ClwydAlyn Wins TPAS Cymru National Good Practice Award

Denbighshire-based housing association ClwydAlyn has won an acclaimed industry award for ‘Involving Tenants in Designing or Reviewing Services’ at this year’s TPAS Cymru National Good Practice Awards, centred around an innovative approach to expediting maintenance at residents’ homes.

ClwydAlyn was the proud recipient of the ‘Involving Tenants in Designing or Reviewing Services’ award at the TPAS Cymru awards, for their entry focused on its Resident Self-Repair Project.

Developed and led by residents from the organisation’s Resident Committee, the service focuses on a positive and popular option to ease the pressure on ClwydAlyn’s busy repairs and maintenance service.

Based on the premise that some residents were keen to carry out small repairs themselves, as long as they had the right parts; ClwydAlyn supported residents in the creation of a ‘self-repair’ service which is effective and easy for residents to make use of, should they want to.

ClwydAlyn’s Resident Self Repair Service is run via supplier Travis Perkins, to ensure that residents can collect the parts they need or have them delivered straight to their homes.

The forward-thinking housing association also trained their Contact Centre to guide residents through the process and answer any questions.

“Our Resident Committee was keen that our Resident Self Repair Project should be open to everyone, regardless of skillset or confidence. It was about offering choice, empowering residents to take action if they wanted to, while still knowing help was there if needed. By working closely with our residents from the beginning, we built something that truly reflects their ideas, strengths, and needs.
“Crucially, this project is entirely voluntary. There’s no pressure to take part, and we’re clear that it’s an option, not an expectation. The idea came from residents, and has been shaped by them at every stage, so the uptake and enthusiasm has been genuine.
“This approach has strengthened the relationship between our team and our residents. It’s shown that when tenants are truly involved in shaping services, the results are not only more efficient, but more empowering, more flexible, and more human.”

Suzanne Mazzone

Executive Director of Resident Services

“This was a great experience for me, and I was happy to take part in the pilot. I was impressed with how quickly the Maintenance Team responded to my initial self-repair request and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved on my own. I really think this will give people the confidence to carry out more of their own small repairs in their homes.”

Gemma

ClwydAlyn Resident

To ensure the service reflects the needs of its community, ClwydAlyn created the design and trial process in collaboration with its Resident Committee and the larger Influence Us group, which consists of over 150 members who offer ongoing feedback on their resident experiences.

Since launching, the Resident Self-Repair Project has facilitated over 400 minor repairs, completed by residents. As a result:

ClwydAlyn’s Maintenance Team has been able to attend over 400 other jobs more quickly, reducing waiting times for residents who may need additional support.
Over 4,000 miles of travel have been saved for ClwydAlyn’s fleet, and emissions have been reduced by an estimated 1,037 tonnes of CO₂, a positive step toward more sustainable service delivery.
ClwydAlyn has given over £8,000 in vouchers to residents as a thank you for their participation and contribution to the wider community.

“It was a proud moment as the Clwyd Alyn team received first prize in the prestigious TPAS Cymru Good Practice Awards. The scheme has attracted significant interest from housing associations across Wales, particularly after being showcased at the TPAS Annual Conference in Llandrindod Wells last November. Full credit goes to Carl, Louise, and Laura for their dedication in promoting and implementing this initiative, which has delivered real benefits to residents.”

Brian Strefford

Resident and Board Member

“Looking ahead, the success of our Resident Self-Repair initiative has laid the foundation for more co-designed services. We are incredibly pleased to have won this TPAS Cymru National Good Practice Award which reinforces the achievement of the scheme. It’s not just about fixing things, it’s about building something better, together.”

Suzanne Mazzone

Executive Director of Resident Services

To find out more about ClwydAlyn, visit: ClwydAlyn Housing North Wales