Consultation
We consult leaseholders, tenants and freeholders on estates. This section tells you how we do this.
What is consultation?
Consultation is an important part of the relationship between you (our home owners and secure tenants) and us. It is the process by which we can effectively gain your views about the services that we provide. We then use those views in the decision-making process.
We are committed to developing the most effective consultation process among all groups affected by services that are provided through or on behalf of the Housing Directorate. Consultation gives people choice and an understanding of the issues that affect everyone involved.
Consultation relationships
Leaseholders, freeholders (who receive a service charge) and secure tenants have many common interests. By working together, the consultation process will be effective. There also need to be good relationships and communication between other relevant people such as contractors and consultants. We offer a vast amount of knowledge and expertise, and play a vital role in the consultation process.
Who is involved in consultation?
In many instances, the word ‘tenant’ is assumed to cover just secure tenants. However, in a lot of the legislation the definition of a tenant is ‘secure tenants and leaseholders’.
Leaseholders must contribute to the repair maintenance, renewal, replacement and service to the structure and shared areas of the block that their property forms part of through a variable service charge which is based on our actual costs.
Freeholders who live on our estates are also included as they have to contribute to the repair, maintenance, renewal, replacement and services to the estate that their property is on.
People who rent their homes from us (secure tenants) contribute to these through a fixed service charge that forms part of the rent that they pay.
How am I consulted?
We consult secure tenants, leaseholders and freeholders in a number of different ways. These are described below.
The current consultation process is that tenants’ and residents’ associations work with their members and use the Neighbourhood Forum which is open to all residents. The residents elect their representatives to the Tenants’ Council. The Tenants’ Council takes issues concerning tenants and leaseholders to the Executive Member of Housing and our decision-making structure.
Tenants’ and residents’ associations (TRAs)
We have many registered tenants’ and residents’ associations and we are committed to increasing these so that each leaseholder, tenant and freeholder is a member of a tenants’ and residents’ association that represents their views. Tenants’ and residents’ associations must hold elections every year where each leaseholder, freeholder and tenant in the association’s catchment area has a vote. Each tenants’ and residents’ association holds regular open meetings. Any resident within the catchment area can attend. The tenants’ and residents’ association is entitled to send two delegates to the Neighbourhood Forum.
Tenants’ Management Organisations (TMOs)
Tenants’ Management Organisations (including Estate Management Boards (EMBs), Tenant Management Companies (TMCs) and Resident Management Co-operatives are responsible for managing their estates. Residents elect the members of these organisations.
Most Tenants’ Management Organisations manage an estate and the board of the organisation is elected from the secure tenants, leaseholders and freeholders of that estate. So, for consultation purposes, it is similar to a tenants’ and residents’ association but it actually manages the estate (as opposed to tenants’ and residents’ associations where normally the housing office manages the estate).
There are currently 17 Tenants’ Management Organisations within the borough and together they are entitled to send two representatives to the Tenants’ Council.
Neighbourhood Forums
Each housing office has a forum which is made up of two representatives from each recognised tenants’ and residents’ association in that neighbourhood. The forum meets at least four times a year. You may go to the meetings as an observer.
Forums monitor the work of the neighbourhood housing office. They discuss:
- The capital programme.
- Schemes for decorating the outside of buildings; and
- Contracts that are monitored from that office such as block and estate cleaning, grounds maintenance, cleaning shared windows and general maintenance contracts.
Each forum elects one representative and a deputy to the Tenants’ Council.
Housing Office Leasehold Forums
These forums meet at least twice a year, and are open to all leasehold and freehold service-charge account holders. The forum elects a representative and a deputy to the Leaseholders’ Council.
Leaseholders’ Council
Representatives from each Leaseholder Forum attend the Leaseholders’ Council to discuss issues that are raised from the representatives, council officers or the Executive.
The number of representatives to the Leaseholders’ Council from the Tenants’ Management Organisations is in proportion to the percentage of council housing that Tenants’ Management Organisations manage.
The Leaseholders’ Council takes issues that leaseholders raise to the Executive Member of Housing and our policy and decision-making structure. On issues that are common to freeholders, leaseholders and tenants, the Leaseholders’ Council can take these to the Tenants’ Council.
Tenants’ Council
Representatives from each Neighbourhood Forum and currently two representatives from the Tenants’ Management Organisation Liaison Committee attend the Tenants’ Council to discuss issues that are raised by the representatives, council officers or the Executive.
The Tenants’ Council takes issues that tenants and leaseholders raise to the Executive Member of Housing and our policy and decision-making structure. The Tenants’ Council deals with housing-related matters that are common to freeholders, leaseholders and tenants.
Town centre forums
Lambeth has five town centre forums (Brixton, Clapham and Stockwell, North Lambeth, Norwood and Streatham. They hold regular public meetings, called forums, to make sure that we keep in touch with local people, local businesses and local organisations.
The forums exist to improve their local area. The forums can report directly to the Executive and may also refer matters to Scrutiny Committees. The town centre forums should consult Neighbourhood Forums and Tenants’ Management Organisations within their area on matters of common interest.
We will discuss the views of our residents at committee level when decisions are made and put into practice.
There are several committees involved in the decision-making process – the Executive and Scrutiny Committees.
The Executive
This is made up of the leader of the council, the deputy leader and six other members of our elected political group. Each of the Executive members is responsible for specific services and policy and budget commitments. The Executive meets in public and decides our main policies. Our officers have the authority to make decisions about how to put policies into practice.
Scrutiny Committees
There are currently five Scrutiny Committees within the council. The Housing and Finance Scrutiny Committees have responsibility within the area covered by this document. These committees are politically balanced and their role is to look at our performance and policies and suggest improvements.
Scrutiny Committees act as a ‘check’ on the Executive and can ‘call in’ decisions that have been made by the Executive or council officers but not put into practice yet. ‘Call in’ means that the decision is referred to a Scrutiny Sub-Committee for review if, for example, councillors believe that some important consideration has been overlooked and that the decision should be reconsidered. The Scrutiny Committees can investigate particular services. They will gather evidence, call witnesses, and visit service users and providers before making recommendations for change. Scrutiny Committee meetings are open to the public and the public can ask questions at meetings.
The Standards Committee
This Committee is responsible for promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by elected councillors, and by non-elected representatives serving on our committees and sub-committees. It regularly reviews the way we operate and reports to the full council every year.
The Committee also decides whether to refer complaints to the Ombudsman or the District Auditor (or both) to be looked into.