Join a consultative group

Tenant inspectors make a real difference to the Housing service. They learn about what each Housing department does. They can also make recommendations to improve the service that tenants receive.

Our tenant inspectors can inspect any part of the Housing service. Tenants often chose the areas that inspectors look at during our summer conference. Inspectors look in real detail at their chosen subject by:

• Talking to Housing staff
• Carrying out surveys
• Attending meetings
• Completing shadowing exercises

The inspectors write a report, make recommendations, then report back to the manager of the department.

The inspectors also make a further a further review of the department’s work. This later review ensures that their recommendations were followed.

Fly tipping

The inspectors have looked into fly tipping on council estates.

Their report includes the results from their inspection. It also gives a list of recommendations on how to reduce the problem.

Read the Tenant Inspectors' Fly Tipping in Council Neighbourhoods Report.

Council housing stigma

Their previous inspection was on the thorny subject of council housing stigma in Southampton.

Their report shows what they found out. It also includes their list of recommendations on how we can better challenge this stigma.

Read the Tenant Inspectors' Council Housing Stigma Report.

All tenants call on our repairs service from time to time. They expect the best service possible. We need your help to ensure that we are delivering that service.

The Tenant Repairs Panel are a group of tenants who look at all aspects of the Housing Repairs service.

Do you have ideas on how to improve the Repairs service? This could be the group for you.

What does the panel do?

In recent months they have:

• Input information for the self-assessment on damp and mould
• Arranged for a tenant to accompany fire risk assessors when they assess a block
• Suggested changes for the ‘moving out standards’, improving the experience for new tenants moving into their homes
• Reviewed the performance figures for repairs. Challenged managers to improve, where appropriate

The group currently meet for two hours six times a year. If you are interested in joining, please use the form at the end of this page.

View the Tenant Repairs Panel Terms of Reference.

If you are a council tenant and interested in having a say in how the council spends its housing budget, then this could be the group for you.

The group works with the Housing service to ensure that capital and revenue spend reflects the priorities agreed with tenants. 

They also keep up to date with the impact of Government welfare reforms. We update them on the efforts made in collecting rent and dealing with arrears.

The group recently investigated the communal heating charge. View the presentation they gave to senior management.

When does the group meet?

Meetings take place on the first Tuesday of the month between 10am–12pm at Challis Court.

The Tenant Scrutiny Panel learn how the Housing service measures its performance. They also learn what happens when a target is missed.

The panel has four objectives:

• Review housing performance information. Recommend areas for improvement, where necessary
• Read all new housing policies and provide a customer’s perspective on them
• Check customer complaints as part of the council’s complaints procedure
• Keep tenants fully informed of its activities and findings

Recent work by the Tenant Scrutiny Panel

The Tenant Scrutiny Panel have been busy:

• Reviewing the complaints form. Their suggestions made it readable and easier to use
• Creating a new-style help agreement: the Housing and Environmental Local Partnership Agreement
• Reviewing property sign up paperwork. Making recommendations for improvements and savings
• Clarifying information about the Special Decorating Scheme
• Ensuring that information about the decorating pack is clear and consistent. This applied to the website, moving out standards, and the viewing checklist

The panel’s review into sign up paperwork shows their findings and recommendations. Read the Tenant Scrutiny Panel Review into the Sign Up Paperwork.

When do we meet?

The panel currently meets once a month, on a Thursday from 1-3pm. Meetings are hybrid; you can join either face-to-face at Lordshill, or online via Teams.

View the Tenant Scrutiny Panel Terms  of Reference.

Representatives from different tenant engagement panels make up the Building Safety Group. The group helps to influence and challenge building health and safety policies and practices. This ensures that tenants are safe. It also ensures that we meet the legal requirements for their safety.

This group gives members time to raise concerns and questions on behalf of other tenants.

The panel meets every three months. Meetings last for 90 minutes.

View the Building Safety Tenant Group Terms of Reference.

Draft Building Safety Resident Engagement Strategy

We manage building safety in our residential buildings. Building safety refers to measures intended to protect tenants in buildings. These measures reduce risks such as fire spreading, structural failures, and gas and electric hazards. The measures aim to reduce the seriousness of an incident if one occurs.

As residents and leaseholders in council-owned buildings, you have a say in building safety decisions. This strategy details how we will involve you in building safety decisions. This strategy is for you if you are a resident or leaseholder of a council-owned residential flat or maisonette.

View the Draft Building Safety Resident Engagement Strategy.

How to report a building or fire safety risk in your building

If you think the risk is an emergency, please see emergency repairs.

