How the voluntary sector can inspire better resident involvement in the housing sector

At present, the sector doesn’t always fathom what good practice looks like or what outcomes we should expect. Resident involvement is seen almost as an inherent good, rather than a genuine driver for building a culture of transparency, collaboration and accountability throughout an organisation.

Different expectations can exacerbate pre-existing tensions between landlord and resident, but we have learned that much of this could be resolved through a volunteer management approach. 

At L&Q, we took a step forward when we reframed resident involvement as a form of volunteering in 2019. We spoke to our involved residents, who told us they see themselves as volunteers and would welcome being recognised, valued and supported as such. Adopting a volunteer management approach, by taking best practice from the voluntary sector and volunteer-involving organisations, helps us provide a consistently meaningful, impactful and enjoyable experience for staff and residents.

“We also need to redefine residents as our partners”

In the voluntary sector, volunteering is embedded in organisational cultures and ways of working. Volunteers are supported, recognised and rewarded, and their time is valued. Volunteering has standard processes and safeguards in place to mitigate risk to the organisation and the people involved. It has a tangible impact that is monitored, evaluated and communicated. It has prestige and purpose. Many organisations simply couldn’t function without the contribution of their volunteers.

So, what does the adoption of this approach mean in practice? At L&Q, we’ve worked with residents to co-create volunteer role profiles and agreements. We’ve also introduced a volunteer management toolkit to set out the ‘rules of engagement’ and prepare for a safe, consistent and positive experience for residents and staff.

Whether it’s for our strategic committees and forums, locally involved neighbourhood champions or business improvement initiatives, we want to match our residents to volunteer roles based on their interests, skills and talents, giving them a clear opportunity to get involved in the issues and topics that matter to them.

We want residents to know our expectations of them – what the role involves, what kind of impact they can expect to make and what support is available to enable their participation.

What does the future have in store for the programme and our resident volunteers? Taking inspiration from Investing in Volunteers, we will benchmark our current volunteering offer to this recognised quality standard. This will ensure we are hitting the mark consistently, thanks to effective and repeatable processes, and making resident involvement inclusive, rewarding and impactful.

Alongside our foundation’s employment support team, we are working on rewarding and recognising our involved residents, which will explore how volunteering with us can lead to training and accreditation.

“Resident involvement has the power to transform L&Q for the better”

We are working on a new induction process for residents looking to get involved. This process will ensure we tackle barriers to participation and provide a growing menu of flexible volunteering roles that offer a genuine opportunity to influence and improve what we do.

Resident involvement has the power to transform L&Q for the better. We believe that a volunteer management approach will help unlock this potential by ensuring resident contributions are valued and embraced throughout our organisation.

We are preparing the foundations for building an effective partnership with residents – one that is based on shared values, understanding and respect.

Sophie Leedham, head of resident involvement and accountability, L&Q