Tenant Participation Officer, Carol Petrie

Who are you?

I am Carol Petrie, Tenant Participation Offer for Hillcrest.  The main part of my job is make sure that we have in place a variety of ways for tenants to know more about how we work, to give their views, and to be consulted on issues that are important to them.

If you don’t like the service in a shop, you can go to another one. It’s not so simple if you are unhappy with the service or product your landlord provides. If you owned a shop but people were going to the shop across the road, you would need to find out why and do something about it.

So, we need to find ways for our customers views to be heard and considered so we are delivering an excellent product and service that tenants would choose.

I also work closely with the Committee of Dundee Hillcrest Tenants' Forum.

And, I provide advice and information about TP to all my colleagues in all departments.
If there is one word to sum up TP its – ‘together’ – staff and tenants both working towards the same aims can make all the difference.
 

How long have you worked for Hillcrest Housing Association?

I have worked for HHA for 10 years this July – my first post was Housing Officer in the Perth and Fife Team but bizarrely the area I covered was in Dundee….then I moved to the post of TPO in 2004.

My first Team Leader when I started here was Steve Kell and, after a couple of team changes and a few re-shuffles, we ended up in the same team again….and he’s still the boss.
 

What are the rewarding aspects of your job?

Being involved in a tenants' group right at the beginning is great. Helping them to become involved and develop the confidence to ask the right questions is very rewarding. When they achieve their goals, it is good to think you have helped them reach that point.

The Dundee Hillcrest Tenants Forum worked with staff to create the Small Repairs Team for Dundee tenants – this service wouldn’t have happened without DTHF.

Arranging events can be good fun but I get a bit hyper in the few days leading up to an event and always think I have forgotten a really important part of the day, like not booking a guest speaker or something….but its very rewarding when it's all over and tenants say how much they enjoyed it.
 

Are you involved in any specific initiatives or groups?

I am part of the New Office Group which will be very interesting.

I also meet up with other TP workers from other social landlords in Hillcrest areas and I represent the Tayside and Fife Forum at National Meetings of TP Workers. We share good practice and pinch each other’s successful ideas.