As well as using their Tenant Participation Officer as a first point of contact, many interested tenants find their area Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) a great source of knowledge and support.
CVS training and support services often include:
- Support to set up a group
- Training to help groups to be well organised and effective
- Training to help groups get extra funds
- Specific training in response to groups’ needs – everything from child protection to first aid, managing finances and much more besides
- Introducing groups to other support and local contacts who can help tenants’ groups achieve their aims
Each CVS can develop bespoke training for tenants’ groups, and act as an informed mentor as the group develops. The local CVS contact is a friendly face groups can call on for informal advice and guidance when they have a project, idea or challenge they wish to work on.
You can find out about your local CVS below.
CVG offers bespoke support and can introduce groups to training and support which best meets their needs. CVG also offers its own courses, full details can be obtained through the website or by contacting the office. Courses vary depending on community need, and have included insurance issues for voluntary groups, first aid, child protection, social enterprise – financial management and income generation, mental health training, ACAS, equalities, food hygiene and funding.
Contact: Yvonne Hendry, Development Officer, Caithness Voluntary Group, Telford House, Williamson Street, Wick, Caithness, KW1 5ES
Tel: 01955 609960
Email: yvonne@cvg.org.uk |
Website: www.cvg.org.uk |
Inverness CVS delivers bespoke training for groups, training needs analysis and introductions to external training where this is most appropriate. Training delivered in-house includes: how to set up an organisation, and good governance – committee skills.
Contact: David Weaver, Development Officer, Inverness Council For Voluntary Services, The Gateway, 1a Millburn Road, Inverness, IV2 3PX
Tel: 01463 714303
Email: David@cvsinverness.org.uk |
Website: www.cvsinverness.org.uk |
Nairn CVS offers bespoke support for groups as well as introducing them to other training available in the area where most appropriate.
Contact: Ed Chambers, Manager, Nairn Council For Voluntary Services, Nairn Community and Arts Centre, King Street, Nairn, IV12 4BQ
Tel: 01667 455234
Email: ed@cvsnairn.org.uk |
Website: www.cvsnairn.org.uk |
CVS North delivers primarily one-to-one support, training and networking to help groups become established and achieve their goals.
Contact: Ronnie Lansley, Development Officer, CVS North, 1 Bard Terrace, Durness, Sutherland, IV27 4PS
Tel: 01971 511 783
Email: ronnie @ cvsnorth.co.uk |
Website: www.cvsnorth.co.uk |
A wide range of courses on offer, as well as bespoke one-to-one mentoring and support for groups to become established and achieve their goals. Courses vary according to community need, and have included: developing your group, participatory action planning, financial management, funding strategies, effective chairing, and duties of honorary secretaries.
Contact: Alan Gartshore, Honorary Secretary, Ross-shire Voluntary Action, Thorfin House, Bridgeend Business Park, Dingwall IV15 9SL
Tel: 01349 862431
Email: rva@rossvolact.org.uk |
Web: www.rossvolact.org.uk |
Skye and Lochalsh CVO has a useful community toolkit, which guides readers through a range of skills and information needed to run an effective community group. In addition to this toolkit, SLCVO publishes information leaflets which are written for community groups and have information to help a group run effectively. In addition, SLCVO offer bespoke support for any community group in the area.
Contact: Anne Tallach, Community Development Worker, Skye & Lochalsh CVO, Tigh Lisigarry, Bridge Road, Portree, Isle of Skye IV51 9ER
Tel: 01478 612921
Email: anne@slcvo.org.uk |
Web: www.slcvo.org.uk |
Community Development Officers at this organisation work with individual groups to help them become established, and to continue being effective. VABS gives groups support itself, or introduces groups to other organisations who deliver a range of training on areas including setting up an organisation and good governance. Please contact VABS for more information.
Contact: John Rainy Brown, Development Officer, Voluntary Action in Badenoch and Strathspey, 2 Inverewe, Grampian Road, Aviemore, PH22 1RH
Tel: 01479 810 004
Email: johnrainybrown@btconnect.com |
Voluntary Action Lochaber offer a wide range of courses as well as well as bespoke one-to-one mentoring and support for groups to become established and achieve their goals. Courses vary according to community demand and have included: project management, financial management and book keeping, event organisation, risk assessment, health & safety, finding and retaining volunteers, volunteers and the law, responsibilities of a management committee, the new charities law, presentations and report writing, time management, employing staff and applying for funding.
