The National Conversation is an initiative organised by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), the new regulator for housing provided by social landlords. Jephson Housing Association requested our services in organising and facilitating the events, which took place across the country covering each of the six regions in which Jephson currently provides social housing.

 

The events – the first of their kind – provided tenants the opportunity to have their say about their landlord and directly feed this information into new national social housing standards. Word’s role was crucial in maintaining the impartial nature of the event as requested by the TSA. Tenants were encouraged to take part in a series of workshops designed to get them talking about what they want from a landlord in order to assist the TSA in creating a new set of standards. Questionnaires and feedback forms were then fed back to the TSA.

 

Word Association’s team of event organisers, PR managers and facilitators provided Jephson with advice and support throughout to ensure an interactive and stimulating session for each region, which generated positive results.

 

Chris Boote, of Jephson Housing Association Group, said: “We realised from the outset that this was a priceless opportunity for us as a housing association to hear our tenants and were determined to draw the most out if it we possibly could.

 

“Facilitating seven such events was not something we had the resources to do in-house so we commissioned the help of a communications agency help us with this. It was a good way to hear what out tenants think of us as their landlord and how we can improve in their eyes.

 

“Using a communications agency also gave us the chance for residents to raise issues with somebody they knew was independent of Jephson and we felt this worked well.”

 

If you have a forthcoming event and require assistance from organisation right through to implementation, contact Word’s PR and Events Manager Jane McCarthy at jane@wordassociation.co.uk