Over the course of last year tenants have worked alongside tenant participation staff to review the previous Tenant Participation Strategy prior to launching this latest edition.

Key updates to the strategy include the addition of a comprehensive action plan for tenant participation and an increased use of social media to ensure effective communication between all parties.

Executive councillor for services for the community, George Paul, and council officers met with members of the Tenants Panel recently to formally launch the update to the strategy.

Councillor Paul said: “This strategy emphasises the strength of the council’s commitment towards improving and encouraging effective tenant participation throughout West Lothian.

“Much has been achieved to date with tenants making positive differences to our services every year. We hope to keep building on what has already been achieved and we will continue to provide opportunities for tenants to be involved and influence decisions, at the highest possible level in relation to the development of housing services.

“A lot of hard work has gone into the writing of this document and I would like to thank tenant representatives and council officers for their dedication in producing another excellent strategy document.”

Head of housing, customer and building services, Alistair Shaw, said: “The council’s updated Tenant Participation Strategy sets out what we plan to do, in co-operation with council tenants and service users, working together towards a common aim of better housing and housing related services.

“This strategy sets out the different ways tenants can be involved and play an active role in improving services provided by Housing, Customer and Building Services and our partners. The involvement of tenants is vital to the effective development of services and the council benefits hugely by using the ideas and opinions of tenants who use our services. We hope that through continued collaboration we can achieve all the aims set out in this strategy and allow tenant participation to flourish as a result of all the hard work and dedication from those who take part.”