Celebrate USW, Congratulate Alumni

Nominating Miss Richards

It was great to hear that Emma Richards was a finalist at the USW Alumni Awards. I had nominated her in one of the categories titled Excellence in Service Award; her role as Student Representative (officially and unofficially) profoundly assisted in the preparations of the day-to-day academic lives of her peers, which included the effective communication between students and their lecturers (and departments), being essential for organising from the littlest to the biggest agendas – all having an influence on the smooth running of the course itself.

This all happened while she dealt with her own personal issues that sometimes (understandably) overwhelmed her. Although, this didn’t deter her from arranging matters with her peers and others. She is the social media seamstress who’d woven her strings of support so tight that she captured any forgotten deadline and made us all a cushion of comfort to sit on – truly a well-deserving Alumna!

Unfortunately Emma was unable to attend the ceremony and instead I was honoured to have been asked to accept her award on her behalf.

 

Join the USW Alumni Club

The ceremony was held at the Swalec Stadium, the old Glamorgan Cricket Club in Cardiff, which was a venue suitable for the occasion since those who attended were mostly “Alumni all-rounders” coming from various backgrounds and experienced in diverse industries.

The event was carefully organised by the small yet proficient USW Alumni Team (Rachael, Carolyn, Katy and Natalie), all of whom had exceeded the attendees’ expectations.

The evening began with USW’s Vice Chancellor, Julie Lydon OBE, thanking those who managed to attend and all who contributed to the event.

She highlighted the importance of Higher Education and the impact that USW and its graduates have had both nationally and internationally, which was emphasised by the university’s #USWThanksU campaign; recognising those who’ve contributed whether graduate, lecturer or sponsor.

Ms Lydon’s speech, even though promotional (as you’d honestly expect from a member of management), was well-received and her heartfelt words were clearly evidenced by a beneficiary of USW – Natalie Lubbock, who gained a scholarship enabling her to conduct fascinating and important research on marine biology and conservation management.

Natalie’s enthusiasm and individuality shone as she spoke about herself and her hard work as a graduate. Her continuation as a PhD student at the university means that she has been a USW graduate for approximately ten years. She values her time spent at USW and insisted that it was a decade well-spent because it’s “a great university to be at.”

Remember, time is not crucial when it’s in the pursuit of your dreams.

Her efforts should be recognised, her thirst for knowledge admired and her passion used to inspire the next set of graduates (the future generation) – with a full-time position.

 

Networking and Chit Chat

I invited my sister, Rebecca as my plus one. She’s a “Support Worker” for USW and carer for her son, Gabriel, who had recently been “officially” diagnosed with Autism – she’s a model mother and individual. She’s an Alumna of Swansea University, but we’ll let her off this time.

The team organisers had me down as Welsh Tenants/ Tenantiaid Cymru, which is ok, I wear many hats. Actually, it gave me an opportunity to network and “talk shop” as many students are tenants and would likely be renting in the future with the current housing crisis and unaffordable housing leaving little room for home-ownership.

It wasn’t all about networking, as we (my sister and I) got chatting to others at table 9, in particularly with Emma Adamson, Director of Learning Services, on personal and political matters. An honest, ordinary, friendly-Friday conversation.

 

Foodie Friday

Not only was the evening filled full of celebration because of the awards, our stomachs were filled full of delightful foods.

There were three courses including goat’s cheese for starters, beautifully-cooked chicken for the main, and lastly, small sweet appetisers that would be better than Bake-Off’s contestants’ tasters I bet!

 

And The Winners Are…

The list and statements read by Rachael Barker, Head of Alumni Relations & Development, demonstrated USW’s ability in helping to produce current (and former) graduates that are (or have) doing (done) such outstanding things.

The four awards and winners are as follows:

Hamed Amiri, Inspiring the Next Generation

Emma Richards, Excellence in Service

Richard Pring, Graduate of Last Decade

Martin Smith, Distinguished Alumni

I’d like to congratulate those who won, all the finalists – and those who were nominated but may not have been shortlisted. To be nominated exemplifies the need for a nominee’s recognition. It highlights an individual, group or organisation’s appreciation for the nominee, meaning that his or her work or ability has made a difference to others.

 

About Alumni

Alumni are essentially “qualified ambassadors” who represent their University in their employment or in their industry. The Alumni Services help to maintain or re-establish communication between current and former graduates – key to celebrating success, key to keeping a community alive.

(Image Courtesy: John Walker, 2010. Flickr, c.c)

P.S. It’s all about the Public Sector

Intro to GovCamp Cymru

Gov Camp Cymru; three words that says it all about an event catered for those who either work or have an interest in the Public Sector in Wales.

I went there as not only an avid blogger but as a service user.

Everyone will need some form of support from a public sector service in their lifetime that us why everyone should be responsible for maintaining and supporting each service.

The event took place at Cardiff’s Pierhead, a building unofficially christened as the “Big Ben of Wales” but unlike London’s Big Ben overshadowing Westminster, the Pierhead stands on the same level as the Senedcd – creating a comfortable platform for democratic discussion.

GovCamp Cymru helps to pass over the bureaucratic quill to the citizens of Wales for a day.

 

What’s an “unconference?”

I previously went to my first “unconference” at Housing Camp Cymru earlier in July, which I later wrote about in one of my blogs.

There were familiar faces at GovCamp Cymru including this year’s winner of CIH England’s Rising Star Alice Smith, and the two Neils; Mr Prior of Northgate Public Services and Mr Tamplin of Cadwyn HA and Cardiff Pound, and both would later “pitch” an agenda that day. Keep an eye out for their blogs!

Esko Reinikainen of The Satori Lab was the host and guided us through what the event could look like and stated the rules (or lack of rules – depending on your definition) by which I mean the “rule of two feet” – if there’s nothing gained, then you’re permitted to seek it elsewhere.

Sector Sponsors

GovCamp Cymru wouldn’t have been possible without the kindness of so many sponsors.

Sponsorship of an event acknowledges that organisation or company’s support for that particular cause or an event’s aim, which comes to no surprise as to why PA Public Services was its Platinum sponsor (the clue is in the name really).

Like the Olympics’ metallic colours the sponsor list read like Wales’ who’s who of innovation; starting with one of the gold sponsors (YLab), going across to one of its silver members (Future Cities Catapult) and finishing off with one of its many Bronze participants (BuildBeacon).

I’ve missed out so many great organisations and organisers from this blog, but it’ll take all day! Why not check them out yourselves via GovCamp Cymru and see if you’d want to contribute next year.

 

Citizen McKenna

Dave McKenna wanted to understand if there’s an alternative design for democracy in Wales.

Firstly, he outlined the rights based on a citizen’s needs (as stated by the UN Human Rights for Citizens), which he summed up and particularly wanting to examine:

“Share their opinions with other people”, “Work with other people to bring about change”, and to “Take part in decision making.”

