Power structures exist in every aspect of our lives yet often go unnoticed or just ignored. The power imbalance between residents and their landlord is felt particularly acutely when residents have no option to choose another provider.

Devastating examples such as Grenfell and Awaab Ishak have shown that when residents are powerless to enact change the consequences can be dire. But has the sector learned from these tragedies to openly address power structures when working with residents?

This session is designed to help housing practitioners understand what power dynamics are, how to talk openly about them, and what steps they can take to reduce their impact. Through discussion and activities, we’ll explore how resident involvement can be more equitable and lead to more meaningful resident engagement.

This was a genuinely thought-provoking and valuable session that went beyond theory and encouraged honest reflection on how power operates in housing, often in subtle and unintended ways.

What worked particularly well was the framing of power as something that exists not only in formal authority or decision-making, but in everyday interactions — language, confidence, systems, assumptions, and who feels able to participate.

I would recommend this session to anyone involved in resident engagement, complaints, governance, or service design, as it provides both practical insights and an important lens through which to reflect on our everyday practice.

Complaints Lead, Housing 21

What will be covered:

• Where power dynamics exist in housing and wider society
• How these power dynamics affect the context of residents’ lives
• How addressing these dynamics can lead to more meaningful engagement
• How to have difficult discussions around power, both with residents and colleagues
• Seldom-heard voices: how power silences communities
• Practical tips to create a more inclusive environment for engagement.

Who is this for?

This session is ideal for:

• Resident involvement/tenant engagement officers and managers
• Housing officers, neighbourhood and estates teams
• Complaints, customer insight and service improvement leads
• Resident scrutiny/tenant panel members and co-ordinators
• Heads of housing, heads of service and policy leads
• Anyone responsible for designing or delivering resident engagement activity.

Welcome and outline of session

Understanding power dynamics

• Where power sits in housing and wider society
• How power imbalances show up in landlord-resident relationships
• Reflections on recent tragedies (eg, Grenfell, Awaab Ishak) and what they reveal about power.

Power, voice and engagement (interactive)

• How power dynamics shape residents’ day-to-day lives and their interactions with landlords
• Seldom-heard voices: how power silences communities
• How to have open, honest – and sometimes difficult – conversations about power with residents and colleagues.

Putting it into practice

• Practical tools and approaches to create more equitable, inclusive engagement
• Steps organisations and individuals can take to rebalance power
• Developing personal actions/commitments to take back to the workplace.

Wrap up and practical takeaways

Close

If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected]

Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance.

Cancellations must be made in writing and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.