Partnership working - the way forward

As one of the UK's largest housing associations L&Q has a responsibility and commitment to creating sustainable communities. This extends beyond providing high quality, affordable homes to making sure that residents have access to services and opportunities to enable them to improve their livelihoods.

Our preferred way to do this is through effective partnership working with other organisations:

Stock Transfers

Working in partnership with residents and local authorities is crucial to L&Q's success with stock transfers. The Grove Park estate in Lewisham, South East London is a recent transfer which demonstrates the importance of this.

Grove Park was a four-way partnership between L&Q and individual residents, the estate steering group, an independent advisor and the London Borough of Lewisham. Following the transfer vote the partnership extended to include the consultants and contractors to make certain that the needs of residents were met throughout.

Throughout the process L&Q worked hand in hand with residents on the Grove Park Homes Community Board to ensure everyone receives excellent housing service and has a say about how their homes are managed in the future.

The relationship with the local authority does not end once the transfer is completed. L&Q engages with the local authority on a regular basis following the transfer to ensure that they are kept up to date with resident satisfaction but also to review the process and develop best practice procedures for the future.

As Caroline Boguzas, L&Q's Assistant Director of Economic Regeneration & Stock Transfer, explains "We all share the same goal in terms of ensuring what is best for the residents. L&Q's mission is creating places where people want to live, which means high quality, affordable homes and long term sustainable communities. By working with the local authority and the residents we can make sure that we are meeting the needs of the local community."

Neighbourhood Investment

L&Q has a dedicated Neighbourhood Investment (NI) team employing over 30 staff working in four local neighbourhoods. Staff identify local needs and then develop opportunities for residents in line with our strategy. Our strategy aims to improve people's livelihoods and to demonstrate our commitment to the long term future of the communities we work in.

We work in partnership with local authorities, and local and national voluntary and community agencies, to ensure that external funding is targeted to help those most in need. Accessing funding with our partners helps to run activities and projects that benefit local residents.

A recent example of this partnership approach is our work in the North East Neighbourhood which aims to reduce financial exclusion. By working with Fair Finance, a not-for-profit community organisation, residents are offered fair and accessible financial services, including affordable loans and advice at much cheaper rates than doorstep lenders.

Earlier this month L&Q signed an agreement with Fair Finance to fund a dedicated worker to provide services especially for L&Q residents. All residents of the North East neighbourhood can now apply for help.

Gail Biggerstaff, L&Q's Group Head of Neighbourhood Investment, says "L&Q is well placed to identify local needs and work in partnership with other agencies who are experienced in delivering services. L&Q is very much the facilitator in this process; we identify the needs, the residents and the service provider. By working with partner organisations in this way we can maximise the impact of what we do and create working models that make a real difference to our communities."