How L&Q is involving its residents

Engaging with our residents is central to L&Q’s mission of creating places where people want to live and will help us to improve the quality of the services we deliver.

Mike Donaldson, L&Q’s Director of Resident Services, explains, “We recognise and welcome the contribution of our residents in influencing and shaping services. L&Q is committed to ensuring that residents continue to have their say on how we manage their homes and provide services and remain at the heart of what we do.”

L&Q’s resident involvement priorities:

• Providing a range of opportunities for residents to be involved and consulted, which will lead to service improvement. Empowering our residents to influence decision-making.
• Providing resources and training to support our residents to become more involved.
• Ensuring our governance structure strengthens accountability and improves transparency to residents.
• Increasing resident satisfaction through more involvement and consultation.
• Promoting resident engagement in our neighbourhood investment activities.
• Ensuring that residents have equal opportunities to get involved and taking active steps to engage with hard-to-reach and vulnerable residents.

Recently L&Q’s South Neighbourhood launched a roadshow to increase the profile of resident involvement work in the area. A team of L&Q staff from various departments set up an outdoors vintage style living room in a marquee at three estates to meet with residents.

Matt Corbett, L&Q’s Neighbourhood Investment Manager for South London, explains, “We wanted to do something quirky that might make people stop and talk to us. L&Q staff often visit residents at home – we wanted to turn this on its head and invite residents to our L&Q living room, literally on their doorstep.

“This project is an innovative way to engage residents in the places where they live. It will give us some valuable feedback on how residents view where they live and what services they would like to see.

“It will also lead to increasing the number of residents involved through our ‘10 ways to get involved’. It will give us information to drive forward services in our local areas and ensure they are meeting residents’ needs and wants.”

Feedback from the roadshows has been positive. Lambeth resident John Cameron said, “It’s been a great opportunity to meet not only L&Q staff but some of my neighbours. We’ve talked about ways to keep our estate well maintained and also rounded up some other residents who are interested in a summer project for the children.”

This article is taken from the latest issue of Creating Places, L&Q's magazine with news and views on housing issues.