Tpas Best Practice Club: Learning from what works
Wednesday 18th of March 2026
Our second Best Practice Club of the year brought members together for a really insightful session focused, on practical approaches to tenant engagement and learning from complaints.
We heard from two organisations who are taking thoughtful, proactive approaches to working with tenants and driving improvement.
Building trust through meaningful engagement
Harry from Belgrave Neighbourhood Coop shared their work to better engage with ethnic minority tenants. Their approach centres on getting out into communities, through door-to-door visits, local events and workshops, helping to rebuild trust and strengthen relationships.
A key takeaway was the importance of cultural awareness and visibility, alongside giving tenants direct access to decision-makers. Engagement isn’t just a role, it’s a culture embedded across the organisation.
Turning complaints into opportunities
Jess from Midland Heart talked through their complaints learning framework, where tenants play an active role in identifying issues and shaping solutions.
This has led to real improvements, particularly around repairs appointments and communication. By focusing on root causes rather than quick fixes, their approach is helping to create more meaningful, long-term change.
Jess also highlighted the growing trend of AI-generated complaints, sharing that a simple phone call to listen and understand can often be the most effective way to resolve concerns.
Across both presentations, a clear message emerged:
Listening to tenants and acting on what they say is key
Discussions also touched on:
- Supporting neurodivergent tenants with more personalised approaches
- Capturing everyday “transactional” feedback, not just formal surveys
- The importance of staff training and organisational buy-in
Final reflections
This session was a great reminder that good engagement is about relationships, trust and continuous learning. By working collaboratively with tenants and staying open to change, organisations can create services that truly meet people’s needs.
Missed the session?
You can access the recording here
Our next Best Practice Club is on 19th May, you can book your place here