Become a Block or Street Rep

Any tenant or leaseholder in a Southampton City Council property can become a Block or Street Rep.

What area is covered?

A rep will cover an area of at least six properties. There is no limit to an area a rep can cover; however, it needs to be a manageable number of properties.

In larger blocks and areas, it is possible for two or more residents to cover the block rep role. If an area already has a Tenants Association (TA), we rarely set up block reps as well. In these areas we would encourage you to get involved with the TA.

What does a Block or Street Rep do?

You will provide a link between the council and your block/area. We hope that this will ensure that residents are better informed and that we can respond better to your needs; improving your services and area. Some examples of what block and street reps can do are:

• Chatting to your neighbours and completing surveys telling us what your neighbours think
• Go on area inspections with housing staff and neighbourhood wardens
• Tell us what important to you and your neighbours
• Meet other block reps to share ideas and provide mutual support
• Signpost residents to council departments when necessary
• Help at community events
• Provide your views about estate improvement such as environmental improvement projects

You will be put on to the Tenant Participation mailing list, giving you the option to get involved with conferences, training events, focus groups and other consultation events.

Is there anything I should not do as a Block or Street Rep?

Block and street reps are not there to:

• Get involved with neighbour disputes
• Take on the role of an unpaid housing worker, neighbourhood warden or support worker
• Be responsible for the management of an area
• Use your position to raise individual or personal issues
• Raise the individual issues of other tenants

Code of conduct

All reps are required to follow the code of conduct for tenant involvement and making sure you do not act in a way that could be considered discriminatory. Reps may be given sensitive information from time to time and we expect you to keep information confidential if we ask you to. We may remove our recognition of block or street reps if they abuse their position or do not follow the code of conduct.

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How to become a Block or Street Rep

You can fill in the form to let us know you would like to become a Block or Street Rep.

Remember: Reps are elected by their neighbours for five years and we do carry out a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service– i.e. Police) check so you will also need to be prepared to show us some forms of ID.

If you need further information, contact the Tenant Engagement team by:

• Email: tenant.engagement@southampton.gov.uk
• Telephone: 023 8083 3185