Customer satisfaction is important to the Council.  It is vital to us that tenants are happy with the quality of the service.

We realise, from years of experience that the best way for us to learn is to listen to what our customers are saying.  If you have something to say, we want to hear it!

It could be about:-

• Rent payment arrangements
• Leaseholder's Service Charge
• Repairs
• Improvements to your home
• Empty houses
• Services for older people, or people with disabilities, or people from the ethnic minority community
• The area where you live
• Dealing with nuisance neighbours or harassment
• Dealing with rent arrears
• Housing Options Appraisal

This doesn’t mean you have to come to lots of meetings at the Council Offices.  There are number of different ways that you can choose to ‘get involved’. The time you give is up to you. Think about what time you have available and match it with an involvement option, by downloading the Housing Involvement Directory, "Ways to have your say...your way"

Residents Panel

Are you a Council Tenant or Leaseholder? Do you have views on the Housing service, but don’t have much time to spare? Then the Residents Panel is just right for you!

The Residents Panel is simply a contact list of people who live in Swindon, who are interested in being consulted about issues relating to their homes or the area where they live.

Once registered, we will contact you occasionally to:-

• Complete a mini survey (either telephone, post or email)
• Discuss a specific issue on an individual basis (could be a telephone or email conversation, or meeting)
• Take part in a focus group to look at a particular problemor proposal in more depth
• Act as a ‘reading’ group to give a view on policy documents, information leaflets, forms etc., before they are published
• Volunteer to help organise community events in your area

You will be able to choose how you would like to be consulted, and what particular topics you are interested in commenting on, such as Repairs and Improvements, Anti-Social Behaviour, Estate inspections, Rent Setting, etc.

Download the Resident Panel leaflet for further information and to register.

If you are interested in a more intensive level of involvement, you may wish to join Swindon Tenants Voice (STV), Tenants Association for Sheltered Housing (TASH) or Leaseholder's Link.

“Getting Involved” will only cost you time, not money. The Council will provide a taxi or pay a mileage rate, and cover the cost of dependent care for people attending meetings.

Further Information/Forms

PDF Version - Council Homes - Have your Say

Online Version - Council Homes - Have your Say

For details of how tenant involvement is helping to improve Housing Services, follow the link below to the Tenant Participation Agreement page, where you can find details of the Tenant Participation Agreement for 2006-08.

If you would like to discuss anything in more detail, please contact the Council’s Housing Participation Team:

Paul Wilkins
Tel:  01793 463677
Email:  pwilkins@swindon.gov.uk

Shelley Slater
Tel:  01793 463673
Email:  sslater@swindon.gov.uk

We look forward to hearing from you!