The All-Ireland Tenant Engagement Conference

6-7 October 2025
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Welcome and Conference Opening Remarks

Supporting Communities and others will set the scene for our event, posing the question, “Is there really a seat at the table for tenants?”

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Keynote Address: Is There a Seat at the Table: Ethnic Minority Voices in Tenant Engagement

Kai Jackson, tenant, academic, TPAS associate and wearer of many more hats, joins us to dig deep into her findings from a national report she researched and authored for TPAS England. Learn about the T.A.B.L.E. principles she has developed to help housing providers reach tenants from ethnic minorities.

We’ve left time for questions, so don’t be shy!

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Luncheon Sponsored by the Housing Executive

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Each session will be repeated twice, so you can choose two sessions to attend during this time.

Switch rooms at 2:15pm

Young Voices are the Future! Are we listening to them now?

Marty Kelly and two young people (to be announced) from the NI Youth Forum will explore the importance of involving young people in housing decisions and the work that goes into achieving this. The Youth Forum supports and empowers young people to participate through partnerships with the Housing Executive and others.

We’ll meet some young people who got a seat at the table. Find out if they think it’s a ‘real’ one!

TP Accreditation: What it Takes to Get to Gold     

The Tenant Participation Accreditation from Supporting Communities offers housing providers a means of not only measuring and benchmarking their tenant engagement work across ten criteria, it also provides a roadmap of progression to take it to the next level! Hear from Dolores Grady, one of our associate assessors, about the accreditation process. Lesa Kelly will join her to share how Radius Housing became the first housing association to achieve the gold standard in Northern Ireland.

Affordable Warmth & Retrofit: The Innovation Social Housing Needs Right Now - TPAS Cymru

David Wilton and TPAS Cymru have been working to reduce fuel poverty, lift people out of damp and mouldy conditions, and make communities more sustainable. Their work to date has yielded some great outcomes, as well as some challenges. One thing is certain: innovative tenant engagement is needed.

In this special session, David will guide you through some of what he has learned and what tenants are saying. He says this session is suitable ‘whether you are a NetZero hero or an unconvinced sceptic!’

Three Approaches to ASB – Circle, Clanmil, and Apex: Compare and Contrast!

Hear from three housing providers who work with their tenants to write policy around anti-social behaviour in their communities. Find out what’s working for the folks at Circle, Clanmil, and Apex!

Our speakers are:
Aoife O'Fearghail, Circle VHA
Tim O'Malley, Clanmil
Mark Doherty, Apex

Participatory Budgeting - Ark Housing

Kelly Foster delivers a session on Ark’s use of Participatory Budgeting to support their tenant engagement work.

Find out what ‘PB’ is, how Ark is implementing it, and why Kelly says it has led to tenants having a stronger sense of ownership in their community.

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm

Panel Discussion: What Makes a Good Scrutiny Exercise

Scrutiny is core to tenant engagement. It is a process where tenants, as representatives of their community, investigate and review specific services and policies provided by their landlord to identify areas for improvement and ensure accountability. This involves examining performance data, gathering tenant feedback, and making recommendations for service enhancements. How can we ensure we are getting it right?

Panellists:

Elishia Mullan, Clanmil tenant 
Keith McCann, South Regional Housing Forum
Dean Kelly, Radius Tenant
Tenant from Cooperative Housing 
Kai Jackson, Black Country Housing Group 
Facilitator: Aidan Kearney, Supporting Communities

Accessible Tenant Participation: Specialised Support

When it comes to having a seat at the table, we must ensure everyone can take that seat and make their contribution. This panel session features experts from organisations working to support specialist or vulnerable groups of people to engage and have a say in the decisions that affect them!

Panellists:

Eiméar O’Hagan, HAIL Housing - Tenants with an enduring mental health difficulty
Niamh Randall, Respond - Older people with mental impairment
Patricia Bray, Disability Forum/Disability Action - People with a Disability  
Kerry Boyd, Autism NI – Neurodivergent Voices
Facilitator: Justin Cartwright, CIH

Evening Event and Tenant Engagement Awards

For delegates with a full conference ticket, we are putting on a bit of an evening do!

We’ll be back together for a drinks reception, followed by dinner and the presentation of four special awards for outstanding achievements in tenant participation. Comedian Emer Maguire will be our hilarious compere for the evening!

Check out the awards and nomination process and submit your nominees by 29 August!

Evening event sponsored by Oaklee Housing

9:30 am - 10:00 am

Welcome Back!

Get a cup of tea or coffee, visit more of our exhibitors and then find your first breakout room.

Quality in our Diversity

Marie Corr and tenant reps discuss the work they have been doing across three housing associations to engage in intercultural development with an anti-racist ethos towards the integration of newcomers to communities in Ireland.

Tenant speakers from Circle, Respond & Cluid to be announced.

Tenant Voice in Adaptations - Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Members of the Adaptations Working Group share an unusual success story about tenants collaborating with departments that have never been customer-facing before. It wasn’t always plain sailing! Find out how they made it work.

Speakers:

Roisin O’Neill, Housing Executive
Karina Murray, Central Housing Forum
Patricia Bray, Central Housing Forum/Disability Action

Social Impact Measurement Framework: A Toolkit from Cluid, Circle & Respond

Clúid, Circle, and Respond, three major AHBs in Ireland, have collaborated to develop a Social Impact Measurement Framework. This framework, developed in collaboration with Just Economics, aims to systematically demonstrate the outcomes and impact of AHBs on tenants and communities. The framework is designed to be used by the wider AHB sector to build a robust evidence base and inform future housing policy. 

Speakers:

Reyhana Cushnan, Respond
Aisling Corcoran, Respond
Aoife O'Fearghail, Circle VHA
Andrew Daly, Cluid

NIHE’s Decarb Journey – ‘Engage Educate Empower’ - Paul Isherwood

Paul gives insight into the NIHE’s new training for tenants which was co designed with members of the Central Housing Forum.

Preventing Burnout – Take time to manage your mental health with Alan McDowell, Portadown Wellness Centre

Alan founded the Centre following his own personal experience of mental illness and the recovery process. His passion is to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental ill health in Northern Ireland.  It is his belief that everybody experiencing emotional issues can make a positive and effective recovery with the right help and support. Join him for an inspiring session that will resonate with all.

11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Tenants get the last word! Personal stories and group discussion

Delegates at our previous conference requested even more personal stories from involved residents, so we’re ensuring tenants have the final word at this year's conference!

Hear from a diverse group of folks who have made it their business to get involved and have a say. Do they feel they have a real seat at the table? Let’s ask!

Panellists:

Bobby McConnell, Radius Housing tenant
Karina Murray, Central Housing Forum, Housing Executive
Lorraine Gorman, Circle VHA tenant
Patricia McQuillan, Tenant Advocate for NI
Facilitator: Kai Jackson, Black Country Housing Group tenant

12:30 pm - 1:00 pm

Summary and Closing Remarks

Supporting Communities Chair, Ian McCrickard will wrap up the conference with a few closing thoughts.