RoundUp Newsletter | Issue 13

About our members for our members

Welcometo your latest issue of

/tpasengland

@tpasengland

Inside RoundUp:

• TPAS Regional Meetings P5

• Investing in the future P6

• #HousingDay P11

• Member diaries P13

Review of 2015

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Jenny Osbourne Chief Executive Steve Meakin MBE Chair

This edition of Round Up will be our last one as we have decided to make some changes to our membership service following months of consultation. Whilst the edition continues to deliver interesting news about tenant and resident involvement we also wanted to take the opportunity to tell you about some of the changes we are planning in 2016.

We are taking a ‘you said we did’ approach and will be implementing changes over the next four months with a full launch from April 2016. You can look forward to a new functioning website which will offer improved access to good practice and a platform for creating conversations across our member network. We will also be looking at deliveringcost effective and targeted online communications.Read more about it on page 6. We alreadyprovide fantastic opportunities for members to share and hear good practice at our regional meetings and these will continue to be a membership benefit. Read more about how to get involved with our regional meetings on page 5.

Tenant View is an initiative that we’ve been working on. It’s about providing opportunities for our tenant members to have their say and share their opinions on the issues that

matter to them. We already have a regular Tenant Voice feature in 24Housing magazine but are keen for tenants to blog and write pieces for our website – don’t worry we will support you to do this!

We have also been raising the profile of Tenant involvement by getting involved in ministerial discussions and providing opportunities for tenants to have a voice via our roundtable event. Something we hope to do more of! Read page 9 for details.

Since the General Election in May 2015 the social housing sector has been faced with ongoing issues and challenges. TPAS has been involved in national conversations and we have and will continue to keep our members informed about all the policy changes through regular briefings. Our Policy Adviser Abi Davies reflects on the current policy position on page 3 and 4.

The sector has always operated under a Value for Money spotlight but the budget announcements have placed a much bigger emphasis on it. Landlords are starting to look at reprioritising expenditure and there has been much commentary that there will be an end to added value activities such as tenant and resident involvement. But tenant engagement

Introduction

Get in touch using any of the following; Follow us:

Call 0161 868 3500 Email info@tenantcentral.org.uk Like us:

Visit www.tenantcentral.org.uk Write Tenant Central Team, TPAS, Suite 4b Trafford Plaza, 73 Seymour Grove, Manchester M16 0LD.

@tenant_central

In this issue of RoundUpTPAS PolicyPage 3

MembershipPage 5 - 6

TrainingPage 14

Peer Mentor Challenge Page 13

Member StoriesPage 11-12

Raising the Profile of Tenant involvment Page 9

Housing OmbudsmanPage 10

#HousingDayPage 7 - 8

Welcometo your latest issue of

/TPAStenantcentral

Each FREE event has a regional focus.Hear from organisations, tenants and tenant involvement specialists about what’s happening now. Explore the important issues in tenant involvement today and make your case for involvement tomorrow.

26 January Exeter, The Rougemont Hotel. 9 February Birmingham, Colmore Gate Conference Centre. 18 February Brighton, The Waterfront Hotel. 23 February Newcastle, The Copthorne Hotel.

Book NOW at www.tenantcentral.org.uk Stay in touch with TPAS on0161 868 3500 or email info@tpas.org.uk

is not just a nice to have, if done right and shaped around your organisation and customers it can help to drive down costs; improve services and satisfaction and deliver benefits for tenants. Here at TPAS we have been doing a lot of work around Valuing Involvement. We recently helped Alliance Homes to demonstrate the social value of their involvement activity by delivering bespoke training. Read more about it on page 14.

Despite all of the pressures it is to be commended that we still found the time to celebrate all that is great about social housing with the national #HousingDay Campaign. Now in its third year HousingDay recognises the positive impact of social housing on thousands of people across the UK with stories from landlords; staff and proud tenants.Read more about what went on and how we supported the campaign on page 7 and 8.

