It's power to the people at Barnet Homes

Published by Jonathan Lawn for Barnet Homes in Housing and also in Local Government

Tenants and leaseholders have been given new powers to challenge and influence Barnet Homes’ services following the creation of a new resident scrutiny group.

The Performance Advisory Group (PAG), made up of eight Barnet Homes residents, three staff and one director, will ensure the arms length management organisation (ALMO) is increasingly accountable to the people it serves.

Responsibilities for the group will include deciding which areas of performance are most important to residents. Barnet Homes will then have an obligation to provide regular updates on these areas to all tenants and leaseholders.

Other subjects that could be monitored and scrutinised by the PAG members include:

• Barnet Homes’ service standards
• Better engaging young people
• Estate inspections and involving residents in the process
• Complaints made about Barnet Homes’ services
• The quality of housing repairs and Decent Homes modernisation work
• Dealing with antisocial behaviour

The new group is part of long-term efforts by Barnet Homes to increase resident involvement in its services through meetings, surveys and focus groups, and by encouraging the creation of resident associations and community groups.

Barnet Homes’ Deputy Chief Executive, Derek Rust, said: “We believe the best way to find out how you can improve your services is to ask the very people who receive them. We want to place residents right at the heart of all we do.

“We’re very proud that both the Chair and Vice Chair of our Board are both Barnet Homes residents. The creation of our Performance Advisory Group is another step towards becoming even more accountable to the people we serve.

“We’re really looking forward to working with the PAG members over the coming months and years as we seek to provide excellent services to tenants and leaseholders in Barnet.”

Members of PAG were chosen through a formal selection process. They will report directly to Barnet Homes’ Board and membership will be limited to two years.