Shaping Housing Services Through Tenant Engagement

06 January 2026

Engaging with residents is at the core of delivering great services, and our housing team has been working hard to ensure tenant voices are heard, understood, and acted upon. 

Farida, who has been leading tenant engagement for the last five years, reflects on what’s worked, the lessons learned, and how the team is preparing for the next strategy in 2026.

“The meetings were an opportunity for residents to come together over coffee and cake and discuss their concerns, but they didn’t lead to service improvements. Feedback was collected and reported back by officers, but we realised this didn’t always reflect the wider needs of residents.” Farida explained. 

Recognising the opportunity to improve, the team launched a refreshed engagement strategy, which invited residents to participate more actively. 

Farida added: “At our launch event, 23 people attended, and 14 remain active members. Retaining engagement is not easy, but it’s vital that residents feel their voices make a difference.”

A key principle of our Brilliant Basics approach is doing things right the first time - listening, understanding, and taking action. Over the last three years, the housing team has been embedding this philosophy in how they work with tenants:

• Transparent decision-making: When certain requests couldn’t be met, the team explained the reasons behind decisions and offered alternatives where possible.
• Celebrating contributions: Regular events and recognition for residents and volunteers have been introduced to acknowledge their involvement.
• Accessibility matters: All documents are now available in larger fonts on request to ensure residents with visual impairments can fully engage.

One important way the team has strengthened communication is through regular tenant newsletters, which play a key role in keeping residents up to date. The newsletters share service updates, engagement opportunities, outcomes from consultations, and examples of ‘you said, we did’ actions - helping tenants understand how their feedback is shaping housing services.

Farida also highlighted the importance of listening to all voices: “Welsh Government expects social landlords to put tenants at the heart of what we do. Tenant voices often go unheard, and it’s crucial that we act on feedback, not just collect it.”

The next tenant engagement strategy for 2026 and beyond builds on these lessons, with a focus on using modern tools to capture feedback efficiently and meaningfully. 

The Vale’s Participate portal allows residents to give feedback on everything from estate upgrades to new builds. 

Farida explained: “It’s already been adopted in several housing teams - such as community investment and housing management - and we’re expanding its use for estate upgrade works, new build properties, and capturing feedback.

“Previously, there was some fear around using digital tools. Now, staff see the benefits, and we’re embedding them across multiple teams. 
The team is also considering hybrid approaches, combining digital engagement with face-to-face meetings to accommodate both older and younger tenants. 

With the new 2026 strategy on the way, the team is focused on building stronger connections with residents and ensuring their voices shape the future of housing in the Vale.