Get Involved pen
Tenant participation is about you influencing decisions about your housing.
Be part of our decision-making process by working in partnership with us, sharing information and ideas to improve our housing services.
How can I get involved with Castlehill?
There are many ways to take part in our decision-making processes. Many tenants are already involved but we need your help to make sure that everyone has their say in matters that affect them. You don’t need any specific experience to join in. Every tenant is welcome. It doesn’t matter if you have just moved in or if you have been a tenant for years.
It is important to know that as a Scottish Secure Tenant, you have the RIGHT to take part in decision making processes and influencing decisions about housing policies, housing conditions and housing (and related) services, should you wish to take part.
Our aim is to make it easy for you to have a say about what we do and how we do it, so that you can influence changes and improvements to the services you receive from us. Listening to and working with tenants like you helps us deliver better services that focus on tenant priorities.
We offer a flexible approach and have developed different ways for you to be involved:
Castlehill Registered Tenants Organisation (CaRTO)
CaRTO is an independent, autonomous group of Castlehill tenants who meet monthly to discuss and influence housing and housing-related services, give feedback on policies, publications, suggest new ideas and give us their opinions. CaRTO’s focus is on improving services, standards and performance.
Don’t worry if you have never done this sort of thing before. CaRTO is open to all Castlehill tenants and new members are welcomed. We can even arrange for you to have a “buddy” to meet up with before you attend a meeting.
CaRTO Home Link
This online discussion forum is a quick and easy way to dip in and out of what CaRTO are doing, without committing to regular meetings.
Scrutiny Panel
If you have more time to spare and are looking for an in-depth way to get involved, our Scrutiny Panel could be just what you are looking for. Tenant scrutiny is when tenants independently scrutinise landlord performance. Tenants review an area of our housing services and make recommendations for improvement. You will receive training and support to ensure you have the knowledge and skills to get the most out of your scrutiny experience.
Our Scrutiny Panel’s Terms of Reference is available here.
Our Scrutiny Panel’s Code of Conduct is available here.
Our Scrutiny Panel’s report on sheltered voids is available here.
Scheme walkabouts
Scheme walkabouts are a great way to have your say about your neighbourhood. Our staff will be on-site, making it easy for you to give us feedback about your scheme and identify any concerns, maintenance or management issues.
Scheme walkabouts usually take place twice a year for general needs schemes. Sheltered and very sheltered tenants can raise any concerns with their scheme manager.
Your Housing Officer will notify you when these visits take place and we encourage you to join in.
North East Tenant, Residents and Landlords Together
We are proud to be part of this award-winning group of tenants and staff from social landlords across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray. NETRALT meets regularly to develop and promote tenant involvement in our area and is a highly effective way of enhancing participation opportunities for our tenants.
Award-winning housing café events
Award-winning radio show to reach younger people
Award-winning mystery shopping project
Recognised nationally for good practice in partnership working
Tenant learning visits to/from other groups in Scotland
Scottish Social Housing Charter consultation events
Social media training for tenants and staff
Confident communication training for training and staff
Other members include Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Grampian Housing Association, Langstane Housing Association and Moray Council. You can see what NETRALT have been doing lately on our website and on facebook. Our Tenant Participation Officer is NETRALT’s Secretary and would love to hear from you.
Our Tenant Participation Strategy is available here.
For more information, please contact our Tenant Participation Officer, Catherine Coutts, on 01224 628109 or email catherine.coutts@castlehillha.co.uk
We’ve created a handbook with the help of tenants, for tenants. It has been designed as a guide to refer to at the start, during and at the end of your tenancy.
We have over 1900 properties across North East Scotland, including general needs, amenity, sheltered, very sheltered, mid-market rent and shared ownership.
