TPAS National Good Practice Awards shine light on Scotland’s housing heroes

Jacqueline Norwood, interim CEO at TPAS Scotland, congratulated the 19 winners and runners-up across nine categories, highlighting the “fantastic work that’s taking place across Scotland”.

Castlehill Housing Association emerged victorious for “Involving Tenants in Shaping & Scrutinising Services,” showcasing success in tailoring sheltered housing services to resident needs. Runners up in this category were Scrutiny at Scottish Borders Housing Association.

Mhorag Ewen, housing services director at Castlehill, said: “To be recognised with this award is a fantastic achievement as the move from Sheltered Housing to Independent Living has been a substantial change for tenants and staff alike. Our tenants welcomed us at their schemes and were open to working with staff to design and implement the best possible service which focuses on them, their needs and their aspirations. We worked hard to involve them as often as possible. Through the feedback received from tenants, our Enhanced Housing Management model was born, and we are delighted to be able to roll out Independent Living.”

Independent Living has replaced Castlehill’s Sheltered Housing with a new form of Enhanced Housing Management. After trialling the service first across Moray, it was successfully rolled out in Aberdeenshire in October 2023 and Aberdeen City earlier this year. These Independent Living Schemes offer housing for older people in a safe and secure property with the reassurance that there is staff on site most days.

Jennifer Soley, housing services manager at Castlehill, added: “We collaborated with staff and tenants to ensure that their thoughts and needs were carefully woven into the service as we rolled it out. Questionaries were filled in, face-to-face consultations conducted and we recognised the ever-evolving needs of older people. We have future proofed our new service to ensure that we can meet these needs in the long term.”

Castlehill’s chief executive, David Lappin, said: “Tenants are at the centre of all we do at Castlehill and introducing the change to Independent Living would simply not work without the involvement of those who live there and use the service. Housing for Older People has always been at the heart of what Castlehill is about and the new service aims to ensure that we can continue to meet the changing needs and preferences of tenants, now and in the future.

“We are proud to have secured this award recognising the efforts of staff but also those tenants who gave up their time to get involved and help shape how the new service will work.”

Also on the night, the “Communities Supporting Communities” award went to Flourishing Faifley, nominated by Knowes Housing Association tackling social isolation and fostering connections through community gardens, clubs, and social events. Runners-up in this category was Peace of Mind who are supporting around 40 individuals and 5 different groups across Fife, helping to reduce social isolation in people with mental health problems and learning difficulties.

Maryhill’s Wyndford Future Focus Group secured the “Tenant Team of the Year” award, while Auchmuty and Dovecot Tenants and Residents Association picked up the runners-up prize.

Scottish Borders Tenants Organisation and Scottish Borders Housing Association triumphed in the “Communicating with Tenants and Residents” category for their innovative mix of face-to-face and digital communication strategies. Bield Housing and Care, who used their tenants’ idea of plain language videos in bite-sized segments to help with registering on their landlord’s new online portal, were runners-up in this category.

Link Housing’s commitment to tenant feedback through digital engagement and diverse tenant groups earned them the “Tenant Voice Award.” Bield Housing & Care’s “Our People, Our Home, Our Communities” initiative was commended as a runner-up for their swift response to tenant concerns and revamped communication structures.

Christine Ritchie of Brucefield TRA received the “Tenant of the Year – The Alan Ferguson Award” for her dedication to multicultural and multi-faith community events. Lewis McGill from Aberdeen was recognized as a runner-up for his outstanding contributions as a community hero.

A new award for 2024, “Engaging Tenants in Environmental Initiatives,” saw Raigmore Residents Association claim the top spot for their innovative food larder project tackling food waste and poverty. The runners-up in this category were Casimir Garden Community Group from the Hebridean Housing Partnership who have regenerated a local gardening group that was disbanded during Covid.

The “Best Practice in Involving Young People” award went to Aberdeen Youth Movement, with Wheatley Homes South’s youth-led engagement group picking up the runners-up prize and 15-year-old volunteer Josh McCook from Caol Resident Group receiving special recognition for his contribution.

Perth & Kinross Council’s Digital Inclusion Project secured the “Best Practice in Widening Engagement” award, while Kingdom Housing Association’s customer empowerment scheme providing funding for community projects secured a runner-up position.

The TPAS National Good Practice Awards celebrate the dedication and innovation shaping Scotland’s vibrant housing sector. These awards inspire others to follow suit, ensuring a brighter future for tenants and communities across the nation.

From left local resident and Co-Chair of the WFFG Chris Quinn, Linzi Heggie and Katie Scrymgeour of Wheatly Group and (right) local resident Henry McLarenand Co-Chair of the WFFG.