Robust and effective tenant scrutiny ensures social housing providers are directly accountable to their customers. Our approach is rooted in the ethos that scrutiny is a function of governance (not tenant involvement) and that it is most successful where a partnership approach is taken between the Board, Executive and Tenant Panel. Building trust and a shared mission between these parties supports effective scrutiny where challenge is appropriate, welcomed by the Board and Executive, and the Tenant Panel add value in their role as a critical friend.
We are able to help housing organisations to achieve effective scrutiny in a number of ways:
> Supporting the set-up of Tenant Panels
Scrutiny is not simply the next step for seasoned tenant activists; it requires a step-change in thinking and the development of strategic awareness. We can provide assistance in recruiting Tenants with the potential to grow successfully into a scrutiny role. This process can include targeted recruitment to ensure the community's diversity is sufficiently reflected in the panel.
> Building working partnerships - fostering a spirit of co-regulation
We can facilitate workshop sessions between the Board, Executive Team, Tenant Panel and other key stakeholders to explore participants' roles, share aspirations, and decide together what great scrutiny should look like for your particular organisation.
> Assessing development needs
Effective scrutiny requires a strong Tenant Panel with capable, motivated members. We can help assess the development needs of your panel, and produce individual and group development plans showing a clear pathway for growth.
> Training in group effectiveness and scrutiny skills
From enhancing interpersonal and communications skills, to ensuring tenants are equipped with the tools they need to deliver effective scrutiny. We offer our clients complete, bespoke training packages, tailored to fit each organisation's individual needs.
> Observing meetings - turning learning into practice
Effective learning requires training to be put into practice at the first possible opportunity, for this reason we recommend holding a Tenant Panel meeting immediately following a training session. This ensures that participants fully engage in their learning, and enables us to give support and immediate feedback on how well they are able to utilise their newly-learned skills in a practical setting.
> Individual coaching/mentoring
We offer individual coaching and mentoring services to Tenant Panel members who would benefit from one-to-one support to increase their confidence and ability to contribute.
> Reviewing established panels
We provide a Scrutiny Review service for organisations with established Tenant Panels or similar customer-led scrutiny groups. The Scrutiny Review is invaluable for many organisations, particularly as practice is still developing in this area. The review provides organisations with the opportunity to examine Panels' activities in relation to best practice, note achievements and areas for growth, and to develop a draft action plan for the future
For more information regarding developing effective scrutiny click here