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Model policies and procedures for housing co-ops

Important notice !!! Some of the documents below contain an old address for the CCH. Please refer to the contact page for the current address.

These documents can be downloaded as PDF files, which require the free Acrobat Reader. To download the files below, right-click (PC) or click and hold (Mac) on a link and select 'Save Link/Target As'.

Anti-Social Behaviour Policy & Procedures

[Updated January 2005] Recent Government legislation requires all social housing landlords (including housing co-ops) to adopt policies and procedures on Anti-Social Behaviour. The statement and policy on Anti-Social Behaviour has been drawn up as a model that can be used by housing co-ops to meet the requirements of the legislation (NB. for housing co-ops registered with the Housing Corporation, they have acknowledged that the attached policy and statement does meet regulatory requirements).

Anti-Social Behaviour Policy (MS Word document, 115 Kb).

Anti-Social Behaviour Statement (MS Word document, 68 Kb).

Policies for co-ops managed by either general meeting or managment committee

These policies and procedures are for co-ops directly employing staff and managed by either general meeting or managment committee.

• Code of governance for ownership housing co-ops (PDF File, 85 Kb).
  Code of governance for tenant management organisations (TMOs) (MS Word File, 72 Kb).
  The principles of good governance for housing co-ops.
  Governance is the task of defining the goals and standards of an organisation and ensuring that there are effective management and other structures that will enable the organisation to achieve those goals and standards.
• Staff training & development policy (PDF File, 123 Kb).
  The co-op is committed to the delivery of quality services to its members (tenants) and partner landlords. The organisation believes this aim can best be achieved through the training and development of its staff.

Policies for co-ops managed by general meeting

These rules are for co-ops managed by general meeting. This means that the whole membership forms the governing body of the co-op. The assumption is made that the co-op devolves day to day management to working groups.

You can download the whole set as .zip file (653 Kb).

• Primary rules (PDF File, Kb).
  Fully mutual rules of the housing co-operative powers.
• Benefits ('Schedule 1') policy (PDF File, 22 Kb).
  The Co-op is fully mutual and because all members are part of the governing body then all members come fall under the requirements of Schedule One. As a result no member or their relatives, friends or associates can benefit financially from the Co-op.
• Complaints policy (PDF File, 36 Kb).
  The complaints policy is intended to cover any cases where members/tenants feel other members/tenants, co-op employees,or any person working with the co-op such as contractors,have behaved unacceptably towards them,and that the conflict cannot be resolved without outside mediation.
• Financial standing orders (PDF File, 83 Kb).
  These rules govern the manner in which all the financial business of the co-op is transacted.
• Harassment policy (PDF File, 34 Kb).
  
• Rent arrears policy (PDF File, 109 Kb).
  Rent arrears have many adverse affects on the Co-operative,as rent is the main source of income. High rent arrears can result in services such as repairs being affected,thus endangering the provision of safe and comfortable housing.
  As a responsible Landlord The co-op will aim to maximise the rental income of the Co-op and provide an efficient housing management service to tenants.
• Repairs & maintenance policy (PDF File, 108 Kb).
  This policy governs the manner in which repairs and maintenance of the Co-op's property is carried out, and covers the co-op's residential property, defined as boundaries of the co-op under the terms of the mutual occupation agreement.
• Risk management policy (PDF File, 20 Kb).
  
• Secondary rules (standing orders) (PDF File, 114 Kb).
  
• Tenancy agreement (PDF File, 96 Kb).
  
• Training policy and procedures (PDF File, 39 Kb).
  Few people join the co-op with the knowledge, skills, and experience they need to make a full contribution to the life of the co-op.

Policies for co-ops managed by a management committee

These policies and procedures are for co-ops managed by a management committee.

You can download the whole set as .zip file (479 Kb).

• Allocations policy (PDF File, 110 Kb).
  The allocations policy has the objectives to enable the co-op to offer low cost housing to those who cannot meet their housing needs elsewhere, to allocate properties by balancing housing need with "co-operability" and to ensure that the co-op's Equal Opportunities Policy is implemented in allocations, transfers and exchanges.
• Code of conduct (PDF File, 28 Kb).
  The objective of this policy is to specify how co-op members should behave within the co-op and, when engaged on co-op business,how co-op members should maintain a high standard of conduct,probity and business ethics.
• Complaints & disputes procedure (PDF File, 32 Kb).
  The objectives of this complaints procedure is to ensure that all co-op members or other people external to the co-op making complaints to the co-op are dealt with in a fair and objective manner.
• Equal opportunities policy (PDF File, 42 Kb).
  The objectives of this complaints procedure is to ensure that all co-op members or other people external to the co-op making complaints to the co-op are dealt with in a fair and objective manner.
• Personal expenditure (PDF File, 21 Kb).
  When undertaking business on behalf of the co-op, for example training or meetings with external bodies outside of the co-op buildings,members of the coop or members of staff are permitted the following personal expenditure as long as receipts must be provided in all cases.
• Financial standing orders (PDF File, 32 Kb).
  The objective of this policy is to lay out various standing orders in relation to the finances of the organisation,particularly having regard for the need to ensure that the co-op's finances are administered with a high standard of probity and conduct.
• Harassment policy (PDF File, 22 Kb).
  The objective of this policy is to determine what the co-op considers to be harassment and what actions the co-op will take if a case of harassment is reported to the co-op.
• Rent arrears policy (PDF File, 40 Kb).
  Housing Co-ops depend on the rent collected from their tenants for their main source of income. It is therefore the policy of the Co-operative to keep the level of arrears to an absolute minimum in order to maximise income in the interests of the co-op and its members.
• Repairs & maintenance policy (PDF File, 89 Kb).
  The objectives of the repairs and maintenance policy are to ensure that the co-op meets its legal repairs and maintenance obligations, to ensure that the co-op operates a high quality, sensitive, responsive and efficient repairs and maintenance service and to ensure that repairs and maintenance are properly budgeted in accordance with the co-op's annual budgets and financial procedures.
• Tenancy agreement (PDF File, 102 Kb).
  
• Breach of tenancy policy (PDF File, 24 Kb).
  

For further information or any comments on CCH policy issues,
please contact Nic Bliss at nic@cch.coop

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[ 2005-01-17 ]