Contact: Marion Smith, Voluntary Action Lochaber, An Drochaid, Claggan Road, Fort William, PH33 6PH
Tel: 01397 706 044
Email: marion.smith @ valochaber.org |
Website: www.valochaber.org |
Voluntary Groups East Sutherland can support local groups with bespoke training and information. A “training audit” can be undertaken with any group to understand what their goals are, and what skills they need to achieve those goals. VGES can then go on to work with the group to gain those skills, either through courses VGES delivers itself, or by introducing the group to other appropriate training. VGES can signpost groups and individuals to courses on topics ranging from stress to mind mapping. It also delivers a range of courses, subject to demand, including meet the funders, business planning and food hygiene.
Contact: Christine Ross, Development Officer, VG-ES, Alba, Main Street, Golspie, Sutherland, KW10 6TG
Tel: 01408 633 001
Email: christine @ vges.org.uk |
Website: www.vges.org.uk |
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There is a lot of free information available online to help tenants’ groups become established and achieve their goals. Some of the key sources of information are detailed below:
These easy to follow publications are written for tenants by the independent Tenants Information Service (TIS) – the content and views in these titles therefore come from TIS, not The Highland Council.
Simply call TIS on 0141 248 1242 or email info@tis.org.uk to ask for a free copy to be sent to you, or ask your local Tenant Participation Officer to help you obtain the publications you are interested in.
- Basic Guide to Starting A Tenants and Residents Association
- Role of Secretary
- Role of Treasurer
- Getting Your Message Across
- A guide to Developing Tenant Participation in Supported Accommodation
- Good Practice Framework for Tenant Participation
- Key points on negotiating
- Public speaking
- Developing a Tenants’ and Residents’ Federation
- Jargon Buster |
The Tenants Information Service also produce free home study work packs which give tenants more in-depth knowledge. Call TIS on 0141 248 1242 or email info@tis.org.uk to ask for a free copy to be sent to you, or ask your local Tenant Participation Officer to help you obtain the publications you are interested in:
- Building Membership
- Chairing Skills Part 1
- Chairing Skills Part 2 – Increased Effectiveness
- Constitutions
- Effective Organisation Part 1
- Effective Organisation Part 2
- Negotiation Skills
- Preparing a Speech
- Secretary Skills
- Treasurers Skills
- Writing Newsletters
- Tenant Participation Part 1
- Tenant Participation Part 2
- Tenant Participation Part 3
- Tenant Participation Part 4 |
This free web-based information kit has been developed in the Highlands and gives guidance on a wide range of skills needed to help your community organisation be effective. From how to run a meeting, deciding who does what, to getting publicity, fundraising and much more besides, this free toolkit is a useful source of information for any voluntary group.
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There are two main national organisations who exist to support tenants in participating in housing decisions:
Both organisations can develop specific courses to meet the needs of your tenants’ group.
Listed below are the courses these organisations run to support tenants establishing and effective group. Click on any course title to find out more, or contact your local tenant participation officer, to discuss running a similar course in the Highlands for your local group and other interested tenants.
Courses on setting up a tenants’ group
Courses on running a tenants’ group
Courses on core skills for tenants’ groups
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National organisations, expertise and regional networks are available to tenants interested in becoming more actively involved in the management of their homes. You can get more information below.
Regional Networks were set up in 2008 to help Registered Tenant Organisations (RTOs) engage with the Scottish Government on issues of national policy. The Highland and Argyll & Bute Regional Network has a committee which includes Highland Council tenants.
The Scottish Government aims to deliver good quality, sustainable and affordable housing, with appropriate housing management and support services. In addition, it is addressing the problem of fuel poverty. Look at this site to find out about national initiatives such as the Scottish Social Housing Charter, and for your chance to post your own ideas online or join the Charter conversation at: http://housingcharter.scotland.gov.uk/ |
The independent Scottish Housing Regulator regulates all social landlords in Scotland. They protect the interests of tenants and other customers of social rented housing.
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