Introduction
At Common Ground Queensland (CGQ), we believe that effective tenant engagement provides our tenants with an opportunity to influence decisions about the housing services they receive and helps CGQ deliver better services that focus on tenant priorities. Effective tenant engagement is an important component of continuous improvement.
Other benefits for tenants, and CGQ includes:
A. Better service delivery and improved outcomes for tenants.
B. Working together for common goals with respect and understanding.
C. Informed and knowledgeable tenants who have the skills and confidence to influence decisions.
D. Increased tenant satisfaction with their home.
E. Identifying actions for service and performance improvements and working together to implement these recommended improvements.
This document sets out to formalise and detail the process in which CGQ works together with tenants to identify and communicate issues related to their housing, contribute to developing the solutions and the decision making processes and influencing the things that are important to them about their housing, including policies, processes, housing services and housing conditions. It allows tenants and CGQ to work together to create a better place to live by improving the standards of housing, conditions and services.
The aim of this strategy is to identify ways for tenants and CGQ to work together to create a better place to live.
Our Commitment to Engagement
At CGQ, we are committed to engaging with our tenants, and to ensure that all tenants have opportunities to express their opinions, views and knowledge to improve housing conditions and services at CGQ properties.
Background
CGQ is registered as a community housing provider under the National Regulatory System for Community Housing. We provide secure, long term, safe and affordable supportive housing for people who have experienced chronic homelessness or are at risk of homelessness and those who need access to affordable housing. CGQ is a registered charity and also receives funding from the Queensland Government Department of Housing. CGQ provides property and tenancy management solutions for a range of supportive and affordable housing programs for individuals and families including:
Brisbane Common Ground: 146 units of supportive housing in South Brisbane for individuals.
Supportive Housing for Families: supportive housing for 20 families in a scattered site model across Brisbane.
Community Supportive Housing: supportive housing for refugee and asylum seeker individuals in a scattered site model across Brisbane.
Aims and Objectives
Aim:
To create positive engagement opportunities that encourage tenants to take part in discussions and get involved in decision making processes related to their housing.
Objectives:
A. To build trusted and productive relationships between tenants and CGQ.
B. To engage with tenants to improve housing service delivery.
C. To remove barriers that hinder transparency and engagement between CGQ and our tenants where possible.
D. To improve and streamline existing feedback opportunities.
Guiding Frameworks
CGQ acknowledges the Stretch2Engage Framework published by the Queensland Mental Health Commission. The Stretch2Engage framework guides organisations to improve and increase meaningful engagement of people with lived experience in service design and improvement. The framework is founded on values that acknowledge meaningful engagement requires organisations to think and act differently. Stretch2Engage places the responsibility for engagement on organisations rather than the people using services. This approach changes how engagement is understood, resources and implemented, and emphasises the need for organisations to build their engagement capacity.
For more information: https://www.qmhc.qld.gov.au/engage-enable/lived-experience-led-reform/stretch2engage
Engagement Methods
Below are some of the methods that CGQ use to engage with tenants.
24-hour, 7-day Concierge Service
Brisbane Common Ground operates a 24/7 concierge and security service. The concierge desk is the first point of contact for both CGQ and the onsite support service, Micah Projects. The Concierge service is an integral part of the Common Ground supportive housing model and is provided at Brisbane Common Ground by an integrated team of CGQ and Micah Projects’ Workers.
The Concierge service incorporates the following functions:
A. Provides controlled but welcoming access to the building
B. Building security
C. Engagement with tenants and visitors
D. Reception, and
E. Customer service/assistance, e.g., mail, information or access cards.
Compliments, Complaints, Appeals and Feedback System
The CGQ Tenant Compliments, Complaints, Appeals and Feedback system encompasses all aspects of CGQ service delivery and applies to all tenants. CGQ have written policies and procedures which outline the process in which issues can be raised by tenants and the commitment from CGQ to respond and resolve those issues. These policies and procedures are made available to all tenants via the CGQ website and assistance with submitting a Tenant Form can be provided by the Concierge or Micah Projects team.
