Southern Housing says it is ‘leading’ the way on resident involvement after being recognised with the Scrutiny Assured Quality Mark.
The quality mark awarded by TPAS (The Tenants Participation Advisory Service) shows a housing association is meeting a clear set of standards in their work with resident engagement and involvement.
Resident scrutiny aims to give residents more power in holding their housing association or landlord accountable for their decisions, performance and conduct.
TPAS commended Southern Housing on areas of excellence and good practice in their approach to scrutiny function.
The organisation was identified as listening and acting upon the views of their residents in areas such as building safety, customer promise and damp and mould.
Samantha Fagg, Resident Scrutiny Manager at Southern Housing, said: “To be awarded the Scrutiny Assured Quality Mark is a fantastic achievement and to be the first housing association to receive this makes it even more special.
A huge thank you to all our colleagues and residents who’ve taken part in our Resident Scrutiny project, and those who were part of the assessment.”
Our Resident Scrutiny panel have undertaken projects on damp and mould, tenant and resident associations and are currently reviewing the Southern Housing website. We look forward to continuing our amazing work with our residents into 2025.”
Julie Butterworth, Head of Consultancy Services at TPAS added: “The work that the scrutiny panel has done is really changing the way that Southern Housing is operating. It shows the tenants voice is truly being heard and the lived experience is really being listened to. It’s an absolute pleasure to award Southern Housing with a Scrutiny Assured Quality Mark, which is very well deserved.”
Southern Housing says it has residents involved at every level of their organisation; with four resident board places that support their strategic direction, through to local groups looking at day-to-day service delivery.
The governance structure includes residents from diverse backgrounds, ensuring a wide range of voices and experiences are represented.
TPAS commended the organisation on a balanced representation across gender, age, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs, reflecting the rich diversity of their communities.
