Getting involved FAQ

Below is a list of our most frequently asked questions regarding getting involved.

1. What does a Tenant Representative do?
2. Are there training courses to help you become a Tenant Representative?
3. What is a Tenants Consultative Committee?
4. What is an Area Committee?
5. When are tenant consultative and area committee meetings held?
6. What is the Tenants Federation?
7. What is a Customer Inspector?
8. Who can be an inspector?
9. When do I need to work?

1. What does a Tenant Representative do?

In simple terms, you represent the views of your neighbours and can highlight concerns or ideas on their behalf.

You don’t need to have any formal skills or experience of working with a committee to join. You do need to be a good listener, not be afraid to put your views forward and be interested in issues which affect your home, community and local neighbourhoods. It also helps to have a good sense of humour!

The Customer Support team will provide help and support to tenant representatives. They organise training courses on topics such as committee skills and community development as well as providing tenant representatives with information about the services provided by the Company so that they can make informed comments and decisions about current and proposed services.

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2. Are there training courses to help you become a Tenant Representative?

Yes. The Customer Support Team arrange training courses through professional training companies, to help Tenant Representatives in their role.

The training courses are suitable for all levels of involvement and cover basics such as:

• Communication skills
• Confidence building
• Presentation skills
• Basic computer skills
• Equality and diversity

If Tenant Representatives are interested in joining panels or even becoming a Board Member, there are courses designed to provide them with more business like skills such as:

• Negotiating skills
• Managing meeting
• Decision making and influencing
• Finance for the non finance manager

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3. What is a Tenants Consultative Committee?

A Tenants Consultative Committee (also known as a TCC) is a group of local people with common aims who get together to improve homes, neighbourhoods and communities They represent the views of their members to Wyre Forest Community Housing.

TCC's deal with local issues. These can include looking at opportunities for neighbourhood improvements to play areas, communal and shared spaces or discussing problems such as vandalism, nuisance and crime. They raise issues with the people responsible for dealing with them.

They can invite Officers from Wyre Forest Community Housing, local Councillors, the police, Neighbourhood Wardens and other groups to their meetings which are held in local venues at times convenient to their members.

Anyone who is a tenant can join a TCC.

For details of your local TCC, speak to the TCC Chairman, click here for contact details.

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4. What is an Area Committee?

At Area Committees, tenant representatives from each of the TCC's within the Area, have a chance to discuss wider issues with senior officers from the Company, the Chairman of the board of Wyre Forest Community Housing is invited along with Councillors for the respective area. Meetings are held every three months at the Company’s headquarters.

Area Committees are an ideal place to share experiences, knowledge and skills with other tenants and to work with the Company to improve services.

There are also opportunities to discuss:

• Area Housing Office Reports which give details about the performance of the local Estate Services teams including the number of empty homes and rent arrears, and look at possible areas for improvement
• Progress reports from tenant representatives who are members of Company working groups or panels
• Enhancements to existing Policy and Procedures. We will make sure that you have enough information to understand the existing policies and procedures and how the changes will affect how services are provided
• How the Community Development Budget will be spent (This £100,000 a year budget is provided by Wyre Forest Community Housing to pay for physical improvements to neighbourhoods, organising community activities and events or to support community groups and charities)

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5. When are tenant consultative and area committee meetings held?

Click here to look at the resident involvement activities calendar which has details of meetings and estate walk abouts.

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6. What is the Tenants Federation?

All tenant representatives are automatically members of The Tenants Federation.

The Federation aims provide Wyre Forest Community Housing with a "single voice response" on major issues.

It is a non-political body, which campaigns on behalf of tenants to protect their interests. The Federation has its own premises and receives funding from the Company in the form of a grant.

There are four meetings each year attended by representatives of each TCC, senior managers of Wyre Forest Community Housing and local councillors. It also provides advice to tenant groups, organises community activities and acts as a forum for housing related issues.

The Tenants Federation
1a Coniston House
Hurcott Road
Kidderminster
DY10 2PA

Contact details:
Office 01562 827520
Mobile 07534897484
email chgfederation@btconnect.com

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7. What is a Customer Inspector?

Customer Inspectors take part in projects which test our services and tell us what we need to do to improve them or what we are doing well.

You can test our services by:

• making telephone enquiries about our services to the relevant departments
• visiting our offices
• taking part in postal surveys
• being a "mystery shopper"

You do not need any experience to become a customer inspector – we will make sure that you have plenty of training and support.

As a thank you for your help, each time you complete a project, we will give you a £50 high-street gift voucher.

Join the Customer Inspectors team

We want to make sure that the services we provide are services that our customers want and need. To do this, we regularly check how we work and how we run our services.

So we can improve, we need customers to tell us how we are doing and that’s why we would like you to become a Customer Inspector.

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8. Who can be an inspector?

Anyone who is a tenant of Wyre Forest Community Housing, Wyre Forest Sheltered Housing or is a leaseholder, shared owner or customer of Worcestershire Telecare can become a Customer Inspector.

Customer Inspectors need to be:

• passionate about improving services
• keen to be involved in decisions we make which affect customers and residents
• keen to learn more about Wyre Forest Community Housing

You cannot become a Customer Inspector if we are taking any action against you for breaking the terms of your tenancy or lease.

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9. When do I need to work?

You decide how much time you can spare and how you can fit being a customer inspector around your other commitments. Just let us know what your other commitments are when you join.

If you are interested or for more information
To have a chat about being a Customer Inspector or to join our team, please call our Customer Support Manager on 0800 169 5454.

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