TPAS is one of the leading organisations in the country for promoting and developing customer participation in housing. Its accreditation framework provides a blueprint for effective customer engagement, helping to promote inclusion and put collaborative partnerships between landlords and tenants at the heart of service development and delivery.

To achieve accreditation Kingdom Housing Association submitted a portfolio of evidence of engagement with tenants which was assessed by an independent panel. As part of the rigorous assessment process, TPAS also conducted focus groups with Kingdom’s tenants and staff.

Bill Banks, Kingdom Group chief executive, said: “Colleagues throughout Kingdom have worked really hard to embed customer participation across all departments. Having open two-way conversations with tenants is really important.

“It helps influence our services and our customers have had a positive impact on a diverse range of subjects including the way we use technology, kitchen design options, customer events, and contract awards. Thanks are due to all colleagues, tenants, Board members and other stakeholders who have played a role in developing our approach to customer engagement.”

Susan McDonald, Kingdom’s executive director of operations, added: “Working towards the TPAS Gold accreditation has helped us drive forward a number of initiatives, including the development of our Tenant and Customer Participation Strategy. We have done a significant amount of work on customer engagement at Kingdom and have been a lead within the sector at adapting to new technology and new options for expanding and developing customer participation and engagement. Receiving the Gold accreditation reflects the effort and commitment demonstrated by colleagues from across the organisation.”

Lead learning and development officer at TPAS Scotland, Leza Lafferty, said: “TPAS Scotland was delighted to award Kingdom Housing Association the Gold accreditation for Tenant Participation at our Housing Professional conference in Dundee. It was clear through the evidence submitted by KHA, as well as the interviews with staff and tenants, that KHA is doing a great job to ensure its tenants and staff are working together to make sure tenants have a say in how their services are provided and how their communities are strengthened.

“Whether this being through tenants joining the scrutiny panel or just coming along to one of KHA’s tenant gathering events. Even during the pandemic KHA were engaging with their tenants and ensuring that tenants had the equipment, support and training to allow them to continue to engage. I look forward to seeing how this great work continues.”