The association welcomed a training and learning programme for a core group of customers and staff hosted by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland and Housemark Scotland, designed to give customers the opportunity to engage with the association in a constructive way.

Through the training programme and the association’s own ‘Count Me In’ programme, River Clyde Homes has developd a customer senate, customer panels, customer inspectors and armchair critics.

The move has been sponsored by the Scottish Government’s ‘Stepping Up To Scrutiny’ programme.

The senate has recently produced its first scrutiny report looking at the time it takes to re-let short-term empty homes. Customer senator Hamish MacLeod said: “I really enjoyed taking part in Stepping Up To Scrutiny programme. The training was valuable and gave us many tips that we then used when we carried out our first service investigation.”

The housing association received a ‘Stepping Up To Scrutiny’ certificate at the recent CIH Scottish National Housing Conference in Glasgow in recognition of their work.