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Community Cashback THE BIG SOCIETY AT WORK

putting power in people's hands

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Summary

 What is Community Cashback ?

 Key features  Will it work?

 Community Cashback programme  Help to get started  Case study

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What’s it all about?

 Based on principles of Tenant Cashback  Incentivises tenants who wish to play a bigger role in their local community  Enables tenants who group together to manage small-scale local services and budgets in order to deliver better services  Re-investing any savings back into the community

What is Community Cashback?

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   Tenants’ group takes control over local communal service provided by landlord e.g. cleaning, concierge, gardening, one off repairs/works Landlord pays tenants’ group what it would normally cost to provide service If tenants’ group does it cheaper – they can invest surplus into community project or improving the service

Key features

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        Recognised/formal and ad-hoc tenants groups Services costing less than £170,000 pa Tenants may provide service themselves, through contractor or own staff Landlord and tenants group enter into a community cashback agreement Consultation and planning Budgeting and financial control Equalities, health and safety, insurance ‘Horses for courses’ approach

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Does it work?

 Based on Local Management Agreement model  In Westminster since 1987  About 50 agreements  Led to several TMOs  Unique, ‘middle way’ approach  Partnership approach

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Community Cashback Programme

   Department of Communities and Local Government initiative TPAS and NFTMO delivering Community Cashback as part of national programme to inspire and empower tenants –

Tenants’ Central

Promoting nationwide – to landlords and tenants

Help to get started

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     A comprehensive, easy to use Community Cashback toolkit (online) Full suite of model documents – CC Agreement, constitutions, contracts, consultation, specifications and much more Technical support and advice to get you started – Guide TMO network and the NFTMO Grant available of up to

£3,000

for developing a CC project to cover start up costs Application forms and info available online now at www.tenantcentral.org.uk/community-cashback/

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Case Study – Russell Chambers Residents’ Association (RA)

 RA signed CC agreement 01July 2013 with Camden Council, London   Providing caretaking and cleaning services to 3 blocks – 36 homes Less than £10,000 per annum  RA employing own local cleaning contractor

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Russell Chambers RA

 New RA set up specifically for CC agreement  Adopted model constitution   Set up bank account and took out public liability insurance Adapted model documents – specification, contract  Agreed health and safety requirements  Worked closely with the Council

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Plan to invest savings in:

      Painting of stairwell walls (each three years) Cleaning and re-painting of base of outside railings (each three years) Painting of the front doors (each three years) Steam clean of basement area (once per annum) Checking roof after rains to ensure drains are not blocked and rainwater is draining away (after heavy rains) Washing down of entrance archway (twice per annum)

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Contacts

 www.tenantcentral.org.uk/community cashback/  www.nftmo.com

 www.tpas.org.uk

 www.communities.gov.uk