At Plymouth Community Homes (PCH), resident engagement is an essential part of our day-to-day responsibilities. By listening to residents and understanding what matters most to them, we can help create healthy, happy communities where residents feel valued.
Putting this into practice, the Housing Team at Tavy House recently hosted an evening ‘Mocktails and Munchies’ event, offering a fresh take on its quarterly Resident Engagement Panel meeting. These meetings provide a relaxed space for residents to speak face-to-face with the team, helping us better understand what matters most to them. The evening session was introduced in response to previous feedback, giving those who may find daytime meetings difficult to attend another opportunity to have their say.
Leyla Arslantatar, Building Safety Administrator said:
“Evening sessions allow us to see residents we might otherwise miss during working hours. It’s really beneficial to have these conversations in a relaxed environment because issues often come up naturally and we’re there to help. One minute we might be talking about the weather and the next we’re helping someone with their heating. It’s nice to build that rapport and be someone residents know they can lean on.”
We caught up with Joe Loughran, Housing Officer at Tavy House, to find out more about Resident Engagement Panel Meetings and the different ways you can get in touch with your Housing Team.
Why is it so important for your team to hear directly from residents?
Our residents are at the heart of everything we do, and we feel it is important that they can voice their concerns, share their opinions and speak to us directly. In a world where things are becoming increasingly challenging and technology continues to change the way we communicate; it is important that residents can still meet with us face to face. These sessions are the perfect way to keep that personal connection going. Like everyone, we are often very busy, but these meetings give us a valuable opportunity to slow down, listen and focus entirely on the residents in the room, making sure their voices are genuinely heard.
What does a great Resident Engagement Panel meeting look like to you?
For me, it is all about quality conversations. The purpose of the panel is not simply to be a tick box exercise. It is about giving residents a genuine opportunity to be heard and make sure their feedback is heard and acted on. Even if only one resident attends, if they leave feeling heard and we are able to take their feedback away and do something meaningful with it, then to me, that is a successful Panel.
Where did the idea for ‘Mocktails and Munchies’ come from?
We try to change the theme of our panel every quarter to keep things fresh and encourage residents to get involved. This quarter, taking on board feedback from our residents, we decided to host an evening panel to give those residents who may not be available during the day an opportunity to attend.
From there, the idea of a Mocktails and Munchies evening was quickly born! We often base our sessions around food or seasonal themes, so we thought, why not try something a little different? It is about creating a relaxed and welcoming environment where residents can come along, have a conversation with us and share their views.
If a resident has an idea or feedback but couldn’t make the meeting, where should they go?
Residents do not have to wait for a panel meeting to speak to us. We also hold monthly drop-in sessions during the first week of every month, where residents can come along, speak to the team and raise any ideas, questions or concerns:
Mount Wise Towers: First Monday of every month at 11am, Tavy House Community Room
Morley Court: First Wednesday of every month at 10am, Community Room on the roof garden
Woodland Court: First Wednesday of every month at 1pm, Ground Floor
Our Housing Team are always happy to help, so if you see your Housing Officer out and about in your building, please feel free to stop and have a chat. You can also contact the team directly at Tallbuildingsteam@pch.co.uk or leave a note in one of the suggestion boxes located in the lobby of each tall building
At PCH, we’re proud of our dedicated Housing Team, who are there to support residents and communities with housing-related queries and provide a familiar point of contact. Every resident has a Housing Officer who is there to listen, offer support and help them find the right information or services when they need them.
A Tavy House Resident said:
“I’ve lived at Tavy House for a few years now and found out about today’s event from a poster in our lift. I always try to come along to events like this. It’s nice to get out of the flat and have the opportunity to chat with the Housing Officers.”
If you’d like to speak to your Housing Officer but aren’t sure who to contact, click here.
