ARCH describes its National Tenants Conference as the only conference run by tenants, for tenants, and that’s exactly what made the day stand out.

 

A conference designed and delivered by the people who understand council housing from the inside out, who know first-hand what good service is and what meaningful engagement feels like, gave the day a real sense of authenticity and purpose.

 

The Ashfield District Council tenants kicked things off with an honest insight into their involvement work and the difference tenants can make when they are properly listened to and able to influence services. They also brought home how important it is to have a dedicated and supportive staff member working alongside them (big shout out to Julie!)

 

It was also good to see local politicians, the Regulator of Social Housing and the Ministry there. For me, that matters. If we want better services and better engagement, the people making policy, regulating services and making decisions locally need to hear directly from tenants, not just rely on reports and surveys. ARCH’s own Tenants’ Group helps feed tenant views into its work and wider policy discussions, so having those different parts of the sector in the room felt particularly important.

It was great for Tpas to be part of the day too. I spoke about the importance of impact and asked delegates to share what difference their involvement had made. There were some great examples that really highlighted the power of involving tenants in service design and scrutiny.

 

Lisa and I also had a stand and spent much of the day talking with tenants from different parts of the country about their work, the challenges they are facing and the support they get from Tpas.

 

Stella chaired the day brilliantly, Sue and the wider team kept everything moving, and the whole event felt warm and well organised. Lisa and I run a lot of events ourselves, so we know how much work goes on behind the scenes. There are always loads of things to think about, last-minute changes, timings to manage and, of course, buffet anxiety- will there be enough food, will people like it?

 

So, a massive well done to everyone involved in making the event such a success.

 

Days like this really bring home to me that good tenant involvement doesn’t need to be complicated or overly professionalised. Tenants already bring the lived experience, knowledge and understanding of what works and what doesn’t. Tpas and organisations like us have a role, but it’s a supporting one, and the best involvement is where tenants have the space and opportunity to do it for themselves!