Jargon buster

Arms Length Management Organisation

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

Bolton Affiliation of Tenants and Residents Associations, an umbrella group who act on behalf of local groups such as Residents Associations and other groups in the Bolton Area

Department for Communities and Local Government

Government Department which oversees many areas which relate directly to the Housing sector

Communities of Practice

A membership only portal of professional social networks for the public sector supported by the IDeA.  Electronic resources include blogs, wikis, news feeds, libraries, forums and events.  Of particular relevance is the Resident Involvement Champion community.   

Housing Associations' Charitable Trust

Charity which pioneers methods for social inclusion through partnership working and being a bridge to the wider Third Sector

Homes and Communities Agency

The Government regulator overseeing the use of lands and money for the development of new housing, infrastructure and community facilities.  Community regeneration is a central theme.  This new regulator has inherited its mantle from The Housing Corporation, which ceased in November 2008, and also incorporates English Partnerships, which ceased in December 2008. 

Housing Quality Network

HQN is a housing company specialising in financial advise, which offers a broad range of services including consultancy, project management and training.  At the core is the Housing Quality Network, which is a member network of some 680 housing providers.  Benefits of membership included access to an electronic information bank, briefing papers on latest policy, self-assessment toolkits for inspections as well as a choice of six specialist networks.

Improvement & Development Agency

An Agency of the Local Government Association, the remit of IDeA is to encourage and facilitate improvements within councils and local government.  It achieves this through a range of initiatives such as the Beacon Scheme and the Leadership Academy for councillors.

Information Services for Tenants:  Empowerment & Participation

An organisation which supplies information and training to social housing tenants, in order to encourage tenants and landlords to work together.

Local Government Association

A voluntary lobbying organisation which acts as an advocate to central government for local government as a sector.  Established in 1997, it drives forward service improvements, working with a wide range of councils, councillors and public sector workers.

National Tenant Voice

Due to launch later in the later part of 2009, the National Tenant Voice will be the Government's new tenants' sounding board on a wide range of social housing related issues.  The formation of this new tenant body was based on the recommendation of Prof. Martin Cave, and is being spearheaded by the CLG.  Consultations with a wide cross-section of tenants and social landlords are currently underway. 

Resident Involvement Champions

Registered Social Landlord

Tenants' and Residents' Organisations of England

Tenant-led national body representing around five million social housing residents in England.  Activities include leadership, representation and campaigning, as well as providing advice and support to tenants.

Tenant Participation

Tenant Participation Advisory Service

A membership organisation made up of tenants' groups and Social Landlords, with the shared aim of increasing tenant representation at all levels within Social Housing

Tenant Services Authority

The Government regulator overseeing the work of Social Landlords; setting benchmarks and encouraging good practice across the industry.  This new regulator has inherited its mandate from The Housing Corporation, which ceased in November 2008.