Why get involved

Overview

We have a Resident Involvement Strategy which sets out how we will give you the opportunity to have your say on our services.

We don't want anything to stop you from getting involved.

We offer rewards and incentives to help you attend and to say thank you for your time and feedback.

It's the Involvement team's job to make sure involvement opportunities are accessible to all tenants.

Travel assistance

The involvement team can arrange taxis to help you to and from meetings if you have mobility issues or have difficulty using public transport.

We also reimburse mileage costs if you use your own car.

Allowance for attendees

We offer a £5 allowance for each meeting you attend as a thank you for your time.

We also have opportunities for tenants to go to award ceremonies and local events.

Employability skills

As an involved tenant you will learn new skills that can be used to put on your CV such as:

working as part of a team
planning and organising
time management

Childcare

We can reimburse costs for childminders (if they are registered with OFSTED) so you are not out of pocket when attending meetings and events with us.

If you do not have a childminder, we may be able to help you find a provider.

Meeting your needs

To make sure we are accessible for our customers, we will:

hold meetings outside of normal working hours to allow people with work and childcare commitments to attend
hold meetings and events in accessible locations so everyone can attend without difficulty
provide translation or interpretation if your first language is not English
cater for dietary and religious preferences

Training

You will receive full induction training so that you know what to expect and what your role will be.

Our training is designed to be catered to you. We can arrange other training if you feel that you want to gain skills in other areas.

Friendship and new found confidence

"I got involved 10 years ago because I'd thought I could give back. I'd been through a difficult time in my life, and because South Tyneside Council Housing Services had supported me throughout this tough time I wanted to support them.

I've stuck around since 2013, working on a huge variety of projects. If you want to help change services for the better, this is an opportunity to improve things for your fellow tenants. Because I'm an Involved Tenant I understand my rights as a tenant more, and I'm able to understand how South Tyneside Council Housing Services performs compared to other landlords - where they do well and where they have room to improve.

When I think about what I've achieved with Scrutiny Panel, I think we have helped make the services smoother. South Tyneside Council Housing Services look on the tenant voice with high regard - it's no longer a 'them and us' situation.

I've also been able to have training in Equality and Diversity and Data Protection. This has given me the confidence to take my experience to national forums like the National Federation for ALMOs, Department of Levelling up, the Housing Ombudsman, and the Natural Environmental Research Council.

I'm passionate about the environment and my rights as a tenant and person, being able to share this message and the benefits of being involved with other customers is something I care to do."

Tris Francis, Involved Tenant.

South Tyneside Council Housing Services (previously 'South Tyneside Homes')