The Resident Involvement Panel continued and carried out a total of 8 meetings. Initially due to be just 7 meetings to decide the future of tenant engagement across the borough, but Panel members negotiated a further meeting. Predictions of campaigners across the tenant's movement were correct and the Panel has made recommendations to reduce and combine Area Forums, force things online and for tenant funds to be under the council control. The tenants movement have set up a petition demanding Peter John Guarantee the future of our independent tenants’ movement in Southwark.
Share and Sign to support Tenant Movement in Southwark https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/guarantee-the-future-of-our-independent-tenants-movement-in-southwark?just_launched=true
To: Southwark Council
Bury the Resident Involvement Panel (RIP)
Do you care about protecting resident and tenant voice?
Southwark Council is reviewing tenant and resident structures across the borough and are failing to consult. This is yet another attack on social tenants and residents across the borough.
We are forced to petition Southwark Council as they have failed to meet our demands.
Why is this important?
In 2017 Southwark Council paid £46,000 from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to the Kaizen Partnership and Social Engine to complete a “resident engagement review” which generated a report known as The Kaizen Report. This was commissioned by the Council without any consultation. For many people residing in Southwark this will be the first they have heard of the report.
There are more than 55,000 council tenant & leaseholder households in Southwark but only approximately 569 council tenants and approximately 160 leaseholders responded.
Southwark Council failed to fairly consult with tenants, leaseholders, Tenant and Resident Associations (T&RAs) and Southwark’s tenant federation, Southwark Group of Tenant Organisations (SGTO). Representations highlighting concerns about insufficient consultation were made to Southwark Council, however, they were ignored.
At present Southwark Council have put a small panel together to propose decisions on the future of Tenants Halls, Tenants Funds and Tenants democratic structures.
Other boroughs that have undergone a similar review have suffered exactly the same pattern of events and resulted in halls being closed and tenants’ voices being stifled.
We fear that if this review continues Southwark’s tenants and residents will face the same fate as other boroughs with community halls being closed and voices restricted. People will be advised that the only way to communicate with the Council is online and through social media.
Tenant Council and SGTO have voted UNANIMOUSLY to boycott this review.
We demand Southwark Council suspend the Resident Involvement Review immediately until Southwark Council have:
• Involved T&RAs, Tenants Council, Homeowners Council and the SGTO in a proper decision-making process.
• Demonstrated they have listened to concerns raised by T&RAs, Tenants Council, Homeowners Council and the SGTO
• Given T&RAs the tools to carry out their own reviews and strengthened existing structures
• Worked with T&RAs to improve resident engagement in the Borough.
• Honoured their obligation to properly consult on issues affecting tenants and residents, most especially where they have a legal obligation to do so.
• * Guaranteed a protection of T&RA halls so that residents can come together not only for the transaction of their business but to promote community involvement and social activities
*Cllr Cryan agreed to remove T&RA halls from the review at the Tenant Council that took place on 17th of September 2018 . The removal of halls from the review was a direct result of pressure put on Southwark Council by the SGTO and the Tenant Council.
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