Gateshead Council Awarded Tpas Accreditation
Thursday 10th of April 2025
The regulatory framework for social housing includes a strong focus on making sure that tenant views are listened to and acted upon. Undertaking the Tpas accreditation was an opportunity for Gateshead to independently test our current approach and identify areas for improvement.
At Gateshead, we have a strong commitment to ensuring that the tenant voice is at the heart of decision making for Housing services. In 2022 we worked with Tpas to develop our Resident Influence Strategy, which we are currently reviewing and updating with our residents, so the recommendations from the accreditation will help to inform this work.
The accreditation process involved completing a self-assessment, followed by on-site conversations between the Tpas assessor and a range of customers and colleagues and observations of our customer meetings. Finally, surveys were completed by a range of housing colleagues. I felt the process was clear and robust and we were supported throughout by our assessor Gillian McLaren.
Feedback from customers and colleagues involved in the process highlights their positive experiences:
- "Over the course of the accreditation period, I met with the Tpas assessor and other customers, to share our perspective on Gateshead Council’s approach to customer involvement in housing services. This gave us a great opportunity to share our thoughts and feelings about the council and their approach to customer engagement and how it works in practice. It was brilliant to be able to be a part of this process and support the successful accreditation", Sheila Blatchford, tenant
- "I found the accreditation process enjoyable and informative. The Tpas representative was friendly and helpful, encouraging everyone involved to speak candidly, making sure everyone got the chance to have their say. The Council team were also extremely supportive and kept us informed of progress throughout the process", Sheila Bouitieh, Tenant.
- "I felt at ease when discussing my team’s approach to customer involvement and that the process was very well organised. The assessor was very engaged and interested in what I said", Multi-Storey Housing Manager.
- "I found the process interesting and I was able to share plans around our future approach to handling complaints with the new team, which was well-received", Customer Feedback and Insight Officer
Achieving this accreditation provides assurance to our tenants, elected members and colleagues that our approach to resident engagement is robust. It also demonstrates our commitment to continuous learning and helps to further embed a culture of resident engagement at Gateshead.
Councillor Chris Buckley, Housing Portfolio Lead said, ‘It was a pleasure to go through the Tpas accreditation, Gillian really knew her stuff and gave me some great feedback on where we could improve as a housing provider. Our Residents and Officers were really engaged in the process and I think ultimately we’ll get better outcomes for our tenants thanks to Tpas.’
If you’re considering going for the accreditation I’d absolutely recommend it! However, it’s not a quick process so don’t underestimate the time involved and expect to be thoroughly scrutinised and be able to evidence your submissions!
Whilst achieving the accreditation is something we’re very proud of, it doesn’t mean it stops there. We will continue with the excellent work we’re already doing and build upon it, with the support of customers and colleagues.
Overall, I’ve found it to be a really positive experience and it acts as a reminder of all the hard work our customers have done over the years and what they’ve supported us to achieve. I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who has helped us to achieve this status, especially our customers - we couldn’t have done it without them!
Helen Watson
Involvement and Diversity Lead
Gateshead Council