Employees from housing associations Fife, Glen, Kingdom and Ore Valley attending the joint continued professional development event heard from a range of organisations about the practical advice and assistance available to tenants ranging from benefits advice, energy saving measures and assistance to switch to more affordable energy tariffs.

Delegates heard presentations from partner organisations Citizens Advice Rights Fife (CARF), Our Power, Cosy Kingdom and Wise 2 Welfare, who all highlighted the full range of support services they can provide to tenants and customers of the housing associations.

Ann McManus and Brenda Bain, from Frontline Fife, gave details on the Wise 2 Work project in Fife that supports tenants through tailored and personalised support services. They cited case studies, showing how individuals could increase their confidence and skills to ensure they are in control of their household budgets. Audrey Cunningham, financial inclusion officer with CARF, provided an overview of the range of services that CARF provides.

Darren Campbell, senior energy adviser with the Cosy Kingdom project, outlined some of the services they provide which include benefits checks, help to tenants so they can understand their energy bills, assistance to switch to more affordable tariffs and assistance associated with free energy saving measures.