Above: The Tenant Participation Learning Calendar: as well as this TPAS run Digi Training (public and in-house)
webinars Events and Learning Pods and short courses on community led and driven activities such as the recent (28th Oct 2023 12.30-2.30) Creating Bright and Beautiful Communities hosted by Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins and Shropshire Garden Organic
In the forty years of council housing being sold to long standing tenants, housing associations of all sizes flourishing, larger council estates being managed originally as Arm’s Length companies. Today there are 1600 of all kinds small businesses, cooperatives, charities, community interest companies so you can see the crucial role that TPAS plays distributing knowledge and good practice across the UK (and further through its extensive networks across the world).
The Tenant Participatory Advisory Service was set up at the same time as the 1988 Housing Act. Over those forty years TPAS has evolved into a dynamic catalyst for outreach, engagement, inclusion and education across the housing sector. As times have evolved and changed, TPAS can be seen as a driver of insight and best practice working with groups of staff, tenants, local government, policy makers. They’ve evolved into a smart and dynamic catalyst enabling the very best practice to become the organisation and company norm for over 200 Housing Associations including Together Housing.
In the last three years, as with MTVH, Together Housing have been working to embed and strengthen the voice of their customers.
Like MTVH, Together Housing realises the value and importance of tenant voice, spending the last year going through an intense scrutiny and accountability process. During the year of the process they collated 200 evidential documents to support and resource the self assessment process. Interviews with residents, staff, board members and focus groups as well as the evidential documents were reviewed by the Board, residents as well as focus groups.
Gillian Mclaren the TPAS assessor would then validate Together Housing’s information.
In January 2023 Together Housing were contacted to say they’d passed the accreditation process. It meant that they could feel that they’d made real progress, that they’re accountable for their actions and that input from residents is joining up the work everyone is involved in. Justin Appleyard who was a resident working with his housing association commented to TPAS: “It was a tough process, but worth it! I found the experience of being an active resident working with Together Housing so rewarding. I’ve supported other residents to be better informed so they can get their issues resolved sooner. My involvement, along with Together Housing working in a person-centred way, has helped shape some services for the better.”
Nana-Essi, involved in one of the many resident focus groups during accreditation, said: “As a resident with multiple disabilities, I am in danger of becoming a recluse; albeit inadvertently. However, being invited onto various resident engagement activities cancels out this possibility. We are kept engaged with meetings as well as attending courses that all go a long way to improving one’s understanding of the various workings of a social housing provider. Meeting and getting to know new people is such a valuable bonus.”
Through the engagement during Gillian’s accreditation the momentum to continue and develop the Customer Voice in scrutiny of performance and in all aspects of housing association life and the life of residents.
At 9am Wednesday 15th March TPAS will open the Engaging Communities Conference at The Crowne Plaza Hotel Nottingham MTVH and many other housing associations will be there it’s a great opportunity for change, sharing ideas, reporting back….
Conference Programme
9.00am
Arrivals and Registration
10.00am
Welcome from TPAS
10.15am
Keynote Speakers
Kate Dodsworth: Director of Consumer Regulation at the Regulator of Social Housing
Charlie Norman: Chief Executive of Mosscare St Vincent’s Housing Association (MSV)
11.00am
Break
11.15am
Complaints – are we really making any progress?
The Housing Ombudsman (Chief Exec is Richard Blakeway) will go through their annual review and give their take on this thought provoking question.
You’ll also hear from Mitch Allseybrook, Customer Experience Manager at Places for People, who will share with you the successes of their Independent Tenant Complaints Panel
Tenant Satisfaction Measures – the Essentials
Led by TPAS’s policy people, featuring input from Housemark the leading data and insight company for the UK housing sector, this informative and insightful session will bring you right up to date with the best Tenant Satisfaction Measures
Tackling the cost of living crisis with partnership power!
Senior Community Partnership Manager Brian Hamlin
and CJ Bowry CEO of Sal’s Shoes,
And Guiness share top tips on forming effective partnerships, and look at how they can be used successfully during a cost of living crisis
Creating an Engagement Positive Culture – Tips, Tools and Techniques
Solihull Community Housing give first hand insight into its internal culture transformation, creating an organisation where staff understand and value engagement and know that it’s their job too!
12.45pm – 1.30pm
Lunch and Networking
1.30pm – 2.15pm
Post lunch plenary – Old map, new world
Ian Wright, Chief Executive, Disruptive Innovators Network
We can’t use an old map to navigate this new world. What are the lessons we can learn from other sectors around dealing with tech disruption yet being more innovative?
What is a satisfied customer?
Ian’s session is an exploring, provoking and challenging the current operating environment: touching on failure, service transformation, corporate innovation and different ways to think about how we run housing businesses.
2.25pm – 3.55pm
Engagement Workshops
What the new regulations mean
Angela Holden, Regulator for Social Housing
and Anna O’Halloran TPAS National Consultancy Manager and former Audit Commission Inspector.
Trailblazers – Challenging the Scrutiny Conventions
Delivered by TPAS Scrutiny Experts
Gillian Mclaren and Tonia Punter
Challenge scrutiny norms and generate your own ideas based on key scrutiny themes.
Hearing all Tenants Voices
A look at how Behavioural Insight principles help engagement with the wider Tenant base. Delivered by TPAS National Consultancy managers
Action Learning Mini Pod
Bring burning issues to our mini pod and work collaboratively with peers and colleagues to identify successful actions and solutions.
Facilitated by Community Development and Engagement Practitioner TPAS/Playing Out Children’s Street Play organisation CEO Pete Davies
3.55pm
Refreshments and optional networking time with delegates and TPAS staff
From 4.00pm
Conference ends
Key Speakers
Kate Dodsworth, Director of Regulation, Regulator for Social Housing
Chief Executive at MSV Housing Association
Ian Wright, Chief Executive, Disruptive Innovators Network
Costs
Member rate of £199
Non-member price is £250 (plus VAT)
About the Hotel
We have some rooms on hold at the hotel for the night before the conference – 14th March. This is at a special rate of £135 B&B. Free parking at the hotel (Validate your parking ticket on arrival). It’s fifteen minute walk from Nottingham Train Station. Catch the tram (£1 three stops) to Theatre Royal a couple of minutes walk from the hotel. Taxi ramp at the train station also. Crowne Plaza Nottingham has leisure facilities: pool, spa and gym.
If you have any questions or need further information, please call Lisa Holt on 0161 868 3500 or email lisa.holt@tpas.org.uk
Wed 15th Mar 2023, 9:00am – 4:00pm
Venue Details
Crowne Plaza Nottingham
Wollaton Street, Nottingham, Nottingham shire, NG1 5RH
Engaging Communities Conference 2023
Membership Staff Tenant
Members £199.00 N/A
Non-Members £250.00 N/A
Event Contact
Name: Lisa Holt
Email: lisa.holt@tpas.org.uk
Phone: 0161 868 3500
Tpas Registered address:
c/o Beever and Struthers,
One Express,
1 George Leigh Street,
Ancoats,
Manchester, M4 5DL
Contact us via email or phone in the first instance. Post can be sent via the registered office but please be aware it may take longer for us to receive it.
T. 0161 868 3500
E. info@tpas.org.uk
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