Social housing plays a significant role in society and there are great people living and working in social housing who dedicate themselves toimproving lives and communities. TPAS will continue to support them to do that and wewill continue to recognise and promote fantastic examples of tenant involvement and empowerment. Read two great member stories on pages 11 and 12.

FREEEVENTSfor tenants

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TPAS Policy

associations were busy gearing up for a tougher regulatory regime that was keeping them very focused on ‘business issues’. Asset and liability registers andstress testing were order of the day.Not much relating to tenant involvement here at all, in fact some involved tenants were wondering where the focus on housing services had gone. ALMOs and local authorities were in a relatively stable policy environment, with a buzz in councils about the potential offered by devolution. The push to complete grant funded new homes by the end of March was on, and despite a shortage of bricks and plasterers everything was finished on time.

Tenants and housing staff were busy adjusting to unfamiliar Universal Credit and its preference for direct payment of rent, and Real Life Reform reminded the outside world that the pain of welfare reform continued for many.

Mostly though, everyone was preparing for the election. The housing sector made a lot of noise about the importance of building new homes and held aHomes for Britain rally outside Parliament. SHOUT continued to make the case for social housing compared to other tenures and politicians actually committed to doing something about housing.

And then the surprise, Britain suddenly had a Conservative government with a weak opposition and a lot to get done.

Legislation would bring in more welfare reforms and higher rents for some households, putting more pressure on stretched household budgets. Rent cuts would bring budget pressures for social landlords, and attention fell onto service standards and community investment as landlords tried to respond. Councils would face financial penalties for owning homes in higher value areas, and housing associations decided to voluntarily adopt the Right to Buy to avoid being forced to. Government funding would be directed towards home ownership, and financial pressures made developing landlords shift more of their activity to homes for sale too. On top of all that, security of tenure would be reviewed.

This is most definitely a game changer for social housing. Some housing associations are having a rethink of their purpose and target client groups, others are looking for ways to remain as ‘community anchors’. Councils and ALMOs are more secure in their purpose but face big financial and operational challenges. Local authority

and housing association relationships must surely change as new policies and responses drive a wedge between them. People in future housing need seem to face fewer housing options, less security and lower quality. Some current tenants look set to benefit from Right to Buy and rent cuts but the resulting pressure to scale back on tenants’ priorities of involvement, maintenance quality, community investment and new social housing supply is significant.

It feels like the next year could be uphill for involved tenants and the staff that work with them. The foundations are strong though. Landlords that are committed to involvement will continue to see the benefits, tenants will continue to argue for a better future, and TPAS will continue to provide a buzzing hub ofsupport and celebration for all involved.

It has been a year of two halves for the social housing world. Landlords and tenants alike were just settling into working with new policies, when the July budget came along andchanged everything.

The future of social housing, and tenants’ experiences within that housing, now look very different than they did six months ago. It’s an evolving picture however, and one that can still be influenced by people with a stake in it.

A quick look back at the early months of 2015 reminds us that housing

Find out more at:www.tpas.org.uk

“...2015 reminds us that housing associations were busy...”

An Evolving Picture

“The future of social housing, and tenants’ experiences within that housing, now look very different than they did six months ago.”

“Councils and ALMOs are more secure in their purpose but face big financial and operational challenges.”

Author: Abi Davies Policy Adviser

Landlords and tenants alike were just settling into working with new policies...

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TPAS Membership

Call 0161 868 3500 or email: info@tpas.org.uk Follow us on @tpasenglandLike us on /tpasengland

Keep up-to-date with TPAS andmembership news via the weekly ezine.

Author: Caroline Wolfenden Membership Manager

Investing in the futureThe current TPAS website is over ten years old; in the digital world this is classed as pretty ancient. We want new and existing members to be able to access our resources and information as quickly and efficiently as possible using different devices.

As part of our new membership service which will be launched fromApril 2016 we have invested in a newwebsite which will deliver a better customer experience and improve your access to membership benefits.Expect different methods of communication; new events; more good practice content and example documents; and a platform where you can create conversations and share knowledge across our member network.

We will also be moving from rolling date to fixed date memberships sothat all memberships will run from 1st April to 31st March. This will enable us to build relationships andsupport ongoing contact with youduring the course of your membership.

