Programme

10.00
Registration


11.00

Lesley Baird
Tiny Mistry, Relationships Manager, Aico
Patrick Harvie, MSP - Presentation of Certificates


12.00
Welcome new delegates


12.30
Lunch at your leisure


14.15
Keynote Session:

Navigating the Climate Crisis
Jehan Weerasinghe, Managing Director of Glasgow Housing Association

One key element of the climate crisis in Scotland is the affordability of fuel for people to heat their homes.  This year this became doubly important with fuel bills set to rise to record levels. The national policy framework is complex and needs navigating.  The Wheatley Group have put customers first to ensure that safe, warm, and affordable homes remain a top priority.  Jehan’s session will cover the national policy framework on sustainability, the group’s approach to investment in existing and future homes to make them easier to heat, Wheatley’s approach to the rising cost of fuel and living and the group approach to sustainable finance.  


15.00
Keynote Session:

Do we need a shared understanding of affordability?
Callum Chomrzc – CIH Director, Scotland

During this keynote session, Callum will consider:

    • Why we need to focus on affordability
    • Current pressures on affordability, like:
      • Inflation
      • Meeting the demand for homes
      • Maintaining home fabric and fittings
      • Impacts of climate change –
        • Moving from gas to other energy sources for domestic heating, etc.
        • Improving thermal efficiency of homes
        • Generating energy via solar panel, etc.
        • Reducing waste and increasing recycling
      • Landlord and government response so far
      • What we need to do next

15.45
Refreshment Break


16.30
Keynote:

Affordable? Aye Right
Craig Sanderson – Edinburgh Poverty Commission

Successive governments’ ideologies and housing policies have had a serious effect on housing supply, and it’s cost for occupiers of all tenures.Use of the word ’affordable’ to categorize new housing proposals has been common in planning circles for many years. The recent Scottish Government draft National Planning Framework 4 document defines ‘affordable’ housing as ‘housing of a reasonable quality that is affordable to people on low incomes. This can include social rented, mid-market rented, shared-ownership, shared equity, housing sold at discount (including plots for self-build), self-build plots and low-cost housing without subsidy.’For a century, despite attempts to define ‘affordability’ in councils’ and housing associations’ rent policies, we have failed to achieve an agreed common understanding of what the word actually means.So, when the Scottish Government sets a target of 110000 new ‘affordable’ homes within 10 years (70% of which should be for social rent), how do we know if it’s enough to address inequality, rising poverty and homelessness? How do we know if there’ll be sufficient investment to achieve this? Can we be sure that rent levels will be truly ‘affordable’ to those on low or limited fixed incomes, not only now but in future?


18.30 - 20.30
Dinner at leisure


19.00
Drinks reception followed by Gala Dinner & Awards – Hosted by Harry Woodward


21.00
Disco, quiz, movie

09:30

Workshop Session 1

Affordable? How you can find out…..  
Craig Sanderson, Edinburgh Poverty Alliance

Venue: Innovation Centre

This workshop complements the previous afternoon’s keynote presentation and provides an opportunity for delegates to share their own thoughts, concerns, and experiences about (especially social) housing supply, rent levels and other housing costs. It will provide insights into local authority strategy, policy and practice regarding ‘affordable’ housing project planning applications and approvals and will offer a ‘step-by-step-guide’ to interrogating and interpreting the planning process.


What are the Regional Networks of Tenants & Residents?
Colin Stewart & Leonora Montgomery, Regional Networks

Venue: Cameronia

  • Want to know who the Regional Networks are,
  • What they do and
  • How they do it?

    Then come along to this workshop to learn what every Tenant and Resident in Scotland should know about who is representing their national interest which includes working with the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) and Scottish Government as well as meeting with the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Housing and the Minister for Tenants Rights, to benefit us all.

    Learn about the work we do within our sub-groups including Housing to 2040, Rent Affordability, Housing Revenue Accounts and the SHR Liaison Group

    Also find out about the new way we will be communicating with all of you.


