Supporting a resident led future

PROJECT BRIEF

The Challenge

Barking Riverside Limited (BRL) is leading an exciting development in London’s East End that will see the creation of more than 10,000 homes. This evolving, vibrant community includes residents with deep roots in the area and a new generation of families moving into the newly built housing. Freshly built infrastructure, including a community centre and tube station, have also opened as part of this large-scale development.

  • BRL – a joint partnership between the Mayor of London and L&Q aimed at delivering the new development – gave a commitment that it would create a resident led body (called the Learning Forum) to help shape the future governance of estate services across the area through a new Community Interest Company (CIC). Strong cross-community, resident representation was an important requirement for the Learning Forum and it’s eventual successor, the CIC.

    Resident members of the Learning Forum needed to work together over an 18-month period to achieve this aim; digesting and discussing complicated issues to produce final recommendations. A key component was the requirement to communicate it’s work with wider stakeholders and the community through a comprehensive, ongoing communication strategy.

    In the initial set up of this project, another challenge emerged: the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant delivering a resident focused co-production and community engagement programme at a time when social contact was restricted.

Key Service Provisions

  • Resident Empowerment

  • Project Management 

  • Communications

  • Leadership and People

  • Strategy

  • Commercial insight

Key Facts

  • 10,000 new homes in one of Europe’s largest developments.

  • An existing community lived alongside a development bringing new, local families into the area

OUR METHODS AND OUTCOMES

Working in partnership

On this project, our consultants worked with the Curiosity Society, an organisation with experience in delivering change management in the public and private sector. Representatives of both consultancies acted as joint co-chairs of the Learning Forum.

Genuine resident empowerment

Empowering the local community was at the centre of this project with the Learning Forum driving forward discussions and decision making. The Learning Forum also needed to be able to work directly with community groups, schools, politicians and other stakeholders, as well as communicate with all residents across Barking Riverside about its work.

  • Foundation – At the start of the project, the co-chairs oversaw an extensive recruitment and interview process to enlist more than a dozen members for the Learning Forum, who would serve as members over the next 18 months. This successfully achieved a balance of new and existing residents, and drew its members from all parts of the community.

    Focus – Once recruited, our team arranged an induction programme to focus the Learning Forum on the required aims and outcomes, before commencing a schedule of discussions, debates and learning exercises on a range of issues, including governance, finance and communications. This included the formation and organisation of monthly sub-groups and sprint sessions to examine in depth certain issues and work up proposals before being discussed with the wider group. This helped drive a collaborative process that at the same time worked to a deadline to achieve results

    Culture – Most importantly our consultants developed a clear outcome focused culture that ran through all elements of the work, known as the ‘boat’ model. This was aimed at helping the Learning Forum members think about the key facets of the challenge which they had to keep in mind when considering this project: namely purpose, resources and governance.

    Social distancing restrictions as result of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a need to pivot the relationship building strategy with Learning Forum members to online forums. Plans for face to face meetings were abandoned, and consultants developed a regular schedule of online meetings, with digital break out workshops , and utilised online idea sharing software like Canvass.

Laying the foundations for a successful self-governing body

Delivering a successful outcome was dependent on Learning Forum members having the background and relevant information that informed its decisions. 

  • To achieve this aim, Just Housing Group and the Curiosity Society undertook detailed research and policy formation around:

    • Governance and applicable processes that fitted the requirements of Barking Riverside. 

    • The legal implications of all parts of the proposals, including building them into any suggested outcomes.

    • Business planning around the long term financial delivery of services in the area, and appropriate risk planning.

An open communication process 

Just Housing Group consultants led on providing and implementing a communications strategy over an 18-month period with three distinct phases:

  • Launching and introducing the Learning Forum to Barking Riverside: its stakeholders and wider residents.

  • Keeping the community updated on its work as the Learning Forum developed its strategy for the future.

  • Unveiling the Learning Forum’s recommendations to the public through a public engagement process.

A multifaceted strategy

This strategy was multi-faceted, with communications to wider residents combined with specific engagement with local stakeholder groups – schools, community organisations and volunteer groups – and political groups, like local councillors.

    • A webhub that hosted the latest news – in written and video format – from the Learning Forum. This encompassed a unique branding design for the Learning Forum, regular blogs introducing members of the Learning Forum and news items. 

    • A social media programme on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms that involved our consultants working effectively with BRL’s PR partners.

    • A “cascade” communication approach was encouraged with messages sent to Learning Forum members for them to distribute to their local networks (such as WhatsApp groups)

    • Several interactive web forums (Community Conversation’s) and webinars with residents and members of the Learning Forum were hosted, with residents invited to give their views and ask questions. This was an important innovation given the in person restrictions that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    • Standalone resources for residents that explained the purpose of the Learning Forum, including specially designed FAQs and video clips. 

    • A rolling programme of briefings with local groups, from schools to faith organisations. Most importantly, we ensured active engagement with local councillors and politicians to ensure they felt an input into the process. 

    • The digital strategy was complimented by posted newsletters (with options for translation into other languages) and pop up events on Barking Riverside. Our team lead on organising and designing these products, as well as providing the core content in collaboration with residents and BRL. 

    • Running a consultation process with the wider community to elicit feedback on the recommendations produced by the Learning Forum.

PROJECT SUCCESSORS

  • The project successfully delivered recommendations that resulted in a new CIC structure, including a resident board: with community representatives elected by residents. 

  • Alongside the CIC, a new charity is to be established to oversee the management of local assets, like the community centre: this innovative solution was a core part of a solid business planning process.

  • A six week engagement period was held with residents testing the recommendations. This included a brochure sent to all residents, online events and the provision of phone service line as well as digital ways to respond. 

  • Residents have genuine control with the key local stakeholders – BRL and L&Q – over local services and in time this will be extended to the main community assets. Indeed, the resident majority on the new CIC is a ground making outcome from the engagement process.

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