Westlea Housing Association produced their first Impact Statement in 2007, which evaluated the difference made to their service by involving residents (a copy of the report is attached to this article).
Following the successful launch of their Residents’ Business Plan and in accordance with the latest guidance, Neighbourhood Involvement Manager Helen Barbrook, particularly wanted to feed back to residents and other stakeholders the positive impact of the work they had been involved in.J Rhodes Associates (for TPAS) worked with Westlea to produce an ‘Impact Report’ for stakeholders and residents, along with a more detailed Impact Statement. Objectives were identified from their resident involvement policy, community development strategy and business plan, and projects and programmes were organised into the following categories.
- Resident involvement initiatives
- Service user groups involving residents
- Community development projects
The impact report sets out how resident involvement has helped Westlea to deliver against their objectives by looking at what has changed, how residents have influenced the change and their impact in the three main areas of:
- Improvement to services and stock
- Enhanced accountability
- Building social capital and community capacity
A doughnut-style diagram representing each of the three areas was used in the report to illustrate the type of impact for each project, programme and service review that involved residents. Particularly successful projects were highlighted in the report in more detail.
The report was published as a booklet, in a readable style and uses photographs, quotes, and the pie-charts to make the information accessible to all.
Positive outcomes
- Residents can see the difference that they are making
- The report showcases Westlea’s comprehensive programme, and the positive impact of resident involvement
- The results of the impact statement were used to set business priorities for the next year
- In line with recommendations made by the report, Westlea has since established a more detailed framework for the planning, delivery and evaluation of impact assessment, with training and workshops for staff.
Tips for practitioners
· Start with defining outcome objectives from business priorities, then look at how resident involvement is helping to achieve these.
· Then assess how you can collect data to evidence this. Training on data capture and processing methods may be beneficial.
· The Housing Corporation publication ‘Measuring Change’ (2007) is highly recommended for guidance.
· Your outcome objectives will need to continue to evolve over time to reflect business objectives and changing priorities and activities, which in turn have been informed by the previous year’s impact statement.
· Much information on what has changed can be acquired by talking to staff and involved residents, as well as from reports and minutes, so it is important to collect anecdotal evidence also.
· There are a range of tools available for assessing the impact of resident involvement and setting priorities for the next year.
For more information on guidance or training, please contact Jacqui Rhodes at
J Rhodes Associates - telephone: 07706 981008, e mail: jacqui@jra.vpweb.co.uk or visit www.jra.vpweb.co.uk
TPAS
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