Hints and Tips to get the most out of social media
Anna Marie Taylor, Taylor Communications

Venue: Clyde

Social Media is one of the main resources within your digital marketing strategy to reach, engage and communicate with your tenants and stakeholders online. If used effectively it can help generate interest, drive engagement, and amplify brand awareness.  Anyone can utilise social media effectively if it is planned and executed well. 

In this workshop we will look at; 

    • Choosing the right social media platform(s) for you
    • How to use Social Media to boost brand awareness 
    • Why it is important to have a social media strategy
    • Developing content that reaches your target audiences
    • How to use your social media to drive engagement

This workshop will provide hints and tips to get the most out of your social media.


Celebrating NETRALT 10 years on - what does the future hold?
Catherine Coutts and Katie Taylor, Co- chairs , NETRALT

Venue: Dalhanna

Join us in a celebration of 10 years of NETRALT success! We will reflect on the first decade of this award-winning tenants group comprising of tenants from multiple social landlords and local authorities in the North East and tell you all about our brand new strategy and action plan based on lessons learned, innovation, collaboration and imagination!


The Digital World of Estate Management – Resident-led Inspections
Michael Hanley, Housing Officer, Aberdeen City Council

Venue: Inspiration 1

Explore some of Aberdeen City Council’s movement from paper-based to digital processes with particular attention to one of our most recent projects – Resident-led Inspections. Delegates will be able to follow a brief technical background as to how the digital process was developed and understand how the process has been implemented in day-to-day operations of estate management, as well as hearing feedback from residents and colleagues alike. Page 1 of 2 Enjoy an on-screen walk-through, demonstrating our concept of how we have moved from clipboard, pen, and paper to a modern approach to recording inspections. Aiming to improve our transparency and accountability to our residents, fellow colleagues and elected members, delegates will be able to follow first-hand all the advantages of our digital resident-led inspection.


Tenant Participation, Traditional and Transformative
Linlay Anderson – Director of Housing Services & Lydia Banks – Tenant Engagement Officer , Angus Housing Association

Venue: Inspiration 2

Tenant engagement, tenant participation is something that we have all had to look at from a different lens. Covid has galvanized our online engagement with tenants, but it has also shone a light on how we engage and actually, are we meeting the needs of our tenants? What do tenants want from their Landlord?

Over the past 18 months we have been engaging with communities and been proactive and reactive to the needs of our tenants.  We have been listening to communities and trying to develop grassroots participation and engagement, this means asking tenants would do you want? what is important to you? The answer has been their home, family and community.

We have examined how we engage not only with tenants but communities whilst looked at our wider role within the communities we service. How can we as Associations empower tenants’ improve lives, housing and develop Communities. Over the past 2 years we have developed a community learning and development approach work together with other agencies to promote participation and engagement in the wider community sense.


Scottish Housing Day - what do we mean by sustainable housing?
Callum Chomczuk, National Director, CIH Scotland

Venue: Inspiration 3

Housing development and retrofit is vital for meeting housing needs but it also impacts upon climate change and carries high risks for environmental, economic and social sustainability. As part of our work supporting Scottish Housing Day 2022  this workshop will consider what sustainable housing truly means in Scotland today and  what are the minimum standard that we should expect as we seek to create a more sustainable built environment.


10:45

Workshop Session 2

Developing a shared understanding of housing affordability for Scotland
Janine Kellett, Scottish Government

Venue: Innovation Centre

Our aim is for everyone to have a safe, high-quality home that is affordable and meets their needs in the place they want to be. During the consultation on Housing to 2040, stakeholders told us that how housing affordability is currently understood and defined does not always deliver the best outcomes for people. We therefore committed in Housing to 2040 to “work with stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of affordability which is fit for the future.” We deliberately avoided committing to developing a definition of affordability as affordability means different things to different groups, and almost all existing measures have flaws and contain assumptions. Negotiating between interests and reaching a shared understanding is seen by experts as the most sensible approach.

