Shape the housing service
These groups represent all residents living in Westminster housing. They scrutinise the service and help plan future developments.
Resident Forum
At the Forum residents get updates from the housing service, help shape the part of the service being discussed, hear from other Council departments and get an opportunity to speak directly with housing service leaders. Whether you have been on a panel or group, or have never come along to a meeting before, The Resident Forum is for you. The Forum is a great way for people to dip into engagement and a welcoming space for people participating for the first time.
The Forum is open to our wider community, you can join online or in person. The agenda is shaped by the Resident Panel with each meeting focussing on a different theme.
Why should you take part?
- Hear updates from the Cabinet Member for Housing Services and senior staff about key developments and performance in housing.
- A chance to ask questions and help shape the part of the service being discussed.
- Meet other residents who are interested in making a difference.
How to sign up?
If you are a Westminster Housing resident, you can sign up to attend a Resident Forum meeting.
To make sure that the meetings are manageable, there is a maximum of 77 places at each meeting. You will need to sign up in advance to attend. We would also ask you to submit questions in advance, although we also try to answer questions on the night.
At every meeting, we make sure that there is a balance of tenants and leaseholders so that we have a representative group of residents.
Time commitment
2 to 3 hours per meeting. You can come to meetings regularly, or as a one-off.
Future meetings
-
Tuesday 27th May
Register for our May Resident Forum
Previous meetings
Read notes from previous meetings of the Resident Forum.
Resident Panel
This is a group of up to 20 residents who help shape the housing services you receive. They scrutinise and monitor the housing service and challenge things they don’t think are working. They chair the Resident Forum and set the agenda for future meetings. The Panel is made up of tenants and leaseholders.
The group have been recruited in a variety of ways, originally from a City-wide engagement campaign, which led to the formation of the Resident Panel as part of the Future of Westminster Commission. One of the recommendations of the Commission was that the Housing service retain the members of the Resident Panel and continue to work with them, but that the Panel should also include some representation from the many Resident Associations across the City. There are now 8 Resident Associations represented on the Resident Panel. We are also currently recruiting some new individual members to the Panel, to ensure that it remains diverse and representative of the communities in Westminster. We regularly review membership to make sure it is representative and to allow new people the chance to take part.
The current Chair of the Panel is Lareen Muhammed, she was elected by members of the Resident Panel.
Why should you take part?
- Help to lead the direction of the housing service and drive improvement
- Work collaboratively with council officers and gain understanding of how big organisations work
- Develop new skills in leadership, service design, monitoring and reporting and communication, which will look great on your CV
- Access training and attend conferences
- Meet other residents
Time commitment
Members join two meetings a month of up to 2 hours and are also sent information to read between meetings.
Approximately 10 to 12 hours per month.
Read the job description for a panel member:
Other details
Travel expenses will be covered and we can provide support to attend, depending on your needs. Just get in touch with us.
Previous minutes from Resident Panel
The Panel meets 10 times a year, the topics from the last few months can be found below, with a link to the minutes from the meetings. If you require any minutes from before these dates, please contact residentengagement@westminster.gov.uk.
March 2025
- Regulator of Social Housing - Feedback from the published inspection
- Planning of the Annual Report 24/5
- Resident Forum: Forward Planning
- Tenancy Strategy and Policy
Read the minutes from the March 2025 Resident Panel (PDF)
February 2025
- Repairs Task & Finish Update
- Domestic Abuse: Policy and Accreditation
- Tenant Satisfaction Measures: Quarter 3 update
- Resident Forum: Forward Planning
Read the minutes from the February 2025 Resident Panel (PDF)
January 2025
- Reprovision of Long-Term Repairs Contract – how to involve more residents at an early stage of the re-procurement.
- Resident Surveys – how we measure satisfaction and the surveys we use.
- Resident Recruitment & Update on Task and Finish groups on complaints and a new task and finish group on repairs.
Read the minutes from the January 2025 Resident Panel (PDF)
December 2024
No meeting
November 2024
- Mid-year performance data
- Task and Finish groups
- Resident Forum – planning and layout
Read the minutes from the November 2024 Resident Panel (PDF)
October 2024
- This meeting was observed by the Regulator for Social Housing
- Housing Estate Offices & Local Delivery Pilot in Bayswater
- Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Update
- Resident Engagement & Future Planning
Read the minutes from the October 2024 Resident Panel (PDF)
September 2024
- Performance Report: The quarter one performance report was discussed, focusing on tenant satisfaction measures, complaints, and repairs.
- Repairs Policy Consultation and Charter
- Annual Report 23/4
Read the minutes from the September 2024 Resident Panel (PDF)
Resident Association Chairs Group
Our chairs group is open to the elected chairs or a nominated person from each local resident group. The chairs group meet quarterly. These meetings are a valuable networking and peer support forum for local leaders. Chairs and other RA representatives share challenges, successes and ideas for running an effective Resident Association.
The chairs group also provides an opportunity for resident group leaders to give feedback and suggest improvements to the housing service or the support they receive.
If you are a leader of a Resident Association and your group is not yet attending the chairs group, please contact us via our resident engagement form.
Time commitment
2 to 3 hours every three months.
Future meetings
The Chairs Group last met on Thursday 6th February (6pm-8pm). The next quarterly meeting of the group will be in May.
Published: 18 April 2024
Last updated: 25 April 2025
