CARELESS HOUSING ASSOCIATION

19/12/2009 4:34 pm

Why is this Joe - why you saying no no no if you would be kind enough to explain I would be grateful.

19/12/2009 7:56 pm

Of course Joe could very well be one of those very consultants of which you speak Eva and of course it would not be in the interests of his "profession" if residents were able to get too much information on the costs and necessity of their services. Perhaps this is another one of those Marilyn Monroe "well he would say that wouldn't he?" moments...

19/12/2009 9:36 pm

So are you not housing consultant "Joe Halewood, director of supported housing consultancy, HSM"

referred to on page 3 of:

http://www.supportsolutions.co.uk/docs/briefing4/news.pdf

Perhaps you are one of the very consultants Eva's HA is spending money on? Pray tell how much money does HSM make from the HA sector each year?

No need to get personal but clearly, we touched a nerve there...!

Back on topic, as you rightly say, HA's are sadly not covered under FoI rules but according to the Housing Corporation:

"You can also write to housing associations. Most try to be as open as possible and will provide you with information when they are able. The Housing Corporation requires housing associations to be accessible, accountable and transparent to residents and other stakeholders. The National Housing Federation Code of Governance states that associations should operate in an open and accountable manner by generally making information about their work available to their residents, local communities and other stakeholders."

Check out the full guidance at:

http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/upload/pdf/FOIAInfoSheet.pdf

One assumes the TSA has now picked up this mandate from the old HC.

20/12/2009 11:13 am

ILAG Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:36 GMT

Thansk for providing this info:

"You can also write to housing associations. Most try to be as open as possible and will provide you with information when they are able. The Housing Corporation requires housing associations to be accessible, accountable and transparent to residents and other stakeholders. The National Housing Federation Code of Governance states that associations should operate in an open and accountable manner by generally making information about their work available to their residents, local communities and other stakeholders."

Its spriti is great and fine. But what if the HA refuses to adehre by this code or goes about in in an unacceptable/unreasonable way?
What can a tenant do?
(Forget about complaint procedures as the HA's just fob you off there and forget taking them to court as tere is no legal aid)
The answer is the Housing Associations do exactly as they please and will give tenants information only how and when and if they wish to do so.

20/12/2009 2:11 pm

Joe its Eva while I understand you words. Us Resident do not like what going on all these Consultant's being employed at these Housing Association and we do not see report's. We have one at the moment number crunching figures pertaining to our Repairs but we do not see the real proof and evidence. Its these number crunching figures. Well I have no got a master's degree but I do have a master's degree in life.

I want them to be accountable and I want to know why we having all these Consultant's in and at the end of the day and what its costing us the Resident to employ such a Consultant.

Why when the Housing Association thinking about employing a Consultant the Resident's Group spoken to about the costs and ditto.

20/12/2009 2:38 pm

Joe Halewood Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:00 GMT

"...So keeping this on tenants 'rights' as Eva requested, its only when the impact of work undertaken by consultants affects tenants that their 'rights' kick in, and tenants have no rights to interogate their HA landlord on how it spends its money on consultants (or anything else or that matter) or what work any such consultants do for the HA. "

Exactly, HAs do exactly what they wish and there's very little tenants can do about it...
But tenants (and the whole british public) have certainly the right to say what they think HAs are up to.
And if these socla landlords do the wrong things (obviously would impact on tenants if they spend a huge amont of money and time on consultants and laywers and other initiatives, etc... this is either tenants money or public money being squandered) so someone somewhere has to control and check how their money is spent.
the problem tenants is that that any wrongdoings and misuse by social landlords is almost impossible to prove or impossible to take it up legally because there is no transparency and because tenants do not have the means to do so. In practice, even with all the regulations you might wish to quote, basically RLSs are laws unto themselves. After all what is good to have any right if you cannot enforce it.

20/12/2009 8:46 pm

Firstly, HAs and RSLs have managers whose role is to manage. Their decisions are scrutinised and monitored by adequate regulation in the main.

Who's do that Joe do you mean the Board Management Team.

Secondly, if they had a responsibility to consult with resident groups over every decision, they would be a commune not a social business. The costs of doing this would be astronomical and tenants would have to pay much higher rents to cover such costs.

Joe if only are Careless Housing Association was acting accordingly.

I would be wasting my time and energy. I see all these Consultant's coming in our doors but nothing improves. Well what commerical business employes staff then goes and gets Consultant's in. Only I believe in my life is something going wrong. Well the company wouldn't stay afloating with all these Consultant's coming in the financial burden put break the company.

Well I for one want to see whom we are employing has Consultant's and want a breakdown of costs. I also want to know what Department is asking for a Consultant and I want to see a report to ensure she/he is value for money.

I just a little person a tenant but I cannot afford to be speaking to Solicitor's. Well lucky Careless Housing Association using our Rent Money to go and buy a good solicitor to fight us in court. Well all we have is government officer's and what I remember of the old days. These Officer's never got punished for not adhering to the rules and regulations. Like the bloody M.P.'s with all the perks of the job.

Well I want the Government to make this Careless Housing Association adhere to the Rules and Regulations and stop treating the Tenant's like fools and I think alot of people going to get a shock when you see must how much money going out the door on stupid Consultant's and please do not get me wrong I presume allot of you do go work. I see our Chief Executive wink at the Consultant and lots of Tenant's think must be related. Like our Director with he/she family member got a Contractor with the Housing Association. Well when the Contractor going to Declare his Interest

Well I going to ask my chair if we can have a Consultant in and to ensure this Housing Association is not pulling the wool over our eye's.

Our Careless Housing Association is every good at Poker???????

21/12/2009 11:00 am

"Sancho Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:48 GMT
Eva, although you always refuse to name your landlord..."
I seem to recall that Eva is one of the brave tenants who has mentioned her landlord's names at least acouple of times.

21/12/2009 11:12 am

"Sancho Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:02 GMT

I can't find it, Kass. Do share."

No, in this particular case, I am not going to share. It would be a breach of net etiquette. Please ask EVa herself.

21/12/2009 12:43 pm

Hi Sancho I am a Committee Member on one or more of the Resident Group. I didn't want to name and shame them because I presume may try and get me out under the Code of Contract or Conflict of Interest.

Our's doesn't seem to take on Consultant 's due to a lack of staff we have more than enought staff. If the staff was doing they job then we wouldn't need to have a consultant in.

I like them to proof to us Resident's that the Consultant's taking on are needed for this and that. I believe we should be told by way of a report quartely how many Consultant's and why needed and the cost and what they done was relevant.

We had More than just a Landlord last year. Two Consultant's well no report was put to the Resident Group's and we been asking via a Resident Group called the Way Forward Group and still we have not got the report and how much these two Consultant's cost the Housing Association via us Resident's paying our rent.