Waterloo Residents Assocation

Tenant Participation Advisory Service

GET INVOLVED

Resident Consultation and Involvement

Waterloo Housing Association has been developing its services to residents over many years. We try to respond to your views about our services and how they should be delivered.

We are continually seeking ways to improve our methods of consulting you about issues that affect you and your community. We want to see more tenants and residents get involved.

Why Participate:

• We can provide information about your home services, making sure you are up to date on matters that affect you, including opportunities to participate.
• You will be able to influence us about the things that affect you, your home and your quality of life.
• You will have opportunity to make decisions about the way we work and the services we provide, including improvements to our services.
• We will listen to what you think and say and in partnership decide on a course of action.
• To find out how you can get the best out of working with your neighbours and how this can help you to do things for yourself.

We have already in place the following opportunities to participate:

1. A local residents group or meeting.

• This could be in the form of a self-organised group, who can receive financial support to function, meeting regularly to influence local decisions.
• Or a local forum where we will provide a place to meet, administration and advice with local residents determining matters for discussion and influencing decisions.
• Or an annual drop-in session held by your local housing officer to which you will receive a written invitation.
• Or you may want to use an existing community group or meeting and us to attend on matters you wish to influence.

2. Become a Network member linked to Waterloo Residents Association who are always at the forefront of influencing decision and have constant opportunity to make their views known.

• Network members are contacted by a variety of methods, which do not require you to leave home, such as phone, email, letter, survey, or site visits.
• Network members can contact Waterloo and Waterloo Residents Association by phone, letter or email, completely free of charge at anytime.
• There is an opportunity about twice a year to have face to face contact with Waterloo Residents Association Committee at general meetings if you wish.
• Waterloo Residents Association committee meetings are open to any Network member to attend throughout the year by simply asking.

3. For those who may have a special interest.

• There is a disability forum made up of those residents who want to influence and ensure decisions to take account of the needs of those with disability.
• The members use telephone conferencing (a meeting on the phone) to meet and discuss their quality of life issues. Often Waterloo staff take part and are influenced by such conferences.
• Currently work is being undertaken to find ways to allow greater participation from young and black and minority ethnic residents and their families.

4. During improvements or repainting.

• You will be given opportunities before any work starts to give you as much choice as possible in the improvements.
• When work is complete your views on quality and satisfaction will be requested.

5. Through newsletters, internet web sites and surveys.

• Please read and respond to Home In (Waterloo's regular newsletter), The Resident (the newsletter produced by Waterloo Residents Association) or surveys sent to you by Waterloo.

Much more information about participation is available

• By computers available at any of Waterloo Housing Association area offices, sheltered housing schemes or at most libraries and some community centres. Use the web sites listed in the related sites section on the left.
• By asking your housing officer to supply information.
• By contacting Waterloo Residents Association Committee
• By contacting the Resident Participation Worker at Waterloo Housing Association.