Exploring Fresh Approaches to Resident Engagement - Resident Closeness: Building Meaningful Connections That Drive Better Outcomes
Thursday 20th of November 2025
At our recent session, Resident Closeness: Building Meaningful Connections That Drive Better Outcomes, we were joined by Deborah from The Leadership Factor (TLF), who delivered a thought-provoking and practical exploration of how landlords can build deeper, more meaningful relationships with residents.
Across the session, Deborah shared a wide range of innovative engagement techniques, each designed to move organisations beyond traditional touchpoints and towards a richer understanding of residents’ lived experiences.
Shifting from Numbers to Stories
A key message was the need to stop viewing residents as data points and instead focus on the real stories behind their experiences. Understanding the day-to-day realities of residents is what ultimately drives meaningful change in social housing services.
To support this shift in thinking, Deborah introduced several methods that help organisations hear more authentic, unfiltered resident voices, including:
- Resident Carousel exercises
- Neighbour groups and peer conversations
- Being a resident for the day
- Video diaries and WhatsApp voice notes, allowing residents to share insight in their own time
- Shadowing and observational approaches to understand the real-life impact of services
These tools not only help engage those who are already active—it also opens the door to hearing from time-poor or harder-to-reach residents.
Smarter Ways to Gather Resident Insight
Deborah also discussed how organisations can rethink the way they run engagement activities. Simple changes can create a more dynamic and productive environment, such as:
- Pre-tasking residents before a session to boost engagement and reflection
- Using multiple moderators to shift the tone and energy in group discussions
- Breaking participants into smaller groups, then bringing them back together to widen the range of contributions
- Simultaneous discussion groups, ensuring that more voices are heard in less time
These approaches help gather more detailed, varied, and meaningful feedback, ultimately strengthening understanding and decision-making.
Turning Insight Into Action
Collecting feedback is only part of the journey. Deborah highlighted the importance of closing the loop by:
- Sharing insights with colleagues through workshops
- Co-creating solutions with residents
- Using evidence from engagement activities to drive cultural change
- Ensuring residents see their feedback reflected in service improvements
This encourages trust, transparency, and a stronger partnership between tenants and landlords.
Innovation, Flexibility, and Trust
A lively discussion followed, with delegates raising important questions around incentives, recording policies, and digital engagement.
Deborah shared examples of what works well, including:
- Using prize draws or charitable donations as incentives
- Offering flexible digital tools for those who prefer not to attend in person
- Ensuring clear consent when collecting video or audio content
- Providing credible service delivery options, so residents can give informed, practical feedback
Participants also reflected on the growing importance of trust—highlighting that meaningful engagement can only flourish when residents feel safe, respected, and listened to.
Looking Ahead
The session closed with a sense of excitement and possibility. Attendees expressed real interest in applying the techniques discussed, from video diaries and online communities to immersive “resident for a day” experiences.
Deborah’s message was clear: when we bring ourselves closer to residents, we don’t just gather better data, we create stronger relationships, better services, and more confident communities.
Further information
If you’d like support in applying any of these engagement methods in your organisation, the Tpas team is here to help. Contact us by emailing info@tpas.org.uk
You can view the slides and recording in our online resource hub here
Please see the TLF website to access more free resources.