The association’s Resident Empowerment Scrutiny Team (REST) - set up just 18 months ago - was named at the weekend as one of the winners in the TIS National Excellence Awards.

The awards recognise and celebrate “truly outstanding work” by those who are making a difference in their community and the housing sector.

Thenue’s REST team of volunteer tenants won the Most Inspiring Scrutiny Group category which is a remarkable achievement given that the team was only set up recently.

The win was revealed at a glittering ceremony at the 2015 TIS Annual Conference in Glasgow in what is the second awards triumph for REST in less than a year. Six awards in total were announced by TIS.

The REST team triumphed at the Customer Scrutiny Inspection 2014 Awards in Manchester when it won the Recognising Positive Practice in Scrutiny Scotland category.

REST was created by the association as part of its ongoing and strong commitment to transparency and to enable the team to look at its work in an impartial manner.

It is made up of tenants who, crucially, are not on the board of management further enhancing the impartiality of their work. REST has been described as a “critical friend” who is unafraid to examine and comment on the work of the association.

Scrutiny is understandably high on the agenda of tenants’ organisations, the Scottish Housing Regulator and the Scottish Government and there is an increasing realisation among housing providers that it is essential when it comes to transparency.

Thenue chief executive Charlie Turner has described Thenue’s scrutineers as the “eyes and ears” of the association.

Charlie added: “We are delighted that REST has triumphed at the Awards and congratulate the team on their victory. This is the result of their hard work and commitment. All of us at Thenue Housing are grateful for what they do to ensure scrutiny remains an important component of transparency.”

@ThenueHousing

@TISScotland