Hull City Council has been nationally recognised for a commitment to putting tenant involvement at the heart of housing services, earning a prestigious accreditation for a fourth consecutive term.
The council is the only local authority in the country to hold Tpas Exemplar Accreditation for so long, an achievement secured by the Neighbourhoods and Housing service with a great deal of support from across all directorates.
Tpas is England’s leading tenant engagement organisation, promoting, supporting and championing tenant involvement and empowerment in social housing.
Its membership comprises local tenants and landlord organisations, contractors, sub-contractors and affiliates.
While the accreditation recognises a commitment to tenant engagement, the process also supports the council in keeping residents at the heart of decision making.
Portfolio holder for economic renewal and housing, Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, said: “I’m delighted that the hard work of those working within our housing service continues to be recognised.
“The team engages closely with our tenants via the Tenants’ Forum, where they work with the forum’s valued volunteers to improve service delivery.
“They will also be carrying out a tenants’ survey over the autumn, which will inform us all how satisfied tenants are with what they’re doing, as well as what areas need improvement.
“It’s clear that becoming the only council in the country to achieve Tpas Exemplar Accreditation for a fourth consecutive term is an achievement that we should all rightly shout about.”
Hull City Council first secured standard Tpas Accreditation in 2008 and in 2019 was the first social landlord in the country to secure the more stringent Exemplar status.
To become eligible to apply for Exemplar status, social landlords must have held the standard Tpas Accreditation for three terms (nine years).
Exemplar Accreditation stands for two years, after which landlords who wish to keep it must go through the full application process again.
The accreditation process grades landlords in seven areas: governance and transparency, scrutiny, business and strategy, complaints, information and communication, resources and engagement, community and wider engagement.
Executive director of housing and communities, Mark Nearney, said: “Achieving Exemplar Accreditation once again reflects the strong partnerships we have built with our tenants and our shared commitment to continuous improvement.
“The process is about much more than external recognition.
“It gives us honest feedback, challenges us to keep improving and allows us to learn from the experiences of others across the sector, all of which helps us deliver better outcomes for tenants.”
Chief executive of Tpas, Jenny Osbourne MBE, said: “We’re delighted that Hull City Council has successfully been accredited with Tpas since 2008 and completed a meticulous process to maintain its status as an Exemplar Accredited landlord for the fourth time.
“Hull City Council has demonstrated its continuing commitment to the values we share.”
To find out more about housing in Hull, visit Housing – Hull.