In my previous role, and as an independent consultant, I hear a lot of concern about tenant engagement groups being ‘the same old faces’. This usually means that the people sitting on scrutiny panels, regularly attending groups and activities are people who have been involved for a while and turn up frequently.
Are the same old faces a problem?
There are often concerns that there is a lack of diversity, and groups are not representative of the communities they serve. On some occasions, it also means that the same experiences are used to exemplify the problems tenants are experiencing. Tenants who are committed to regular engagement are often over 50, often white, and often have some disabilities.
But does being committed and being from a limited demographic mean that your input is less valuable. I would say, absolutely not!
It’s time for a reality check.
As you’re reading this, think about the voluntary work you do. Are you a member of the PTA? Are you a steward at a local sporting event? Do you spend your spare time volunteering at a local foodbank?
While there will be some of us who say yes, the majority of us will say no. Usually because time is a precious commodity and fitting other things in around work, family and other responsibilities is hard.
So why are we expecting so much from our tenants? The demographic who are most often committed to regular engagement are the ones that have some time and ability to spend days in meetings and training events. They have the time to absorb copious amounts of knowledge, to think of new ideas and to be critical friends.
It’s time the housing sector acknowledged the massive expectations placed upon engaged tenants (often with minimal reward) and started being grateful for the time offered and the expertise that has been built over time.
It’s time we asked a different question…
How can we utilise the talents of the ‘same old faces’ to access the views of other tenants?
In a previous role, we involved almost 4,000 individual tenants and residents in a year, but the tenants involved in regular scrutiny and other activities was probably around 40.
The core tenants can be supported to learn about confidentiality and boundaries. They can be trained to understand the values and strategy of an organisation. And then they can talk to other tenants about their experiences. They can advise us on the best way of approaching subjects. They can steer the conversation and actions to things that will actually make a difference. And, because they turn up regularly, they can help us to monitor progress.
I believe that the same old faces are key to our success in delivering the consumer standards, improving tenant satisfaction and in moving towards excellent customer service.
It’s time we celebrated the same old faces for giving us so much for so little.
If you’d like to explore any of the issues in more depth, get in touch!
claire@tentaclesconsultancy.co.uk
www.tentaclesconsultancy.co.uk
