University of Salford KTP with Tameside Council awarded Outstanding by Innovate UK
University of Salford KTP with Tameside Council awarded Outstanding by Innovate UK
Monday 15 June 2015
A University of Salford Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) has been awarded an outstanding rating - the highest possible - by an independent panel of assessors from Innovate UK. This exceptional rating is given to a very small percentage of KTP projects, signifying the highest quality of collaboration.
Working with Tameside Council, the Sustainable Housing & Urban Studies Unit (SHUSU) in conjunction with Salford Business School developed an innovative engagement strategy and digital toolkit to support empty home owners return their empty properties back into use as much-needed affordable housing.
The KTP explored new routes to engaging with empty home owners approaching the issue from a community engagement perspective. The project showed how empty home owners represent one of the most hard to reach communities in that they are culturally and geographically diverse and come from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. In many cases, properties are empty due to the economic downturn, bereavement and the perceived hassle of becoming a landlord. The project found that traditional formal routes of communication do not account for these differences and do little to capture the attention of empty home owners and are failing in their engagement.
The KTP has allowed Tameside Council to deliver an enhanced empty homes service through evidence-based service redesign and the roll out of the engagement strategy. During the piloting of the strategy, Tameside Council engaged directly with over 200 empty home owners and the newly developed webpages attracting more than 1,800 views. This activity contributed to Tameside delivering over 70 empty homes back into use over two years - a high impact outcome for Tameside, which typically only builds 350 new homes per annum.
Commenting on the partnership, Tameside Council’s Principal Housing Strategy Manager, John Hughes said, “The KTP has provided a perfect opportunity to look at new and creative outcomes for a previously overlooked area of housing policy. Social Science is at its best when it is multi-disciplinary, challenging traditional boundaries, and where we can collaborate in different areas of specialism and expertise for the public good.”
Professor Philip Brown, Director of SHUSU and Lead Academic on the KTP said, “Our experience of undertaking a KTP has been amazing. The relationship that we have established with Tameside Council has been one of equality which has enabled a strong and trusting partnership to be developed. This experience has allowed us privileged access into the workings of local housing markets as well as strategic thinking in the wider sub-region. This would not have been possible without the KTP experience.”
Janet Morana, KTP Partnerships Manager says, “This highest awarded grading reinforces the quality of KTPs at the University of Salford and our exceptional record in helping companies to achieve innovation, enterprise and skills.”
For more details about KTPs at the University of Salford visit: www.salford.ac.uk/ktp
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