Tenants at the heart of cultural change Democracy Starts at Home Kelly McBride Scotland s Housing Festival 2019
The Democratic Society works for more and better democracy. We work to create opportunities for people to become involved in the decisions that affect their lives and for them to have the skills to do this effectively. Promote a culture of openness and participation. Design models and mechanisms of engagement. Deliver practical, empowering participatory projects. Advocate for new and innovative methods of participation and the culture change organisations need. Use an evidence-based approach. Provide sectoral and thought leadership.
Who we work with
Method Literature Review (Sept to Nov Phase 1) Interviews International Conference (Nov) Workshops (Mar-April) Report
Fresh Approaches Working together in new ways Moving from consultation to co-creation; giving customers direct power over budgets; working in the open; working together in new ways. Developing new ways to be heard Deliberation; creating new routes for conversations; capturing everyday conversations; new technologies to explore impact of proposals. Working within a wider landscape Working well with tenants groups; enabling tenants to achieve change across the system; helping communities achieve change locally.
Methodologies & approaches Online v offline Generating ideas Deliberation Voting Building consensus Community engagement Co-design/co-production Better consultation Community ambassadors Participatory Budgeting Citizens Juries Citizens Assembly World Cafe Asset Mapping Workshops Community researchers
Learning from international experiences Using volunteers to Reach Further in Vienna Simulations and Augmented Reality in Rio de Janeiro Traffic Agent app in Oslo Participatory Budgeting in Antwerp Crowdsourcing in Estonia Online meetings and livestreaming
Example: Participatory Budgeting Communities contribute their ideas Discussion, deliberation, sifting ideas Voting for ideas and projects Fund allocation
Image: greatermanchesterca.gov.uk/news/article/194/mayor_question_time Image: medium.com/future-of-europe/facebook-live-listeningto-our-citizens-ideas-for-the-future-of-europe-e7d8d5d8cfbd
Key lessons for the path to better engagement No magic bullet Establishing the right culture Embedding it across functions is crucial Needs clear leadership from the top Support for staff Mixed approaches Work with other partners.
Kelly McBride kelly@demsoc.org @DemsocScotland
Everything you ever wanted to know about private renting but were afraid to ask 12 March 2019 Resolving Private Rented Housing Disputes Carolyn Hirst Housing Mediation Development Worker University of Strathclyde
Private Rented Housing Disputes The Housing and Property Chamber https://www.housingandpropertychamber.scot/ The Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014 created two new tribunals: the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland the Upper Tribunal for Scotland New structure came into effect on 1 December 2016 with the launch of the Housing and Property Chamber
Includes: Private Rented Housing Disputes Work of the HPC functions which used to be carried out by the Private Rented Housing Panel and Home Owners Housing Panel including related to Repairing Standard from 1 December 2016 - landlord applications relating to the right of entry from 1 December 2017 - most types of legal applications about private sector tenancies including those for eviction and rent arrears from 31 January 2018 - applications relating to the registration of letting agents, and failure to comply with the Letting Agent Code of Practice
Private Rented Sector Disputes about Deposits Part 1 of the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011 imposes duties on private landlords to pay a tenancy deposit to an approved scheme and to provide information to the tenant relating to the holding of this deposit There are three tenancy deposit scheme providers to choose from in Scotland each have an dispute adjudication service Should a landlord fail to protect a deposit and/or provide the key information in accordance with the Regulations, tenants can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for financial sanctions against the landlord
The HPC and Mediation There is no in-house mediation service offered by the Chamber. However, in cases identified by the Chamber President as suitable for mediation, the Firsttier Tribunal must: (a) bring to the attention of the parties the availability of mediation at any point in the proceedings as an alternative procedure for the resolution of the dispute; (b) provide information explaining what mediation involves; and (c) if the parties consent to mediation, adjourn or postpone the hearing in accordance with rule 28 to enable the parties to access mediation.
Strathclyde Mediation Clinic The Mediation Clinic is a free, studentled mediation service in Glasgow to help people resolve disputes without going to court or tribunal. From June 2018 the Mediation Clinic has included a Housing Mediation Project. Funded by the Safe Deposits Scotland Trust and recently been awarded a further two years funding
Strathclyde Housing Mediation Project Aims A specialist mediation service to help landlords and tenants resolve disputes peacefully, efficiently and fairly. Aims: Promote the benefits (i.e. increase public awareness of) of mediation for landlord-tenant disputes within the private rented housing sector (tenant and landlord); and Promote the use (i.e. encourage uptake) of mediation as a truly alternative dispute resolution mechanisms by demonstrating the value of mediation for housing disputes to housing professionals, the legal profession and the Courts
Strathclyde Housing Mediation Project Remit Available in the Strathclyde area for: Private rented sector landlords and tenants as an informal alternative to the work of the Housing and Property Chamber Landlords and tenants using a tenancy deposit scheme, who have a dispute about a deposit which cannot be resolved by the scheme's dispute resolution service Other disputes related to Housing, such as factoring disputes involving tenanted properties and disputes between tenants and letting agents
Strathclyde Housing Mediation Project Phase 2 The focus of Phase 2 of the Housing Mediation Project will be on: encouraging the parties to engage with mediation as early as possible in a dispute (ideally when the issue or dispute emerges as opposed to when either party has started to take formal court or tribunal action) on assisting trusted third parties (such as advice agencies, trade bodies and legal advisors) to promote mediation to both landlords and tenants as a way of addressing concerns which can both resolve the dispute and restore good relationships
Mediation Clinic Contact Details Address: University of Strathclyde Housing Mediation Project, Room GH841, Graham Hills Building, 40 George Street, Glasgow G1 1QE Phone: 0141 548 4510 Email: hass-mediation-clinic@strath.ac.uk