants from overspill estates and non-council tenants as associate members. 9 Community Bases and Meeting Places 9.1 Rochdale Boroughwide Housing will provide practical and financial help and assistance to enable groups to identify premises in their area where they may be able to rent space or hire rooms for occasional use. The Tenant Participation Unit will liaise with Rochdale Council to try and ensure that if a community centre or similar, owned or supported financially by the Council, is the most suitable building available then tenants will be given priority, as a fundamental part of the local authorities commitment to tenant participation. If there is nothing suitable in the immediate area then advice can be given to develop alternatives including applying for grants from other organisations. However any community base or community centre used should be adapted to make it accessible for the whole community. 9.2 Rochdale Boroughwide Housing may, when practicable, be able to allow a group to use a property as a community base. This will only be considered when demand for properties allows, all other alternatives have been explored and the group can demonstrate that there are enough people to commit to run it on a regular basis, before a request is granted. 9.3 Training and support will be given to groups to enable them to deal with the responsibility of managing a Community base or Centre. Groups having this extra level of responsibility should make a special effort to attend relevant training sessions including those for Treasurers Duties. 10 Grants 10.1 Annual revenue funding to be known as Tenant Association Grants will be made available to recognised groups. 10.2 New groups will be paid pro rata depending on when they are recognised. 10.3 Recognised groups can also apply to their relevant Area Board for a ' One Off Tenant Participation Grants' 10.4 Groups will be encouraged to make good use of their revenue funding and therefore revenue reserves at the end of a financial year should not exceed more than three months revenue grant in that year. However, if the group has a community base it is recognised that reserves are necessary. Where excessive reserves have accumulated the following years grant should be reduced by an amount equivalent to that by which the revenue reserves exceed three months revenue grant. The only exceptions to this should be: Where the reserves have accumulated through the groups own fund-raising activities and the amounts raised are clearly identifiable in the groups accounts or Where the revenue money has been set aside for a specific purpose and is clearly identified in the account as such designated reserves. Back to Tenant Compact