Getting involved

Involving residents leads to improved services, increased customer satisfaction and better decision making. There are lots of ways to get involved and have your say, share ideas and make suggestions. Whether you’ve got a few minutes to spare every couple of months or if you can give more of your time on a regular basis. It really doesn't matter, you will still be heard loud and clear.

We are committed to working with you to develop genuine involvement opportunities which value diversity and inclusiveness and ensures that all of you have the opportunity to influence the way we service you and your neighbourhood.

The Promise explains how Paradigm can support residents to get involved in consultation and decision-making around the delivery of services and making their neighbourhood a nicer place to live.

A range of support and training options are also available to enable equal access to involvement opportunities. To find out more click here.

Getting involved is easy. Take a look at options below and choose the one that works best for you. To find out more contact Anthea Watkins by email anthea.watkins@paradigmhousing.co.uk, call her on 01628 811860 or complete the 'getting involved' form.

For information on what's coming up, click here for our 'getting involved' calendar.

Residents’ Forum

The role of the Residents’ Forum is to help the company focus on the issues of most concern to residents, ensuring sufficient residents involvement and respecting residents comments and opinions to changes in service. They meet six times a year and are invited to the four Operations Board’s discussion meetings a year.

Area Panels

There are four Area Panels, each located in the regions with the highest number of residents. Meetings vary between monthly and quarterly according to the group. The aim is to tell us which services you feel we need to review, to influence service changes and raise issues about your neighbourhood.

Maintenance User Group

The aim of this group is to identify your priorities to improve repair, maintenance and investment services. It meets six times a year in Chesham, Buckinghamshire

Residents’ and Community Associations

These are local groups formed around a street, block of flats or an estate. We have a Code of Practice for resident groups that explains how to set one up and what support you can expect from us.

Community Engagement Fund

The Community Engagement Fund Panel for each region, determine which individuals or groups are awarded grants for local community work. The Panel meet regularly to review all outstanding applications. For information contact Anthea Watkins by email anthea.watkins@paradigmhousing.co.uk or call her on 01628 811860.

Premier Service Fund Panel

The Premier Service Fund Allocation Panel reviews applications for grants up to the value of £500. The panel looked at 12 applications in the last year, and this is done by post, email and phone.

Readership Panel

If you would like to read and comment on our policy documents and other literature. For more information Anthea Watkins by email anthea.watkins@paradigmhousing.co.uk or call her on 01628 811860.

New-build Scheme Briefings

Customer representatives are booked into several of the face-to-face scheme briefings. For those who are interested but find it difficult to attend, we are planning to set up an interactive section on our website in the next few months. Email rachel.tayler@paradigmhousing.co.uk

Home Owners’ Forum

If you are a home owner and would like to join our new forum, please call Tony Lovelee on 01707 283025 or email him on tony.lovelee@paradigmhousing.co.uk

Young People’s Involvement

We are looking for volunteers aged 13 to 25 to get involved in issues that are relevant to you and want to build your personal skills.

Service User Quality Inspectors

Anyone can apply to become a resident inspector. We expect to do three to four mystery shops a year on different service areas and this may include both phone calls and site visits. To become an inspector, call Alexa Lamond on 01628 811857 or email alexa.lamond@paradigmhousing.co.uk

Customer Suggestions

You can send us ideas to improve the way we work at any time, by email, website, letter or suggestion card. All approved ideas are rewarded with a £100 high street voucher.

Concerns, Complaints and Feedback

The complaints form, feedback form and the website allow you to send us your comments, compliments and complaints.

Area Audits

We ring-fenced £2,000 for each Area Audit to be carried out during the year. This is where you identify key priorities to your local environment. You can speak to your Housing Officer and suggest changes that you would like to see for your neighbourhood. This programme is dependent on residents coming to meetings or completing surveys. To see the current list of Area Audits click here.

Estate Inspections

A large number of estate inspections have been planned in all areas. If you want to know when you can accompany your Housing Officer on one, you can ring your Housing Officer or call Customer Services. To see the current list of Estate Inspections click here.

Sheltered Housing Tenants’ Forum

Two representatives are elected to the Forum by each scheme, which meets four times a year at one of the sheltered housing schemes.

Paradigm People Magazine

Write us a letter or story, or join the editorial panel - call Liz Turner on 01628 811842.

Working Groups

Residents are invited to join working groups where they can make the biggest impact, for example: the Customer Care Standards, or the Diversity Working Group.

Focus Groups

There are always a number of opportunities to join a face-to-face group to discuss a particular topic. For example a number of residents got involved in deciding the specification for replacement kitchen and bathrooms.