There will be some changes to our fees to reflect the improvements that we are making and also to whom we offer membership so that we can widen access to our expertise.

When we’re ready to launch our new offer we will be in touch with all of our members. We want to take this opportunity to thank

you for being committed to tenant and resident involvement and a loyal member of TPAS andwe hope that you’re as excited as us for the changes ahead!

For any information about your membership contact me on 0161 868 3551 or email caroline.wolfenden@tpas.org.uk

TPAS Regional Meetings

Network & LearnEast. We try to deliver the meetings in a different locality every time to make them as accessible as possible to all of our members.

What is the structure of the day?Registration is from 11.30am with an opportunity to get a cup of tea and a biscuit and meet other attendees. The meeting kicks off at 12pm with a welcome from our Regional Manager and lunch is provided at 12.45pm. The rest of the afternoon focuses on good practice presentations with a 3pm finish.

What sort of topics do we cover?We like to keep our members informed about what is going on in the sector and the work in which TPAS is involved so we always make time for a TPAS Talks session that delivers important information and enables discussion across the group. We then have two or three presentations whereby membersshare their innovative approaches to involvement. There’s always opportunity to ask questions and the lunch break offers a chance to talk to new people and make future contacts.

How do you find out about the regional meetings?All of the details about forthcoming regional meetings can be found on the TPAS website under the Membership section. Bookings are made through our online booking system. We also promote dates and locations via our electronic newsletter which currently goes out every week direct to your inbox.Here’s a list of our next round of meetings:

London & South East...... 8th MarchMidlands........................ 2nd FebruaryEastern.......................... 9th FebruarySouth West.................... 16th FebruaryNorth West..................... 9th MarchNorth East...................... 24th March

Getting in touchIf you would like to speak at one of our regional meetings or have any questions about TPAS membership benefits please contact the Membership Team on 0161 868 3500

I attended a Regional Meeting in York last Wednesday - it was ACE! Gill Mclaren kick-started the presentations off with a brilliant update of what has been going on over the last year and a bit of an insight into what has yet to come. A good day was had by all.Penny Rodmell, Hull City Council

What are Regional Meetings?These events are an opportunity to share and hear about good practice in tenant and resident involvement. They are coordinated by our Membership Team and led by our Regional Consultancy Managers Kate Newbolt; Emma-Jane Flynn and Gill Mclaren. They provide an opportunity for learning; sharing of ideas and networking.

Who are they for?Regional meetings are open to all of our members to attend including tenants; landlords and contractors. They are part of your membership package so you are free to attend as many as you like. They are also a platform for members to showcase their success and we are always on the look-out for member speakers who are doing great things.

Where and how often do they take place?We currently run three meetings across each of our six regions which equates to eighteen meetings in total across the year. Our six regions include Eastern; London and South East; Midlands; South West; North West and North

“We like to keep our members informed about what is going on in the sector and the work in which TPAS is involved ”

Find out more at:www.tpas.org.uk

“...from April 2016 we have invested in a newwebsite which will deliver a better customer experience...”

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Housing Day 2015

Tenants at the heart of #HousingDay This year’s #HousingDay reached a potential audience of 3.5 million people.#HousingDay is a 24 hour campaign across Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media networks. Our focus for #HousingDay was to share and tell stories of why our tenants are proud to live in their homes or active in their community. We borrowed a simple idea from Berneslai Homes of their ‘Proud to be a Tenant’ campaign.

This showcased how proud they are of their tenants and celebrated this by sharing their feedback. But the real challenge was to encourage them to tell us why they are proud to be tenants using #proudtenant.

The day aimed to tackle negative portrayals of those who live in council,social or affordable housing, as well as those on benefits through programmes like ‘Benefits Street’.#HousingDay presented our chanceto challenge these negative perceptions and present an alternative view ofhow social housing supports andenables people to fulfil ambitions and transform their lives for the better. Only by housing organisations putting their tenants first and supporting them will we be able to compile and tell a different story.

