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Quarterly Meetings (3 hours + 1 hour’s prep)
Frequency: 4 per year
Hours: 16 -
Training and Conferences (Full working day)
Frequency: Usually, 1 per year
Hours: 8 -
Interim Meetings (2 hours)
Frequency: Approx 8 per year
Hours: 16 -
Other duties, additional meetings, phone calls and requests
Frequency: Monthly
Hours: 1
How we are governed
Our tenants help make sure you have ways to share your views, and that we listen and act on what you tell us.
Get involvedWho’s involved
There are two main groups who work together to make sure tenant voices lead to action:
Customer Services Committee (CSC)
The CSC makes sure we keep our promises and deliver good services.
They check that we’re listening properly and acting on what tenants say.
This committee is attended by a Bernicia Board Member, Bernicia Executive Leaders and also three involved tenants, demonstrating real collaborative working.
Tenant Voice Panel (TVP)
The TVP looks more closely at how we do things.
They talk to tenants, review services, and share ideas with the CSC and the Board.
The panel consists of a chairperson, a vice chairperson and 12 other members, all of whom are Bernicia tenants, alongside representatives from Bernicia’s Tenant Engagements Team. This panel reviews Bernicia’s performance and suggests areas for scrutiny and improvement.
Together, these groups make sure tenants have a strong voice in how Bernicia is run.
Tenants
Share views and lived experience
Share views and lived experience
➜
Tenant Voice Panel (TVP)
Looks at services and gives feedback
Looks at services and gives feedback
➜
Customer Services Committee (CSC)
Checks we act on what tenants say
Checks we act on what tenants say
➜
Board
Oversees and sets direction
Oversees and sets direction
↻ We listen. We act. We share what we’ve done.
Tenant Voice Panel
The panel consists of up to 15 tenants and meets officially 4 times a year, with 8 informal meetings in-between.
Each year our panel of tenants undertake a series of in-depth reviews of our services.
The panel are also responsible for awarding grant funding to those initiatives who have applied through the Community Investment fund.
They currently meet in person during the day at either Bernicia’s head office in Ashington or our local office in Durham.
We are happy to accommodate different meeting times to suit tenant’s schedules.
We can also incorporate online meetings via teams for tenants who are unable to attend in person.
We cover travel expenses incurred for attending in person, as well as providing you with the correct equipment to facilitate for you to join online.
Tenant Voice Panel – Q1 Meeting 7th August 2024
Key Highlights
- Rent Collection: Slightly below target due to week‑overlap issues.
- Voids & Lettings:
- Frustation from tenants over long turnaround times.
- Delays caused by lack of trades, asbestos checks, damp & mould works, and increased house‑clearance demands.
- New KPI high‑level reporting and scorecards introduced to improve monitoring and efficiency.
- Tenants raised concerns about visibility and presence of Housing Officers.
- Bernicia plans to improve visibility and ensure patch sizes are manageable.
Consumer Standards & Tenant Satisfaction
- New Regulator Consumer Standards shared with tenants; workshops to be arranged.
- Tenant Satisfaction Measures year‑end analysis underway.
Other Business
- Complaints process discussed; updates to be provided where missing.
- Request to merge the Feedback Panel & TVP confirmed – joint meeting arranged for 6 December 2024.
- Garden maintenance concerns at Etal House to be followed up.
The panel have influenced and changed some fantastic things over the last 12 months. They were recently part of a focus group looking at our approach to Awaab’s law, as well as involved in the MyBernicia launch.
We always share what we have done as a result.
Find out more by visiting our What we’ve achieved together page.
The panel are beginning an in-depth review of our repairs journey in April 2026. They will carry out a full scrutiny of our services by reviewing data gathered from tenant feedback, holding interviews with members of our repairs team and listening to lived experiences of our tenants. After they complete their review, they will provide recommendations to our Customer Services Committee. They are also carrying out several reviews of our policies and looking at the procurement contract for Estate Services.
Find out more by visiting our What’s coming up page.
Terms of reference
Our terms of reference document outlines the purpose, scope, roles and responsibilities of the group, including how it operates and makes decisions.
Find out more by reading our terms of reference in full.
Code of conduct
Our code of conduct document sets expectations for behaviour, ensuring all members engage respectfully, professionally and in line with agreed standards.
Find out more by reading our code of conduct in full.
Interested in being a Tenant Voice Panel Member?
Click here to get involved
Click here to get involved
You don’t need any experience, just your perspective as a tenant. We’ll support you with training, expenses, and flexible ways to take part.
Our plan for 2026-2031
How we’re planning to develop tenant engagement over the next five years.
Below is a snapshot of our five year plan. If you’d like more detail, you can read the full strategy here.
“We listen. We act. We share what we’ve done.”
Year 1: Listening – Getting the basics right
This year is about building strong foundations, involving more tenants and providing more ways for you to have your say about things that matter to you as a tenant. As more opportunities become available in 2026 to get involved, we will add them to our What’s coming up page and let you know.
Year 2: Acting – Making changes happen
Tenant-led reviews will drive real improvements to services. You’ll see clear results from the feedback you’ve given, with more ways to get involved both online and in your local community.
Year 3 – Reviewing – Checking we’re on track
We’ll pause and ask what’s working well and what needs to change, seeking your feedback on how improvements based on what you tell us.
Year 4 – Delivering – Showing the difference
We will have lots of examples of how tenant involvement has improved services, so you can feel confident in sharing your feedback knowing it will be listened to and acted upon.
Year 5 – Planning – Growing and improving
Work to design the next five years of engagement using everything we’ve learned to make involvement even better.
Get involved
Click here to get involved
Click here to get involved
If you are interested in getting involved and sharing your valuable feedback, please click on the link below.