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October 2009
> Cumbrian Landlords Selected as Local Standards Pilot by Tenant Services Authority
Cumbrian Landlords Selected as Local Standards Pilot by Tenant Services Authority
Derwent & Solway Housing Association, a member of Harvest Housing Group, has been selected as a Local Standards Pilot by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), the national social housing regulator, and will receive £7,050 to support its work to develop joint service standards across customer service, anti-social behaviour and responsive repairs across Workington, Cumbria.
Derwent & Solway Housing Association submitted the winning bid to the TSA, in conjunction with three other Social Landlords; Home Group, Impact Housing Association and Westfield Housing Association. It is one of 37 housing projects from across the country that have been selected as a local Standards Pilot by the TSA and is the only bid to focus on delivering more than one local standard.
Residents from the four associations will develop new standards that are common to Workington via a focus group of tenant representatives drawn from a range of existing groups. The pilot scheme will explore concepts of quality and responsiveness and will aim to improve how tenants’ views concerning service delivery are listened to and taken into account. Reporting on local standards and performance will increase accountability and prompt shifts in organisational culture.
Some 185 organisations answered the TSA’s invitation to bid for funding of up to £9,000 to support to support the development of agreements between landlords and their tenants to develop 'local deals'. Grants totalling £281,000 have been awarded.
Paul Seymour, Director of Operational Support & Service Development for Harvest Housing Group, said, “Our joint project plan consists of a series of objectives to ensure the standards are developed with customers and are in a position to be launched in April 2010. Until then we look forward to working together to develop work practices that will ultimately enhance the quality of the customer experience.”
Peter Marsh, TSA Chief Executive said, “We have had a fantastic response to our invitation and were very impressed with the high standard of all the bids we received. All the successful bidders such as Derwent & Solway Housing Association have shown real innovation and their plans are fantastic examples of good practice which can be shared across the sector.”
In July the TSA invited providers such as housing associations, local authorities and arm’s-length management organisations to make bids of up to £9,000 to support the development of agreements between landlords and their tenants to develop 'local deals'.
The pilots are scheduled to start this month and will be funded through to April 2010.