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Tenant Participation

We want to provide you with excellent services, delivered to suit your needs.  In order to achieve this we need people like you to voice your opinions and tell us how we can improve services. 

Local people know the needs of the local area better than anyone, which is why we need your expert advice to help us build and maintain safe, clean and happy communities in Blaenau Gwent.

Tenant Participation Officer

I’m Natasha Jones, Tenant Participation Officer for the borough, and I work to increase tenant involvement in housing services by improving communication, creating and developing opportunities for tenants to influence decision-making, and supporting tenant groups to find local solutions to local problems. 

If there are any issues or concerns that you feel should be brought to the attention of the Council, or you have an idea to improve your community, please contact me.

Ways To Participate

There are many ways for you to get involved, and you’re free to choose how much or how little you would like to participate, such as:

Tenant Compact Group

The Tenant Compact Group consists of tenants from across the borough that meet every two months.  They play an important part in helping the local authority’s staff and management understand what tenants think about services and how to involve tenants effectively.

Tenants and Residents Associations
Tenants and Residents Associations cover many areas of Blaenau Gwent.  These organisations are set up and run by tenants and residents to represent the views of people living in an area to the Council and other agencies.  They hold regular meetings to discuss problems and suggestions for improving the local area.  Also, they often hold social events, which can be a good way of getting to know your neighbours and other people in the community.

Please contact the Tenant Participation Officer to find out if there’s an association in your area.

Meetings, focus groups and events
Sometimes we may hold a one off meeting or focus group to seek tenants’ views on a particular service or issue.  Other times we may arrange local, informal consultation events and invite you to come along.

Completing surveys
We sometimes ask you to tell us what you think by completing a survey.  This could mean answering some quick questions either by post, over the telephone or in person.

Reasons to Participate – by Margaret Retallick, Chair of Blaenau Gwent Tenant Compact Group

Our group has gone from very humble beginnings to now being involved in all things housing related.  Some of us are fully competent tenant advocates, able to go out and give tenants all relevant information on the stock options process.  We also have an editorial team that has a large input into the housing magazine.  We have been a strong influence for change in many areas, including the tenant handbook, and are now listened to with respect and our views are always taken into account.  We have attended conferences and seminars in other areas, as well as being actively involved in our own events and gone on study visits to see how changes have impacted on other local authorities.

We have some very busy times ahead of us but at least we feel confident in the knowledge we have.  With a stock transfer steering group to form and countless forums and conferences to attend I can see a very exciting time ahead with all sorts of challenges.  We will be looking for the same commitment from both sides to tenant participation and expect to be kept fully up to date before, and not after, decisions are taken.  This is why I feel it is so important for tenants to become involved in the future of their homes, especially at this time of great change in the management of social housing.  To be fully informed and involved will give you the confidence to make the right decision when the time comes.