Women have their SAY in tenant participation

February 22, 2023

We recently spoke with Zoe Taylor, Services Manager on behalf of SAY Advisory Board about the work we have been doing with them around providing training to help the vulnerable community to understand what’s involved in being a tenants rep.

 

SAY Women is a service user led organisation that provides support for Young women 16-25 who have experienced Child Sexual Abuse (and other forms of Men’s Violence Against Women & Girls) who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 

 

We have a Volunteer Advisory Board that is made up of 8 ex service users who have had planned exits and been away from support for over 2 years. The advisory Board links with the SAY Women Management Board, is involved in the recruitment process of board members and staff, is consulted on the strategy and service development and also participates in focus groups, consultations in the hope of ending MVAWG and homelessness.  In addition to this The Advisory Board has a desire to develop key projects that ensure Service user voices are heard, awareness and consciousness is raised around MVAWG and homelessness.   

 

One of their projects is the Tenants Rep Project. The Advisory Board members hope to ensure the young women staying in SAY Womens Accommodations project (All of whom have SSST) get the appropriate level of support and service during their 18month stay.

 

As SAY Women is a homelessness based service for survivors we have always been aware of TPAS. So it was only natural that in order to develop The Tenant rep project that TPAS would be where we would go. 

 

Our contact Leza at TPAS was a joy to work with, positive and supportive of what the women were trying to do from the beginning.  She delivered Tenant Representative Training that gave all the information the members would need to move forward with their project and more. The training was easy to understand, pitched at the right level, flexible in delivery times that suited volunteers who also had jobs and children. It inspired and helped create a clear way forward. They were so filled with ideas I could hardly get them to leave at the end of the evening!

 

Before TPAS were involved, the members had very little awareness of what would be involved in being a tenants rep. The training Lesa at TPAS delivered helped:

 

  • Upskill the members and give foundation to the role.
  • Raise their awareness of what issues Tenants may come forward with. 
  • Give confidence to respond and champion the tenants. 
  • Establish Routes for liaison to find best solutions for all. 

 

We can’t thank TPAS enough for their dedication to ensuring Tenant participation and service user voices being heard.  TPAS would be the organisation I would be recommending to anyone looking to develop skills around tenant participation and representation. Services such as this are vital for ensuring women have a strong influence on the future of their homes and communities.

 

Thank you for all your support, we look forward to working with you again in the future. 

 

Zoe Taylor

Services Manager 

on behalf of SAY Advisory Board.