Frances Nelson Award
In 2009 TIS introduced the Frances Nelson MBE award in memory of our former Convenor. Frances sadly passed away in February that year and in recognition of her dedication and strength to the tenants’ movement in Scotland TIS introduced this annual award.
Frances was a founding member and Chair of the Dundee Federation of Tenants’ Associations. As a result of this she became involved with TIS serving on our committee from 1993 before becoming Vice-Convenor and then Convenor in 2003. She remained as Convenor until she passed away. Frances was totally committed to improving tenant participation throughout Scotland.
Frances was passionate about tenants’ rights and dedicated herself to fighting for tenants’ rights in Dundee and across Scotland. In 1999 as a member of the Tenant Participation Working Group she worked with other tenants’ representatives and the Scottish Office to develop “Partners in Participation” the first national framework for tenant participation in Scotland. This led to the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 which introduced a legal framework for tenant participation for the first time in Scotland. Frances believed that everyone is entitled to a decent home and she worked tirelessly to ensure tenants have an influence in decisions about their housing services and standards.
The 2011 Winners
Umbrella Group Winners
East Ayrshire Tenants and Residents Federation
Coordinating Responses to Scottish Government Consultations
EATRF has coordinated responses to Scottish Government consultations including “Fresh Thinking: New Ideas”, the Housing Bill 2010 and the Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC). These responses have been well received by Ministers and have led to national recognition of EATRF.
Following their response to the Housing Bill, EATRF were invited to give oral evidence to the Local Government and Communities Committee at the Scottish Parliament in April 2010. Their consultation response and evidence has ultimately shaped what has since become the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010.
In addition many ideas generated by EATRF members have been included in the SSHC discussion paper and as such will shape the Charter.
Locally, EATRF has worked with the Council to review the Allocations Policy which had led to the introduction of a Common Allocations Policy including a number of local housing associations. This was very mush supported by EATRF as applicants now only need to complete one form to be considered for housing with a number of social landlords.
EATRF has provided a number of training courses for their members including topics to develop and support groups such as committee skills training, to topics which will increase members’ knowledge of housing issues such as Homelessness and Private Rented Housing.
Local Group Winner
West Lothian Homelessness Tenant Led Inspection
The Homelessness Service Users Focus Group provides people who are/have experienced homelessness with a platform to have their say on the service and how their needs could be better met. Participants of the Focus Group took part in a unique Homelessness Tenant Led Inspection (TLI).
In 2009, five service users were introduced to the TLI process and signed up to become inspectors for a TLI of West Lothian Council’s Homelessness Service, with the support and guidance of two experienced Tenant Led Inspectors. This TLI explored the Council’s Homelessness and Support Services from a service users' perspective, which had never been attempted before.
The TLI took twelve weeks to complete. The two TLI mentors developed a relationship with the service users, gaining their trust by starting slowly and gradually building up the level of work when the group felt more confident. A full report was published and formally launched in January 2010. The launch involved all TLI inspectors presenting their investigations and findings to staff, managers and senior managers in the Homelessness Service and answering questions from the audience.
The Council then developed an action plan for areas of improvement and the group attended a meeting with the Council to discuss and agree these actions in March 2010. In March 2011 the Council met with the TLI again to provide an update on the process of the action plan and the TLI was agreed and signed off as completed.
The young people involved in the TLI have given some of their own thoughts on the process:
“This inspection has shown me that it is good to look back at where I was and realise how far I have come now. I have learned how to listen to others and have a better understanding of how and why things are in place and how they work. This experience has made me a better person and a much happier one.”
“When we started doing this inspection I was not in a good place and I was really quite down. Finding out about the things that we did while working with the others has helped to boost my confidence. It has made me more knowledgeable and I enjoyed finding out how the system works. At the beginning I was quiet and embarrassed about my situation but I don’t think this now as I am happy to talk out. I really enjoyed working with this team as they are a really good bunch of people.”
“Happy to make people more aware and help to remove the stigma of homelessness, it is good to give something back. I am now at college and enjoying my course, I can see a new future for myself now.”
“I have realized that I am not ashamed to have been through the homeless route as this experience has helped me to be where I am today, I am ready to look forward and I hope to go to college to do Social Care and to help others if I can.”
“I am happy to help to make the homeless route easier for others, things happened in my life that I wished hadn’t but now I am glad they did because they made me a better person.”
The benefits of the TLI to West Lothian Council include:
· Gained valuable insight and knowledge of people who have used the service;
· Used a creative approach to service delivery;
· Enabled the service to make improvements where a need for change has been identified;
· Treated service users as capable people with something to offer which challenged the assumption by staff that service users are dependent on a service;
· Involving service users motivated staff and cemented the commitment by senior managers and decision makers.
Runners up in the Local Group Section seaforth House Residents and Ex-Residents RTO produced a DVD, click here to watch it.
To download the full briefing paper on this years winners click here.