Secondly, he didn’t want us to use, not our usual, banned words. These words that weren’t allowed to be said if we are to change the principles of democracy itself. Words such as Government, Local Council, Councillors, MP, AM Etc.

Emma Reeves-McAll from Tai Pawb outlined the dilemma of equality that inhibits those in society from having a voice. It’s all about changing social attitudes before anything else!

There were many ideas put forward and people challenged others on their opinions, which made it even more interesting and enjoyable.

A comment made by a Ceredigion County Council attendee mentioned our use of language when discussing the agenda, which made it apparent that instead of addressing a citizen’s needs we debated over their wants.

I voiced that the idea of democracy built into the structure of most countries in Western society is like an iceberg; it’ll always tip in someone’s favour (point of power), but you can only get true democracy if the whole thing is turned upside down in order to expose the ice underneath, allowing it to get a chance to get some air.

At the end of the session we realised that we didn’t use any of the banned words and Dave did get a sense of what Wales could look like if its citizens adopted a new way of thinking about democracy.

Words such as Equality, Representation, Voice, Integration, and Engagement are the corner stones of democracy and perhaps a back to basics approach is essential before any promises are made, because both promises and stones could be broken in the process!

 

Change their, our, my behaviour

Dyfrig Williams of Good Practice Wales Audit Office stated this agenda earlier on twitter, which I replied to in order to voice my interest.

Its context interested me. The idea of helping to understand how we’re able to change our own behaviour towards work and improve the relationship between organisations (not only in the public sector) and staff.

I thought to myself, this is a session that could be beneficial for me and for my own work or in future employment.

How to change behaviour? I immediately thought money, which is at least honest. If you’ve worked hard to get where you are and have been trained to a level (that the employer has invested into you), then don’t you expect an increase in salary or a promotion at least?

There were comments made by self-employed attendees and their inability to pay the living wage because the profits gained wouldn’t cover all costs, which does reflect the economic market and the need for our government to invest in medium or smaller sized businesses. If we are to leave the EU market don’t we need as many entrepreneurs and smaller businesses that are able to sustain themselves as possible?

Other suggestions included us (Wales and UK) to ditch the 9 to 5 and adopt a new way of working, like some Swedish employers who have managed to lessen their employees’ hours to help balance their working lives with their family lives; working only 6 hours a day over five days.

Bosses, particularly middle management, have to change the way they treat staff. They (management) need to think as if they’re a part of a bee colony that has everyone working together, because that member of staff will go to another hive, making the honey (services/ organisation) taste less sweet than before.

Representatives from Welsh Government were also at the event commenting on the “Sword and Shield” effect on the services standards in the public sector, which is okay in practice but it would depend on what are they’re made of?

Are they as solid as TATA Steel or made from poorly produced fakes that don’t have the ability to make any sort of impact?

Our government needs to realise that those services aren’t run by gladiators but by extraordinary people.

I believe if you want to change people’s behaviours in organisations, be they public sector workers or other, then we need to put people (staff) first!

Bosses need to understand that their employees are not just “workers” but are the blood of the organisation that helps to keep the circulation going and maintaining the services.

Also, there are (now) generational complications too with younger people (generation Y/Z) likely to earn less than their “more mature” colleagues, an increase in zero hour contracts (creating unpredictability and stress), and younger people feel that they can never get on the career or housing ladder – there are only jobs and non-affordable renting.

 

Act 3, Open Data

After going to one of Welsh Tenants/ Tenantiaid Cymru’s plenary called Future Gazing, which looked at the benefits and cons of big data and technology in the housing sector, I thought that this session led by Angharad Owen would get me further hooked on exploring the issues with data, especially since it involved the new Act – a law that could potentially be a banner for further devolution in Wales?

The Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act is considered by the Public Bodies in Wales as the go-to-guide when carrying out their duties.

The use of open data can be instrumental in understanding performance such as highlighting the difficulties of an organisation or a service’s abilities, which is not about honesty but concerns the reality of the economic climate on a service (a public service, which is paid for by tax payers) – they have a legal duty to notify the service users!

Open data can be key to supporting the effectiveness of public services and aid those working in the sector to hopefully develop new strategies, to look at new “Ways of Working.”

Although, there are (I believe) risks involved with open data. It’s a question of having data from  trustworthy sources, as the person/people/ organisation collecting the data shouldn’t have any affiliations that could benefit them in any way. The public, especially these days, need the trust factor!

Welsh Fforeign Polisi

Esko, as a Finnish immigrant wanted to know our perspectives (being Welsh) on foreign policy, which is currently still governed by the long arm of Westminster.

Could we have our own?

One of the attendees of the session, Helen Frost of Frost Creative did her stuff sketching out our thoughts (and dreams) as a fully independent nation. It may be that she plans to draw a dragon’s foot, trapped in a thorny vine of a red rose – eager to break away! A bit too controversial perhaps? Someone’s controversy is another person’s truth.

The group discussed obvious issues that has influenced foreign policy over the last few months including the B word (Brexit), as Esko calls it, and the fact that Theresa May has appointed Boris Johnson in charge of this vital position (luck of the draw or what?). And more relative to the agenda, would it still affect Wales if were to go solo?

A simple yet hard-hitting question was asked – What does Wales have to offer? I can honestly say that I’ve underestimated my own nation in a way, as we further outlined what Wales and its people have got and can do.

For instance, our ecological, industrial and agricultural resources: our drinking water with our many reservoirs, which we should get back from the English really (Oh! Cofiwch Dryweryn: Remember Tryweryn); our slate is almost legendary with its fine quality and connection to the history of the Romans in pre-Britain; our alternatives to energy including the use of wind turbines; our claim to fame with Welsh sheep such as wool and produce (not the other thing!); could our success with tourism help support an independent economy? We have a nation made from mountains for hikers and bikers, an interesting history for learners and sight-seers and some of the cleanest coasts in Europe attracting surfers from around the world; we could keep our steel industry going strong and not put the fire out (and won’t need any corporate entity or other governmental policy influencing its future); and perhaps we could open the coalmines once again? Just a thought.

We compared ourselves to other countries (as you do when examining foreign policy and a Finnish person facilitating the session) and got chatting about serious issues such as our national security/ armed forces; would we consider keeping or losing them like Iceland? Also, would we be affiliated with other countries or become neutral, like a modern-day Switzerland?

The session was productive and gave me an insight into my own country that I didn’t think about before, as we (the Welsh) are so use to being a step away from England and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Once, we thought devolution was a long-shot in itself!

Wales is an island, which means that it’s above the water and perhaps becoming an independent country could be its peril causing it to sink, but maybe the reason behind this way of thinking is that nobody is teaching it how to swim!

