2nd opinion: From the horse's mouth

My first job in housing was as a tenant participation officer – so I know it's a role that's often misunderstood and undervalued. Dedicated tenant participation staff have to be Jacks or Jills of all trades, with a wide variety of knowledge and abilities, because trying to keep everyone happy is a tightrope-walking, plate-spinning job.

So while Tony Soares made some valid points in his article "Let's not flog a dead horse" (HT 14 May, page 23), I feel he was not justified in calling tenant participation a waste of money.

Sadly, too many organisations do seem to view tenant involvement as a mere "bolt on", rather than an integral part of the service they offer. But participation, in its many shapes, provides vital feedback.

My own route into the sector illustrates this point. I became actively involved with housing issues in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Acting as a housing association tenant and board member, I and other tenants were able to help radically change the culture of our landlord.

I often wonder where that association would be today had we not got involved to the extent we did. We managed to spark a transformation in the landlord from one that was a very average service provider and had a "like it or lump it" attitude, to one that now values its tenants and recognises their inclusion as an essential part of its work.

It was mutually beneficial: I came out of the experience so inspired that I made a career change.

The previous 15 years of my working life were spent in the retail and wholesale fish industry, so I knew the value of keeping customers satisfied.

But I became hooked on housing and gained skills that I didn't realise I had, which I then very much wanted to put into practice.

The changes that I and my fellow tenants achieved, we managed without a dedicated tenant participation officer.

We did, however, rely on the advice and support of a tenant and resident federation adviser, who proved invaluable.

The tenant participation officer plays a similarly subtle and yet pivotal role: they are not there to dictate proceedings, only to empower residents to take part.

A tenant participation officer needs to act as a facilitator and enabler, coaching staff, board members and tenants. They create awareness and understanding; develop confidence; promote responsibility; and guide the organisation into accepting tenant participation as part of its culture.

Once this happens, the tenant participation officer has effectively worked him or herself out of a job, and is no longer needed because participation becomes something that everyone in the organisation understands and accepts responsibility for.

Good tenant participation doesn't have to mean hundreds of residents giving up their time – it's about quality not quantity. Four people contributing regularly with good input, feedback and ideas is far more useful than 40 on a mailing list from whom I never hear.

Let's not forget there are businesses out there that pay thousands in consultancy and market research fees to find out what their customers want, feel and expect.

Luckily for us in the housing sector, we've got people willing to tell us all this for free.