Community Involvement
We are committed to involving you in running the housing service and making decisions that affect your home and estate. Please make sure you have your say!
Southway has a range of ways in which customers can get involved.
Tenant Board Member
The Board directs Southway's future. It makes strategic, operational and business decisions. Anyone joining the Board will receive support and training.
Southway Consultative Group
The Consultative Group is made up of tenant group representatives, a leaseholder, two owner-occupiers, tenants, two local councillors, two Tenant Board Members and Southway staff. The group meets every six weeks to discuss policies and current issues. It influences decisions
and helps to shape services.
Voice Panel
This is an open meeting or drop-in event held three times a year on a Saturday. Each one has a different theme and is open to all tenants with an interest. A report of the event goes to the Southway Board, making recommendations for them to consider.
Tenant and Resident Associations
These groups are run by volunteers and they are open to everyone in the area the group covers. Some groups focus only on housing issues while others also get involved in wider community issues affecting everyone. Tenant Groups are a fantastic way for tenants and residents to have a collective voice, arrange social events and build a great community spirit.
Tenant groups usually hold committee meetings every month and community meetings twice a year.
Service Improvement Groups
These explore areas of our service – like Repairs, the Home Improvement Programme, Lettings and Anti-Social Behaviour. These groups also comment on policies and help to shape procedures. The groups meet every other month during the day at Aspen House.
Resident Audit Panel
This is where a panel of resident auditors visit tenants’homes to inspect the home improvement works and ensure that the Home Improvement Programme is being delivered to the specified
standards. This is due to be expanded to the repairs service so we are looking for new Panel members. A couple of hours’ initial training is required and then a couple of hours approximately four times a year.
Residents’ Conference
We hold a Residents’ Conference once a year, usually in April, to which all our tenants are invited. There is usually a theme to the event and it provides a great opportunity for us to let you know how we are performing and for you to give us feedback. Our conferences are usually held on a Saturday morning.
Mystery Shopping Team
Mystery Shoppers are customers who go ‘under cover’ to test our services. This helps to identify where training is needed, highlights where improvements could be made, or confirms that all is well with a service. Anyone interested will be invited to a briefing and will then be asked to take part in the next mystery shopping exercise. Any out of pocket expenses are reimbursed and full support is provided. Interested? Please contact Tina Murphy on 0161 448 4228.
These are a group of people who do not come together but are consulted three times a year on the same topic via a postal or electronic survey.
Young People's Forum
We are in the early stages of setting up a Young People's Forum and would like to hear from any young people who would like to join the group and develop a voice for young people living in the Southway area. Interested? Please contact Tanya Watts on 0161 448 4303 or email her at
t.watts@southwayhousing.co.uk