What is a Tenant Inspector?
The Purpose
To have independent opinion to look at North Lincolnshire Homes housing service. Independent opinion can give accurate data as to how services are actually received by our customers. It can help to indentify where service delivery is failing and where North Lincolnshire Homes needs to implement improvements and changes to policy where required.
Role and Responsibilities
The role of a Tenant Inspector is to work with North Lincolnshire Homes to look at the services provided, to monitor these services and to influence where improvements need to be made.
Inspectors will be looking at the following:
- How good is the service?
- Will the service improve?
A Tenant Inspector must be able to:
- Be an equal member of the team
- Work in the strictest confidence
- Deal with sensitive information
- Have experience as a North Lincolnshire Homes tenant
- Look at the service from a tenants point of view
- Understand participation and what differences can be made
- Be able to carry out reality checks
Skills required for a Tenant Inspector:
- Courteous
- Be a good listener
A Tenant Inspector needs to :
- Understand and listen to other peoples views
- Have a good communication skills, either verbally or written
- Work well as a team
A Tenant Inspector needs to be able to demonstrate:
- A commitment to Equal Opportunities
- Honesty and reliability
- Strict confidentiality at all times (both during and after inspections)
Training Available
Training can be provided by using external agencies or in-house training and may include:
- Shadowing of an existing Tenant Inspectors
- Note taking
- Principles of Best Value
- Mock inspections
- Communication skills
- Reality checking
- Assertiveness
- Plain talking and plain writing
- Presenting information
- Interviewing techniques
Code of Conduct
When working with individual tenants and as part of a team a Tenant Inspector must understand and appreciate all other people's views. The Tenant Inspector should be courteous and support others in seeking a solution to any problems discussed.
Tenant Inspectors must familiarize themselves with all the relevant documents relating to the service area that is to be inspected. These documents will be provided to the Tenant Inspector at least one week in advance of any inspection taking place to ensure they have the time to read and understand the documentation.
Wherever possible jargon and abbreviations should be avoided.
Tenant Inspectors must disclose any interest, whether personal or on behalf of any group they are involved with that may affect the matters which are being discussed.
All information shared between the Tenant Inspector, tenants and North Lincolnshire Homes will be of a confidential nature and must not be disclosed to anyone apart from those persons involved with the inspection itself.
All Tenant Inspectors must sign up to the Volunteers Code of Conduct and Confidentiality Policy.
Expenses
Any expenses incurred by tenants taking part in the tenant inspection process will be reimbursed.
Expense claim forms can be provided to Tenant Inspectors so that they can record any costs that may be incurred.
These claim forms must be presented to the Resident Involvement section along with relevant receipts or details of mileage claimed.
Interested in becoming a Tenant Inspector?
Contact the Resident Involvement and Community Development Team on 01724 279900.
Estate Inspections
All residents are invited to take part in estate walkabouts, together with housing officers and tenant inspectors. Each week an estate inspection takes place in a different neighbourhood.
Please see link below for Estate Inspection schedule 2010.
Documents that may be of Interest