Member Article

Salix Homes recognised for tenant engagement

Salford housing association Salix Homes has been recognised for its commitment to tenant engagement.

The landlord, which owns 8,000 homes across Salford, has been named as a finalist in the Outstanding Tenant Engagement category of the TPAS Awards, which recognise engagement excellence in the social housing sector.

Salix Homes has made the shortlist in recognition of its Customer Committee, which was set up last year in a bid to give tenants a greater say on how housing services are run.

The Customer Committee has seen Salix Homes trailblazing a new approach to customer engagement, which was established ahead of national calls for greater transparency and for tenants’ voices to be better heard following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

It’s made up of 12 residents in a paid-for role, on a par with the organisation’s board members, who can commission a piece of scrutiny work into any area of the organisation.

Committee Chair and Salix Homes tenant Charlotte Haines said: “The Committee’s first year has seen us navigate the challenges of the pandemic and carry out all our work remotely, but it’s brought us closer together and we’ve got to know each other without really meeting in real life.

“We’re all very different people, with different backgrounds and life experiences, but we all have a common goal to help people and make a difference, so to be recognised in the TPAS Awards for the difference we are making is a real honour.

“Who better to shape the future of social housing than the people that live in it, and we look forward to continuing to work with Salix Homes to improve services for all tenants and create a social housing service in Salford that we can all be proud of.”

The Salix Homes Customer Committee is no stranger to awards, having previously scooped the Best Resident Involvement Initiative in the Northern Housing Awards, which took place earlier this year.

Sian Grant, executive director of operations at Salix Homes, added: “From artists to social workers, the Customer Committee is made up of a really diverse group of people whose voices are making a difference both within Salix Homes and the wider housing sector.

“From being involved in the recruitment of our new CEO and scrutinising our pandemic response, to sharing their experiences with other housing associations, the Committee has exceeded all our expectations to make a real impact, so we’re incredibly proud to see them recognised in such prestigious sector awards.

“Never has the ‘customer voice’ been more important and we firmly believe our modern approach to customer engagement echoes the recommendations made in the Government’s Social Housing White Paper, calling for greater accountability, transparency and engagement with customers, so we’re very proud to be leading the way.”

The winners will be announced at a digital awards ceremony in October.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Hayley Collins .