A document setting out what tasks have to be undertaken, how the work will be delivered, who will do the work and when they will do it

The toolkit used by tenant management organisations to work through the Modular Management Agreement

Umbrella partnership of consultants specialsing in resident involvement and control

An Annual General Meeting is held by an organisation at about the same time every year. At the meeting, the Board reports on the organisation’s work during the past year and presents the accounts to the members for agreement. The Board is elected at the AGM.

A sub committee with delegated authority to manage a specific geographic area (usually applies to Council Services or Housing Associations)

A company set up by a local authority to manage the housing stock. The local authority owns the company and is the only shareholde

Since 1989, all new housing association tenants have assured tenancies. They have fewer rights in law than secure tenants, although Housing Corporation guidance requires most of these rights be written into assured tenancy agreements.

The independent public body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent efficiently by local authorities, the National Health Service and the police, criminal justice, fire and rescue services. The Housing Inspectorate is part of the Audit Commission.

The amount of money the Government allocates to a local authority each year which sets the borrowing it may undertake for capital projects, including housing. The term was introduced by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989

A vote, usually in secret and cast on paper.

Status awarded to a local authority for excellence in providing a particular service, whereby they act as a role model for good practice for others.

Levels of performance used for comparison. (See also Benchmarking)

Assessing an organisation’s performance by comparing it to that of other organisations of a similar size and purpose.

The Government has placed a duty of Best Value on all local authorities that requires that they deliver services to clear standards of cost and quality by the most economic, efficient and effective means available. Best Value means every local authority must publish an annual performance plan and review all of their services every five years.

Every Council function will undergo a Best Value Inspection. Normally an inspection will follow the Council's own review and will take place at least once within a 5 year period. Inspections are carried out by the Audit Commission who will look to see if Best Value is being delivered.

Every Council service has to undergo a Best Value Review over a five year period 2000/01 - 05/06. The Review is the process by which they look at where they are in terms of how the council performs, how satisfied their customers are and considers new approaches to deliver the services in order to achieve continuous improvement.

Black and Minority Ethnic.

A group of people who have volunteered or been elected to control the affairs of a housing association, ALMO or TMO. They should support the aims of the organisation and are responsible for strategy and financial health. It may also be called a Management Committee, Management Board, Board or Board of Trustees.

The term used to refer to a member of the Board of Management of a housing association, ALMO or TMO.

The amount of money an organisation estimates it will bring in (income) and spend (expenditure) over a certain period of time, usually one year.

The vital things we need to do to achieve a three star performance rating.

A document wich sets out an organisation's plans, including its aims, objectives and financial strategies for its future operations and development

Helping individuals or organisations develop skills and abilities.

An annual programme of planned and major expenditure for building and improving housing.

Money received by a council when it sells homes or land, either voluntarily or under the Right to Buy.

Charitable status limits the objectives and activities of an organisation, which have to be for ‘charitable purposes’, but gives it certain privileges (e.g. tax advantages).

The national professional practice body for housing associations

A system of letting homes which aims to give more customer focus and choice by advertising vacant social housing properties.

A Government department dealing with social housing, regeneration and new homes, known as Communities and Local Government

A code of conduct is a set of guidelines that sets out how members of a group, committee or board are expected to conduct themselves at meetings, or when representing the organisation to outside bodies

A code setting out how the Board or committee will act together to have effective control over the organisation's business

A code of conduct or policy setting out how personal and confidential information should be dealt with

See Board of Management

A housing association that is community run, has strong connections to the locality in which it operates and often has a tenant majority on the Board of Management

A parish, community, neighbourhood, village or town council is an elected local council with powers to raise taxes and run some services

A company with a constitution under which members of the company are 'guarantors' rather than shareholders. Each member guarantees the company's debts up to a fixed limit (often £1) in the event of the company’s insolvency. This form of organisation is suitable for Registered Social Landlords and housing companies.

Every unitary and county council underwent a Comprehensive Performance Assessment in 2002 which looked at the overall performance, quality of services, future plans and targets to improve services. Each council was assessed and judged by the Audit Commission.

