Getting involved
We want to continually improve the quality of the services we
provide. We know the best way to do this is to find out what you
think and respond to your ideas.
We will keep you up to date by sending you Somer
Times,
our resident newsletter, four times a year. We will invite you to
residents’ meetings and our residents’ conference, which is held
once a year. We will also send you information through the
post.
You can let us know what you think about our services by:
- talking to staff;
- talking to your Tenant or Leaseholder Representative;
- filling in questionnaires;
- going to local meetings in your area; and
- joining our Consumer Panel.
If you need support to get involved, just let us know and we can
help.
Join our Consumer Panel
If you are happy for us to contact you regularly, you can become
part of our Consumer Panel. You tell us how you prefer to be
contacted, for example, by phone, email or post, and we will ask
for your views on different things throughout the year. Each time
you give us your views you will be entered into a cash prize
draw.
Become a mystery shopper
Mystery shoppers call or write into the organisation with
everyday questions about their services. Examples for the Trust
might be requesting a repair, asking for a transfer or reporting
anti-social behaviour. As a volunteer mystery shopper, you will
receive free training, develop market research skills and get £50
of shopping vouchers for carrying out an agreed number of
tasks.
Join a local resident or community group
Many local groups meet regularly to talk about their
neighbourhood and take action on things they would like to see
improved. Ask your Housing Officer if there is a group in your
area. If there isn’t one, we can help you set one up.
Become a Tenant or Leaseholder Representative
As a Tenant or Leaseholder Representative you will meet
regularly with other residents and staff to share information about
services, ideas and local knowledge at a monthly area panel.
There are five Area Panels and a Resident Leaseholder Forum. We
will help with travel and childcare costs to help you go to the
meetings. The meeting dates and venues are published on the back
cover of Somer Times, which you can download opposite.
Somer Residents’ Committee
The committee ensures that tenants and leaseholders are
effectively consulted and involved in the development of Trust
strategy and policy. Any Trust tenant or leaseholder can apply to
become a member of the Somer Residents’ Committee; watch out
for vacancies advertised regularly through Somer Times and on this
website.
Become a Board member
The Somer Residents’ Committee has the responsibility to
nominate five Tenant Trustees and a Leaseholder Co-optee to the
Trust Board.
Contact the Resident Involvement Team on 01225
366199 or 366147 for more information, or click the link
opposite and fill out a form to let us know you would like to get
involved.