Last years research work with Ipsos Mori found a picture of a British public favourable to social housing. By five to one they agree rather than disagree social housing plays an important role in tackling poverty. And by 61 per cent to 14 per cent private renters and owner occupiers think the negative view of social tenants is unfair, but many don’t know much about the types of people living in social housing.

This is another reason why we needed to put across more about our #ProudTenants.

#HousingDay HighlightsThis year’s #housingday topped 16,300 tweets - averaging 680 tweets an hour - with an overall reach of 3.5 million and had 3,500 contributions. It trended on twitter all day, peaking at number five.

The National Federation of ALMOs released profiles of 110 board members, every five minutes throughout the day. They recognisedthe important positive role these #ProudTenants play in their communities. But also in the way one third of tenants are represented on their Boards.

We had large numbers of individual tenant stories published in the

mainstream and by their organisations. Leslie Channon, Chair of Cottsway’s Scrutiny Panel story was published by the Chartered Institute of Housing she said:

‘I am no longer willing to be silent – I am a proud tenant.’ Jemma Bere, proud tenant/board member of Wales & West Housing talked about ‘how social housing was my lifeline’.

Hundreds and hundreds of personal stories were shared, from a variety of backgrounds involved or not shouting about what they do and whatthey think. They’re totally inspirationaland provide a voice which needs to shout louder than never before for social housing.

We also arranged a second hour long twitter #HousingDayChat for tenants. The aim was to connect people together and to share their experiences. Over 80 tenants participated in the Q&A event – which reached 55,000 accounts.

The chat sessions will continue, so please follow or get in touch with@HousingDay on twitter for the next event.

This year was a fantastic effort by all those who took part. Thank you for the work you have put in. But please we must keep up creating and sharing our proud tenant stories.

We have a long way to go to tackle stigma and of ending the housing crisis. The success of this day is totally down to you.

#HousingDay founder Adrian Capon, Senior Communications Officer, Yorkshire Housing.

Find out more at:www.housingday.co.uk

“This year’s #housingday topped 16,300 tweets - averaging 680 tweets an hour...”

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TPAS Review TPAS Review

that they are diverse, unique as well as having many similarities; their principle aim being to act as a Designated Person as proscribed in the Localism Act 2011.This means that they are an independent body, recognised by their landlord, which considers a complaint once it has been exhausted by the organisations internal complaints procedure with powers torefer the case to the Housing Ombudsman. We found that many panels are involved in seeking practical and creative solutions to complaints and resolving the issue prior to any Housing Ombudsman redress being necessary. It’s here that the principles of dispute are so crucial;

• Be fair - treat people fairly and follow fair processes • Put things right • Learn from outcomes

The panels that carried out the formal DP role had investigated the complaint in depth and had on occasions made recommendations to award tenants compensation, amend policies and procedures, review decisions and nowinvolve senior managers early in complaints

with an emphasis on getting it right first time as well as having changed internal complaints processes.

A number of organisations had spent time setting up groups and had not had any cases referred to them, so felt slightly frustrated. However many of these panels had taken on an internal performance monitoring and reviewing role. Although not strictly the DTP role a number of panels either already do or are considering acting as an advocate and supporting complainants throughout the process.

What is clear from this project though is that all of the organisations we contacted identified that having a DTPhad benefited the organisation and thetenants too. It had been an ideal opportunity to review the internal complaints process, develop mechanism so the organisation learns from complaints and changed the emphasis to one of early dispute resolution.

For more information and help contact TPAS, we offer courses and consultancy support to help you

• Develop a Designated Tenants Panel • Training to develop DTP members • Training courses to help your organisation learn from complaints

Earlier this year The Housing Ombudsman asked TPAS to carry out a project exploring the role of ‘Designated Tenant Panels; our large membership base, reach, reputation and understanding of the topic making TPAS the ideal partner.

The aim was for THO to see how they can develop the Tenant Panel register and work with Tenant Panels so members feel confident and supported to play their part in resolving disputes fairly.