Biennial Tenant Surveys
CGQ and Micah Projects conducts a joint tenant survey once every two years for tenants of Brisbane Common Ground (BCG). This is an extensive and comprehensive survey that collects information related to demographics, quality of services and tenant experience. Methods to complete this survey include online/hard copy and independent facilitator is used to conduct the survey and support tenants to complete. A quantitative and qualitative analyses is undertaken on this survey and a snapshot of the results are published to the CGQ website. A full version of the results is made available to tenants. The results of this survey are an important source of information and feedback and are used to inform service delivery, and information gathered is used to identify opportunities for improvement. Where applicable, any actions developed as a result of a tenant survey will be developed in consultation with tenants along with any shared timeframes as appropriate.
Tenant Forums
Tenant forums are held quarterly at a minimum for tenants of BCG. All tenants are invited to attend these forums. A representative from CGQ and Micah Projects are present at all Tenant Forums. Tenant Forums provide an opportunity for tenants to raise issues and suggest solutions to these issues that contribute to improving the living conditions and services at BCG. At these forums, tenants have an opportunity to directly discuss issues and solutions, and it is an opportunity by which CGQ and/or Micah Projects can agree to actions moving forward to realise the ideas and proposals of tenants.
Tenant Working Groups
From time to time, CGQ staff and BCG tenants may commit to working together with the aim of resolving a particular issue. Working groups may be formed from collective ideas or issues that are raised and identified at Tenant Forums. The update of documents such as policies, procedures and fact sheets that shape tenants’ lives at Brisbane Common Ground may also be deemed worthy of a working group by CGQ or tenants. Working groups are facilitated by CGQ and empowers tenants contribute to decisions that affects their housing outcomes.
CEO Open Door Policy
The Chief Executive Officer of CGQ holds an open door policy on the first Friday of each month at 10:00 AM in the Cassia Room on the Ground Floor of BCG. Tenants are welcome to drop-in and chat to the CEO regarding any matter related to CGQ.
Appointments with CGQ Staff
Tenants can request an appointment to meet with a relevant CGQ staff member about matters relating to CGQ and their living experience at BCG.
Tenant Exit Survey
When tenants leave a CGQ property, they are offered a Tenant Exit Survey to complete. The purpose of the exit survey is to gain feedback about CGQ and how we manage tenancies and properties. Questions on the exit survey capture:
A. Why the tenant is terminating the tenancy;
B. Type of housing the tenant is moving to;
C. Views on the service provided by CGQ; and
D. Feedback on the property.
Completion of this survey is voluntary, and the information is collected and analysed for reporting purposes as required.
Resourcing
External Facilitators
CGQ invites an external facilitator to attend quarterly tenant forums when possible. Our experience has shown that engaging an external facilitator increases accountability, mutual respect and productivity when resolving tenant issues, and ensures that all attendees of the forums have an equal chance to participate.
Communications and Engagement Officer
CGQ realises the value of tenant engagement and demonstrates a commitment to this through the resourcing of a specific role in the team. The Communications and Engagement Officer is a full-time role that coordinates the tenant engagement strategy and activities. The Communications and Engagement Officer also manages the strategic communications and marketing profile for CGQ.
Practical Resourcing
CGQ provides the following resources to support and facilitate effective tenant engagement:
A. Use of the Gambaro Room (where available) for tenant meetings and forums.
B. Use of the Cassia Room, for small meetings and one-on-one consultation.
C. Stationery, printing or other supplies and collateral that may be required for engagement activities.
D. Refreshments and/or catering for scheduled engagement opportunities.
Communication Between CGQ and Tenants
Communication Principles
CGQ is committed to improving communications with our tenants. CGQ are willing to remove any barriers that hinder transparency and good communications between us and our tenants where applicable, relevant and where possible.
