To the future and beyond
How tenant engagement is improving across the housing sector
ASIDE FROM THE NEW regulation regime that is now firmly embedded into the social housing sector, we have moved into a fast growing, ever changing stream of housing sector changes which isn’t going to slow down anytime soon.
For tenants, the progression has been, in more ways than one, better than we could ever have imagined. It is impressive that hundreds of tenants are involved in all manner of tenant engagement across the housing sector, whether it’s on the boards of registered social landlords; on communication groups helping to shape the information tenants find useful; or influencing future housing support needs. Even tenants of local authorities who have opted to retain their stock are seeing a gaggle of partnerships growing between landlords and tenants in the monitoring and delivery of service and investment.
The Tenant Advisory Panel (TAP) has proved its importance and usefulness as a ‘service user voice’ at senior levels of regulation and with the recent regulatory review outcomes study, where it was revealed that more tenant influence is required, it recognised the valuable contribution that tenants can and do make.
Certainly, with the opportunity to share knowledge and experience with professional housing staff, tenants of regulated social housing are in many ways leading by ensuring that tenants are at the heart of decision shaping processes. That enthusiasm is also spreading, with growing signs that private rented sector tenants want a similar ability to shape their sector. Neither tenants or landlords are, however, complacent – there is still a lot to do.
The recent review, for example, has spawned three sub groups of the Regulatory Board Wales to examine how the sector can maintain a lead and respond to future regulatory challenges: a Financial Advisory Group – focusing on the investment and financial risks; the Regulatory Advisory Group – tasked with responding to the need to focus on a range of risks the sector faces, and on which a TAP member sits; and of course the Learning and Development Group – with the focus on supporting the sector to continually improve, including how we better support tenants to become involved in that process.
As we move into 2014 we are reminded of the Homes for Wales strategy which states: ‘Social housing has been the focus in past years. It remains important, but we are now taking a much broader view. We see our responsibility as the “stewardship” of the whole housing system.’
The need to get more tenants engaged from all different profiles and sectors is therefore absolutely necessary to ensure that we have good succession planning in place and to maintain the influence tenants have had. So let’s all do more to celebrate what the social housing sector does and help more tenants become involved. If you want to do that we would be happy to support you in supporting your tenants to become involved in regulation of the sector.
In the meantime here are some TAP members’ views of why it’s important to get involved.
‘Since the advent of the Regulatory Framework and the subsequent self- assessments and HARAs I have found the involvement of tenants in the governance and participatory aspects of HAs have improved greatly.
‘Tenants are becoming more and more involved and this will continue in the future with the advent of scrutiny panels which have been suggested by the Welsh Government as good practice for the future of the sector.
‘Boards are to be more accountable and the individual skill sets and length of service of members are to be continually assessed to have a robust and fresh active board.
‘Through TAP and the efforts of individual members, tenants now have a voice and we are being listened to and our recommendations acted upon.’ Mike Wiseman (TAP)
‘As a TAP member this has given me insight into issues that affect tenants, and invaluable in informing my practice once qualified as a social worker. Being on TAP takes a holistic view of issues nationally this can then ensure you look at the bigger issues and have a comparative element when discussing regional issues amongst
the other members. As members of TAP we ensure that tenants are at the heart of regulation and ensure that tenants voices are not just heard but listened too through a variety of engagement methods.
‘One of the biggest challenges we face not only as TAP members but also in the housing sector is engaging new tenants in a way that is meaningful for them. We need to ensure we can reach as many tenants in Wales as we can and empower and demonstrate that positive change can happen for them. I am particularly focused on finding new ways to get younger people involved and ensure we can all pull together as communities through this challenging financial climate we now work within.’ Claire Russell Griffiths (TAP)