Vacancy for Project Development Manager (Temp 2 years)
Exciting post at Belle Isle TMO , Leeds, closing date 29th May 2013. 

Community Cashback grants available now!
Small grants and technical support are now available to tenants and landlords who are interested in working together to develop a Community Cashback agreement – improving local services and rewarding the contribution of local tenants. 

Communities Minister Wants to See More TMOs
Communities Minister, Don Foster MP,has reaffirmed his support for tenant led housing services as part of a wider push for localism and community rights. During a visit to the Bloomsbury Estate Management Board (EMB) in Birmingham the Minister saw for himself what local community control can achieve. The Bloomsbury EMB has been running their council estate for over 20 years and has been at the heart of many improvements to housing services and community facilities. 

Regional Conferences Show TMOs Preparing for Challenges Ahead
Regional NFTMO conferences in London and Wolverhampton have highlighted some major challenges ahead in the TMO sector but demonstrated the energy and commitment with which TMOs are preparing to meet those challenges 

Community Cashback Gives New Route to Tenant Control
The National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations (NFTMO) has welcomed the launch of ‘Community Cashback’ as an additional option for tenants who want more control over services affecting their community. 

TMOs Look at New Community Rights
TMO reps and other tenants heard about the new Community Rights introduced by the Localism Act, in a lively workshop at the Directory of Social Change. 

Hackney TMO seeking new manager
Lordhship South TMO, in the London Borough of Hackney is looking to appoint a new TMO manager with an application closing date of 5 December. 

NFTMO Publishes Review of TMOs and Allocations
The National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations (NFTMO) has published a review of the important but complex issue of TMO involvement in the allocations of homes in their management. 

"TMOs Must Prepare for Impact of Welfare Reform"
Well attended TMO training courses in London and Walsall have underlined the message that TMOs should be preparing for the impact of Welfare Reform. The sessions were led by WATMOS Chief Exec, Ursula Barrington and Bushbury Hill Chief Officer, Karen Williams. They highlighted the potential impact on TMO business plans, as well as on individuals and the local community. 

New NFTMO Chair and Deputy Elected
The Executive Committee of the National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations (NFTMO) has elected Nick Reynolds as the new Chairperson of the Federation. Nick is the secretary of a TMO in Birmingham and has been a member of the NFTMO Executive Committee for two years.  

NFTMO Annual Conference 2012 Report
The energy and enthusiasm of around 230 delegates made for a great Annual NFTMO Conference last weekend in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Regular conference goers rated it the 'best ever' thanks to inspiring acounts of TMO action around the country, informative workshops, lively debate and well earned evening entertainment. Most of all the conference provided ample opportunity for TMO members and staff to network with new and old friends in the TMO sector.  

NFTMO Responds to Government proposals
The NFTMO has responded to the Government Consultation paper “Giving Tenants Control” . In the paper the Government set out their ideas for streamlining the Right to Manage. The paper also includes proposed new regulations that will require Councils to co-operate where tenants want to explore the potential benefits of a community led transfer. The NFTMO supports the streamlining of the Right to Manage and is already helping with work to reduce the red tape involved in assessing the competence of new TMOs. But the Federation wants to see more sanctions against councils who obstruct the Right to Manage and more rights for housing association tenants who want to set up a TMO. As for the ‘Right to Transfer’, the NFTMO agrees that council tenants groups, including TMOs, should be given co-operation if they want to look into the possibility of a community led transfer – provided that other council tenants will not lose out as a result. However, the Federation thinks the Government’s proposals should focus more on transfers that will lead to genuine community control. As with the Right to Manage proposals, the NFTMO says that the ‘Right to Transfer’ regulations will need to be much clearer about how the rules will be enforced against landlords who obstruct the process. You can view and download copies of the consultation paper and the NFTMO response.  

Sponsored Walks as‘Terry Torch’ Continues National Tour of TMOs
Congratulations and thanks to Louise Clarke of Windsor Albion Co-op in Salford who completed a 30 mile sponsored walk to Childwall Valley EMB in Liverpool as part of the 'Terry Torch' tribute and campaign. A ceremonial torch, commemorating the late Terry Edis, is being carried to Tenant Management Organisations (TMOs) around the country as part of a campaign to let more tenants know about the potential benefits of community controlled housing. The Torch was set on its way by Carpenters TMO, in the shadow of the London Olympic Stadium, and will near the end of its journey in Stratford-upon-Avon at the June Annual Conference of the National Federation of TMOs (NFTMO)  

2012 Regional Conference Presentations
Presentation PowerPoint Slides provided by speakers at NFTMO regional conferences in February 2012 

Spreading the Word to 1000 Communities
The NFTMO has joined forces with other organisations to launch a campaign to spread the word about the benefits of community run housing.The National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations and ATIC, the sector body for trainers and advisors, are aiming to get information about tenant control opportunities to a 1000 communities in the social housing sector. 

