LMH wins TPAS award for positive approach

Published by Ross Macmillan for Liverpool Mutual Homes in Housing and also in Communities

An innovative project to engage and empower elderly tenants in its everyday work has seen a Liverpool housing association win a coveted industry award.

Liverpool Mutual Homes (LMH) won the Tenant Participation Advisory Service’s (TPAS) ‘Excellence in Working Together’ title at the Northern region event on Friday.

The 15,000-home landlord’s Positive People’s Platform (PPP) scheme is run for tenants, by tenants, living in LMH’s 17 sheltered housing schemes across Liverpool.

It sees tenants working together to scrutinise services and develop future ideas with LMH staff after ballots were held so tenants could vote for representatives at each complex.

Tenants’ approval is needed before any policies can be introduced and it was recognised by judges as an exemplar case of co-regulation, scrutiny and empowerment.

The PPP has significantly increased elderly people’s independence and is growing in popularity.

Six tenants started the PPP a year ago but now 17 representatives and 10 other champions and sub-group members means 27 people make a big difference and three other people have expressed strong interest in joining.

PPP has also played a key role raising the awareness of the abuse of elderly people.

LMH and the PPP organised a theatre group to act out a play and filmed it before producing a DVD that was shown in the 17 sheltered schemes helping tenants spot signs of abuse, signposting them to help, and how to report it.

Further innovation can be seen in the Bespoke Active Ageing Programme with three PPP champions leading LMH’s consultation for social events by contacting every tenant of every sheltered scheme to hear what activities they want to see offered.

LMH Chief Executive, Steve Coffey, said: “The Positive People’s Platform has made a huge difference to our tenants’ lives and this is the most important aspect.

“It has transformed the way care for elderly tenants is provided and more people are getting involved to shape the way we support them and it is great to see.

“Tenants are the ones making the decisions, creating ideas and developing services they and their peers want and need and it is making a huge difference to their quality of life.

“Great credit should go to our tenants and our staff for their efforts and innovative approach delivering the scheme with such success."

LMH now goes into the national final that will be contested by the winners of the Central and Southern region events at the end of June.

Ends

Photograph: (L to R) Interim CIH chief executive Grania Long, LMH tenant Kathy Petit, LMH’s Independent Living Manager, Mike Roxburgh, and LMH tenant Dorothy Fletcher with the TPAS award.