Tenant and Communication Methods
Communication between CGQ and BCG tenants occurs in a number of ways including:
A. Information provided via the Concierge Service.
B. Email notices to tenants and letters in tenants’ letterboxes.
C. Notices posted to the electronic Ground Floor Information Screen.
D. Notices in notice boxes by lifts on each floor.
E. Quarterly Tenant Forums.
F. Tenant Working Groups
Communication Protocol – Tenant Forums
CGQ and Micah Projects set the four quarterly forum dates in advance towards the end of the year. Tenants are given notice of this at the start of the year and at the first quarterly forum, as well as on request. Forum dates and times are scheduled throughout different days and times of the week to allow as many different groups of tenants as possible to attend.
Tenants are given notice 2 weeks in advance regarding an upcoming forum that includes the forum’s agenda. Tenants are also provided with a copy of the action register, which has a list of all planned actions and commitments raised at tenant forums.
Following the forum, all tenants are sent the forum minutes, as well as the updated action register, within two weeks of the forum date.
Communication Protocol – Tenant Working Groups
To form a tenant working group, CGQ or tenants identify a selection of documents or issue/s that have been raised for review by CGQ or by tenants at a tenant forum. Once a Tenant Working Group has been agreed to, CGQ will set a meeting date and time and send out a notice with an agenda and any related documents. Tenants are asked to express their interest and intent to participate in each tenant working group. Participation is not compulsory and tenants will not be excluded if they attend a working group and have not expressed interest.
The tenant working group is then held, and the group will share their feedback and input of the documents or issues at hand. The Communications and Engagement Officer will record information throughout the tenant working group.
CGQ will then collate the feedback and considers the feasibility of the implementation of feedback, and updates documents as required. The updates are then approved, and feedback is given to the tenant working group regarding the outcome.
In looking to improve the different methods that tenants can communicate with CGQ, tenants may also wish to provide feedback in person or via email directly to the Communications and Engagement Officer. The two week notice period is also used for receiving tenant feedback directly. This process lets tenants provide feedback outside of the scheduled group meeting to ensure all tenants have an opportunity to share their input.
Timeframes provided are subject to change, depending on the complexity and breadth of the documents or issues that have been identified.
Review, Monitor and Evaluate
Reviewing the Strategy
The Tenant Engagement Strategy will be reviewed on a continuous basis against the aims and objectives set out in the strategy. Initially, the Tenant Engagement Strategy will be reviewed annually, and both tenants and CGQ will have an opportunity to provide feedback and input into the strategy by participating in a tenant working group.
An annual review of the Tenant Engagement Strategy could include:
A. Assessing performance against aims and objectives, as well as annual action plans;
B. Reviewing minutes from engagement opportunities;
C. Feedback from tenants and staff;
D. Number of events held and numbers attending.
Monitoring Tenant Engagement
Monitoring tenant engagement activities and outcomes on a regular basis is vital in determining its effectiveness. Identifying which engagement methods worked well and which ones do not work well will help to adapt the engagement strategy to meet changing circumstances and priorities of both the tenants and CGQ. Broadly, the following outcomes should be met to achieve a standard of Tenant Engagement that both the tenant and housing provider are content with.
CGQ will engage with their tenants so that:
A. Tenants and other customers find it easy to communicate with us;
B. Tenants and other customers find it easy to engage with CGQ to influence and make decisions related to their housing service, conditions and policies where applicable and relevant to their tenancy
C. Tenants are able to find out information regarding CGQ where applicable and relevant to their tenancy
Internal Evaluation
An annual action plan is developed to map out and identify past and planned engagement actions with tenants. This action plan is a separate, live document that is reviewed regularly by the Communications Engagement Officer in conjunction with the Chief Executive Officer.
External Evaluation
The Queensland Mental Health Commission (QMHC) have engaged the University of Queensland to undertake an independent evaluation of tenant engagement at Brisbane Common Ground. This work will help to not only inform how CGQ conducts tenant engagement but inform the wider community housing and public sectors about the benefits of tenant engagement for community housing providers.
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