NHC part of consortium to explore innovative approaches to resident scrutiny
The NHC is part of a consortium of northern landlords and partners seeking to transform how residents can influence the services they receive.
The group, led by Together Housing, has secured funding from the government’s Social Housing Innovation Fund to explore innovative approaches to resident scrutiny.
Four housing association partners Together Housing, Vico Homes, Incommunities and Leeds Federated will use the Government funding of over £100,000 to test a range of resident‑led methods. The NHC, the Healthy Homes Initiative at the University of Huddersfield and tenant engagement expert Yvonne Davies from YD Consultancy are also part of the partnership.
The project will seek to make scrutiny more flexible, accessible and reflective of the wider tenant experience, supporting the move away from traditional scrutiny models that can often rely on the views of a smaller number of engaged residents. The approach aims to develop new approaches that enable quicker, more effective and more inclusive scrutiny.
A key focus is widening participation so that scrutiny reflects the experiences of residents with different backgrounds, schedules and needs. This includes trialling flexible formats that fit around work and caring responsibilities, as well as ways for residents to raise issues and shape services.
One of the project’s major innovations will be see if a Rapid Response Scrutiny model can be developed to help landlords act more quickly on urgent or high‑impact concerns.
The partnership will also test community-based scrutiny approaches, giving residents a stronger voice on local service issues such a grounds maintenance or tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB). The intention is to pilot a joint scrutiny review with external partners such as local authorities or the Police.
Residents will play a key role in the project through a Lived Experience Group made of up of representatives of the four landlords. Residents will be recruited in April for the Group.
Tracy Harrison Chief Executive at Northern Housing Consortium added: “We’re pleased to be part of this project as making sure tenants have a strong voice that makes an impact has been a longstanding priority for the NHC. We look forward to sharing learning which will support our members to develop their approach to resident engagement and scrutiny.”
Daniel Klemm, Director of Customer Experience and Communications from Together Housing Group said: “We are proud to be leading this partnership. The investment from the Social Housing Innovation Fund enables us to work closely with residents, landlords and partner organisations to develop scrutiny models that truly reflect the priorities and lived experiences of our residents. Our focus is on creating practical, inclusive and effective ways for residents to shape the decisions that influence their homes and communities.”
Professor Philip Brown from the University of Huddersfield said: “This project creates an important link between innovation and ongoing policy debates around resident voice and accountability. We’re proud that we can support this important project, particularly in the dissemination phase, by hosting a major event on the outcome of the work in late March 2027.”
Tenant engagement expert Yvonne Davies from YD consultants is also playing a key role in the project. Yvonne commented: “I am looking forward to working with tenants from Together Housing, Vico, Leeds Federated and Incommunities to try out new and innovative scrutiny approaches over the next year.”