 

A Citizen’s Public Confession

I personally would have put forward a pitch, but because of sleep deprivation I wouldn’t have wanted to fill in a slot that could have been filled by a speaker who perhaps could have contributed more to the event, which they all certainly did.

I can be vouched by others, as I had a title planned too “To Strike or not to Strike, what is the cost?” which would have been about the recent strikes; (hypothetically) examining not only the financial circumstances faced in Wales from strikes but the the right and ethics of striking. Never mind!

I thought it was great having the option of having a conversation with other Welsh speakers like myself, who were all given a bi-lingual lanyard.

Although, I would like to point out that it may have unnerved non-Welsh speakers from joining a smaller group’s discussion.

Obviously, there should be a choice for people to speak their own mother-tongue, but what if those non-Welsh speakers could have contributed to the discussion and missed out on the opportunity? Perhaps this could be something to think about for future events.

The elevators at the venue unfortunately did malfunction but I want to commend the volunteer organisers for addressing the issue, which meant that nobody with a physical disability or medical condition affecting their mobility missed out on anything.

 

P.S. Here’s my conclusion

Overall I thought GovCamp Cymru acted as a conductor for those interested in the Public Sector (which should be everyone really, shouldn’t it?) and anyone could have contribute anything, which is a great thing about an “unconference” – it’s full of like-minded people.

I hope to get more involved next year. I do suggest that we all participate.

If we are to have another 4 or so years of Conservative leadership then we have a duty to protect our most vulnerable people (and bystanders by that matter) who have to manage with undernourished services that are supported by overworked and underpaid staff.

Let’s put a bit of humanity back into our Public Services again!

(Image courtesy of Brickset, Flickr c.c, 2013)

Jonny from the PRS Block

 

PRS & Event Intro

I’ve decided to write this blog, which is about Welsh Tenants’ (WT) Not Just Bricks & Mortar conference, from a private rented sector (PRS) tenant’s perspective; allowing me to comment from a service user’s point of view and not as a staff member of WT/ Tenantiaid Cymru (TC), making this blog more open and relatable to others.

 

Green & Red leads to Yellow

I thought to myself “it’s not easy wearing green” as the first day started with me wearing a light-green coloured shirt (one of the colours of the logo). The colour, like the theme of fancy-dress later that day, hadn’t been seen since the ‘60s.

Unfortunately, I lost my original red shirt (the other tradition colour of the logo) to wear for the second day due to the constant move from tenancy to tenancy in the past two years…it’s a long story.

Somebody had asked me if I has misplaced it in a “moving box.”

I told them that they’ve watched too many Hollywood movies that fostered the silver-screen ideology of a family moving into a new property. Unlike them I did not have the privilege of having a “moving box” or extreme dental whiteners.

As a PRS tenant who works, pays the bills, has family members to support – the last thing I’d think of is “where’s that red shirt?”

In regards to the yellow – The National Tenant’s Council could be holding up a yellow-coloured flag in future that would represent those committed to the tenants’ movement.

Steve opened the conference, focusing on the progress WT/TC made in relation to last year’s Rent –Well live well campaign and the five asks that focused on security of tenure, affordability (and the need for a living rent), representation for renters, choice and flexibility (about supply) and standards. While much had been achieved since devolution there was still more to be done to deliver on the tenants asks of government and the sectors. What did come across was that tenants have played an important role in helping to shape some really important issues facing renters in Wales and that unity among renters and indeed the sector on key messages like the Homes for Wales campaign can achieve quite significant improvements for all -delivering on health, social well-being and equalities.

 

Leaseholders, London and Wales

Dona Awano from The Lease Advisory Service was a guest speaker launched the organisation’s major works project.

It was good to give a voice to these almost “unsung” tenants and their tenure type, since many aren’t aware of their rights and obligations as a leaseholder.

 

Cathy is 50^th

Cathy Come Home was on everybody’s lips as Shelter Cymru’s John Puzey and WT’s Steve Clarke introduced the first plenary of the conference, which highlighted the docudrama’s 50^th anniversary that gave rise to the creation of Shelter.

Shelter Cymru’s newest campaign Take Notice was promoted at the event.

In a way it rekindled the memory of Cathy. It reminded us that anyone can become homeless and more importantly that we should stop people’s perceptions and change their attitudes towards homelessness – you should never stereotype!

I hope that Shelter Cymru’s campaign will breathe life back into the support services and raise public awareness of homelessness, like Cathy did back in ’66. The question, what can Cathy expect top come home to in 2016’ was answered. In Wales at least there is a prevention strategy that does appear to be showing good early signs. However, welfare is a major issue. Cathy and Reg could well have their benefits sanctioned for the most ridiculous of reasons, and housing benefit cap may well mean that they may not to be able to afford a home of their reasonable preference, even social housing. There’s still much to be done to ensure we have a more equal society that can support people like Cathy, Reg and their children in times of crisis.

 

New Chat-in-the-Box

During the plenary sessions, WT/TC used a throwable-mic box. The box bounced with ease from table to table, from tenant to tenant – but there were no boxed-emotions here. The conference welcomed any voice from any sector to contribute any thought.

 

Chit Chat Corner

WT tested out their new idea called Chit Chat Corner.

Setting up a gazebo in the Metropole’s main exhibition area and assigning workshop sheets for delegates to sign up to would hopefully give delegates; whether exhibitor, sponsor or tenant a chance to voice their views on a particular subject.

I must admit that more planning was needed to coordinate and promote the “corner,” but it did receive attention (being a gazebo in a hotel) and further interest with its objective.

For example, Mr Sparks, a RSL tenant who had paid to come to the conference, volunteered to lead a discussion on disability access, which is a subject that isn’t only confined to housing.

In terms of the private rented sector and disability access (particularly physical/ wheelchair user); it appears to be next to impossible, as investment and support is almost non-existent. Also, because it’s a commercially-driven market, there are no breaking of laws because it’s all about who is “suitable” for the property, and is not hindered by any social values or a sense of social responsibility.

On the conference’s second day, Peter Griffiths from New Pathways (who also exhibited) had volunteered to lead a discussion concerning his project’s work on supporting victims of rape (and human trafficking), domestic violence, which I believe is an issue that isn’t stressed enough in the sector.

Rape itself would constitute as a life crisis because its violent nature has the ability to do long-lasting damage both physically and mentally; where a victim’s nature would change in the process.

There were some worrying comments from participants about the dangers of shared accommodation for young vulnerable people and for people with mental health conditions. Delegates were concerned at the extent of human trafficking and the appalling conditions some people have to endure in illegal HMOs and basement dwellings that are off the radar of the authorities. Overall, I thought Chit Chat Corner delivered well and could still (with more planning) be a great addition to future of WT/ TC conferences.