The legal and procedural framework within which an organisation operates. The constitution of most Registered Social Landlords is embodied in its rules

The way in which we talk to tenants residents and other interested parties.

See Housing Co-operative

Tenants can be temporarily moved out of their homes (decanted) to another dwelling if their landlord needs to carry out major work that is disruptive, a risk to health and safety or difficult to undertake while the tenant is living in the property.

A set of government standards about the basic condition of a home that all council dwellings must achieve by 2010. It needs to: meet current statutory minimum standards for housing be in a reasonable state of repair have reasonably modern facilities and services provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

Tenants and landlords can agree to share the responsibility for running their estate by setting up an Estate Management Board. Tenants are normally in the majority on the Board and an agreement sets out the responsibilities of the landlord and those of the EMB.

This means treating people equally and fairly and not discriminating against them on the grounds of their ethnic origin, religion, sexuality, disability, gender or age.

An annual agreement negotiated between the landlord and all the tenants on an estate. The agreement sets out issues and priorities such as standards of service, how residents will be consulted and any delegated budgets. The agreement is not legally binding but is a public guarantee and commitment by both parties.

A research technique to bring people together for discussion on a specific topic. It aims to find out what people think or feel and their reasons for doing so.

A group of companies often with a similar ethos, that work together under one parent company

A not for profit organisation working to provide social housing

The two most common forms of housing co-operative are: an ownership housing co-operative where seven or more people voluntarily unite to meet their common housing needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democractically-controlled enterprise: a tenant management co-operative or TMC, where local authority or housing association tenants take over the management of their block or estate, but not the ownership, which stays with the current landlord.

Government organisation that oversees and regulates housing associations as well as administering investment funds and grants

Part of the Audit Commission charged with overseeing Best Value in housing management and housing's wider role in the community.

Every council is required to produce a Housing Business plan and strategy statement each year, setting out their housing policy and programmes and long term funding arrangements.

The landlord's revenue account for a local authority. Since 1989 the account is ring-fenced, that means it may only contain income and expenditure attributable to local authority tenants. It cannot be subsidised from other council accounts.

An industrial and provident society cam be charitable or non-charitable, or housing co-operative or a TMO. They must be non-profit making supervised by the Financial Services Authority

Under the Housing Act 1996, councils can offer an introductory tenancy to a new tenant. If the tenant has not broken the terms of the agreement after a year, the tenancy can change to a secure tenancy. Local authorities can choose whether or not to issue an introductory tenancy, but if they do, then it must apply to all new tenants.

The choices given by government to local councils to obtain the money they need to provide decent homes.

A company, external, separate and independent of the landlord, employed by residents during a stock options or regeneration project, to represent tenants and leaseholders and act on their behalf. An ITA provides independent information, impartial advice, training and support to residents and negotiates on their behalf.

The basis on which the Audit Commission makes inspection judgments for local authorities and housing associations. ‘Key lines of enquiry detail what will be covered in inspections and the standard expected of excellent and fair housing services.’ (Audit Commission)

Someone owning a long lease of a property (usually a flat) but not owning a freehold

A neighbourhood agreement between the tenants and their landlord whre a limited number of management responsibilities are delegated to a tenants' organisation

A mechanism that helps Government services to achieve their targets through improved joint working. Local Strategic Partnerships work with the voluntary and other sectors

Local authorities can transfer the ownership and management of all or some of their housing to a registered social landlord (normally a housing association). Tenants have to be consulted and a ballot is usually conducted to see if tenants support the idea. If they are not in favour, the council can not proceed with the transfer.

Repairs which are too substantial to be covered by the normal allowances for maintenance. They generally relate to a building's structure or services and may qualify for Social Housing Grant. The repairs may be carried out on housing which was either purpose-built or rehabilitated. Also known a capital repairs

Funding from government for Local Authority Housing Revenue Account capital expenditure. The MRA is an annual cash payment and is intended to reflect the cost of maintaining housing stock in its current condition. It is paid through the Housing Revenue Account subsidy system.

