Southwark Council has approved a new resident engagement strategy, aiming to give tenants and leaseholders more power in shaping housing services. The strategy, detailed in the Report Resident Engagement Strategy, covers all parts of housing and all aspects of service delivery, from prioritising services and setting standards to supporting residents in their homes.
The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting on 2 December 2025.
The strategy aims to empower residents to influence council housing services through a resident-led engagement model. It also includes clear feedback loops and multiple pathways for involvement. The council will continue to provide a budget for resident participation, which includes core grants for Tenant and Resident Associations (TRAs), grants to support community activity, and remuneration for board members. The budget also provides for independent tenant, leaseholder and TRA advisors, a leaseholder and homeowner advice service, and a leaseholder mediation service. Training will also be provided to support residents and staff involved in the engagement structure.
Councillor Sarah King, Leader of the Council, stated that the strategy aims to put residents' needs and aspirations at the centre of everything the council does.
The strategy will be evaluated in January 2028 to monitor progress. The council will measure the success of the resident involvement strategy against several outcomes:
- A wider range of residents involved in a greater number of involvement activities.
- Clear evidence that involvement has made a difference in terms of tangible service improvements.
- Resident Involvement is embedded and forms part of the day job for all staff, with evidence collected through tenant satisfaction measures and homeowner surveys.
- Resident satisfaction with resident involvement has improved.
- Measurement and understanding of the impact of investment in community building, helping residents build relationships, networks, and thriving communities, and support for residents through training, advice, and mediation contracts.