An Introduction to
Housing Services Policies
An organisation as
large as Raglan, with over 10,000 homes to manage, cannot function
effectively without statements - policies - on how it will provide
its services to residents. We work in over 90 local authorities
across a large part of the country and employ around 400 members of
staff, and our policies help us give a consistent service to
residents within broad aims and objectives.
Because of the wide range of services we provide and the large
number of rights and responsibilities both we and our residents
have to one another through the tenancy agreement or lease, there
are a number of individual policies dealing with those many aspects
of our service. They include:
- Rent arrears
- Anti-social behaviour
- Resident involvement
- Complaints
- Service standards
- Racial harassment
- Domestic abuse
- Consultation
All our housing services policies are reviewed on a regular
(often three-yearly) basis or, for example, when changes in the law
require us to alter something in a policy.
Can residents play any part in the
development of policies?
Most definitely! We feel it is very important that residents can
contribute to policies that affect them so directly. We have two
ways in which they can get involved:
- Through the "policy consultation panel". This comprises a
number of residents taken from our
area forums. If you are a resident and wish to become an
area forum member, you need to have a local residents'
association or an elected spokesperson. When we review a policy,
the panel meets to discuss any changes it would like to see in the
existing policy and then meets again to discuss the new draft
policy. That policy then goes through our area committees up to our
board, which gives the final approval. But it's not all over even
then…
- Once a policy has been approved by our board, a summary of it
is published in our residents' magazine - Round Up. This
is sent to everyone and so all residents have an opportunity to
comment on the new policy. If we receive any comments, we are
committed to consider them. Sometimes a policy is changed again
because of suggestions made by people who have read the policy
summary in Round Up.
Where can I get more
information?
Copies of all our housing services policies can be obtained from
our Housing Services Centre by emailing
hsc@raglan.org
or calling 0845 070
7772. Alternatively, they can be
downloaded from the list below:
Anti-Social Behaviour
Compensation
Complaints
Consultation
Domestic Violence
Equality and Diversity
Estate Upkeep and Service Standards
Facility to Make Rent Payments by Credit Card
Fire Safety Policy
Former Residents' Debts
Harassment
Home Owner Sales
Housing Management (Rented)
Lettings and Transfer
Leasehold Arrears
Leasehold Management
Maintenance (Rented)
Property Adaptations for Disabled Residents
Protection of Young People & Vulnerable Adults from
Abuse
Rent Arrears
Rent Arrears Recovery
Resident Involvement
Responsive Repairs Inspection QA
Service Charge
Service Standards
Tenure Policy
Vulnerable Residents Consultation
Vulnerable Residents