For fire safety risks, please see fire safety.

Please contact your local housing office for any housing management issues.

You can also report safety concerns about a council high rise building.

Come along and meet with staff and other tenants living in the central area to discuss local issues. You can also have your say on estate walkabouts and find out how the local housing office is performing. Tenants can share their experiences. Housing officers update on how they have been improving the central area.

Areas covered by the forum

• Northam
• St. Mary’s
• Wyndham Court
• St Denys
• Kingsland
• Castle House
• Newtown
• Holyrood
• Bassett
• Hampton Park
• Flowers Estate
• Portswood

If you are a leaseholder in a council owned building, find out about leaseholder information sessions.

These are informal and friendly meetings for:

• Tenants from Dumbleton, Hightown and Meredith Towers
• Council staff
• Local councillors

The meetings are to discuss local issues.

The group meets quarterly. See posters in your block for the next meeting date.

This forum is for Southampton tenants living in supported housing. It gives them a say on policies and procedures affecting them.

The forum is a group of likeminded supported housing tenants. They meet to discuss housing issues in a lively and friendly atmosphere.

Meetings regularly feature guests giving presentations on supported housing issues in Southampton. These also cover issues affecting the lives of older people.

The forum recently discussed

• Improvements to the online repairs reporting system
• Advice on home safety
• Improvements to disposal of unwanted house items in vacant properties
• Changes to improve communication
• Questions about vacant properties
• Improved neighbourhoods
• Lobbying the council for solutions for mobility scooters and for the electricity chargers for cars. Also, making the issues visible and talked about by the Housing service
• Encouraging each other to lead healthier lives, especially during COVID-19

Other areas of interest

The forum has made an ongoing contribution in keeping supported housing tenants informed. For example, they:

• Explained the new tenants’ satisfaction measures
• Clarified what support they can they expect from their housing support workers
• Explained the housing adaptations process
• Explained the neighbourhood wardens’ service
• Produced an information sheet and leaflet explaining when they to pull a cord
• Explained changes to the emergency call system
• Discussed fire safety improvements
• Raised the issues of water and heating bills
• Questioned policies relating to supported housing
• Produced an information sheet explaining about 60-plus benefits entitlements and the support they are eligible for if they need extra care

The forum takes part in consultations and policy updates. For example:

• The housing domestic abuse policy update
• NHS Insights Prioritisation Programme (NIPP) consultation. This concerned how health and social care services could best help older people by using new technology

When do we meet?

Meetings take place at Challis Court between 2-4pm on the last Tuesday of every other month. This means that we meet in January, March, May, July, September, and November.

Meet with other neighbours who care about making Weston a better place to live at Weston Community Forum. Council staff, tenant reps, and other agencies also attend. These are informal and friendly meetings to discuss local issues.

When and where do you meet?

The forum meets every couple of months on a Tuesday from 6.30-8pm. Meetings are at the Weston Court Community Room, off Kingsclere Avenue.

What areas are covered by the forum?

The Weston estate.

Joining the forum

To join the forum, look for the leaflets displayed in each block in the area. You can also contact Tenant Engagement at tenant.engagement@southampton.gov.uk.

This forum helps the elected block reps across the city and the council to work together. Their aim is to improve the Housing service for all.

The forum enables block reps to:

• Hear about events in council housing services, the council, and other organisations
• Share the views of the residents they represent to the council, and other organisations
• Consult on new or updated policies, procedures or working practices
• Share their experiences and spread good practice. They talk about their role and how they can support their area

Who can attend?

The forum is open to all officially elected block and street reps. Those going through the process of becoming block or street reps may also attend.

To attend the forum meetings, you need to be a street or a block rep.

When do you meet?

The forum meets four times a year on a Tuesday. To find out more about the meetings and block rep election process, contact Tenant Engagement at tenant.engagement@southampton.gov.uk.

What does the forum discuss?

The group has recently:

• Suggested improvements to the online repairs reporting form
• Successfully argued for block reps to get keys for block notice boards
• Improved the recycling system in the blocks. There were faults in the way recycling collection delivery. These included missing bins, regularly missed collections, and broken glass
• Improved housing service delivery. They raised city wide issues directly with professionals. These included fly tipping, parking issues, uncollected bins, and uncut grass
• Allowed professionals to hear about tenant’s local priorities
• Improved relationships between block reps and local housing offices
• Helped to keep tenants informed
• Improved neighbourhoods
• Asked for free green bins for blocks looking after their communal gardens. Tenants looking after communal green areas can now have free green bins