Jargon Buster
This is a plain English guide to explain the abbreviations and jargon used in Housing. If you come across any jargon not explained here, please let us know so we can include it.
AGM – Annual General Meeting
An annual meeting, at which an organisations committee reports on its work over the last year, presents the financial accounts to their members and reviews the constitution. A new committee is also elected at the AGM.
ASB
Anti Social Behaviour
ASBO – Anti Social Behaviour Order
This is an injunction taken out against an individual over 10 years of age who has been causing persistent acts of anti social behaviour. The ASBO might ban them from entering a particular area (such as an estate or district). Local authorities and police can issue an ASBO. Breaching the order carries a 5 year prison sentence.
Assignment
This is an agreement between the landlord and tenant that a relative of the tenant can take over the tenancy
Audit commission
The independent public body responsible for ensuring that public money is spent economically, efficiently and effectively in local government.
Benchmarking
Assessing an organisation’s performance by comparing it with that of other organisations of a similar size and purpose
BME – Black and Minority Ethnic
Capital Expenditure
Money that landlords spend on renovating or improving their assets such as houses
Capital Programme
A plan, usually over a year for improving the housing stock
C2C – Connect to Cardiff
Cardiff Council’s Information Call Centre
CMS – Community Maintenance Services
The direct workforce of the council which carries out repairs to council houses
Code of Conduct
This is a set of guidelines that describe how members of a group are expected to behave and carry out their duties when at meetings, or when acting on behalf of their associations
Committee
This is a group of people elected by members of an organisation to carry out the work of the organisation. Committees should always have a chair, secretary and treasurer. The Committee organises group meetings including the AGM and is responsible for carrying forward any decisions made at these meetings
Concierge
A person who looks after a block of flats, the job usually involves the work of a caretaker and a receptionist.
Constitution
A constitution is a document produced by a group that states its aims, objectives, membership and rules etc. A model constitution is available from the council that can be adapted by individual associations and groups.
Data Protection
Under the Data Protection act individuals have certain rights to access information that is being held about them by organisations. Organisations have a responsibility under the Act to store and use the data they hold in a responsible way.
Extraordinary/ Special General Meeting
An ‘emergency’ meeting that occurs outside of the normal meeting times. This might be called if new officers of a committee need to be elected, or if an urgent matter needs to be discussed. The constitution should state how such a meeting is called.
Feasibility Study
The study of a problem to see whether a suggested plan of action will work and what is required or needed to make it work
FOI - Freedom of Information
General Fund
The council account into which people’s council tax is paid and which funds local authority services such as Education, Social Services
Green Paper
A consultation paper issued by the Government prior to making something law.
HRA – Housing Revenue Account
The Local Authority account into which rents and any money from the government are paid. It pays for repairs, managing and maintaining the housing stock and repaying any money for past building and improvements. This is completely separate from the General Fund.
ICT – Information Computer Technology
Joint Tenancy
Where two or more people share a property and have equal rights to stay in the property
LSVT – Large Scale Voluntary Transfer
The process whereby a local authority transfers the ownership and management of its housing stock to a Housing Association or similar provider following a vote to see if tenants are in favour of it
Leaseholder
A person who does not own the land their home is built on and pays a ground rent eg. Tenants who have bought their flats
Local Government Ombudsman
The LGO is responsible for investigating complaints made about local authorities after the individual’s complaint has gone through the local authority’s complaint procedure
Local Tenant Participation Strategy
Mainstreaming
Mediation
A method of resolving disputes between two parties using a third, external party who must be neutral in the dispute. Mediation aims to bring the two opposing parties to an understanding of the issues including each other’s point of view, and reaching an agreed resolution to the dispute.
PI – Performance Indicators
The Government requires local authorities to publish Performance indicators to show how effectively it is performing
Planned Maintenance
A system of repairs and maintenance that has been decided in advance and accounted for in the yearly budget. Planned maintenance is often carried out on a cyclical basis eg every 10 years.
Policy
A policy is a statement, usually in writing about how an organisation will work
Professional Witness
Someone who gives evidence in a court of law as part of their job. Examples of professional witnesses could be police officers or housing staff. Professional witnesses can be used by local authorities if tenants do not want to give evidence about their neighbours.
Public Liability Insurance.
This insures associations against claims from the public for injury, loss or damage to a person or property. The cost of this insurance is covered by the council for all TRA’s.
Quorum/Quorate
The minimum number of members an organisation needs at any meeting to make any decision, as laid down in its constitution. This could be a set number or a percentage of the membership
RSL’s – Registered Social Landlord
A non profit making organisation that provides social housing for rent. Now called Registered Social Landlords or RSL’s
Responsive Repairs
Repairs carried out by the landlord in response to a tenant’s request. They are sometimes referred to as day to day or jobbing repairs
Service charge
The money tenants and leaseholders pay for services such as the maintenance of common parts.
SLA - Service Level Agreement
An arrangement covering the services that one department within an organisation will provide to another
Stakeholder
Person interested in how a project or service is developed or delivered
Standing Orders
Standing orders are a set of rules and regulations which usually cover how meetings are run, how decisions are made, terms of reference for committees and other procedural matters. Standing orders should be used alongside a group’s constitution.
Tenants and Residents Association or TRA
A voluntary group of tenants and residents living in an area, street or block, who have got together to take up issues of common concern or have their say on local issues, improve their area or organise social events
Tenant Consultation
This is the arrangements for involving tenants in decisions on housing policy and practice. The legal definition, as stated in Section 105 of the 1985 Housing Act is “a council must inform tenants of its proposals, it must give tenants the right to comment, and it must give consideration to tenants’ comments before it takes a decision”.
TEG - Tenant Empowerment Grant
The Tenant Empowerment Grant is available from the Welsh assembly to local authority tenants to help them fund projects that allow tenants to get more involved with the management of their neighbourhood.
TPAS – Tenant Participation Advisory Service
A national not for profit organisation that works with tenants on a variety of tenant participation projects and which can provide advice, model documents and training
Void
An empty house that is either waiting for repairs to be done or waiting for someone to move in.
Welsh Housing Quality Standard or WHQS