Get connected with your community

Published: Friday 20 May 2022

An anonymous young person holding a mobile phone to show the landscape photo they have taken.

The pandemic has changed the way in which people communicate.

Many are now embracing digital platforms and virtual engagement to stay connected.

The South Lanarkshire Tenants Development Support Project (the Project) successfully supported the Tenant Participation Co-ordination Group (TPCG) and other customer scrutiny groups to get online, enabling them to continue to work in partnership with the council, share information and discuss and exchange ideas and views.

Stephen Connor from the Project said: “Being digitally connected has been key to ensuring the continued involvement of tenants and other customers in the development and delivery of housing services.”

The Project has also supported a number of tenant and resident groups to continue to engage with their members, the wider community, and the council during this challenging time.

Catriona Paterson – Chair of Stonefield Area Association, said: “I think a major benefit of having a Stonefield Area Association is to give us a collective voice and highlight the needs of the community, to bring the community together and work as a team to make it a safe and friendly environment for the tenants and residents in the local area. The South Lanarkshire Tenants Development Support Project has helped us to achieve this.”

Contact the Project now to find out about our resources and support tools which are available to help you reach out to your local community and stay connected with your neighbours. As people are spending more time online than ever before, it’s a great opportunity to enhance your online/digital skills, especially if you are a beginner.

Get in touch with the Project to find out how we can support you to get connected with your community by email or phone 07950 158621.

Have your say…on how services are delivered in your area

We are always keen to encourage tenants and other customers to get involved and help us to develop and improve the housing services we provide.

There are a range of ways you can get involved and make your views known.

One of the current opportunities available for customer involvement is through the Local Housing Forums. Covering all areas of South Lanarkshire, the forums allow tenants and other customers to come together with representatives from housing and other council services to be updated on key performance information and discuss ways to improve services. The forums also allow members to become involved in specific engagement activities, such as the scrutiny or review of particular service areas.

Since early 2020 the Local Housing Forums have been suspended due to the restrictions relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. Following recent discussions with members of the TPCG, we are now keen to restart them with the aim of ensuring that as many tenants and customers as possible have the opportunity to be involved.

We are initially planning to relaunch the forum meetings online. We are also keen to review how we engage with tenants and other customers, and obtain views on how this can be developed in the future.

If you would like to be involved in your Local Housing Forum and help shape how engagement takes place in the future, please email or call your local housing office for more information.