Tenants have an important role in this work. In this workshop we will outline the principles guiding the work and will be asking what tenants think are the most important factors to be incorporated into a shared understanding of housing affordability e.g. household size and composition, regional variations, housing standards, treatment of benefits. We also want to hear how tenants think a shared understanding of affordability should be evaluated and used.


Parliamentary Awareness Session
Ali Stoddart, Senior Participation Specialist, & Kate Smith, Community Participation Specialist, Scottish Parliament

Venue: Cameronia

Delivered by Ali and Kate from PACT the Participation and Communities Team at the Scottish Parliament. A swift and informal introduction to the Scottish Parliament. Who, What and How - How it works, what it does and how can you can get involved. We will cover:

    1. Devolution
    2. The difference between Parliament and Government
    3. Committees
    4. How to get involved
    5. Questions

Our Homes Future Focused
Naomi Breeze, Breeze Productions

Venue: Clyde

‘Welcome to the homes of the future’ This fun and original new workshop includes

Discussion and fun activities about the power of ‘Home’ our house and homes in the future.
What will housing of the future be like? What about Climate change? What can we do?

Using discussion, arts and crafts and drama group activities this session will feature fantasy future homes, the health and wealth divide in housing, where is social housing in all of this? and what can we learn from other countries. This relaxed and informal interactive workshop will allow delegates to explore these issues in an entertaining way.


Equality and Diversity
Anne Robertson, Robertson Policy (on behalf of SHARE)

Venue: Dalhanna

This 1 hour session will consider the key aspects of the Equality Act 2010 including Protected Characteristics and the various forms of discrimination included in the Act. Practical examples will be referred to throughout the session to provide an understanding of equality issues delegates may not have considered previously.


An introduction to Illegal Money Lending in Scotland
John Pollock, Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit

Venue: Inspiration 1

A session to provide attendees with an introduction to how illegal money lenders operate in Scotland and how the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit (SIMLU) are combating them.


‘Housing Options Scotland: 25 years of The Right Home in the Right Place.’ 
Eve Young, Housing Options Broker – Housing Options Scotland

Venue: Inspiration 2

Housing Options Scotland (HOS) are celebrating 25 years of helping our clients to find The Right Home in The Right Place. Housing Options Scotland is a Scottish charity that provides a cross- tenure housing options brokerage service to older people, disabled people, military veterans, and their families. HOS continues to grow and flourish and now boasts four different elements as well as our main brokerage service: Military Matters, Making Moves, HOS Helps and Homeless Housing Options.


Take Back Your Money
Tynah Matembe, Founder, MoneyMatiX Ltd

Venue: Inspiration 3

Money can be awkward to talk about and difficult to understand. Yet the choices we make with money often determine the lifestyles we live. So, how can we start take back control of our money one choice at a time? Using educational storytelling, to share practical tips in this taster workshop, a section from MoneyMatiX – Grow Your Money Challenge. A practical, thought-provoking session that will help you reflect on how to take control your money, so you can make the most of it and afford the goals you’re dreaming of.


11:45
Refreshment Break


12:15

Workshop Session 3

Achieving ‘net zero’ – what does it mean for our future heating systems?
Dr Cassandra Dove, Policy & Research Lead, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

Venue: Innovation Centre

This session will look at the Scottish Government’s ambition to become a ‘net zero nation’ by 2045 and what this will mean for tenants. Building on the work of the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce, this will explore the changes which will be needed to the existing housing stock and how our homes are likely to be heated in the future.


What can the Scottish Parliament do to involve more people in its work?
Ali Stoddart, Senior Participation Specialist, & Kate Smith, Community Participation Specialist, Scottish Parliament

Venue: Cameronia

Get involved in an engagement session with the Scottish parliament.
 
