10am – 10:30am Registration
Tea, coffee and refreshments on arrival
10:30am – 10:40am Welcome and opening remarks
10:40am – 11:25am Learning from the Past
Sharon Donohoe- Development Director at TIS
Drawing on Sharon’s extensive work in community development, including co-authoring the housing chapter of the 1996 book ‘Radical Community Work’, this session will explore the social and community roots of tenant participation, tracing how it began, how it has evolved, and why its history remains highly relevant to today’s housing professionals. Delegates will be invited to reflect on the origins of tenant participation in grassroots movements and community-led action.
The session will examine key moments in the development of tenant participation, including shifts in policy, regulation, and organisational culture, and consider how participation has become more formalised over time. Community development approaches will be introduced as a core influence, highlighting principles such as empowerment, inclusion, and capacity building. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on what has been gained through professionalisation, what may have been lost, and how understanding this history can help avoid tokenistic engagement and strengthen meaningful tenant involvement in their own organisations today.
11:25am – 11:40am Refreshment break
11:40am – 12:30pm Learning from the Past – continued
Sharon Donohoe- Development Director at TIS
Building on the learning from the first session, this interactive session will focus on applying historical insights to contemporary tenant participation practice. Delegates will take part in facilitated discussions and group exercises that compare past and present approaches to tenant engagement, encouraging reflection on where power and decision-making sit within current models.
Through practical case studies, participants will explore common challenges in tenant participation and consider how community development principles and lessons from the past can inform more inclusive, trusted, and effective engagement. The session will provide space for shared learning and peer discussion, enabling housing colleagues to identify practical actions they can take within their own roles and organisations. The focus throughout will be on strengthening meaningful participation by reconnecting current practice with the values and purpose that underpin tenant participation’s rich history.
12:30pm – 1:15pm Lunch
1:15pm – 2:15pm Reflecting on the Present
Kirstie McLean- Communications Officer at TIS
This session will introduce delegates to an upcoming research project focused on tenant participation and outline how housing professionals can get involved. Participants will hear a brief overview of the purpose of the research, the key questions it aims to explore, and why practitioner insight is essential to building a stronger evidence base for tenant participation across the sector and how you can get involved.
The session will then move into a facilitated reflective activity using the sailboat retrospective method to explore the current strengths and challenges facing the housing sector. Through guided discussion, delegates will identify the factors that help drive effective tenant participation, as well as the obstacles and risks that can limit progress. Alongside reflecting on the sector as a whole, the activity will demonstrate how the sailboat retrospective can be used as a practical and accessible tool in delegates’ own work with tenant groups or project teams.
2:15pm – 2:30pm Refreshment break
2:30pm – 3:15pm Looking to the Future
Pedro Cameron – Tenant Participation and Engagement Manager at TIS
This forward-looking session will focus on the future of tenant participation through a practical co-design approach that centres connection, collaboration, and peer support among housing professionals. The session will encourage open idea sharing, drawing on participants’ experience to explore what meaningful peer support looks like in practice.
Through collaborative discussion and structured activities, participants will work together to identify priorities, shared needs, and potential ways of working that could strengthen connections between housing colleagues. The session will support delegates to help shape the early ideas for a peer network led by and for those involved in tenant participation, engagement, and scrutiny, ensuring it reflects real-world practice and adds genuine value.
3:15pm – 3:30pm Thank you and closing remarks
3:30pm Close of event
Session 1 and 2 – Learning from the Past
Sharon Donohoe – Development Director at TIS
Sharon Donohoe brings over 35 years of experience working within the public, social rented, and third sectors. She is passionate about working in partnership with tenants, communities, and housing organisations to drive meaningful change for the diverse and flourishing communities throughout Scotland.
Sharon has extensive housing policy, legislation, and regulatory framework knowledge and works closely with the Scottish Government, to shape national housing consultations surrounding tenant participation and tenants’ rights.
She delivers advice, training, and support at a local and national level to ensure tenants and communities are involved and their voices are heard, and also has experience of working with young people, families, and homeless people in Scotland, New Zealand, and America.
Session 3- Reflecting on the Present
Kirstie McLean- Communications Officer at TIS
Kirstie brings 10 years’ experience in the social housing sector, with roles spanning tenant participation and engagement, housing management, repairs, and project delivery.
She has been part of a research team at a user-centred design agency, focusing on understanding how people use services for clients across local and national government, charity, and healthcare sectors.
Specialising in research operations, Kirstie led on recruiting research participants and ensuring projects were delivered to high ethical standards. She has extensive experience planning and delivering research projects as well as analysing data to improve services and ensure the needs of people who use them are prioritised.
Session 4- Looking to the Future
Pedro Cameron – Tenant Participation and Engagement Manager at TIS
With a decade of experience working across the Scottish housing, third, and creative sectors. Pedro leads on the development and delivery of inclusive engagement projects with social landlords and tenant groups across Scotland.
Pedro is known for his creative and pragmatic approach to participation, combining strategic insight with a strong understanding of how housing services and systems impact diverse communities and is committed to taking a person-first approach to his work with tenants – tailoring activities to the individual needs and experiences of the people he works with.
Pedro is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing EDI board and winner of the inaugural CIH Scotland Marion Gibbs award for Equality in Housing.
To book your place please complete the online booking form, or alternatively email info@tis.org.uk or call 0141 248 1242. The following rates are costed per delegate. TIS does not charge VAT.
Event rates
Your booking includes lunch, and servings of snacks and tea and coffee throughout the day.
Member: £265
Non Member: £345
TIS Connected for Change will take place at the Glasgow Hilton, 1 William St, Glasgow, G3 8HT.
By car
The Glasgow Hilton hotel has parking onsite (subject to availability). This costs £3 per hour or £15 per day.
From Glasgow Central Train Station
Take a train to Anderston train station. The journey from Glasgow Central Station > Anderston is approximately 1-2 minutes. These trains typically run every 10-minutes. From Anderston train station, walk approximately 5-minutes to the Glasgow Hilton hotel.
From Queen Street Train Station
Take a train to Charing Cross train station. The journey from Glasgow Central Station > Charing Cross is approximately 1-2 minutes. These trains typically run every 10-minutes. From Charing Cross train station, walk approximately 7-minutes to the Glasgow Hilton hotel.
This event is aimed at housing professionals who work within the Scottish social rented sector.
Please review the TIS Events and Conferencing Policy carefully before booking your place.
Making a booking request for a TIS event constitutes your acceptance of these terms and your agreement to comply with them. These terms tell you how event bookings can be made, changed and cancelled, and other important information.