There are approximately 75 Designated Tenant Panels registered with the THO and what proved interesting from the sample we contacted is finding out

It’s certainly been a busy, challenging and future defining year for TPAS and tenant involvement.The year started positively with the launch of the ‘Investment Not a Cost’ report.This report was widely acknowledged by government and housing sector to successfully demonstrate the business benefits of tenant involvement on value for money and satisfaction.

This academically endorsed report included data and case studies from a wide range of landlords and tenants across England. Thank you to so many of you that took part. The profile and buy in to what brilliant tenant involvement delivers for organisations was looking strong.

A highlight of any TPAS year is the Annual Conference and national awards final.

Out of chance rather than design, the conference took place as the emergency budget was announced. Together we learnt that social housing rents were to reduce by 1% and that Right to Buywould be extended to housing association tenants. The reactions from tenants to these announcements were strong, passionate and informed. Tenants were very quickly wary of the 1% cut and what this could mean to the services they value from their landlords. They still are...

But amidst the worry was hope and determination for the future of involvement. We celebrated our new tenant and youngtenant of the year; Marjorie Marsden from Wigan & Leigh Homes and JessicaAndrade from Cottsway HA. If involvement is to stay strong we need to celebrate more tenants like these two.

In October I was invited to the CLG select committee inquiry into the Right to Buy. For TPAS to be called on the first day, alongside the National Federation of Housing and the Council of Mortgage Lenders, was important, because tenants’ views and opinions had so

far been marginalised in the debates and ‘deal’ discussions. Finally, through TPAS membership, tenants’ opinions and views were having a chance to be heard. About time.

Because it’s a worry that support for involvement and the body of evidence that we worked to gather is being eroded. What we have built as a sector through hard work, commitment, good will and trust is at risk of being destroyed. And tenants deserve far better than that.

In November we hosted the first TPAS Roundtable with David Orr from NHF. Ten tenants took part in an insightful live streamed debate about how tenantscould be part of finding creative solutionsto the challenge of building new homes for social rent and maintaining the standards of their current homes. This is a new path that TPAS is ready to take. A pathseeking out opportunities for tenant voices to be heard by the key influencerswho are shaping the housing policies of tomorrow.

Make sure you join our Tenants View to get your voice heard. Tenant involvement has always made the difference. TPAS is determined it continues to.

Raising the profile of tenant involvment

TPAS, The Housing Ombudsman (THO) and Designated Tenants Panels (DTP)

“A highlight of any TPAS year is the Annual Conference and National Awards Final.”

“The aim was for THO to see how they can develop the Tenant Panel register and work with Tenant Panels...”

Author: Jenny Osbourne TPAS Chief Executive

Find out more at:www.tpas.org.uk

Also look at The Housing Ombudsman website which is full of information www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk

What inspired you to get involved with your landlord?

Cottsway organised a family coach trip to Peppa Pig World and I went with my mum, my brother and my little sister. I sat with someone from the Cottsway Communities Team who asked if I wanted to be involved in a new youth forum that they were setting up. I got involved because I wanted to do something with people of a similar age and background plus it sounded fun and it was my chance to give something back.

What do you see as the main challenges in your neighbourhood?

Burford is a very affluent market town, with lots of listed buildings

and wealthy people, with little ethnic minorities. As a social housing tenant, I often wonder whether other people judge me on the home where I live.

How did it feel to be named as young tenant of the year?

Winning the award was amazing, I feltoverjoyed and very grateful and my family were really proud. I have the awards in my bedroom and when friends come to my house I enjoy telling them what it means to be young tenant of the year and see it as an opportunity to tell them about social housing.

What part of being an involved tenant do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy gaining a lot of experience; having fun, and making new friends. One of our projects was to get external

funding to take other young Cottsway tenants to a weekend residential. We had to put together an application, and a presentation to a panel of fellow young people. I liked this the most because it boosted my confidence and gave me new skills.

What advice would you give to landlords who want to engage with and involve more young people?

Be professional but not too formal because some young people might be shy or might find it scary. Make things fun; enjoyable and friendly. Don’t always host meetings at the office but use local facilities, like the park, local youth centre or even restaurants. In the summer holidays we played Rounders against the Cottsway staff which was a lot of fun.