 

Tenants’ Chit Chat

WT/TC are also thankful to Jonathan Conway (Newport City Homes) for facilitating Tenants’ Chit Chat, more of an open house discussion  workshop that enabled tenants to vent their views on recent tenant matters in Wales. The workshop was well attended and contributed to lively discussions. We look forward to Jonathans feedback.

 

Exhibitors & Sponsors – support services are key

I’m glad to have seen StepChange (the debt support charity) again at the event, especially as this year’s conference marks the anniversary of Cathy Come Home, which involved financial exclusion and debt that affected the family’s well-being.

Poverty and debt (including the methodologies that lead to the exploitation of those at risk in deprived areas) are still putting financial-strain on low-income families and individuals. And with cuts to welfare, it begs the question – is living affordable? Are we just existing and nothing more?

When I think back to Cathy and Reg and how they had back-payments that drowned the family in debt. I think to myself – has much changed?

Sadly supportive organisations such as Moneyline (part of the growing responsible lending network that’s evolving in Wales) weren’t available back in ’66, with only major corporate banks available that required credit checks – in the end denying them any choice.

Moneyline provides assistance by offering small secure loans that are affordable, flexible and encourages tenants to save. As a company it sits between the credit union movement and more corporate lenders, providing affordable credit, helping to steer people away from high interest borrowing.

As a private tenant, I believe that the organisation is beneficial because its flexibility and its affordability gives tenants an opportunity; unlike being labelled insecure by creditors, which is a negative attitude towards families trying to make a house their home or simply trying to get secure.

Another aspect of the docudrama that’s not well highlighted is mental health; Cathy develops paranoia brought on by anxiety that later becomes depression, which is more than likely the result from the many issues that she faced.

Therefore, the presence of Mid Powys Mind was a great choice by WT – housing and mental health go hand-in-hand. After all one of the key messages of the conference, was that while bricks and mortar are important – it’s also about people.

More support is needed, more now than ever before, since it’s estimated that 1 in every 4 people will have a form of mental health illness. Securing future funding to cope with mental health services as part of the health and well-being agenda is therefore critical for many. Are local authority services in Wales able to follow the new legislation regarding both the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act and Social Services & Well-being (Wales) Act with the current cuts to funding? We will have to see how they cope.

These issues are relevant to Powys Carers’ Service, whose organisation had exhibited. Its presence helped to emphasise not only the cross-sector challenges but more importantly the family struggle, especially with austerity cuts that create further hardship for those who support their loved ones that have particular needs.

This local support service is a lifeline to carers that may seem only to assist them in the simplest of ways, such as letting them have time to themselves, but unless you’re a carer you’re unable to fathom its significance.

Without question, one of the biggest life crisis is cancer. I’m glad to have seen The Bracken Trust feature at the event, because the reality is that everybody will know someone whose life has been affected by the life-threatening and life-altering disease.

Sponsors support the ideals of an event and it’s no surprise that Linc Cymru and Tai Ceredigion came out on top as key sponsors, along with representatives from the sector HouseMark Cymru, Electrical Safety First, Orbits IT and others.

 

Here’s some of the workshops

WT/ TC commits to providing an all-round tenure workshops; whether you’re a tenant from a HA, LA or PRS – there is always something for everyone.

Fuel poverty and energy sufficiency is always a hot topic in housing. Landlords should support their tenants in getting the cheapest deals that provides a quality service in regards to payments with bills. Perhaps tenants aren’t aware that they can “shop around” with energy or other suppliers.

Hence, William Jones from CAB Ceredigion ran a workshop on Energy Best Deals, which is ideal for a PRS tenant like me. The standards in heating efficiency isn’t regulated that can cause serious health problems, which I’ve personally experienced myself.

There needs to be more support for not only tenants but home-owners, specifically those with young children, older people or medical conditions; cold homes aren’t just a negative mark against suppliers and sometimes landlords, but they can lead to unthinkable consequences! Delegates also raised concern about the proposed reform of the NEST scheme for private households.

It was nice to see Elle McNeil from CAB Cymru return to another WT conference, after seeing her last year at Building Bridges – she being one of many speakers on the all-women panel.

She led a workshop on rights and obligations, which are fundamentally the relationship’s infrastructure agreed upon between landlords and tenants. It may seem as if it goes back to basics, but with new legislations (in Wales) over the last three to four years popping up left, right and centre in the sector – it’s important that everyone be kept up-to-date.

I got talking to Stephanie Davies and Rachel Rowberry-Jones from Money Matters at Cynon Taf Housing Group, and their workshop sounded almost like a homage to Cathy, as it was called dealing with a life crisis, which proved successful with the delegates.

Their services can support those going through a life crisis, tenants who accessed their support service have benefited to the sum of 450k to date.. But perhaps (I believe) their services are important for their ability to prevent a life crisis, which should be in all support services’ goals.

It’s always interesting to see Housing Associations’ influence on the running of the event, with workshops being crucial by creating “a moth to a flame” situation when attracting delegates.

For instance, Merthyr Valleys Homes’ staff and tenant board member Frances Bevan did a workshop on becoming a mutual organisation – insisting that together we’re stronger. Or Steve Clarkes mantra that landlords problems are tenant problems and tenant problems are the landlords, it’s in both our interests to work together to resolve them. Perhaps, like the recent success of the Wales Team in the Euro football, the decision (agreed by both landlord and tenants) is an example that could kick things into gear to create a fair and better relationship.

It was good to see regulation there too, with TAP members discussing the expected ruling that housing associations should be reclassified public bodies. The consequences of which would mean serious restrictions on the borrowing to build new homes that we so desperately need. The regulatory team also discussed how we better rate service delivery.

 

 

Future Gazing

You don’t need to be an astrologer to see how well this plenary would turn out.

Everyone present was engaged in learning more about the housing sector’s transformation through technological advances in terms of both data and enabling those receiving care and support to live more independently.

The panel consisted of Brett Sadler, a self-confessed IT geek from North Wales Housing; Rachel Honey-Jones, who is the Community Regeneration Manager at Newydd Housing (one of the first RSLs in Wales to incorporate biotechnology in one of its sheltered schemes); and Karen Foster from Deeplake, a mobile communications software that’s all about providing accessible rent account and making services more accessible from your mobile device but also using big data in social housing to improve investment decisions

It was a nice touch by WT/TC to use plasma globes at the debate, which was appropriate for the plenary’s technological theme. The debate concluded that while IT is producing widespread service delivery and life opportunities, we should also be well informed about the risks in relation to fraud, confidentiality, data protection and accessibility for all. Delegates needed to take responsibility for our digital futures too.

Future Gazing – Private Sector, not so Private

I’d like to add my concerns on a recent article, which acknowledges sites such as Tenant Assured that compiles “tenant’s personality report” from “open data” to vet certain tenants based on their personal social media accounts, but still insists that it uses traditional checks to carry out any final decision.

