Resident engagement policy
Introduction
This policy is for all methods of resident engagement within Cross Keys Homes (CKH) and should be read alongside our Resident Engagement Strategy 2025 - 2027.
CKH manages nearly 13,000 households in Peterborough and the surrounding areas. Our policy is that all its residents (tenants, leaseholders and shared owners) should be able to get involved, influencing the services they receive from CKH, in a flexible way that suits them.
This policy sets out the framework for all engagement of residents within CKH.
Our commitment to you
We are committed to engaging with and involving residents in shaping the services we provide. We will listen to your views and aspirations and ensure that you are able to influence future service delivery by holding the us to account, scrutinising our services and performance, and identifying areas for improvement.
To ensure engagement is as accessible as possible we will use a wide and flexible range of methods including social media, internet and postal based surveys, meetings, drop-in events, consultations, focus groups both online and face to face, or just getting together informally to discuss what matters to you and your community.
If you get involved with us we will support you to develop your skills, and build your knowledge and confidence.
We will also ensure we use the most appropriate channels to communicate key messages that matter to you and meet transparency objectives. This will reinforce trust between the us and you and offer transparency and accountability.
Our engagement framework
The CKH Group Board and Committees
The Board has overall responsibility for our work and meets regularly to decide on strategic and policy issues. It also makes sure that we are delivering our business plan. There are ten members of the Group Board, including two residents.
Resident Experience Panel (REP)
The Resident Experience Panel puts you at the very heart of our business, making real decisions about how services are delivered. The Chair and Vice Chair sit on CKH Group Board. The Residents Experience Panel influences strategy, existing policies, services and continuous improvement.
The Resident Experience Panel will offer guidance on identifying actions for the four individual panels, be informed on the action plans being worked on and consulted on recommendations for change.
They will ensure we are compliant in meeting the Regulator for Social Housing’s Consumer Standards, principles of the Charter for Social Housing Residents and good practice guidance. This will include the National Housing Federation Together with Tenants Charter and the TPAS national tenant engagement standards.
The Resident Experience Panel will consist of up to 12 members; The Chair and Vice-Chair of this panel will be Group Board members.
Service Improvement Panel (SIP)
The SIP is the independent resident led scrutiny who carry out a programme of scrutiny projects each year focussing on key service areas. The panel will gather evidence about issues that affect residents and making recommendations to the organisation.
Data will be obtained from Tenant Survey Measures, Key Performance Indicator’s and recommendations to review an outcome from another panel or from employees.
The Chair of the panel is also a member of the Resident Experience Panel and is responsible for updating the REP on the group’s actions and approval of recommendations when needed. This group is open to all residents and meets monthly.
Complaints Panel (CP)
This panel reviews trends and learning outcomes from the complaints and service requests we receive and makes recommendations for improvement.
The panel monitors operational performance and the digital resident performance dashboard.
This group is open to all residents and meets bi-monthly. The group can refer topics to the Service Improvement Panel to scrutinise when necessary.
The Chair of the panel is also a member of the Resident Experience Panel and is responsible for updating the REP on the group’s actions and approval of recommendations when needed.
Estates Improvement and Investment Panel (EAP)
This Panel looks at short and longer-term improvements within our planned maintenance work programme, neighbourhoods and the local environment. This group will look at the asset planned maintenance budget ensuring works are completed timely and will ensure residents are consulted throughout.
This group will also look at wider consultation when agreeing actions to support the implementation of improvements, allowing for wider consultation within any area the decision may affect. This aims to bring energy to local area involvement, to improve local environments and help to make areas a better place to live.
The Chair of the panel is also a member of the Resident Experience Panel and is responsible for updating the REP on the group’s actions and approval of recommendations when needed.
This panel will work closely with the Repairs Procurement Group, led by the Director of Assets, Housing Needs an Estates Management.
Communications, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Panel
You can help us to ensure our communications are inclusive to all. Assisting with proof reading, writing letters and articles and letting us know what you would like to see more of on our website and social media. The group will also offer feedback and recommendations on what residents would like to see in our Keylines magazine, monthly email updates, the resident only Facebook group and the Annual Report whilst ensuring that equity, diversity and inclusion are considered when communicating with all residents.
The Chair of the panel is also a member of the Resident Experience Panel and is responsible for updating the REP on the group’s actions and approval of recommendations when needed.
The membership is open to any resident and will offer options to be fully engaged with all communication or to be one of our many proof readers ensuring things are easy to read and understood.
Resident Engagement Facebook Group
You can join our resident only Facebook Group, which has been created to highlight the range of different ways residents can engage, and also shares what other residents have been doing within the various panels and the activities of our Communities team. It may offer polls and ask for instant feedback to certain posts.
Membership is open to all CKH residents.
Neighbourhood Inspections
Neighbourhood Inspections will be undertaken as directed by the Estates Improvement and Investment Panel to seek wider resident engagement and consultation on improvements and investment opportunities. CKH Champions are also key in supporting this work.
The approach will also encourage out of Peterborough involvement, providing a more inclusive approach to diverse groups across all housing tenures. Membership is open to residents to join in their local area, and everyone will be invited when their area is being inspected.
Neighbourhood Champions
This group is for you if you want to be a voice for your area. You can share their own experience and also speak on behalf of others on issues surrounding where you live. You can also give feedback on a service, you or your neighbours may have received from us.
My View
This is an opportunity for you to be involved without committing to meetings. Offering instant feedback through surveys, consultation exercise and polls, all done online through the Resident Engagement Facebook Group or MyCKH.
Residents can let us know what interests them and take part as and when they wish. We will also share how your feedback has helped to change or shape our services as well as celebrating the work of all our panels.
If you are not online we will continue to use postal or telephone surveys to consult on any changes that affect your area.
How can you get involved?
Anyone who is a current resident (or spouse/partner living with the resident), shared owners or leaseholders can get involved.
If you would like to become involved simply:
- Call us on 01733 385000
- Email: community@crosskeyshomes.co.uk
- Visit us at our Westwood Hub, the South Bretton Family and Community Centre or CKH Customer Central
- Join the resident only Facebook group (or contact us though CKH’s main Facebook or Instagram pages)
- Complete the enquiry form on our website, www.crosskeyshomes.co.uk/involved
We can help you with arrangements to attend meetings in person. We will also pay out of pocket expenses such as travel costs.
Training and Support
If you would like any training or you have identified any other skills that they wish to develop, such as confidence building, numeracy, literacy or IT, we will help to find suitable training.
We will offer all our involved residents ongoing training and support to help equip you with the necessary skills and confidence to have an active role in helping us to improve our services. Training and support will also provide the opportunity for you to develop both personally and professionally with experience and transferable skills for the workplace.
We will work positively with you if you have identified needs and may require extra support to enable you to be meaningfully involved.
Further information:
Who is responsible for managing Resident Engagement?
The Resident Engagement Manager is responsible for this policy.
Legislation and regulation
This policy is written in accordance with the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
- Regulator of Social Housing Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard
- Regulator of Social Housing Value for Money Standard
Information sharing
Cross Keys Homes has an information sharing agreement with key agencies and contractors to share information in relation to the delivery of our services. Information shared must be relevant and the Data Protection Procedure adhered to when handling data. You can find more information about how we manage your data in our Transparency and Privacy Policy.
Monitoring and review
The Resident Involvement Policy was written and approved in November 2024 and will be reviewed every three years (or in response to any change in legislation or regulatory standards) – next review November 2027.
Other related policies
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
- Resident engagement strategy