Jess Andrade – TPAS Young tenant of the year 2015

Find out more at:www.tpasawards.co.uk

My story:

“Winning the award was amazing...!”

Tenant Rob Duhig; spurred on by hisinvolvement with Circle Housing Wherry managed to secure employment. Read what Rob has to say about his journey.

How have you been involved and what inspired you?

I was a member of the Circle Housing Wherry Scrutiny Panel for five years. It was gratitude that inspired me to get involved. When I got my house I felt safe and secure and wanted to give something back to a sector that had given so much to me. Little did I know that by becoming involved I would learn so much and it would lead to such a major change in my life.

What do you most enjoy about being involved and what difference have you made?

I enjoyed being treated like a useful member of society again – suddenly there were people who were interested in what I had to say. I have also met so many other involved residents that want to make a difference. Becoming a Community Warden has been fantastic for me. I have come home from work

on a number of occasions and thought ‘I have helped change someone’s life today’ which is such a special feeling.

Is there are a particular success that you are most proud of?

When I first became a Community Warden I found a tiny piece of unloved land in Cobholm, Great Yarmouth that was a magnet for fly tipping. Having found out that in 1953 the infamous floods destroyed 3,500 homes and caused 10 deaths in this small community it got me thinking that we could turn the area into a memorial garden for the residents. I rallied local people and with the support of Circle Housing ‘The Cobholm Floods Memorial’ was opened in August by the Lord Mayor. I must admit to feeling a tinge of pride on that day.

How has being involved helped you both personally and professionally?

If I had not become an involved resident I would not be working today. The warmth and respect shown to me by the staff at Circle Housing Wherry and the training and support from Circle and TPAS really helped to give me the confidence to believe in myself again and seek treatment for the various ailments, including depression that had caused my medical retirement. In July 2014 this all culminated in my return to full-time work after over 12 years. To think I once thought that being involved would only take up a couple of hours a month!

What are your thoughts about what is going on in the social housing sector?

Personally I am appalled by much of the recent legislation. However, as an

employee of a Housing Association I know that the organisations have to comply with the HCA. For me, that means striving to give our residents’ the best possible service and value for money. Therefore, I would prefer to focus on the more positive factors of the past few years such as greater levels of resident involvement, which has to be good.

Why is it important for tenants to have a voice and be involved?

When I first lived in social housing we were once asked what colour we would like our front door painted, red, yellow or blue? We chose red, and got blue! That was the only time we were consulted over a four year period. Some consultation! We had no involvement, no influence and no voice. Nowadays residents are involved all the way up to board level and we have so much more influence over our housing environment. Having a voice means that we can shape the type of services we need and that decisions are made by the people that actually live in the properties. Having achieved this level of involvement it is important for us to constantly aim higher, the more residents that become involved the louder our voice and the more influence we can have on our sector and ultimately Government. It really doesn’t matter how much one gets involved, just give it a go and see what happens. After all it might change your life. It did mine.

Rob’s Journey

Find out more at:www.tpas.org.uk

My story:

“Having a voice means that we can shape the type of services we need...”

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Member story: Member story:

TPAS TRAINING 14

For further information contact the TPAS Training Team on:0161 868 3520 or email: training@tpas.org.uk

Training

It’s not all about the moneyWe in tenant involvement land over the last few years have heard a lot about Social Value and VFM (Value for Money) There doesn’t seem to be a day goes by where we don’t see a new article or get some sales rep emailing us the latest measuring tool.“But what does it all mean?” we cry and most important of all how do we put these things into practice.

At Alliance Homes we felt we needed some answers and that’s when we turned to TPAS for help. We called the training department and explained our needs. Alliance Homes is a community interest company based in North Somerset, we don’t just deliver housing, we have our own floating support division, we provide elderly home care and have considerable interests in renewable energy.

