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The film explores resident attitudes towards immigration and the integration of new community members, crime and social inclusion.

Working with local film-making company, Multistory, Sandwell Homes identified three local residents who volunteered to share their
experiences of living on a 21st century social housing estate.

Tenants and residents from the estate were invited to an official screening of the film and were invited to make comments on its content.

Following consultation Sandwell Homes and the local Tenants & Residents Association (TRA) drew up an action plan, which reflected
the thoughts and concerns of participating residents.

The plan consists of commitments to making environmental improvements along with suggestions to improve community cohesion.

The film also supported Sandwell Homes' and the TRA’s successful application for the Keep Britain Tidy Initiator Kitemark Award.

The TRA and Sandwell Homes have continued to work together develop and deliver on the action plan.

Click here to watch the video.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), a safety charity, launched its awards programme 55 years ago. The scheme looks not only at accident records but also entrants’ overarching health and safety management systems, including important practices such as strong leadership and workforce involvement.

David Rawlins, RoSPA’s awards manager said: “RoSPA firmly believes that organisations that have demonstrated their commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention deserve recognition.

“Sandwell Homes has shown that it is committed to striving for such continuous improvement and we are delighted to honour it through the presentation of an award.”

Paul Field, Sandwell Homes’ interim chief executive said: “I’m proud that we have managed yet again to achieve the gold award standard, for the fourth year in a row. At our first attempt in 2005, we received a bronze, following in 2006 and 2007 with a silver award. This is a record which really does demonstrate the continuous improvement of our approach to occupational health and safety.”

Assessment for the award is based on the company’s answer to ten key performance questions and the evidence provided to support them plus a comparison of the company’s accident incidence rate with the industry sector average. Each year’s submission is compared with that of the previous year to ensure continuous improvement.

Key areas examined include: senior management commitment to managing occupational health and safety, access to competent health and safety advice and involvement of the workforce in occupational health and safety management.

The majority of RoSPA’s awards are non-competitive, marking achievement at merit, bronze, silver and gold levels.

The RoSPA Occupational and Health and Safety Awards 2011 are sponsored by NEBOSH, (The National Examination in Occupational Health and Safety), the leading health and safety professional examining body. The award will be officially presented to Sandwell Homes next month (May).

The event, which gives residents an opportunity to meet neighbours and mingle with the community, will also have a party bus,
karaoke and live DJ set, ensuring a fun filled day for all the family.

For folks looking to offload some of those unused toys, clothes and records there will also be a car boot sale for just £5 per car.

Contact John Gallagher on 0121 580 2500 for more information and to book a space.

Sandwell Homes, the organisation responsible for managing 29,000 properties on behalf of Sandwell Council, is looking for volunteers to fill non-executive positions on its company board whilst also recruiting tenants and leaseholders to sit on a new scrutiny board, which will strengthen the voice of customers in shaping policy.

Under new proposals, which were developed under the guidance of existing board members, there will be increased opportunities for 12 tenants and one leaseholder to shape future housing plans in Sandwell.

With the company looking to tackle major challenges such as uncertainty over the future of housing policy, growing unemployment, and increasing demand for affordable housing, the restructure will enhance the role and influence of tenants and leaseholders in developing company services.

Paul Field, Interim Chief Executive of Sandwell Homes, said: “The new governance structure will provide a strong strategic board whilst giving tenants an opportunity to reinvigorate the company and help it shape a vision for the future.”

The current 18-strong company board, which over saw a very successful period for Sandwell Homes including the delivery of a £250 million Decent Homes programme, creation of some 250 apprenticeships, a Sunday Times Greenest Companies Award, and Social Landlord of the Year, will be reduced in size to ten members, three of them tenants, with an appointed chair. This will be complemented by a new ten-strong tenants’ scrutiny board, made up of nine tenants and one leaseholder.

Operating in a similar way to that of a council scrutiny committee, the scrutiny board will have responsibility for reviewing performance, service delivery and assessing and examining policy.

Paul Field added: “We welcome this move as a way of ensuring continuous improvement to the services we provide for our tenants and leaseholders on behalf of the council. I want to urge anyone who thinks they can help us achieve our goals to apply for one of the roles on offer.”

For more information and to apply click here.

Under new proposals, there would be opportunities for 12 tenants and one leaseholder to shape future housing plans in Sandwell.

The move follows a major review of the company’s governance structure last year, first introduced when the company was formed.

New plans would see the current 18-strong company board, (made up of six tenants, six councillors and six independents) downsized to ten members, three of them tenants, with an independent chair.

This would be complemented by a new ten-strong tenants’ scrutiny board, made up of nine tenants and one leaseholder.

Operating in a similar way to that of a council scrutiny panel, the scrutiny board would have responsibility for reviewing performance, service delivery and assessing and examining policy.

The reduced in size company board would focus on strategic issues such as forward planning, new developments, partnership working, budgeting and delivering the terms of the council’s management agreement with Sandwell Homes.

Following the review, more than 1,000 tenants and leaseholders took part in a comprehensive consultation exercise from November 2010 until February 2011 with the majority supporting the new plans.

Cllr. Mahboob Hussain, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for improvement and efficiency said: “Through the tenants’ scrutiny board, Sandwell is asking tenants and leaseholders to take on the role previously undertaken by the Audit Commission, to monitor the performance of Sandwell Homes.

“This means, real service users having a greater say in identifying the service improvements they want, rather than being guided by officials in London.

Paul Field, interim chief executive of Sandwell Homes said: “We welcome this move, as a way of ensuring continuous improvement to the services we provide for our tenants and leaseholders on behalf of the council.”

The report, which has already been approved by the council’s housing cabinet advisory team, will go before the council’s cabinet meeting on Wednesday April 13th.

If approved, the new company board is set to be installed in June with the tenants’ scrutiny board introduced at the same time or shortly after.