Residents’ involvement

The advantage of living in an almshouse, like in most small housing associations, is the human scale of any scheme where every individual counts and is personally known by the staff.This is in fact the reason why many people chose to apply for such accommodation in the first place.

Lench’sTrust has a long tradition of getting its residents involved through regular residents’ meetings and an annual Progress & Participation held with Trustees and residents at each site. However the Trust has developed its residents’ involvement over recent years with the election of Residents Committees in its three schemes (started in 2009) and a Scrutiny Panel in 2011.

We are keen to work with the residents and their families to improve the standards in housing and services provided and theTrust will endeavour to embed the followingTenant Services Authority’s standards in its practice:

 Resident involvement & empowerment;

 Quality of accommodation;

 Allocation in a fair, transparent and efficient way;

 Neighbourhood management and partnership;

 Value for money

 Governance and financial viability

You said...

 Residents have asked for theTrust to improve the ways it communicates with them so that they have a better understanding of the work we do.

...We did

 We have set up Residents Committees in all our schemes over the last 3 years,William Lench Court’s Committee having held its first meeting in January 2012. The Residents Committees discuss the day to day running of the schemes with the ManagementTeam.

 A newly appointed Scrutiny Panel, made up of residents and chaired by aTrustee, is currently reviewing the ways Lench’sTrust communicates with the residents and its recommendations will be put forward to the Board of Trustees.

 A new interactive website has been launched in 2011 and we are currently appointing Digital Champions in all schemes.

 We shall be holding the Trust’s first public AGM at Tanner’s Close in April 2012.