If you are a Hastoe resident, you have the opportunity to become a 'Resident Champion'.
Resident Champions work closely with Hastoe Housing Officers by acting as our eyes and ears and monitoring the effectiveness of service contracts such as cleaning and repairs at our smaller housing developments.
Our current Resident Champions take pride in their local community and want to make their neighbourhood a better place to live.
Resident Champions are highly valued by Hastoe. As a Resident Champion, you will receive a £50 voucher for every year of service as a thank you for your input and help.
If you are interested in becoming a Resident Champion, please contact your Housing Officer.
I can recognise the benefits of being able to live in a housing association house in a typically expensive area where it’s hard to get one. The role enables me to give something back to Hastoe."
Hear from some of our Resident Champions
Frequently Asked Questions
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How will I be supported?
- Your Housing Officer will call you at a convenient time at least once a quarter to check how things are.
- We don’t expect you to enter your neighbours’ homes, or for them to come to yours.
- We’ll send you vouchers every 12 months as our thank you.
- We’ll make sure we say thank you and let you know how much we appreciate your help.
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What will I help with?
Here is an example list of the specific ways that Resident Champions can help us:
Health and Safety
- Visually check for health and safety concerns, e.g. loose paving slabs and overgrown hedges or communal lighting not working properly.
- Check communal bin stores are clean and tidy and tell us if not.
Value for money of our service contracts
- Feedback any issues to your Housing Officer.
- Accompany your Housing Officer on at least 1 estate inspection per year. However, you will be invited to attend every planned inspection.
Minor repairs
- Report external repairs in communal areas e.g. leaking gutters and broken fences to Customer Services.
Anti social behaviour
- Be mindful of unusual occurrences and report to your Housing Officer as an early warning.
- Look out for and report abandoned cars.
Community Engagement
- Suggest estate improvements in line with community needs.
- Tell us about any items you think we should cover in our Home e-newsletter.
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How much do I need to be involved?
Your Housing Officer will invite you on two scheme visits which you can choose to attend. The role is about being Hastoe's eyes and ears on the ground so if you do notice any communal repairs, please report them. You don’t need to actively give up your time to look for issues.
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What happens if I change my mind?
Your participation is entirely voluntary. If at any time you don’t want to be a Resident Champion any more, all you have to do is to tell your Housing Officer.
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Can anyone be a Resident Champion?
- You need to be at least 18.
- You need to be able to get around your housing scheme.
- You’ll have great powers of observation.
- You’re good at talking to people.
- You’re confident – you can tell people the limits of your role.
- You know when to refer to Hastoe.
- You’ve got the best interests of all your neighbours in mind.
- You’re concerned about local community issues.
- You haven't had any record of anti-social behaviour.
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What isn't part of the role?
- A way for a resident to promote their own agenda on the estate.
- A way to force unrealistic standards on the grounds or cleaning operatives or get them to do your own personal jobs.
- A way for other residents to bypass reporting repairs or making complaints.
- A way to pass gossip to the Housing Officer.
- A lifetime commitment from either you or us – you have no obligation to continue if you don't want to and we will review engagement annually.
