Keystage Housing service users helping foster change through monthly ‘Listening Lunches’

Service users at Keystage Housing have been involved in monthly ‘Listening Lunches’ to give their feedback on their experience and help facilitate change.

Organised by Community Engagement Manager Jane Foster, the events are run every month at each service for any of our service users wishing to attend.

Jane said: “I provide lunch for anyone who wants to come and the idea is it’s co-productive so I facilitate it, but it’s for residents and tenants to give their thoughts on how they are doing, what’s positive and what changes they would like to see.”

Suggestions put forward have included having barbecues in the summer; a gardening project; improving and re-designing a laundry room; and creating a bike shed.

“Our users give us lots of feedback on what is working well and ow we can improve,” explained Jane, adding: “I feed that back and we try to accommodate by for instance starting monthly residents’ meetings, amending our visitor’s policy, and setting up the Recovery College attending our services by weekly.

“It gives our residents a voice. It’s important for us to listen to those with lived experience so we can understand from their point of view what works and what doesn’t and improve and make changes where necessary.”