Residents' associations

Impact of good residents' associations

Tenant and residents’ associations are at the heart of their communities: we know that there are many excellent associations in Kensington and Chelsea. Associations in our borough are achieving real improvements to their local environment and fostering social and community spirit. They are actively shaping the conversations about their local area and informing local decision making.

Self-assessing your association

If you are a residents’ association you may wish to self-assess yourself against our checklist. This checklist is provided for self-assessment purposes only and does not mean that the council endorses the outcome of the assessment.

Constitution

A 'gold standard' association will have a constitution that includes:

• clearly stated aims and objectives that seek to promote the interest of all residents in the area
• who can be a member and any fees that are payable
• the association’s commitment to equalities and describing how the group ensures that all potential members are treated fairly
• how the association identifies local residents’ needs and views, what steps are taken to encourage all residents to get involved, and what is done to address any apparent imbalance in the association’s membership
• titles of any officers, what roles they fulfil and details of the decision-making arrangements, for example, the minimum number of members required for a meeting to go ahead; or the rules for dealing with disputes, conflicts of interest and members’ complaints
• arrangements around meetings and consultation and communication
• details of financial arrangements, including
  • sources of income
  • how decisions on spending are made
  • when and how accounts will be published
• what will happen if the association is no longer operating and what will happen to any assets
• how and when the constitution can be changed, what notice is required and what proportion of members have to vote

Our model constitution has been developed to support any association considering writing one.

Membership 

The council recognises that some associations cover very small areas. However, a 'gold standard' association should show it is representative and welcoming to all the residents who live in the area they cover, regardless of size. A gold standard association will have:

• a good understanding of the area and who is living in the geographical area which they cover
• an open membership. All addresses in the geographical area should be eligible to join. Residents should only be excluded from membership if they have brought the association into disrepute and the matter is dealt with through the association rules
• a committee of at least five residents
• a proportion of active members in relation to size and type of association. Active members are those who have provided contact details, attend meetings or events, or get involved in other ways such as responding to consultations

Meetings 

A 'gold standard' association will:

• hold an annual general meeting (AGM)
• hold at least three committee meetings a year
• ensure that all general meetings are well advertised and that every eligible household receives an invitation
• hold meetings in a suitable venue and at a time that helps encourage maximum possible attendance
• structure meetings in a way that allows resident participation and allows all views, except ones that are offensive, to be heard
• ensure that every meeting has an agenda and that minutes are taken and made available
• have a procedure to give feedback to members who are unable to attend
• provide details of how members are notified about meetings, and when and how members may obtain minutes from meetings

Communication and consultation

Best practice shows that in order to speak with authority, an association needs to demonstrate that they have consulted with their members and are speaking collectively. A 'gold standard' association should:

• have a named person or persons that the council can contact for consultation. This is to be updated every year (or sooner if there is a change).
• communicate regularly with members about opportunities to be consulted on local issues.
• provide all members with a copy of the constitution, contact details for committee members, details of any planned meetings and how to include an item on an agenda