Get Involved

What should I get involved in?

All the activities below have an explanation next to them. This will give you an idea of what the activity is about. Each activity has a key which explains how much time you will need to commit and what impact the activity has on the service: The more clocks you see, the more time the activity will take.

For example, one clock means one hour or a one off session. Five clocks mean you will be getting involved on a regular basis.
The more houses an activity has, the greater impact on the service the activity will have.

Costs

You will be able to claim for travel costs and childcare costs to attend meetings or events. We can also arrange transport for you if needed. Receipts will be required for each claim. The Resident Involvement Team will be able to assist you with this.
Expenses paid to tenants are not classed as earnings as they cover out of pocket expenses and should not affect tenants’ entitlement to benefits.

RESIDENT BOARD MEMBERS

South Anglia’s board of Management is legally the decision making forum for the association. The board role is to direct the organisation, agree policies and ensure the day to day management of the organisation is effectively run. South Anglia’s Board of Management currently has the required 2 resident board members. The term for each Resident Board member is 3 years, so opportunities do arise for new residents to apply for this role.

SOUTH ANGLIA RESIDENTS FORUM (SARF)

The Resident Forum reviews South Anglia’s policies and procedures and agrees actions for improving services. All members are provided with training and support to enable them to carry out their duties. All residents of South Anglia Housing are currently invited to attend.
Meets every 1 - 2 months

RESIDENT AND SERVICE USERS PANEL

2 involved resident representatives from each Housing association sit on this panel and serves at the voice of the residents and service users in the governance of Circle Anglia. Meetings are held in London once every 2 months.

RESIDENTS SCRUTINY PANEL

Residents of South Anglia Housing will independently scrutinise our performance and make recommendations for improvement
It is all about using evidence to review and identify how services within South Anglia are performing. The results of the scrutiny will be service improvements recommended by the Scrutiny Panel.
All residents can apply dependant on vacancies available.

Meetings will be held monthly.

QUALITY ACTION GROUPS (QAGs)

The Quality Action Groups are made up of South Anglia Residents and staff. Each group is service specific and meet to look at the service improvement plans and agree any new initiative being introduced. There are currently 3 QAGs – Property, Access and Customer Care and Neighbourhood and Income.
The meetings are held quarterly or every other month.

ESSEX ACTION GROUP

The Essex Action Group is a group consisting of Councillors and residents across Essex that will look ways of improving the service experienced by residents by benchmarking with other organisations in Essex.
The 2 hour meetings are held every quarter

RESIDENT RECRUITMENT

We are looking to train up a panel of residents that will sit in on interviews for customer facing staff at South Anglia. This is an opportunity to help shape the customer services that you receive. This activity is still in the planning process.

LOCAL OFFERS/HAVE YOUR SAY

Local Offers are service standards that are tailored to meet local priorities in consultation with residents.
Once a year we will be consulting with residents to identify what service standards are most important to you in your local area for us to report back our performance against. This means that you are given meaningful performance information that is relevant to you. The results of the performance data collected against each of the chosen Local Offers will be analysed and action plans will be put in place to ensure that any dissatisfaction is addressed and that our services are tailored to meet our customer’s needs.
A survey will be sent to residents once per year.

RESIDENTS AWAY DAY

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This is a fun event that is organised once a year for all residents of South Anglia Housing. It is an opportunity for residents to meet other residents, South Anglia staff and our partner agencies. You can have a say in how we can improve our services by visiting the various stands, take part in activities and seminars and enjoy the location. Lunch and refreshments are provided on the day.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARDS

Residents that have gone that extra mile for the local community, or have done a small thing that has had a big impact, or may have coped with hardship that has been inspiring are nominated for a Community Spirit Award once a year. Winners are treated to a night out and a 3 course meal.
The event takes place once per year and nominations are received from South Anglia Residents.

TENANTS AWAY DAY AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARDS STEERING GROUP

The group is made up of staff and residents representatives to assist in the planning of the Tenants Away Day and Community Spirits Award.
Meetings are held twice per year and may need a bit more commitment nearer to the event.

MYSTERY SHOPPERS

Residents are asked to test South Anglia services by email, phone, letter and visits to the offices. Shoppers are trained and rewarded for their time with high street shopping vouchers.
Shops are carried out 3 times per year.

DOOR STEP CHALLENGE ROAD SHOW

Staff from South Anglia and our partner agencies take out the South Anglia mobile delivery vehicle to different locations across South Anglia on a monthly basis. It is an opportunity for our residents to access our services on their own doorstep.
Leaflets are delivered to residents prior to each road show so that you know who will be available and where.

NEIGHBOURHOOD ESTATE WALKABOUTS / INSPECTIONS

Residents can join their Neighbourhood Officer and other partner agencies to inspect their estate and the local community. Residents will have the opportunity to improve the quality of the environment where they live and assist in tackling local priorities.
Dates of the walkabouts are advertised quarterly in your Neighbourhood Officer’s newsletter.

ESTATE CHAMPIONS

Estate Champions are estate based residents who support the Neighbourhood Officers with inspections and other local projects. They are also a point of reference for other residents.

WEBSITE GROUP

The group will look at ideas for improving the South Anglia website to ensure it is easy to use and accessible for all our customers
Meetings are held 3 – 4 times per year.

HOME MATTERS EDITORIAL BOARD

A resident representative attends the editorial meetings to help decide the content of the quarterly Home Matters magazine sent to all our residents.
Meetings are held 4 times per year.

RESIDENTS ASSOCIATIONS

Groups are created by residents, for residents, to discuss local issues and organise social events. Meetings are held on a regular basis.
Your Neighbourhood Officer will be able to advise you if one already exists where you live, or can give you advice and support in setting a new one up.

TRAINING COURSES

We will be providing all residents with training opportunities throughout the year on different subjects from IT, Equality & Diversity, Value for Money to DIY and many more. A full training schedule will be available on the website. Training is provided following feedback from residents or in connection with activities organised by South Anglia.

FOCUS GROUPS

Focus groups are held occasionally on different topics that can be of an interest for residents, such as Credit Unions, service standards etc. It is a way to meet other residents in an informal environment, express your opinions and receive information.

SURVEYS / QUESTIONNAIRES

This is a quick way for residents to communicate their satisfaction with our services and measure our performance. We carry out on going satisfaction surveys and a status survey once every 3 years. We also use surveys and questionnaires throughout the year.

COFFEE MORNINGS

These are an opportunity for residents to meet with other residents and staff at South Anglia to look at how your area can be improved.

How to find out more…..
If you would like to know more details about resident involvement, please contact:

Resident Involvement
South Anglia Housing
southanglia.info@circle.org.uk

Blackwater House
High Street
Braintree
Essex
CM7 1LB

Telephone: 0845 600 1543 or,
0800 6940159 or,
01279 714714

If you require this information in Braille, audio or translation please contact South Anglia Housing.

Last modified 27/04/11