From the Chair of the Resident Scrutiny Group
In these unusual times many residents are calling on the services of English Rural and wider agencies for support. As Chair of the Residents Scrutiny Group I understand that now is more important than ever to engage with other residents and really have an impact on the services we receive.
After discussions with members of the group, we decided to still go ahead with our annual Scrutiny Group Meeting during the summer and successfully held our first fully virtual meeting. Residents from across the regions joined together digitally to discuss some of the key issues facing residents and housing providers alike, as well as reviewing English Rural’s performance and progress over the past 12 months.
The Scrutiny Group were able to offer useful insight and feedback on the recent grounds maintenance review, English Rural’s progress with 'Together with Tenants' and scrutinise key areas of service, comparing performance against other comparable housing providers. Part of the role of the Scrutiny Group is to influence and review policy and procedural updates. At the recent meeting, the group considered the existing Complaints Policy and Procedure, which included an oversite of how complaints are handled internally as well as recommending updates to the current policy. This feedback is now being considered as part of a wider review of the Complaints Policy, which as with all policies and procedures, is available on English Rural’s website.
The new virtual format of the meetings worked well and was well received by those who attended – so much so the group have now recommended using virtual meetings as standard. This overcomes some of the barriers around attending meetings in person and we all agreed this change of approach makes the group more accessible to other residents with limited availability. As well as the virtual meeting, we also continue to be involved in an online scrutiny group. This group doesn’t involve any kind of commitment to meetings and within its first year we have already been able to regularly feedback on services, having input into the grounds maintenance review, rent review communications and feedback on the recent lettable standard for new tenants. The group is also a great way to connect with the other residents and discuss common ground.
If you would like to be involved in any of English Rural’s resident engagement opportunities, including the scrutiny groups and would like to raise any questions please email me via English Rural at:
info@englishrural.org
Christine Knight has been a resident of English Rural for the past 15 years and has been contributing to resident involvement activities for almost as many years. She lives in Kent with her family and works within Kent Specialist Children’s Services.
Our Editor's Welcome:
Hello and welcome to the Christmas edition of the Bulletin.
This year has been unprecedented on all levels and the country is still struggling to cope with Covid-19. This issue offers information about many coronavirus-related topics, from financial help and how to access it, to looking after our mental health during these difficult times.
It’s going to be a different season than many of us are used to, but I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I still need your help and participation for future issues. This newsletter is for the Residents’ and your input is important. This time we are particularly keen to hear about local community support during the current crisis. How did your community come together and support each other?
As always, I am keen to hear from you about any other contributions or suggestions. Please get in touch with fellow residents and our newsletter editor by emailing:
melanie.olymbios@englishrural.org.uk
Coronavirus Update
Looking After Yourself And Your Community
Living In Your Home
Crime Prevention
English Rural Events
Get Involved
Seasonal Recipes
Get In Touch
Christmas Closing Times
The Offices will be closed from 12:30pm on Thurs 24th Dec 2020, reopening at 9am on Monday 4th Jan 2021.
If you have an emergency during these dates, please call the new ‘Out-of-Hours Emergency Repair Line’ on: 0800 046 9985
