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Getting Involved
Visit our Tenants Services Authority Section to see how you can get invovled in the National Conversation.
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.
The team work closely with 20 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 Impact Team Steering Groups. By doing this you can influence, on behalf of your group, the prioritisation of the work your Impact Team carries out, play a part in monitoring their performance and take part in scheduled 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 Impact Team.
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