At Alliance involvement is everyone’s responsibility and in this world of tighter budgets we need to ensure that our engagement not only provides value for money, but excellent social value too.Armed with this information TPAS delivered a tailored made course called “Show the Worth” that more than met our needs. The trainer Mal through email and phone conversations gained a really good idea of our organisation and gave the day a real Alliance flavour. She tailored the course to suit a group that included managers and frontline staff from all parts of the organisation and thanks to our TPAS member benefit rate it was excellent value too.

Through the day we were able to learn about the various methods to monitor VFM and social value and how this ties in with our regulatory requirements. We gained valuable tips on how to put measuring social value and VFM into our day to day work and the benefits it can bring to us in the long run.

We didn’t leave at the end of the day with all the answers, but we did leave with loads of fresh ideas. Since then we have managed to conduct social impact evaluations on eleven of our involvement projects; this has helped us

greatly in developing our engagement plans for next year.

TPAS ‘Show the Worth’ courseAvailable as a in house or an open access course.This course explores how ‘social value’ is created through resident involvement and community initiatives. It looks at planning for outcomes and building in measures to show the value you create. This session takes learners through the process of planning involvement or community development activities to ensure that it achieves outcomes using the theory of change model. It then looks at the ways outcome information can be used and reported so that stakeholders including tenants, partners and funders can see what projects have achieved. The course also includes the role of Social Return on Investment calculation and how and when the HACT Wellbeing Valuation calculator can be used in community projects.

“... this has helped us greatly in developing our engagement plans for next year.”

Author: Caritas Charles Alliance Homes

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TPAS Review

In early October I arrived in Wiltshire to meet the other five members of the group - three senior councillors from other authorities and two LGA members. We had been deluged with documents from the Council in the two weeks prior to the start of the Challenge so we had already formed some idea of the questions we wanted to ask.

Over the next three days I spent nearly all my time at meetings at the Housing Department which was an hours drive from the main Council offices. I met with tenants, staff of the housing department,

resident involvement, the council repairs department and they also had repairs contractors. I also met with the Scrutiny Group and the group that they reported to which was comprised of both tenants and councillors.

Personally it was a learning curve for me as I had very little idea of how council housing works as I am a housing association tenant.

We presented out draft report to the Council on the fourth morning although they had been updated on our findings every evening so nothing would have been a surprise to them. The final report has not been published yet so I am unable to give you this but my main concerns were that tenants felt very uninvolved and divorced from decision making. Hopefully things will improve as a result of the suggestions we have made.

Earlier this year I was approached via TPASto take part in a PeerMentor Challenge Review with the LGA(Local Government Association). I had no idea what this was but luckily it was accompanied by a comprehensive document and I was able to say “yes please”. I always want to know how things work!

Local authorities ask for Peer Challenges to be carried out on areas of their work for an independent view of how they are doing and for feedback as critical friends. I was asked to take part as the area to be looked at was housing services and the Council had asked for a tenant to be involved.

Peer Mentor Challenge

“I was asked to take part as the area to be looked at was housing services...”

Author: Carole Burchett Soha Housing

Find out more at:www.tpas.org.uk

WWW.TPASAWARDS.ORG.UK

Nominations now open!

/tpasengland @tpasawardsf

For more information including sponsorship opportunities please contact Penni Pennington on:0161 776 7192 or email: penni@connectin.co.uk

Southern Final: Friday 5th February 2016 - London

Nomination Deadline - • EXPIRED •

Central Final: Friday 4th March 2016 - Birmingham

Nomination Deadline - • EXPIRED •

Northern Final: Friday 29th April 2016 - Manchester

Nomination Deadline - 22nd January 2016

CategoriesTenant of the Year Young Tenant of the YearTeam of the YearExcellence in Youth InvolvementExcellence in Equality & DiversityExcellence in Annual ReportsExcellence in Community ActionExcellence in Contractor EngagementExcellence in ScrutinyExcellence in Digital InvolvementExcellence in Employment, Skills and TrainingExcellence in Involvement: Rural/Small Housing Providers

an event by

Celebrating the people, ideas andorganisations that are shaping the tenantinvolvement of tomorrow

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