Group of people responsible for the governance and management of an organisation. It can be elected by members or made up of a group of people who have volunteered.

Mystery shopping is a form of market research where individuals are trained to observe, experience, evaluate and report on the customer process of an organisation. It tests front-line service standards and customer feedback from a user's perspective

Nationally recongised organisation based at Trafford Hall providing residential, conference and training facilities

National membership organisation for Tenant Management Organisations

A group of public service, voluntary agency and community representatives who meet regularly to monitor services to a specific area of neighbourhood

A term used to describe how government proposes to improve deprived communities by providing decent housing
, improving services and facilities, increasing economic prosperity and providing jobs.

A fund set up in 1998 to help improve the most deprived neighbourhoods. The programme supports plans that bring local providers, public agencies, community groups and voluntary groups together to tackle local issues such as high crime levels, rundown environment and poor job prospects.

Charities can charge for goods and services and can make a profit (surplus) but must not be specifically set up for commercial or profit making purposes.

The government department that deals with housing policies, laws and finance.

The way in which we manage and plan the future direction of the organisation

The process of measuring how well we are doing.

Process by which we obtain goods and services.

The difference between overall government expenditure and income - set out periodically by the government.

The minimum number of members of an organisation who must be present to make that body legally competent to transact business. With Registered Social Landlords that are industrial and provident societies the normal minimum is three persons for a board of management meeting or six persons for a general meeting. The quorum will be specified in the organisation's constitution.

Decision to carry out repairs whilst leaving replacement to a planned maintenance programme.

The way in which we assess the outcomes of possible choices and the risk of things going wrong.

The term introduced by the Housing Act 1996 applying to housing organisations registered with the Housing Corporation. These may be charities that are housing associations (registered with the Charity Commission), industrial and provident societies, and not-for-profit companies. Registered Social Landlords have access to Social Housing Grant and are eligible to receive stock transferred from local authorities in return for submitting to the jurisdiction of the Housing Corporation over the way they control and manage their resources. Registered Social Landlords are required to supply the Housing Corporation with statistical details about themselves, complete an annual return and comply with accounting requirements

This is a scheme which gives eligible tenants of Housing Associations the Right to Buy their home. The criteria for the Right To Acquire are very specific.

Local authority tenants have the Right to Buy their home at a special discounted price, if they have been living there for longer than five years. The government sets the level of discount that is applied.

The Right To Manage was introduced in 1994 and gives local authority tenants the right to set up a tenant management organisation to take over the management of their homes. Section 16 grants are available from the ODPM to pay for an authorised Section 16 agency to work with tenants to take them though the process.

Under Section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986, grants are available from the ODPM to pay for ‘properly constituted’ tenants’ associations, working with an authorised Section 16 Agency, to set up a tenant management organisation. These grants are only available to local authority tenant groups.

Most local authority tenants and housing association tenants whose tenancies began before 15 January 1989 are secure tenants and have a range of additional rights covered in the Housing Act 1985.

A tenant’s right to remain in their home indefinitely provided that they keep to the conditions of their tenancy agreement.

A semi-formal arrangement covering the way services are delivered by one department to another department in the same organisation; or from one organisation to another.

Each service area has a plan setting out its goals and targets for the year.

‘Housing of an adequate standard which is cheaper than that which is generally available in the local housing market’. (ODPM definition)

Supporting People is the new way in which government channels funding to help vulnerable people in specialist accommodation.

To support and uphold aspects of the service we provide, e.g. tenancies

A person or persons who agree to occupy a property owned by someone else in exchange for payment (rent).

A voluntary group of people who live in a particular area or scheme, who have got together to represent local people and give them a say in what happens in their communities.

This is a formal agreement between the Council and tenants that outlines their expectations of each other and agrees minimum standards about tenant involvement and service delivery.

Where tenants set up a fully incorporated organisation to take over the running of some or all the services on their estate.

A performance level in the top 25% of the country when compared with all other local authorities.

Organising the process of change in a planned and logical way.