What this is, in a nut-shell, is backdoor profiling. This negative use of data could be used in a prejudicial way including the possible inciting of homophobia, racism, xenophobia and others forms of –isms.

What’s next the Tenant Factor? Four buzzers and you’re out on the streets?

As a private tenant who works for an organisation that represents the national voice of tenants, would a landlord be willing (if given the data by this company) to let me rent?

 

What to expect from a new Welsh Government?

 

The last plenary of the event featured Tamsin Stirling, an independent consultant; Sonia Benbow-Jones, WT Chair; Susan Hill, a town councillor and a local authority tenant; and Paul Clasby, a member of Tai Ceredigion’s Monitoring Group and CAVO’s disability forum.

It was quite unfortunate that no PRS tenant was available to become a panel member for this plenary. This only emphasises the difficulty in engaging with tenants of this tenure. It’s a hard-to-reach group!

The delegates were encouraged to work together and write down what they thought the future of the Welsh Government would look like including services to housing and in the community…and I believe I heard Brexit.

This co-productive activity reminded me of the phrase “the pen is mightier than the sword,” which I’m sure Tamsin would agree with me, being a self-confessed “policy nerd.”

Although, we need to remember that not every policy or legislation can be followed, if the demand goes beyond funding capacity.

I’m glad to have witnessed a conference that has tenants’ at its heart, and promotes  true representation with the presence of service providers and more importantly service users (tenants), who are the key to the existence of providers – not the other way around.

Service providers (landlords) should be evaluated on their performance, otherwise like any kind of service, how do we know that it has improved in quality and in other areas, which is why Welsh Tenants / Tenantiaid Cymru needs to carry on –  an independent beacon that keeps on shining to safeguard tenant representation, making sure is alive and well.

 

PRS Participation

There are few apparent steps towards private tenant participation, unlike its big brother, social housing. This is something that needs to be addressed if we are to ensure that all renters can benefit from the collective involvement, locally, regionally and nationally.

In my opinion, Local Authorities and Welsh Government understand the dilemmas facing private tenants but struggle with the resourcing necessary to truly empower them. The priority it seems is to educate the landlords rather than empower the tenants.

While every event such as this needs to choose what it has on the programme, it would have been great to have the ability to get the private renters voice at the event and to examine how for example landlord registration is progressing in Wales through Rent Smart Wales.

Don’t get me wrong, there are good private landlords, but we need membership bodies such as the RLA and NLA to get on board with supporting the enforcement of standards in the sector and sponsoring tenants to attend, just like the RSL sector does, perhaps next year we can look at this.

 

Conclusion

Not Just Bricks & Mortar was not only a name of this year’s WT’s conference, it’s a current message that we need to encourage in the sector. Not just for Wales but for everyone, everywhere. It’s about putting people first.

We don’t produce housing, we provide homes!

 

(Image courtesy: Sarah Sammis, Flickr c.c 2013)

Cymraeg (-2050)?

Dyma flog fach sy’n amlinellu beth rydw i’n meddwl am safbwynt ein hiaith wrth weld  gwleidyddiaeth y wlad a’r digwyddiadau eraill yn ddiweddar.

2016 – Mae’r Olwyn Wedi Troi

Mae’r flwyddyn hon wedi’i chreu nifer o newidiadau yng Nghymru. Yn gyntaf roedd ein hetholiad wedi newid y sefyllfa o bwy sydd â sedd yn y Senedd. Nid oedd na syndod ganddo fi wrth ddarganfod bod UKIP “Cymru”  (hyn yn oed os mae mwyafrif ohonyn nhw ddim yn byw yn Nghymru) yn ennill seddau – a wnaeth, yn anffodus, arwain i’r ger difloniant y Dem Rhydd heblaw am Kirsty Williams.

Eto roedd Llafur yn siwr o’i ennilliad yn yr etholiad. Ond cafodd nhw her gyda phleidlais o’r chwith arall – Plaid Cymru.

Trafododd y ddau ynghlyn â’r “ffordd gywir” i Gymru ond gellid synhwyro’r balchder y cochion – yn enwedig eu harweinydd ag eisteddodd yn ei orsedd yn clabu’r enwau yr wrthblaid, oherwydd dydy’r bobl Cymru yn eisiau newid ar ôl tua dau ddegawd!

Rwy’n teimlo bod y dewisiad i adael Llafur dod y mwyafrif arweiniol yn y Cynulliad yn rhoi gorau i gymysgiad teg y pleidiau lliwgar. Beth os oedd y cwffio gan y goch a gwyrdd wedi achub y defnyn felyn a yw’r Williams? Mae strategaeth wleidyddol ym mhob amser yn anniben!

Addawai’r Llafur Cymru ei darged o filiwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg yn 2050. Mae’r ffordd gwnaeth Llafur yn Lloegr ymddwyn wedi staenio’r enw “Llafur.” Felly, oes siawns o chwith newydd? Efallai hiliogaeth Plaid Cymru yn y dyfodol?

Mae’r esgid yn gwasgu! Meddyliwch beth os yw’r Ceidwadwyr ym mhŵer am bedair mlynedd arall? A fyddan nhw yn helpu ein hysgolion Cymraeg neu chlymu cwmwl i’r cyllid addysg?

Heb fuddsoddiad yn ein cenhedlaeth nesaf, bydd targed realistig Llafur yn mwy nes i’r mil na’r miliwn!

Nawr, Ewrop…bois bach!

Dim ond mis ar ôl ein hetholiad dramatig oedd y Refferendwm Ewropeaidd, a dyna ddigwyddiad sy’n dal cael ei siarad amdan oherwydd mae’r canlyniadau wedi rhannu’r gwledydd (hyd yn oed rhai teuluoedd). Nid oes syniad gan y llywodraeth yn Llundain ymhle i ddechrau. Ni all y llywodraeth addo’r £350 miliwn ar gyfer y GIG – chwarae’n troi chwerw, wrth chwarae gyda thân Nigel Farage a Boris Johnson!

Ond beth ydy’r dewisiad y Refferendwm Ewropeaidd yn golygu am yr iaith Gymraeg? Pam fecso?

Ni wn holl o’r manylion wrth gwrs. Gallai’r Cymdeithas yr Iaith neu’r Comisiynydd y Gymraeg esbonio’n well na minnau. Dyna pam mae hyn yn blog. Ond rydw i’n disgwl llai ymgysylltiad rhyngwladol, effaith ar undod ac ar gyllid; prosiectau wedi’u hariennir gan Ewrop sy’n helpu twristiaeth a fydd yn cefnogi busnesau a cymunedau Cymraeg wledig ac arfordirol. Er mwyn iddyn nhw bodoli yn yr ardaloedd honno.

Felly

Beth am y dyfodol ein mamiaith? Dydw i ddim yn medru darllen y dyfodol? Ond rwy’n gobeithio bydd plant yn trio i’w darllen yn y Gymraeg.

