BARNSLEY FEDERATION OF TENANTS AND RESIDENTS ASSOCIATIONS

“Working together in a responsible Partnership to promote shared values
in the interest of all Barnsley Tenants and Residents”

The National Tenant Voice (NTV) is a new organisation being set up to ensure that tenants from housing associations,  local authorities (including Arms Length Management Organisations and Tenant Management Organisations), and housing co-operatives have a voice and expertise at national level. The NTV is for all social housing tenants, including shared owners and leaseholders.

It will be what is called a ‘non-departmental public body’. This means it will be an independent organisation with its own governing body, and a government minister will be accountable to Parliament for ensuring that it is independent, effective and efficient.

Proposals for the NTV have been developed by a project group. The project group is made up mainly of tenants, and also includes other experts in housing.

After consultation with tenants in the summer of 2008, the project group set out its proposals in a document called Citizens of Equal Worth. You can see a copy at www.communities.gov.uk/tenantparticipation

The government has accepted the proposals, and is now seeking powers to fund the NTV in a Bill currently going though Parliament.

 Vision and purpose

The NTV will be a resource to enable tenants to influence national housing policies. It aims to be an inspirational and organisation, accountable to tenants, and reflecting the views of tenants. It will celebrate the diversity of tenants and communities.

From grass roots to government: the role of the NTV

The NTV's role is to enable tenants to influence policy and practice at national level. It will do this through

Collective advocacy – enabling or facilitating tenants to speak up effectively

Research – to ensure that the views and experiences of tenants, particularly those who are not in tenants’ organisations, are taken into account

Supporting national and regional tenants’ organisations – helping build and strengthen tenants’ organisations at regional and national level so they can input into policy discussions

Communication – to develop effective two-way communication with tenants - so that tenants know what issues are discussed and have a chance to give their views

The NTV will work alongside and support existing national and regional representative tenants’ organisations.

Governance and organisation

The NTV will be an independent stand-alone organisation rather than being part of another organisation. It will have three main parts:

A National Tenant Council (NTC) made up of around 50 tenants, some nominated from regional and national organisations, the majority appointed through an open recruitment process.

The NTC will discuss and debate issues of importance to tenants. It will be a sounding board for national policies.

The aim is that the NTC will broadly reflect the profile of social housing tenants, in particular in terms of geography, tenure, age, ethnicity, gender, disability.

A Board that will be the executive arm of the NTV. It will have 15 members, 9 of which will be tenants recruited from the NTC, chosen for their skills, knowledge and experience.

An Accountability Committee, which will select the NTC members not appointed by existing organisations, and select the Board members. This committee of 7 has on it 5 people nominated by national tenants’ organisations, plus a nominee from CLG and one from TPAS.

The next step – setting up the National Tenant Council

We are now recruiting tenants to the National Tenant Council. Tenants can get information and an application form from the following web-site: www.hays.com/jobs/ntv, or can telephone freephone 0800 917 7396.

The closing date for applications for one of the 26 open recruitment places is 16th October. There will then be a process of short-listing and interviewing. We hope to have the NTC in place by December 2009.