You are here:
Getting Involved
At Berneslai Homes we believe that the best way of improving our service is to work closely with our customers. We encourage our tenants to play an active role in the running of their homes and estates. This means listening to and acting on what they have to say about the service we offer.
Why do you want me to be involved?
We want you to get involved so we can:
- continually improve our service to you;
- make decisions based on your needs and priorities;
- use your local knowledge to identify needs in specific areas; and
- tackle estate problems more effectively.
Why should you get involved?
- You can work with others on the issues that affect your local area, making it a better place to live.
- You can be involved in making decisions about new policies and procedures that affect you, for example changes to terms of your tenancy agreement.
- You can help in monitoring and reviewing the quality of the services we offer you .
- If you join a tenants group, you will have a bigger impact than you would on your own.
- It will help you to understand how we work.
- To improve community spirit within your area.
- Our staff are available to help you throughout the process and will provide you with training if you ask.
Help for you to get involved?
To make it easier for you to get involved in shaping our service we offer you incentives which could include:
- Payment to cover cover travel
- Payment to cover car parking fees
- Payment to cover carers costs / allowances
- Providing Refreshments
- Providing crèche facilities (if needed).
We also have a team of five specially trained officers, our Community Engagement Team, whose role is to ensure that people are more effectively involved in the decision making process of the service provided by Berneslai Homes.
You can get involved in our Service Excellence Programme (SEAP) by either becoming a mystery shopper or taking part in our satisfaction survey as follows:
Mystery Shopping - Do you want to make a difference to Berneslai Homes? Then why not become a Service Excellence Assessor and carry out some mystery shopping on the services provided by Berneslai Homes. Visit our Mystery Shopping Page for further details.
Satisfaction Surveys - We actively involve our customers in shaping and improving our services. Surveys are a great way of improving customer satisfaction and monitoring the effectiveness of the services we provide. Visit our Satisfaction Survey Page for further details.
The team work closely with 19 Tenants and Residents Associations (TARA's) across the Borough, who work together to give a voice to their community on housing and other community issues.
If you are involved in a TARA or any other community organisation that has dealings with Council tenants or are affected by the actions of council tenants or their families, we would like a representative from your group or association to join our Housing Management Team Steering Groups.Estate Walkabouts. You can also participate in decisions taken on how monies can be spent on things that improve the environment or reduce actual or perceived crime and safety. If you are interested please contact a member of your Housing Management Team.
In May 2009 Berneslai Homes became a "Friend of TAROE". Tenants and Residents Organisation of England (TAROE) is a democratically run, accountable, national organisation which unites tenants’ and residents’ groups from the regulated housing sector across England.
TAROE is a tenant led organisation that is open to all tenants in the regulated housing sector. Members represent almost 5 million people, bringing together the direct knowledge, experience and expertise of tenants themselves. TAROE therefore has unique knowledge and understanding of tenants’ needs, of what works and what is likely to be of most help to tenants. They aim to secure equal rights for all tenants and to improve the quality, accessibility and affordability of housing in the regulated housing sector, and to improve and protect the quality of life, social and environmental conditions for everyone in our local communities.
In November 2009 two Barnsley tenants were elected to the Board of TAROE. Tony Alcock, who is a tenant board member of Berneslai Homes, and John Townend, assistant secretary of Barnsley Federation of Tenants and Residents. Both Tony and John will hold seats for the next three years.
Berneslai Homes Director of Business and Customer Services Dave Fullen adds, “I would like to congratulate Tony and John on their well deserved appointments. This is great news not only for them but also Barnsley in general as it will help to increase the town’s influence on the national stage.”
Ways to be involved
In July 2007 we launched a Customer Panel, which is a new method for us to gain our customers' views. The panel is open to all tenants and is an informal and flexible way to be involved in shaping the service. Being a member of the panel will not take up a great deal of time. Meetings will take place every few months, but it ‘s down to you how many you want to attend. Becoming a member of the panel will mean that in time you will gain more understanding about how Berneslai Homes works and also help up to improve the service we provide. If you are interested in joining our customer panel then please contact us the Community Engagement Team.
Download the Tenant Involvement and Engagement Framework.
At Berneslai Homes we recognise that all our customers should be able to have a say in issues that affect their homes and communities. You may not want to be part of a formal group , have commitments that make it difficult for you or have no TARA in your area. No worries, you can become an E TARA Member and simply email us with any issues, concerns or suggestions you may have.
If you would like to get involved in shaping our service and the idea of joining a Tenants and Residents Association doesn't appeal to you then there are other ways you can become involved. These include:
- Becoming a member of a focus group, this is a group who meets now and again to give us your views on our service.
- By completing a questionnaire.
- By becoming a member of a panel of people who we contact to ask their views on a specific issue relating to our service.
Download our Menu of Involvement and choose the method of involvement that is right for you.
If you are a leaseholder you can join our regular leaseholder forum. The forum provides an opportunity to share information and ideas, participate in decision making and work with our leasehold team to improve our services, homes and the environment. You can download the Leaseholder Forum leaflet for further details.
Download Open House - our quartlery newsletter containing the latest news on our service.
See Our Performance So Far section Leaseholder Forum leaflet for further details.
Contact Us
Community Engagement Team, Berneslai Homes, PO Box 627, Barnsley, S70 9FZ. Telephone: 01226 772727. Email: communityengagement@berneslaihomes.co.uk