 

Image Courtesy (Gareth Williams – Flickr 2011, c.c)

 

Coffee with a Slice of…Mental Health Awareness

Introduction

Co-founder Lyn Williams of Kreelicious unnervingly stepped up to the challenge as the event’s facilitator, even though it would only be with his one good leg; unfortunately he’d injured his ankle getting the evening’s goodies from Georgetown shop – Nevertheless he hopped to it and did an excellent job.

We all thanked Steven George, another co-founder of Hwyl Hub and founder of George + Co Architecture, for sponsoring the event – he’s a man who knows the Tricks of the Trade for community-led initiatives.

Our guest speaker for the now 4^th official meetup was the Ferndale-friendly Mr Alex Jenkins, who has many “faces” but guaranteed none would go behind your back; being the Creative Director at Design for Life, an affluent commercial photographer, Director at Delicious Branding, a co-founder at KIN+ILK…have I missed anything out? Probably.

His personal history in the creative industries was interesting. He shortly realised that he wasn’t the best at music production or illustration, but felt that the pieces managed to fit when it came to graphic design. Admittedly, he was older than others in the industry at that time -but experience and passion gave him further determination to succeed. Hard work really does pays off.

There was debate on other topics including whether having “unconfidence” was a Welsh thing, which spouted questions if there are pre-existing prejudices and negative treatment against Welsh people in the creative or other industries? if parental or the Valleys’ cultural influence impacts on generational self-esteem with their expectancy of failure is at fault? Or if there’s a sense that we don’t deserve success?

But his initial incentive at the event was to discuss the impact on his mental health and how that would encourage him to prioritise his life and find a balance between both work and leisure/ family. I understood his words to follow the principles of mindfulness, which I agree should be something that’s encouraged in daily life; statistically 1 in 4 of us will suffer from a mental health illness in our lives (although, I believe it to be much higher as social and sometimes cultural stigma can be a deterrent from seeking support or acknowledging one’s mental health).

Alex was successful in highlighting how mental health can be misunderstood and how we should acknowledge that it can hit anyone at any time. His work on #ReachOut (Welsh: #EstynLlaw) is a testament to his noble work promoting mental health awareness.

As an individual who has experience with both mental health campaigns and supporting family members with a mental health illness (my sister who had PND), this campaign reminded me of my volunteering experience with Fathers Reaching Out (now Dads Matter UK), a project that highlighted fathers who had mental health issues including PTSD and Post Natal Depression – commonly perceived to only affect women.

Furthermore, Alex brought another relevant message to the meeting… coffee!

A fundamental ingredient to the well-being of 9 to 5 workers. His new venture, KIL+ILK, a café bar located in Cardiff would be welcomed in the borough of Merthyr Tydfil. For every Welsh speaker, learner, resident and visitor know “rwy’n hoffi ffrothi coffi!”

I hope that Alex is no stranger to future local events and will be back soon to Hwyl Hub.

Image courtesy – Jen. Coffee. Flickr C.C.

 

The Care Sector in Casualty

Intro

As the title might suggest this blog concerns the Care Sector. I have also added, for a hint of poeticism and pun a mention of Casualty, the British television drama that turns 30 this September.

A lot has changed over the last 30 years. Although some would argue that nothing has really changed – only the fashion. I’d argue that some things have but others will always stay the same, for instance, politics or corporate influence on those in power never does BUT as a society we’ve seen many developments such as; the production of new technologies, the rights of people being acknowledged, the phenomena of reality TV stardom…and other interesting aspects. But these cultural developments don’t mean social improvements!

Service Users & Providers

The service users, who are dependent on the care services, aren’t receiving the necessary support from local government funded providers with the services being massively underfunded and under-staffed!

As the population grows older, there are clear signs that service providers aren’t able to cope with the demanding numbers and its constant rise of people needing care.

Care Sector service providers are some of the hardest-working people in the public sector, yet they are among the lowest paid workers.

With the increase of service users mainly due to the aging population, there is further demand for care workers and specialised nurses, but because of underfunding and well-documented pressurized working conditions that are off-putting for potential new employees, it makes successful recruitment seem like a snowball chance in hell!

Like junior doctors there needs to be investment in those working in care to ensure that they’ll want to stay and more importantly that they feel valued – we should be taking care of them too!

Re-training new staff isn’t cost effective and can have a negative impact on service users;   re-engaging with different carers can be daunting, especially for those with mental health illnesses or learning disabilities, and even for basic service users. Let’s not make the care sector a place filled with faceless people!

Paying the living wage for workers in the profession have a “knock on effect,” which puts the sector at “a tipping point,” is a recent statement by the Chairperson of the Care Forum Wales in an interview.

Though the argument would be that those working in the Care Sector, majority of who are female, are more likely to receive less pay than their male counterparts.  Chwarae Teg’s Chief Executive has highlighted the gender pay gap between the sectors and outlined the noticeable stereotypical tendencies that still need to be addressed, which she’d recently discussed during a radio interview.

Also, employers should value their members of staff. It’s not about paying what an employee deserves. It’s about paying him or her something that they can live on – as everybody has the right to financial stability and a sense of well-being.

Cross-sector challenges…what to look out for this September?

I recently wrote a blog regarding cross-sector challenges that mentioned the difficulties facing service providers, although I directed the blog towards the uncertainties of Brexit, it highlighted some of the issues that will further devastate the care sector. https://merthyrranter.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/afterbrexitsectors/

This September Cymorth Cymru has a conference called Partnership: A Problem Shared that should be interesting and will hopefully explore some of the issues facing organisations and examine how service users that are dependent on these cross-sector relationships will be affected.

Later on in September, Tenantiaid Cymru/ Welsh Tenants’s Future Gazing plenary will touch on this subject at their annual conference, Not Just Bricks & Mortar that will debate the pros and cons of new technologies on the housing sector.

Service Users…You Can Live!

Like a scene from Casualty, I imagine the Care Sector like a person who is on life-support and only our nation’s lead in legislation is keeping a few from pulling the plug on him or her e.g. The Social Services & Well-being (Wales) Act and the Well-being Future Generations (Wales) Act that has both “come into force” April of this year. Although, underfunding is a faulty fuse that could cut the supply of oxygen to the sector; endangering support and safeguarding measures already put in place for those at risk.

Will care be a precious commodity in future that is supplied only to those who can afford it? Are we to revert back to people’s life expectancies being three and ten in old money? Or have everyone assigned to the Logan’s Run Programme?

We should be saying that “you can live” – with the appropriate care that you require, whatever your condition or circumstances!

 

(Image Courtesy of Jonel Hanopol – Flickr c.c)

Submissions being sought! — Tydfil Art Gallery

We’re looking for artists!!

via Submissions being sought! — Tydfil Art Gallery

A Tweeter’s Perspective on Pride Cymru

I’ve Missed Out 

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the event this year, which was disappointing as I’m an activist – Well, self-described “professional-ranter” on equality rights, especially within the LGBT community, as I have family members and some of my closest friends who are gay.

