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“ After all it just told us what we already know tenants want,!� I was recently asked this question.  Yes,  it is true there were few surprises, The National Conversation told us that tenants want: a decent home in  a good community at an affordable rent, repairs done right first time at a convenient time and excellent customer service.  But it was not a waste of money. In fact I go further and say I appluad the TSA for the National Conversation and for asking tenants and others in the sector for their views – even if it told us nothing new.

Why do I say that? The TSA has said that it wants to break with the way regulation was done in the past. Peter Marsh has heralded the fact that he wants to lead an organisation that has a new vision which puts tenants and boards at the heart of regulation.  For those of you who are familiar with the Board Development Agency’s approach to governance excellence you will know that top of our governance pyramid is having a vision and a value system. How could the TSA say to registered providers ‘we want you to bring tenants into the heart of regulation through coregulation and effective consultation’ - if they too were not prepared to spend the time and effort consulting tenants themselves on what they want from something as important as a new system of regulation?   I am glad that the TSA has shown us that it is prepared to walk the walk.  It is now up to the rest of the sector to show that it too can follow the TSA’s lead and learn to walk this way too!

More more about the governance pyramid go to e: yvonne atkinson or go to boardagency.org.uk