Top tenants service award for Grŵp Cynefin

NORTH Wales social housing association Grŵp Cynefin has been awarded a top accolade for outstanding services to its tenants during the Covid crisis and described as “an example of best practice in tenant communications.”

The award was given by TPAS Cymru, which supports social housing tenant groups and landlords in Wales, at a virtual ceremony.

Grŵp Cynefin was announced Winner of the Communication During a Crisis Award, a recognition of the dedication and hard work of its communities team in supporting its tenants during the crisis.

When the crisis hit, the group, which operates across north Wales and north Powys, immediately went to work providing support, information and advice for its tenant through a range of methods – online meetings, phone-calls, texts, dedicated newsletters, e-mails as well as regular updates and more light-hearted material on social media. Through all these platforms it was able to provide meaningful and substantial support covering well-being, health, financial, hints and tips as well as maintenance service updates.

Grŵp Cynefin also gained a second accolade, as RUNNER UP of the Maintaining Tenant Participation During Lockdown Award.

“I’m extremely proud of the team we have,” says Mair Edwards, Community Initiatives Manager at Grŵp Cynefin. “Every member is incredibly dedicated under normal circumstances, and they stepped up even higher, in a difficult working environment for them personally with the huge change in working practices. Every one of them should be proud of this recognition of their hard work, which is more meaningful as it is awarded by those who represent the tenants themselves.”

“Grŵp Cynefin has always put its tenants at the forefront of everything it does,” says Chief Executive, Shan Lloyd Williams. “Incidentally, my New Year message in the tenants newsletter this year is that I’d like to hear from and listen to them even more in 2021 and that we always aim to make them feel happy and proud to be Grŵp Cynefin tenants. The hard work of all our staff during this difficult year has helped keep our tenants, customers, and communities safe. I thank them all.”

David Wilton, Chief Executive of TPAS Cymru says: “The panel of three judges were unanimous in how impressed they were with Grŵp Cynefin. What stood out was the commitment to ensuring it was the right approach to the right audiences.

“Target audiences were considered, what subjects really mattered to tenants during the pandemic, and the judges were impressed with a cycle of tenant feedback and analytics to decide what was working. Whilst developed during the pandemic, it was felt this was highly sustainable approach going forward and should serves as an example of best practice in tenant communications.”