Also, as a photographer who’s been documenting Pride both in Cardiff and Birmingham over the years, I can see on Instagram and Twitter that I’ve missed out on all the fun.

HASHTAG 

I’m writing this blog in correspondence to what I’ve viewed on Twitter. Therefore, this is my perspective as a Twitter user on Pride Cymru via the event’s hashtag.

The colours of the rainbow, symbolic of the LGBT community (and is sometimes notably a representation for peace) dominated the daily feed, highlighting the event’s promotional success and engaging with those attending or those who were not.

Other hashtags were used throughout the day including Stonewall Cymru’s #ByYourSide (Welsh: #WrthDyOchr) in reference to celebrating the event with others who’ve been by your side – “through good times and bad.”

Stage performances by B*Witched, The Half Eight, Donna-Marie Gaga and others had tweeters rigorously tapping away at their mobiles with #LoveisLove and #LoveWins – a message that’s in constant battle with occurring hatred from homophobia, transphobia and other negative comments from bigot-minded people.

Public Sector Pride

It was good to see so many Public Sector workers involved in supporting the event’s main organisers and highlighting LGBT people’s presence in our most important sector.

There was representation from the South Wales Police who were sporting their “Pride Car”, Welsh Ambulance Service, and the South Wales Fire Service – vital services that support our society’s prosperity, which rely on diversity including people who are LGBT.

There event included well-known faces such as Hannah Blythyn, AM for Delyn, who is one of our “openly lesbian” Assembly Members at the Senedd and Ian Watkins from STEPS who Didn’t Stop Moving as he marched with Pride.

Pride Cymru 2017?

Uncertainty hit supporters of Pride Cymru, as rumours were being told about the possibility of its cancellation for next year because of a clash over dates with Cardiff’s hosting of the UEFA’s Champions League. Although, Cardiff Council has reassured supporters that Pride Cymru will be held next year and are currently discussing the matter with the organisers.

It would be devastating if Pride Cymru was unable to continue, even if it means missing one year, because the council would NEVER forget War Memorial Sunday, which commemorates those who’ve died in war – and just like this event that commemorates those who’ve been fighting for LGBT rights and who have lost their lives through hate-related crimes – it is a war For Self-Expression, For Love, For Pride.

(Image Courtesy of torbakhopper – c.c Flickr)

No Sign of Sinking – Merthyr’s Creative Community

The third official Hwyl Hub creative meet up last Friday (12^th August) was particularly interesting, as the organisers had Dan Sargent (Creative Director of Blue Stag) do a presentation on crowd funding, which was exemplified by his company’s social media sensation #BoatyMcBoatFace.

Before the presentation and other following comments, the meeting was hosted by Hwyl Hub’s new designated Den Mother, Samantha Wheeler, to whom we are grateful for her ability to channel each members’ entrepreneurial or project-led goals, as she is an accurately self-described “supporter of people.”

Sargent explained his work on the campaign, which was funded by the European Research Council;  a campaign aimed at not only finding a name for the new British polar ship, but to engage with the public and to create enthusiasm for this subject within the science sector.

During the presentation and the group’s Q&As, Sergeant acknowledged the difficulties with the campaign and how he had underestimated the power of social media. Although, it can be argued that he was able to transform the hashtag #NameOurShip into a media frenzy for his client, which had the public vote for #BoatyMcBoatFace that would cause controversy and resulted in the decision of the ERC not naming the ship its democratically nominated name, which then caused equally the same media frenzy. All in all assisting in the organisation’s continuing engagement with the public; bad or good publicity – is publicity.

The good spread of food, kindly sponsored by Certitec Ltd UK, enabled the event’s participants to converse with each other more comfortably, which included my own buffet banter with Rebecca “Sunflower” Thomas, a blossoming photographer, and Jo Headington of Tydfil Art Gallery, whose difficult task is to seek a space that can be freely used by the borough’s artists – be they painters, photographers, sculptors etc. Therefore, I advise that we all should (as an up- and-coming creative community) support her as best we can.

What I’ve learned from attending the event is that Merthyr Tydfil is growing as a creative community and we’re not short of support or ideas. Of course ideas do either sink or swim, but just like #BoatyMcBoatFace I can guarantee that Hwyl Hub will be afloat for future artists and won’t stop sailing the seas of creativity.

So, if you want to get involved or get creative, come to Hwyl Hub’s next meeting to see what opportunities lay ahead – it will guarantee to rock your boat.

(Image courtesy of Ana Karenina c.c Flickr)

Cathy Come Home

When we think back to 1966, the first thing that pops into our heads is the infamous football match between England and Germany – everything seems irrelevant, which shouldn’t be the case.

Ken Loach who directed Cathy Come Home had transformed the television play into a Panorama-like documentary that highlighted the need for change.

I always compare the housing sector to Shakespeare’s plays since something always happens; whether good, bad or absurd. Cathy Come Home exemplifies this with Jeremy Sandford’s writing being almost a homage to the bard himself, as the screenplay is filled with tragedy, after tragedy, after tragedy – a reflection of life’s frailty.

A reference from the production mentions that support with housing is only available to the “Cinderella of the Cinderellas,” – this is further from the truth.

Just like the story of the glass slipper, Loach’s legacy shows how fragile life can be and what we take from the ending is that all the superglue in the world couldn’t put her life back together again- not in 1966, as the word “support” and its actions were truly non-existent.

Although things have improved immensely with new policies and laws in place to protect and support those most vulnerable, there’s no denying that individuals and families are still faced with experiences similar to Cathy, which impact on their lives and future wellbeing.

Words such as Housing Crisis, Affordable Housing, Poverty and Homelessness are echoes of Post-World War II’s economic impact when resurrecting the UK from the ashes, which begs the question, if we will ever be able to lose the chains of debt that are engraved “Our Country’s Deficit” and more importantly – will those who are dependent on the support from welfare be restricted even further? Will we have a generation of Cathys?

Housing Crisis

The Housing Crisis has meant that there’s a lack of housing, which has caused many to struggle and left feeling frustrated in a housed-in-limbo state with generations of the same family living under one roof; creating a toxic atmosphere and eventual family rifts.

Affordable Housing

Unaffordable Housing has resulted in those renting or trying to get onto the property ladder unable to access the housing market successfully; the prices are out of reach, financial instability can’t guarantee security of a mortgage and the fees set by letting agents are extortionate and unfair. Plus the living wage is far from liveable, which leaves people unable to save their money.

