News on Camden Housing and Property Resident's Panel

Panel Achievements (Last 8 Sessions)

Thomas Broad welcomed the panel and highlighted their accomplishments over the past eight sessions, including:

• Visit to the Contact Centre: Panel members toured the contact centre to gain a better understanding of resident service operations.
• Mystery Shopping: The panel conducted "mystery shopping" exercises to assess the quality of resident interactions with council staff.
• DIY Video Suggestions: The panel proposed the creation of DIY video tutorials to empower residents with minor repair skills.
• Feedback to Head of Neighbourhoods: Extensive feedback was provided to the Head of Neighbourhoods on various resident concerns.
• Highlighting Repair Imperfections: The panel is actively engaged in improving the council's repair service.
• Testing New Online System: Residents participated in testing a new online system for improved efficiency.
• Text Message Updates: The panel advocated for increased use of text message updates to keep residents informed.
• Valuable Resident Input: Key figures within the council acknowledged the valuable insights provided by the resident panel.

Introducing the DMC (District Management Committee)

• Toyin, Chair of the DMC, introduced herself and explained the committee's role.
• DMC Responsibilities and functions: The District Management Committees (DMCs) meet four times a year to discuss local issues and housing committee reports. Once a year there is a joint meeting of all DMCs to discuss setting new rents. They also have funds available for residents’ groups to apply for. 

There are five DMCs:

• Camden Town
• Gospel Oak
• Hampstead
• Holborn
• Kentish Town

Understanding TRAs (Tenant and Resident Associations)

Toyin provided a clear breakdown of the roles of DMCs and TRAs:

• DMC Focus: DMCs address broader borough-wide issues and manage budgets allocated for resident-focused projects.
• TRA Focus: TRAs represent residents within specific estates, fostering communication and collaboration.
• Collaboration: TRAs collaborate with DMCs to bridge the gap between residents and the council.

Resident Participation

Toyin encouraged residents to join DMCs and TRAs to actively contribute to their communities.

Introducing the Good Life Project

Dom and his colleague presented the "Good Life Project" and Camden's well-being framework.

Good Life Framework:

• Focus: The framework emphasises safety, equality, and health as core principles for resident well-being.
• Community Building: The project aims to foster stronger communities through resident participation.
• Resident Input: A group of 20 residents actively contributed to developing the framework.

Request: The panel requested access to the Good Life Framework slides for future reference.

ASB Task Force – Beatrice McGuire

Beatrice presented on the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Task Force, sparking a discussion on resident concerns.

Resident Queries:

• Policy Awareness: Residents sought information on how they would be informed about the new ASB policy.
• Policy Comparison: The difference between the new policy and the existing tenancy agreement was clarified.
• Resident Expectations: The panel outlined what residents could expect from the council when reporting ASB.
• Source of ASB: Residents inquired about the origin of ASB issues on estates.
• Education and Prevention: The importance of educating children about ASB from a young age was emphasised.
• Resident Input: The panel requested resident input to shape the ASB policy effectively.
• Mental Health Support: Residents inquired if the policy offered mental health support mechanisms.
• Estate Structure and Security: Discussions included the layout of estates, CCTV cameras, and parking concerns.