Recommended reading

This document forms a part of Phase One of the TSA's National Conversation and the reframing of the regulatory system governing housing providers in the future.  This document was published in June 2009.

A summary of the proposals produced by the Project Group for the National Tenant Voice.  The NTV is a new organisation which is being incepted by the CLG to act as a tenant-led sounding board for Government on a wide range of social housing issues.  The CLG has done so following a recommendation from Prof. Martin Cave in his review of social housing regulation.  The Project Group itself was established in February 2008, since when it has consulted widely, holding eight stakeholder events which were attended by over 1,000 tenants nationally.  CLG ministers have accepted the proposals of the Group and will work to implement the first phase; a National Tenant Council. 

The full report of the proposals produced by the Project Group for the National Tenant Voice.  The NTV is a new organisation which is being incepted by the CLG to act as a tenant-led sounding board for Government on a wide range of social housing issues.  The CLG has done so following a recommendation from Prof. Martin Cave in his review of social housing regulation.  The Project Group itself was established in February 2008, since when it has consulted widely, holding eight stakeholder events which were attended by over 1,000 tenants nationally.  CLG ministers have accepted the proposals of the Group and will work to implement the first phase; a National Tenant Council.

The government's White Paper explores how existing and proposed new tools can assist local communities in wielding increasing levels of influence, control and power over the decisions that affect their lives.  There is also a summary version of this document available.

Prof. John Hills of the LSE was asked by Government to investigate what the future role of social housing ought to be in the 21st century.  This report presents his findings.  Of particular note is a section advocating more choice for tenants over the homes they want to rent, homes they want to buy, or homes to which they want to move.

This report, known as The Cave Review, contains the recommendations of Prof. Cave to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and was published in June 2007.  Prof. Cave (Director of the Centre for Management under Regulation at the University of Warwick) explores the regulatory processes behind the social housing sector and is especially concerned with raising the bar for standards of services to tenants, whilst also easing the burdens upon housing providers.

Passing into force in July 2008, the Housing and Regeneration Act aims to increase the influence of residents through a range of innovations.  One of the most significant aspects of this Act was the creation of the Housing and Regeneration Agency (HCA).

In this review, Taylor (MP, Truro & St Austell) focuses on how better planning and * can lead to improvements in the provision of affordable housing and stimulate rural economic regeneration.  Of particular not is the section, Call for Evidence, which attracted 278 submissions from organisations and individuals.  The analysis of these submissions provides a cross section of community views.

The National Compact is an agreement of shared values, commitments and guidelines between the government and the community and voluntary sector.  Currently under review, the document continues to influence policy in public agencies and beyond in the effort to improve services to communities.

This document presents the initial findings of Phase One of the TSA's National Conversation.  The findings are the product of a nationwide mobile consultation of tenants, and will be used to shape the future regulation of housing providers.

SIX THINKING HATS is a de Bono classic, used by businessmen worldwide to develop techniques of creative thinking in the boardroom.

The Six Hats method aims to make the fullest use of everyone's intelligence, experience and information.

Dealing with the theoretical and practical issues surrounding the relationship between social and physical space, this book examines the complex relationship between individuals, collectivities and the welfare state and how ethnicity and gender issues figure in these practical relationships both in general and in housing processes in particular.

The main theoretical issues to be looked at are the social divisions of ethnicity and gender and related notions of "power"/"empowerment", "identity"/"difference", "participation" and the "community" socially and spatially both at macro and local levels.

The book is based upon an investigation that aims to analyse the decision-making processes in housing in order to see the extent to which tenants are able to participate in these processes. Of particular interest in this examination are the ethnic and gender divisions.

The author carried out an in-depth study of three different types of housing projects where the degree of tenant involvement in housing processes varied considerably. Each of these three types of housing projects characterised a different way and degree of participation by tenants in decision-making. These were firstly, council managed estates in which all major and minor decisions are taken by the local authority; secondly, tenant management co-operatives in which tenants take over the responsibility of the day-to-day management of their estate while the ownership of the estate remains with the council and some of the major decisions are taken by the council; and thirdly, self-build projects which involve tenants in the actual building and management processes of their housing and in which tenant involvement is supposed to be at its highest level.

Strategic Management and Organisational Dynamics by Ralph D Stacey is renowned for its unconventional thinking and it continues to be a refreshing alternative for those teaching and studying strategic management who are looking for 'something different'. Stacey challenges the conceptual orthodoxy of planned strategy, focusing instead on the influence of more complex and unstable forces in the development of strategy. It remains unique in these respects amongst strategic management texts.

A summary of the Local Government White Paper of October 2006.

The White Paper was passed in order to encourage the empowerment of local people in making decisions about their communities and lives.  It especially seeks to reconfigure dialogues between grassroots communities and local or central government.

This is the Local Government White Paper of October 2006, which was passed in order to encourage the empowerment of local people in making decisions about their communities and lives.  It especially seeks to reconfigure dialogues between grassroots communities and local or central government.

Published in December 2007, this document analysed the responses gathered to the CLG's formal consultation about Tenant Empowerment between June and September 2007.  The results of this consultation have led, amongst other things, to the creation of a National Tenant Voice.

A summary document produced by InSTEP of the Cave Review into the future standards and regulation of the social housing sector, and the Government's initial response.

Including twelve case studies of successful community engagement, this publication balances the charting of up to date statutory duties to involve with many suggestions and advice on how to turn this duty into an opportunity for effective implementation.

A summary document produced by InSTEP of the Prof Hills report for the London School of Economics into the future of social housing in the twenty-first century.