What would help you get your voice heard in the Scottish Parliament?  The Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee wants to hear your views. 
 
The Scottish Parliament is there to represent everyone in Scotland, but we know that some people are currently more likely to become involved in our work than others. 
 
We want to hear from you to understand what would make it easier for people to work with us.  We are keen to listen to your experiences and ideas – so that you can help shape the way the Parliament works in future. 
 
This session will include:
 
1. Barriers to participation
2. How to overcome these barriers?
3. Thoughts on different/creative ways to work with the Scottish Parliament
 
Do you have thoughts, ideas or suggestions that you think could make a difference? Would you like to take part in a conversation to tell the Parliament what it can do to help people get involved?
 
The information that you provide us with will inform the Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee and way that the Scottish Parliament works with the people of Scotland in the future.

‘With you’
Naomi Breeze, Breeze Productions

Venue: Clyde

‘With You’ is a new presentation researched, written, and performed by Naomi Breeze in 2020 and performed live online via TEAMS for two events.

It is a piece about Health and touches on both our physical health and our mental health and how we as individuals, families and communities engage with services including health services.

Written and researched during the first year of the pandemic and lockdowns it also explores life during COVID. The presentation also looks at next steps for the future.
There will be an opportunity for questions and group discussion following this presentation


Showcase of Fife TRAs
Rab Clark, Fife Council

Venue: Dalhanna

ADTRA in Glenrothes – Hear about their starter packs for new tenants, starter packs for Womens Aid clients, food bank, Christmas presents, minibus, how they helped people during Covid by transporting them to hospital for treatments, putting up a keysafe for nurses/carers to get someone home from hospital, cutting grass, etc.

New Linktown TRA in Kirkcaldy – Learn about what they did/do to support their community during Covid/lockdown i.e. made and delivered hot meals (including delivering them to staff at hospital), food parcels, clothes, toys, sexual health packs etc. Volunteers dressed up, parading the streets to cheer everyone up, so they could wave to them from their windows, competitions on their Facebook page to keep the kids amused, Easter bunny delivering Easter eggs to the kids in the area and much, much more.

Walter Hay Court TRA (Retirement Housing) – in Rosyth – the benefits of having a TRA, some of their achievements and aspirations, scrutiny panel, tenant federation, visits to South Ayrshire are amongst the topics that will be discussed with this TRA.

After each of the videos are shown, there will be time for any questions.


You’re in the TP driving seat!
Leza Lafferty & Dolina Morrison, TPAS Scotland

Venue: Inspiration 1

Tenant Participation Officers can come up against many challenges. Dolly and Leza from TPAS will be running this interactive, and hopefully fun workshop putting tenants (and staff) into the role of a Tenant Participation Officer and discussing ideas on how to get over these challenges.


Active, Connected, and Included
Catriona Rowley & Andy Miller, Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities

Venue: Inspiration 2

The Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD) has produced a set of documents to help people with learning disabilities to become more included in their local communities. This was developed in response to our findings that people with learning disabilities were often limited it what they were able to access in their communities. This limitation often came from others who did not consider that activities not specifically targeted at people with learning disabilities may be suitable. The documents aim to support people with learning disabilities, paid and unpaid carers and people who volunteer or work with communities to think about what that can do to address the barriers people face in accessing the community. This will be relevant to people running any activities or groups within communities as well as considering how tenants with learning disabilities can be better included in tenant participation activities.

In this presentation we will introduce the pack we have developed and the thinking behind it. We will work together on a fictional community project to apply the principles in our guidance to making the project more accessible.

The Active, Connected, Included project has been developed in collaboration with a number of local organisations, including community groups, local authorities and Third Sector Interface (TSI) organisations. SCLD met with people in areas across Scotland, including Fife, Orkney and Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray to help develop the resources through sharing lived and professional experience. We then tested the resource in North Ayrshire to refine it into the four documents that now make up the Active, Connected, Included pack.


