By Changeworks
Putting tenants at the heart of new services
Changeworks has over 35 years of experience of engaging people and communities in low-carbon projects, including housing association tenants.
Recently, we’ve put that experience to work designing an innovative new service – and at the SFHA Energy Conference next week we’re going to tell you all about it.
Martin Ford-Downes, Service Development and Improvement Lead, will talk you through the creation of Energy Confident New Tenants, a proactive service aimed at preventing avoidable fuel poverty.
We know that fuel poverty is a concern for tenants and housing associations alike, and it can lead to failed tenancies. With this service, we can empower new tenants to feel confident about managing their energy and prevent problems before they happen. We used a human-centred design process to put tenants at the heart of this new service too.
Working with the experts at the Service Design Academy we ran a series of six half-day workshops, including two in-person sessions that involved tenants. A raft of great ideas came from these workshops, some of which are now being developed and piloted at three housing associations.
At the SFHA conference you will hear all about the process that led to these pilot solutions, and how Changeworks can help you design services for your tenants. Martin will explain the pilot services now being worked on, and how those services could make a big difference to your tenants’ lives.
Catherine Louch, Housing Manager at Prospect Community Housing, will also be there to talk from her perspective about the rewarding process of creating new tenant-centred services, and you will even hear from some of the tenants who took part.
Martin said: “Creating Energy Confident New Tenants was a really positive process, and everyone involved got so much out of the sessions. Tenants were able to have a real and visible impact on the services that support them, and everyone around the table benefited from the diverse range of viewpoints and experiences.
“Putting people at the heart of services is a model we fully believe in – it improves buy-in, increases the impact, and gives a real sense of ownership. Come and talk to me about how Changeworks can help you do great things and create impactful services and projects to create warmer homes and happier tenants.”
