Resident involvement (or tenant participation) has variously been described as a mechanism for user influence of a service, a method of customer care, a means of giving citizens an active voice in their community or a cynical ploy to incorporate a possible challenge. Resident organisations have also been referred to as a social movement capable of challenging the state or a means of consulting “tame” residents. Michael Hall: - Co-ordinator Leeds Tenant Federation, led the discussion with participants exploring their own group activity whether its focus is on housing, health or any other issue.

The key discussion points that emerges were:

1 It is important for councillors to be led by the community and work for the community – not use the engagement process for party politics

2 The ‘customer’ model of engagement is not appropriate Often other service users are not customers because they do not have a choice of provider (nor do they necessary want a choice)

3 How do individual residents get involved if they representative engagement structures are very rigid and only focussed on organised groups?

4 Tenants’ Federations (i.e. other umbrella community groups) have a role to educate and empower their members, to provide knowledge as well as opportunities for individuals and help people in thinking collectively and beyond their ‘patch’

5 Use wider community groups for consultation and engagement not just ‘specialist’ housing groups – that way you will get a wider range of views