Agreed on 14 November 2023
1.0 Aims and objectives
1.1 The Sheltered Forum shall act as a consultative body between the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and its' Sheltered Housing Tenants.
1.2 The principle aim of the Sheltered Housing Forum is to preserve and promote the wellbeing of sheltered housing tenants.
1.3 The Forum shall consider all aspects of sheltered housing functions and services in the borough and make recommendations to the council's Cabinet Member for Housing & Homelessness as appropriate, including but not limited to:
- Consideration of and response to the housing proposals and programmes relating to Sheltered Housing Schemes.
- Consultation with Sheltered Housing Tenants on all matters affecting the management of Sheltered Housing Schemes within the Borough.
- To consult whenever necessary with other local organisations.
- To identify and refer any issues of public sector housing policy or practice including the enforcement of tenancy conditions and local capital investment plans for subsequent consideration by the Landlord.
- To promote the participation of Sheltered Housing Tenants in the management and maintenance of the stock including expenditure and to encourage each Sheltered Housing Scheme to elect a representative(s) accountable to the tenants and authorised to speak on their behalf.
- To promote awareness and understanding of the council's Defend Council Homes Policy amongst residents.
2.0 Membership
2.1 Membership of the forum shall comprise one elected tenant representative from each sheltered housing scheme of fewer than 40 units and two representatives from each sheltered housing scheme of 40 units or more.
2.2 Each representative will have been nominated and elected or re-elected by private ballot by their sheltered housing scheme's tenants at its' annual scheme meeting. More details on this process can be found in the role of the sheltered housing tenants representatives document.
2.3 Membership is subject to 4 conditions:
- to work co-operatively and constructively as part of a team
- a willingness and commitment to undertake training for the role.
- a willingness and commitment to set aside the time necessary to attend meetings and training.
- a commitment to abide by the agreed code of conduct.
2.4 Each representative shall have one vote at Sheltered Housing Forum meetings.
2.5 Any change in tenant representation of any sheltered housing scheme shall be notified to their Specialist Housing Officer as soon as possible following such change. Any change should be agreed at a scheme meeting and a record of the change should be recorded.
2.6 Where there is an elected Tenants & Residents Association (TRA) at a sheltered housing scheme, the annually elected chair of the TRA will take on the role of tenant's representative. Should the chair wish to delegate this responsibility to another committee member who lives at the scheme the usual nomination and election process should take place for a Tenants' Representative.
2.7 Observers may attend the forum by invitation of the chair and the responsible council officer. They will be invited to speak by the chair, if applicable.
2.7 Tenant representatives should not be a councillor.
2.8 Sheltered Housing Forum representative must be a tenant in a sheltered housing scheme of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
3.0 Equalities and Diversity
3.1 The council believes in a fair society that gives everyone an equal chance to learn, work and live free from discrimination, harassment, and prejudice and recognises that the diversity of our community is an asset to our borough.
3.2 The council will ensure no-one is discriminated against based on their age, class, disability, employment status, ethnic or national origins, race or colour, HIV status, marital status, religious or political beliefs, responsibilities for children or dependants, sex, sexuality, trade union activities and unrelated criminal convictions.
3.3 The forum will recognise the existence and importance of the different lifestyles within our communities. The forum will work to ensure that no group or individual will be directly or indirectly discriminated against.
3.4 The council will ensure relevant support is provided so that the membership of the forum is accessible to all. Members must abide by the code of conduct which undertakes to deal firmly and promptly with any cases of discrimination, harassment, or prejudice.
3.5 All members are required to undertake relevant training.
4.0 Meetings
4.1 In each council year there will normally be at least six meetings of the Sheltered Housing Forum. One such meeting shall be the Forum's Annual General Meeting. Notice of such meetings shall be sent out at 14 working days prior to the meeting.
4.2 Additional forum meetings may be arranged by the chair in consultation with the vice-chair and the relevant council officers. Notice of such meetings shall be sent out at least 14 working days prior to the meeting to each tenant representative of the forum and affixed on the scheme notice board.
4.3 Meetings must be conducted in an orderly manner. Persons wishing to speak may do so only when called by the chair and no-one shall speak when someone else is speaking. If any person persists in speaking without being called, the chair may exclude them from that meeting.
4.4 Each forum meeting will normally start at 1.30pm and last no longer than 2 hours. In the event of there being unfinished business, the forum may, after a vote, extend the closing time of the meeting by up to 30 minutes.
4.5 Meetings will generally be held online or in the communal lounge of a sheltered housing scheme or in the council offices.
4.6 The forum may set up working groups of members to undertake specific work and report back to the forum.
4.7 The forum may invite speakers to the meetings to discuss topics that are relevant to the work of the forum.
4.8 Surgeries will take place on a standing basis before the main forum meeting begins, with the involvement of council officers and contractors.
5.0 Quorum
5.1 A quorum will be more than 50% of members. For example, if membership is 12, a quorum will be 7. Inquorate meetings should be noted, and decisions ratified at the next quorate meeting.
5.2 If a meeting is inquorate absent members will be entitled to present their vote in advance (up to 48 hours before the meeting) in writing. If required, officers can join the voting panel.
6.0 Officer support
6.1 The Forum will be provided with officer support to coordinate activities and aid and improve communications.
6.2 Meeting papers will be sent to all group members 14 working days before the date of the meeting.
7.0 Chairing of meetings
7.1 The forum will elect a Chair and Vice Chair.
7.2 The term of the appointment to Chair and Vice Chair roles will be for one year. Following this, the chair and vice-chair will stand down and an election will take place at the Forum's Annual General Meeting. Residents can only be Chair of one service improvement group, or resident-led forum. Residents can only be Vice Chair of one service improvement group, or resident-led forum.
7.3 The Chair and Vice Chair will work with officers on agenda planning or attending any pre-meeting with councillors. The chair and vice-chair should work constructively together and liaise regularly with each other to discuss current issues, share important information, and agree priority areas.
7.4 The Chair will be provided with updates in terms of group member attendance and will be responsible for discussing any areas of concern in terms of attendance, contribution to the group, or breaches of the agreed code of conduct.
7.5 The Vice Chair will deputise for the chair in their absence. This includes dealing with any issues in terms of breaches of the agreed code of conduct.
7.6 In the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall chair the meeting. In the absence of both chair and vice-chair the forum shall elect another tenant representative to chair the meeting.
7.7 Members of the forum with voting powers shall hold office for a period of one year and will seek re-election by their tenants in the sheltered housing scheme that they represent in the Annual Scheme Meeting, unless they resign or cannot attend due to personal circumstances within the relevant year. The forum shall also have authority to expel any member who, in the reasonable opinion of the forum, by words or action has brought the forum into disrepute.
8.0 Annual General Meeting
8.1 The Annual General Meeting of the forum shall take place once a year.
8.2 The forum will set the dates of its meetings for the coming year.
8.3 A report shall be tabled reviewing the work of the forum over the past year.
9.0 Administration
9.1 Reports to the forum should be in writing and be circulated with the notice of the meeting and agenda 14 working days in advance of the meeting.
9.2 Any member of the forum wishing to prepare a report for the forum will be provided with facilities to enable them to do so.
10.0 Changes to the terms of reference
10.1 Any changes to these terms of reference should be agreed with officers and the chair of the Sheltered House Forum and will be discussed at the Annual General Meeting of the forum and shall only be carried by a two-thirds majority of those attending and voting.