Poverty

There are many kinds of Poverty affecting families in the UK, for instance, having a house has many responsibilities including paying the bills for the essentials including heating, water and electricity; the pinch to welfare reform cuts off the oxygen to only the bare necessities, leaving families balancing their options, to either keeping the family warm or letting them have a shower. The most devastating effect from the last Government has been the dramatic increase in foodbanks and it has been revealed that food poverty is worse in the UK than any other European country.

Homelessness

Homelessness was a reality in 1966 and it’s still a reality today. It can hit anyone, at any time!

There are many reasons why families are made homeless and it’s normally through no fault of their own, such as financial instability because of zero-hour contracts, escaping domestic abuse, mental health illnesses preventing employment or even being kicked out of the family home simply because that person happens to be gay.

There needs to be more support in preventing homelessness – not after it’s already happened.

I don’t believe that there’s enough work being done in “pre-homelessness” which is when people facing homelessness feel at their most vulnerable.

Immediate support for Cathy would have ceased everything else that followed. Although, no government measures in prevention were made, which was why Loach’s work was so important in revolutionising how we view the welfare state.

Thank you Cathy

Cathy Come Home was the stepping stone for change and assisted in establishing Shelter (now Shelter England) and the following year CRISIS was formed. Both organisations were revolutionary at the time in regards to supporting individuals and families facing homelessness or going through a life crisis – just like Cathy did.

In Memory of Carol White

 

(Image courtesy of Franco Folini c.c Flickr)

Merthyr’s Corbynites

Jeremy was in a good position today as he visited Merthyr Tydfil, not only because it didn’t rain but because there was strong support from the crowd, which I’d estimate at over five hundred. Also, a borough rooted in Socialism is the ideal platform for this left-wing leader.

The event began with supportive representatives including the new elected Mayor and Labour Councillor, Margaret Davies and Tyrone O’Sullivan OBE, Trade Unionist – both veterans of the Party.

In a way having these two was a good strategy made by the Corbynites, as locals understand other locals and more beneficial having these pair of characters with charisma – something that I’m told Corbyn can lack from time to time.

Stories were told with Merthyr Rising being on everyone’s lips; the legacy of Dic Penderyn and the blood-soaked rags that became a symbol for the empowerment of the working-class, which when erected became the Red Flag.

Corbyn voiced his opinions on the coup and explained his pledges (pretty well I might add), which begs the question – is Owen Smith able to win over the people of Merthyr Tydfil, his neighbouring constituency?

Personally, Corbyn in my eyes has easily won over this crowd- leaving Smith without a cup of sugar to borrow from Merthyr!

 

Housing Camp Cymru

The concept of an unconference to newcomers was daunting, as we’re so use to everything being planned with precision and it was difficult to know whether the day would run smoothly, reminding me of Nietzche’s reference “out of chaos comes order,” although it’s argued by some that this refers to his passion towards his nihilistic belief. Thankfully only our passion was evident to the event’s success in bringing structure to the day.

The event was held at Chapter Arts in Cardiff a “dynamic social space” reflecting our group of nearly fifty people’s attitude who represented not only housing but finance, technology and the 3^rd sector.

A friendly atmosphere from the start with brief intros from each individual and adding a choice of three words, in regards to his or her expectations from the event, or what matters to them, or even how they feel about the event – I heard “free Jaffa cakes”, which I must admit makes more sense than current political agendas.

As a private tenant I wanted to illustrate the lack of representation of my tenure in a sector that’s primarily dominated by its big brother, Social Housing.

Appreciation was highlighted for the event’s sponsors, without whom the event wouldn’t have been successful and in this instance most would say are they’re more deserving than others, as they took a leap of faith in committing to the event’s concept.

Equally our appreciation went to the organisers of Housing Camp Cymru, all of who worked hard to promote and plan the day (as best as they could since the event’s concept meant it was supposed to be unplanned…)

Hearing the pitches made by many of those attending gave me further confidence that today was going to be full of interest with diverse topics that matter and lead by innovative thinkers.

Delivering Supported Housing

My first choice of the day’s session was Delivering Supported Housing Services led by Alice Jane Smith, the recent winner of CIH’s Rising Stars Award and who currently works for Spectrum Housing Group. She shared with us information on the Housing First project in England and coming from a viewpoint of a housing provider in England she wanted to take our devolved wisdom back with her to Dorset. Only joking.

The whole event was a mutual exchange of ideas from people who care about the sector. More importantly its service users -the most inspiring thing about the event.

We discussed the social responsibilities and values of service providers, the need to improve policies that safeguard vulnerable people in housing who haven’t the training or ability to sustain their tenancies in non-supported tenures, the demand for housing providers to get more involved with local resources that could assist them, the importance of independent living and many more items were underlined.

I managed to outline that prevention from eviction caused by underlying issues and indirect prejudice should be better regulated, as misunderstood and stigmatised conditions including mental health illnesses and Autism/ ADHD can lead to homelessness because of unnecessary ASBOs and complaints from neighbours that are negligent of the person’s condition.

Supported housing is not just bricks and mortar – it’s a lifeline to the most vulnerable and misunderstood in our society that should be praised for safeguarding its service users and being able to adapt to the current economic climate that tries to cut this fragile support (although in Wales efforts are being made to protect it).

Time and hunger was our enemy – unlike our hunger for knowledge. The food (provided by kind the sponsors) was ready and our stomachs ached for our bodies’ regeneration, which also prepared those who’d be drinking later on.

Co-production – is it a con?

A productive session led by Gwenda Owen, who’d spent most of her working life in the 3^rdSector and is currently the Director for Active Travel Innovations. Honest hesitation by most was shown at the beginning of the subject but as we got the ball rolling the group managed to make progress in sharing their ideas on co-production. We touched on topics including; the legacy of Communities First, proper representation in partnerships and projects, the dangers of an organisation pulling the weight of others involved in the agreement that has a negative effect on service users, but we undeniably believe strongly in the empowerment of people and communities.

During the session I used the phrase “spanner in the works,” which is fitting, since it refers to how we need to assess how co-production can work efficiently – like popping up the bonnet of a car and making sure all parts play their role in the running of the car.

I’d like to outline that the day itself is a result of co-production, as those who attended developed into a community assembled from various sectors but possessing like-mindedness and similar values – key to producing revolutionary thinking.

New Tenancies

Julie Nicholas who had just joined Monmouthshire Housing from CIH Cymru led the last session that I attended, which concerned how RSLs are able to improve their current model of how new tenancies are acquired by tenants, more precisely focusing on pre-tenancies. The group shared their experiences of RSLs processes, which gave us an opportunity to reflect on our current housing policies in place.

Conclusion – I hope not!

This “unconference” proved to be successful in bringing some new ideas from brilliant thinkers who helped to structure this day’s programme. This event is definitely a breath of fresh air blowing through the sector – but it’s important that the windows be kept wide open, so that even more fresh ideas can circulate.

(Image: fotologic via Flickr)