It’s Time to be Kind
Sinead Farrell, Customer & Corporate Services Manager, Clydebank Housing Association

Venue: Inspiration 3

Find out what Clydebank Housing Association is doing to show kindness and care to their tenants, residents and wider community in Clydebank as we emerge from the Pandemic but alas, only to face many wider challenges together.

Clydebank HA has been able to achieve extremely high and improved levels of satisfaction in their recent Tenant Satisfaction Survey, despite the Pandemic, and their fresh approach to supporting customers undoubtedly contributed to this along with ensuring a high level of visibility in the community and having a high-performing staff team who want to go ‘above and beyond’ for customer wellbeing.

Join Sinéad Farrell, Customer & Corporate Services Manager at Clydebank HA, who has enjoyed the challenges and successes of their tenant involvement journey for the past 20 years, and will share with you their strong tenant participation framework alongside their wide range of wellbeing initiatives, wider role projects, local partnerships, and the benefits they are reaping from taking the time to be kind.


1:15
Lunch


2:30
Visits

  • Link Housing Association- Growing Beardmore
  • Dalmuir Park Housing Association – School Community
  • History Tour of Clydebank – Craig Sanderson
  • Auchentoshan Distillery 

16:00

  • Mindfullness, Sylvia Sneider, Erskine Reiki Practice
    (Please note that this is a 90 minute session)

    Venue: Inspiration 1, 2, 3

    This is a short introductory workshop teaching the powerful benefits of Mindfulness Meditation which has been proved through research to be beneficial for our mental health and general wellbeing!  (The NHS has adopted it as a useful tool!)

    Delegates will learn basic techniques which will provide them with the tools needed to enhance their daily lives helping them to reduce stress reactions, anxiety and panic attacks, also ability to sleep better, thereby enabling them not to be reactive to people or situations but instead to learn to Pause and respond more appropriately .  When we take space we notice we have choices that we can make instead of being the slave to our thinking mind.  We gain some control back.

    By the end of this session, delegates will have been introduced to techniques that will help them feel more relaxed, and in harmony and balance and the difference it makes to their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

    They will leave feeling relaxed and comfortable with the tools needed to help them cope and manage their daily lives with comfort and relaxation that can be employed at any time of day.


  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Alternative free time

Vision Board Creation
Eleanor Whitby, Little Hits of Happiness

Venue: Cameronia

This workshop will delve into the exciting ways to explore your dreams and help you to work towards goals. Lots of conversation as a workshop around mindfulness and how we feel about achieving time for ourselves, what does self-care look like for you, what kind of life we would love to live. We will explore gratitude and how it can enhance our life through journaling. All workshop attendees will leave with their own version of a vision board to take home and put in a prominent place.


18:30
Casual Dining followed by entertainment – Bingo, Karaoke, Quiz, Disco

10:00
Keynote Session:

SHR’s 2022 risk assessment
George Walker - Chair, Scottish Housing Regulator

“SHR’s annual risk assessment is at the heart of its regulation of social landlords. George will share the key themes from SHR’s 2022 risk assessment, reflecting on the issues for social landlords as we emerge from the pandemic and the range of other challenges landlords and their tenants face, particularly as a result of the cost of living crisis. He will also give delegates a flavour of SHR’s 2022/23 work programme.”


10:45
Refreshment break


11.15
Keynote Session:

Introduction to Scotland’s Residents Safety & Wellbeing Forum
Tony Boyle, AICO

There’s a lot of discussion at government level regarding climate change and fire safety. What does this mean and how will this impact you, your families and your community? How and what do we do to work together to create solutions?

This forum is your opportunity to not only have your say but make a true difference. Tenants will design and deliver this forum. It’s the platform to share what matters and explore what safety and wellbeing means. Scotland is the first nation in the UK to take this initiative in establishing this type of residents’ forum, which will be hosted by TPAS Scotland and Aico


12:00
Closing Session: Panel debate


12:45
Coaches Depart