Virtual hub group discuss tenants’ involvement

Customer Voice Officer Natalie led discussions about tenants getting involved at RWP with involved tenant David at a recent virtual hub group meeting. Natalie asked David some questions about getting involved. She asked: Why do you like to get involved at RWP? What have you enjoyed getting involved in recently? Are there any barriers to getting involved, and what might encourage more people to do it?

Getting involved at RWP

David explained that he enjoys getting involved in a variety of different matters at RWP. His favourite way to get involved is his roles on the different panels where he can give his feedback such as the Tenant’s Voice Scrutiny panel and RWP Tenant Committee. He enjoys being invited to take part in events like the Cultural and Community Event and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) housing shows in Manchester. David said: “I enjoy the opportunities to network and collaborate; the community spirit. I like the chance to make a difference and knowing that my input can make positive changes.”

Potential barriers

Potential barriers to getting involve include communication methods, or needing to have advocates or support staff involved in activities. David said: “We can work with colleagues at RWP to help them understand how involvement can benefit tenants. Is the information accessible, easy to interpret?” David said that he finds it straightforward to get online and access meetings on Teams, but this could be a barrier to others. He said: “If we want to engage with more people online, they may need some encouragement or support in this area to do so.”

The location of events was raised as a potential barrier, especially if tenants struggle to get online or are not interested in getting involved in this way.

Suggested chat topics

We also asked David what topics he would be interested in covering through our tenant chats. He suggested: “Learning about renewable energy, lowering energy bills, scam awareness, how to report safety concerns at RWP, different ways to report repairs, promoting competitions like In Bloom and the Christmas competition - competitions are a good way to make contacts and connections.”