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Terms & Conditions and GNA

The Consultation Process

In February 2008, LBFW has agreed to consult its tenants for revising the Tenancy Agreement and implementing the Good Neighbour Agreement.

It was agreed by the Cabinet meeting on 30^th September 2008 that, in order for Waltham Forest Council to review its tenancy conditions, (as this represents a change in the Council’s housing policy) under Section 103 of the Housing Act 1985, the Council is obliged to formally consult its secure tenants.

During April and May 2008, informal consultation had commenced via the Tenants Council, Area Contract Panels and a number of planned events and activities such as the ‘Get to know your neighbours day’, a door entry project on Avenue Road Estate, Leytonstone.

Thereafter, a Preliminary Notice was hand delivered to all LBWF tenants between 9 November 2008 to 25 November 2008 (During the same period and in the same letter, tenants were also consulted on implementing the Introductory Tenancies Guide and the Demoted Tenancies Guide.  Please see its new tenancies consultation process).

The Council advised its tenants of the proposed revised tenancy terms and conditions and invited tenants to comment and express their opinions.

The 28 days statutory consultation process commenced on 26 November 2008 and ended on 23 December 2008.

Tenants were encouraged to provide feedback through a range of options.  These included a telephone answer machine service (call back service provided), e-mail, written comments and attending surgeries.  The full details of the consultation are as follows:

• There were two press releases of the afternoon and evening consultation surgeries were advertised to tenants via Waltham Forest Magazine and posters were displayed at over twenty estates
• Five separate drop-in open surgeries were held.  Different work and career patterns were catered for by providing both daytime and evening meetings.  All the venues were accessible by wheelchair users
• Approximately 110 residents attended these consultation surgeries to ask questions and comment on revising the tenancy terms and conditions
• The majority of feedback from residents who attended the sessions welcomed the proposals to introduce the revised terms and conditions
• The documents included multi-language paragraphs explaining what the document was about and how to get help understanding it. Turkish- and Urdu-speaking tenants made extensive use of this facility
• Additionally, staff met with people with reading disabilities, read the document to them in full and recorded their comments
• Tenants unable to leave their homes had the option of telephoning to leave their comments or sending them via e-mail
• Special group consultation meetings were run in the sheltered housing schemes to ease access and help tenants understand the proposal.

Following the consultation, the Council had received positive responses and numerous enquiries from tenants who were in favour to implement these new conditions.  Of those who had responded:

Revised Tenancy Terms & Conditions –

• 56% were in favour
• 41% had no opinion
• 3% were against

A summary of the comments on changes to tenancy terms & conditions received from tenants can be seen with the responses from Council officers in the link provided.

Ascham Homes had also developed a Good Neighbour Agreement in consultation with tenants and staff.  The Agreement is applicable to sheltered house schemes and is designed to improve communal living.

The result of the group consultations were as follows:

Good Neighbour Agreement –

• 99.2 were in favour
• 0.8% were against

Once the deadline for receiving comments had passed, Ascham Homes prepared and presented a report of findings to London Borough of Waltham Forest Cabinet meeting on 24 February 2009.  During the meeting, the Cabinet had considered all the comments that were received.  The Cabinet also considered further representation from a tenant who attended the meeting.  The Cabinet had then unanimously approved and agreed to implement the revised tenancy terms & conditions with effect from 4 May 2009.

The Implementation Process

The next step forward was to ensure that tenants had been notified of the date the revised tenancy terms & conditions were to be introduced.  This was done by placing an article in the Waltham Forest Magazine – issue 49 on 4 May 2009.

During the sign up stage, all tenants will be given a hardcopy of the revised Tenancy Terms & Conditions.  However, you could also download and view it from the link provided.

Equality Impact Assessments

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is simply a tool/process that enables us to check out how existing or new policies, services and procedures affect groups of people covered by equalities legislation and our Equality and Diversity Strategy.

The EIA allows us to look at evidence or consult as to whether the service or policy is not having an adverse impact against a particular group of people due to their gender, sexuality, religion or belief, race, age or because they are disabled people or have caring responsibilities.  We can then change the policy or service if it having an adverse effect on any groups, or indeed highlight it as good practice if it is having a beneficial effect, in which the policy will actively promote equality or good community relations.

The Council had developed an Equality Impact Assessment for Introductory Tenancies and Demoted Tenancies was completed in September 2008 and can be downloaded and viewed from the link provided.

The Council has agreed that from the consultation results indicate that tenants are generally in support of introducing the Introductory Tenancies and Demotion Tenancies Schemes.

The Council had also developed an Equality Impact Assessment for revising the Tenancy Terms & Conditions and the use of Good Neighbour Agreement was completed in February 2009.  Some potential adverse impacts were identified but were found to be easily mitigated by minor changes in procedure.  An action plan arising from the impact assessment has been developed to ensure those changes are implemented.

The Council has concluded that consultation on revising the tenancy terms and conditions has elicited a favourable response, and officers feel that this new approach will assist in one of the Council’s objectives of creating sustainable and balanced communities.