TMO Survey To Feed into New Allocations Guidance for TMOs
The NFTMO is carring out a survey to get a clearer picture of the extent to which TMOs are or want to be involved in the allocations and lettings process. The survey will feed into new Guidance for TMOs and their landlords. 

Tributes Pour in as TMO Sector Loses a Great Leader and Friend
Tributes have been pouring in following the death yesterday of Terry Edis MBE, who has been chair of the NFTMO since 2002 and an inspirational and much loved leader of the TMO Sector. 

NFTMO and WATMOs to Launch New TMO Benchmarking Club
Those TMOs who attended this year’s NFTMO Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon will know that there was a great deal of interest in the idea of an improved TMO Benchmarking Club.Since the conference we have been working on the proposal and we are pleased to say that we are now ready to launch an improved TMO Benchmarking service  

NTOs Challenge Landlords to Improve Annual Reports
As landlords gear up to producing their second year annual reports to tenants, the four National Tenant Organisations publish their review report of the first year annual reports – “A good start, but could do better” - challenging the housing sector to improve annual reports next time round.  

Community Control Increases Happiness - Report Says
Residents who own and manage their estates are happier than those living in council-run homes, new studies have concluded. 

Housing Minister Wants to See More TMOs
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has announced £8 million over 4 years to continue the Tenant Empowerment Grant Programme. Some of that money will be available to support Council tenants' groups who want to use the Right to Manage to take control of aspects of their local housing service.The Minister also announced plans to streamline the Right to Manage process so that tenants can set up TMOs more quickly and with less red tape. 

NFTMO Responds to Government Housing Reform Proposals
The NFTMO response to the Government consultation document 'Local decisions - a fairer future for housing' says that the Federation believes that some aspects of the proposed housing reforms do not fit with the Government's own aims for the 'Big Society'. The NFTMO fears that proposals for short-term tenancies may lead to less stable communities, a faster turnover of homes and fewer tenants willing to make a commitment to volunteering in the community. 

NFTMO Working on New Funding Model
With the future of the TEP Grant programme very uncertain the NFTMO is aiming to develop a ‘business model’ that will be less dependent on government grant. The NFTMO do not get ‘core’ grant but TEP does help fund a number of our activities.  

NFTMO Launches Calculating TMO Allowances Guidance
The NFTMO has published a new Guidance booklet for TMOs and their landlords to help improve the process of calculating and negotiating TMO Allowances. The booklet is available free from the NFTMO. 

Role for TMOs in the ‘Big Society’?
Policies announced by the new Coalition Government seem to be supportive of the aims and values of Tenant Management Organisations. They state that “Only when people and communities are given more power and take more responsibility can we achieve fairness and opportunity for all” 

Joint National Tenant Scrutiny Committee to Hold TSA to Account
Following publication of the Tenant Services Authority’s regulatory standards, the four national tenant organisations are to set up a joint independent national tenant scrutiny committee. The committee will hold the TSA and other Government bodies to account for their part in ensuring the delivery of better services in the social housing sector, comprehensive empowerment opportunities and improved quality of life for tenants.  

‘CAM’ WE HELP YOU?
Springfield Horseshoe Co-operative in Wolverhampton has become the first tenants’ organisation to be assessed as competent under the new system of external assessment by an Approved Assessor. Springfield Horseshoe Co-op already manages 83 homes but is planning to increase that number to 284 – hence the need for a fresh assessment of competence. Now they are offering to help other groups who are preparing for an assessment. In particular they are offering to share information about how they mastered the Common Assessment Model, or ‘CAM’ as it’s known. 

Guidance Launched for ALMOs and TMOs
Government Minister Iain Wright MP has endorsed new guidance that aims to improve working relationships between TMOs, ALMOs and their local authorities. The National Federation of ALMOs (NFA), the National Federation of TMOs (NFTMO), and the Councils with ALMOs Group (CWAG) have worked together to produce the guidance which was launched by the Minister at a ceremony on the Grosvenor and Regency estate in Westminster. 

New Tenant Control Opportunities – Links to Resources
The revised Right to Manage Regulations came into force on October 1st. Follow the link to our full story and for access to guidance, a temporary list of advisors and trainers and the UPDATED (Oct 28th)Common Assessment Model 

The AdaPT Toolset for Working with the Modular Management Agreement
You can now access and use a near complete version of the AdaPT Toolset for Working with the new Modular Management Agreement.