[Fateha Begum]

Our remit at CfPS has always been wide and over the last few months we have significantly expanded our practical work still further with a big project on developing tenant and resident scrutiny in social housing, including local authority landlords, arms-length management organisations and housing associations.

Working with a housing consultancy, Scrutiny Empowerment Partners (SEP) and ten housing associations who were nominated as the Tenant Services Authority’s Co-Regulatory Champions for their early work leading the way in developing tenant scrutiny and co-regulation, we have now produced some valuable new resources to support tenant and resident scrutiny, with more to come.

These include:
Developing tenant scrutiny and co-regulation in social housing: lessons from the co-regulatory champions
- a major new guide and practical resource with tips on how to put the CfPS four principles of effective scrutiny into practice in developing tenant scrutiny and lessons from the champions around the journey they have been on.

Stories in tenant scrutiny and co-regulation: experiences of the co-regulatory champions and others
- a short booklet of detailed case studies illustrating the champions’ experiences and their top tips

Top tips for tenants: a short guide specifically for tenants and residents pulling out the essential hints and tips to help them put tenant scrutiny into practice (still to come)

We have also now organised a major national learning event jointly between CfPS and SEP to hear directly from national experts and the co-regulatory champions about putting tenant and resident scrutiny into practice – on the 18 April 2012 10am-4.15pm in London. Now taking bookings online, this highly interactive event will offer a unique opportunity to talk directly with tenants, residents and staff who’ve been there and have real-life experiences to share.

Developing tenant scrutiny: common themes
Our research with the co-regulatory champions identifies a number of common themes. These include:

• No single “right‟ approach – develop what works for tenants and the organisation
• ”Co-regulation‟, “resident scrutiny‟ or “tenant panels‟? Don’t get put off by the jargon!
• Residents must be involved & own it from start
• Level of time commitment by tenants and landlord
• Co-regulatory arrangements need resourcing – at the start and thereafter
• Need ownership throughout, right from top
• Need a wide range of ways to hear representative voices
• It’s a “journey" – challenges, try things out, refresh
• It’s worth it.......
• “Overall, if we had known how effective tenant-led scrutiny and co-regulation would be, we would have done it a lot sooner!” Helena Partnerships
  

What does tenant scrutiny mean for overview and scrutiny?
There are implications for local government overview and scrutiny teams, particularly where their council still owns its own housing stock and so is a direct landlord, but also where there is an ALMO or completely transferred housing. Local authorities retain their strategic housing policy responsibilities and it is important that elected member overview and scrutiny understands how all local social landlords are planning to meet their new responsibilities to be directly accountable to tenants and residents as central regulation is scaled back.

There are also opportunities for collaboration between councillor scrutiny and tenant scrutiny – they should be seen as complementary not in competition! Tenants and residents live and experience their landlords’ performance every day and can provide vital firsthand feedback about services that can inform member scrutiny reviews.

Equally, when tenants are scrutinising wider issues such as anti-social behaviour or local environmental services, they can draw on scrutiny reviews perhaps already carried out by members. As resources become scarcer, collaboration and sharing work together becomes really important to avoid duplication and maximise impact. CfPS is planning to work with the Local Government Association in 2012 to develop a guide for councillors on the changing nature of social housing regulation and opportunities for developing tenant scrutiny – watch this space.