Photograph of Client involvement workshop

Get Involved

BHT Housing Services are committed to engaging and involving tenants from all communities to help shape and improve our services, in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings.

We offer a menu of different opportunities, empowering tenants to influence services as we know one size doesn’t fit all, and are also continually looking at and developing new ways for our tenants to be involved with us.

Our tenant involvement work includes:

Every year we ask our clients and tenants to let us know what we are doing well and where we need to improve. We then publish a report on the survey, and follow up any areas of concern in focus groups to see how they can be resolved. 

Download our 2018 report

Download our 2017 report

Download our 2016 report

BHT Sussex is always aiming to improve performance and decision-making to provide for the needs of its tenants more effectively. To support this aim the BHT Sussex Tenant Scrutiny Panel was set up last year.
Comprising eight tenant members (including chair and vice chair), the panel provides a formal opportunity for tenants to critically analyse and challenge BHT processes and decision-making. It is a means to ensure that BHT Sussex’s frameworks for directing, accounting for, monitoring, assessing and reviewing its own direction and performance are based on the views and priorities of its own tenants.

The panel members each receive on-going support and training to ensure they have the right skills and knowledge to undertake the role. Meetings are held quarterly at which the latest chosen issue is discussed with the aim of delivering a report to the Board on its findings. Currently the Panel is examining how BHT Sussex is addressing the financial issues created for tenants by the introduction of Universal Credit.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Panel, then please contact Alasdair on the number below for more details.

A voluntary role to attend quarterly editorial board meetings with staff to help shape, design, write, provide artwork, and lead on choice of content for the newsletter.

View the latest edition.

This is a volunteer role to rate and give feedback about the grounds maintenance service. We can’t be there to make sure that our gardening contractors are getting it right all the time, and the Inspectors act as our eyes and ears on the ground. They not only report on the state of the grounds but can also make suggestions for improvements. They fill out regular inspection forms and send them to Alasdair at the London Road Office.

There are quarterly meetings where the inspectors meet. Those who can’t make it into the office just send the feedback forms to the London Road office.

Inspectors are given training and ongoing support to make the most of their volunteer role.

Please get in touch with Alasdair on the contact details below for more information.

Following a recruitment process tenants and former clients Mary Tawiah and Gerry Main, both based in Brighton, were selected to join BHT Sussex’s Board of Trustees. They were elected as Board members at the AGM in December 2018.

Congratulations to them both and thank you to all the tenants and clients who took the time to apply. Since their election they have become heavily involved in representing the views of the tenants to the Board and thus contributing to a more efficient and effective BHT Sussex policy making process.

BHT Sussex is committed to client and tenant representation at all levels of the organisation. Watch this space for future opportunities to apply to the Board.

BHT Sussex regularly hold focus groups that are open to all clients and tenants. The topics of these groups are determined by areas of concern raised in the annual tenant and client snapshot survey.

Topics of previous tenant focus groups include repairs, complaints, tenant involvement, starter tenancies and digital communication.

Focus groups last two hours and tenants taking part receive a shopping voucher for their time. If you are interested in joining future focus groups, please get in touch with Alasdair through the contact details below.

Every year we hold a ‘BHT in Bloom’ gardening competition across all housing and client services.

This year’s categories include:

  • Best individual garden/best indoor plants
  • Best communal garden

The closing date for entries is Friday 28th June and judges will be visiting the entrants on Friday 12th July to pick the winners.

Prizes include two £30 B&Q vouchers for the winners and three £10 B&Q vouchers for runners-up (sponsored by our gardening contractors, Southern Land Services).

Clients and Tenants can pick up an entry form and some free seeds and bulbs from their local BHT Sussex office in Brighton, Eastbourne or Hastings. If you have any queries please get in touch with Alasdair on the contact details below. 

BHT Sussex found me a permanent flat to live in after years of the uncertainty of temporary accommodation. When I heard they were looking for volunteers I jumped at the chance.

Over the past three months I have been on several helpful awareness courses encouraged by them. Also other projects and the opportunity to express my ideas and thoughts on their new blog. This has helped me gain confidence and knowledge into a field I can hopefully be employed in or simply just involved.

It’s a great local charity.

Anthony Carney, Client Action network volunteer and BHT Sussex tenant

Contact Details

For further information on any of the above, please contact Alasdair Tenquist, BHT Involvement Officer.

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