As a Futures tenant I got involved with the Insight Committee in January 2024. I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I made, and I will try to set out the reasons why getting involved with Futures as a tenant is not only a good opportunity to meet with other tenants who share the same or similar concerns about where we live, but also how we as tenants can make a real difference by influencing the decisions made by Futures in the delivery of their services to us.
The core purpose of the Insight Committee can be summed up in just three key words: 'transparency, influence and accountability'. So what do these mean in practice and how relevant are these to tenants of Futures? As involved tenants on the Insight Committee we look both strategically and operationally at how Futures works across all its business areas and actively raise concerns and questions as tenants in relation to how Futures is performing when set against the nationally recognised consumer standards laid out by Parliament, the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman, such as The Tenant Satisfaction Measures.
These concerns and issues that matter to us as tenants broadly include:
- disrepair
- tenant voice, involvement and participation
- rent, rent arrears and rent increases
- complaints and complaints handling
- anti-social behaviour, and
- communal spaces, community places, and building safety.
Bearing in mind these concerns and issues will either directly or indirectly have an impact on all of us at some point as Futures tenants. We have regular meetings and lively debates with the leadership group at Futures which enable us to voice our main concerns, and this gives us opportunities to influence what decisions are made and how those decisions are being made by Futures with a view to directly holding to account the decision makers.
Having been given the opportunity to join the Insight Committee and to learn more about how Futures works, what it wants to achieve now and in the future, and how decisions made by the leadership group impact on the daily lives of tenants, I can say that tenants’ voices are being taken on board and that we as tenants are influencing both the decision making process and what decisions are being made.
For example in June 2024 tenants from Futures attended the Tpas National Conference in Coventry. This was both facilitated and fully supported by the leadership group at Futures. Tpas is a nationally recognised authority on tenant participation and whilst there we had an amazing opportunity to hear from, talk to and share our experiences with other tenants and leaders from different housing providers and places across the UK.
Futures tenants were then invited to present feedback from the event to both the Insight Committee and the Group Board. During our presentation we made some suggestions on how Futures could improve regulatory alignment, service delivery and tenant involvement - such as the need to revisit the role and function of scrutiny at Futures, the need for independent assessment of Futures’ tenant involvement strategy and how tenant-led initiatives need to be supported from the top down.
We know that Futures’ leadership group have listened to us as tenants because Tpas have since been brought on board to conduct some initial research to assess Futures’ tenant involvement and participation strategy with a view to potentially gaining Tpas accreditation. This is real progress in terms of changing how decisions are made, what role tenants can take within Futures’ governance structure and how tenants can influence what our social housing landlord’s priorities are. I will keep tenants updated on these and other exciting developments as they evolve.
So what else have involved tenants from the Insight Committee been doing? Here are a few highlights from 2024. Tenants have taken part in the recruitment process for the new CEO, Tim Mulvenna. We’ve also taken part in developing staff training. We are kept regularly informed and consulted on matters that are important to tenants, such as Futures’ corporate plans, strategies and the services they deliver to us. We have also helped to shape how these service plans can further be improved on, now and in the future. These modest achievements are the direct results of tenants working together with the leadership group, including members of the Group Board of Directors and the Senior Management Team to improve both the ways in which Futures works and the relationship built on trust between our landlord and us tenants.
Having outlined some of the reasons why I got involved as a tenant, I want to add that when I initially joined the Insight Committee back in January 2024, the tenants and staff at Futures were all very welcoming, friendly and professional. And over the past year the same people have continually proved how much dedication and commitment exists at the heart of Futures to improving tenants lives and this is the main reason why I joined the Insight Committee. Because what matters to you as a tenant also matters to us as tenants and by working together with Futures we can make a positive difference to our homes, communal spaces and community places.
Finally, there is still much more that Futures can do to strengthen its offer and commitment to tenants, however I really believe we share a common purpose and that is to make a better future today. So if you are thinking about getting more involved as a Futures tenant, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you. All you need to do is get on board with other tenants as many hands make light work.
You can find out more about joining our Insight Committee by clicking here.
