Resident Involvement

Scrutiny & Co-Regulation

As a Unity tenant, you have the right to look closely at the services that Unity provides and to have an influence over the issues that affect you. We have a range of options if you want to have more of an impact on the services you receive. Joining one of our Tenant Panels is a one example of how you can do this.

Tenants’ Group

Our Tenants’ Group is a fun friendly group of Unity residents that meets up bi-monthly to discuss issues affecting the business, our homes and our tenants. Joining the Tenants’ Group is a great opportunity for you to put across your views, share your ideas and help us shape the services that Unity tenants receive.

In addition to bi-monthly meetings, members can also take part in

  • Practical on-site inspections
  • Joint inspections with tenants from other housing associations
  • Interviewing and assessing contractors
  • Community consultations with staff and residents
  • Editing the quarterly newsletter and annual report to tenants
  • Influencing the planned maintenance programme

You do not need to have had experience to be on our Tenants’ Group and you do not have to attend every meeting, or activity – you give as much of your time as you can afford.

We also hold meetings in the evenings for those that are unavailable in the daytime and if you have to pay for public transport so that you can attend the meetings we will reimburse the cost.

Unite with Unity

If you want to challenge and influence how Unity’s housing services are delivered then join our Unite with Unity Panel.

Unite with Unity is a cornerstone of ensuring that Unity is properly run. Our Scrutiny Panel meets every three months to closely examine how Unity is performing. Because it is a more committed role that requires particular skills, you have to apply to join the Unite with Unity Panel.

The purpose of the Scrutiny Panel is to:

  • Scrutinise the services Unity Housing provides, whilst promoting ‘Value for Money’
  • Ensure our policies and procedures meet the diverse needs of our tenants
  • Enable our tenants to challenge our performance and plans
  • Provide the Board with a clearer understanding of tenants’ priorities and views in order to inform our business planning
  • Drive improvements from a tenant’s perspective
  • Make recommendations for service improvements
  • Scrutinise the performance of individual contractors

The Unite with Unity Panel is a great way to broaden your skills and interests and enhance your CV. If you are interested, please get in touch – we will tell you more about what is involved and you can apply to be part of it.

Board Membership

Unity is led by the voluntary Board Members who act in an unpaid capacity and are responsible for the governance of the organisation. The Association’s rules state that up to one third of the Board may be made up of tenants.

Being part of Unity’s board gives you the right to query our performance, challenge us if we are not meeting our targets and questions the decisions that we make.

If you have not yet had any experience in Resident Involvement activities, you may not be able to apply to be a Board Member right away. However, you can access the training, skills and expertise you need by joining one of Unity’s other Tenant Panel’s first.

If you’re interested in joining one of our Tenant Panels, please get in touch. Call Niesha on 0113 200 7751 or email Niesha.Martin@unityha.co.uk.