Since my update in December when we were laying the groundwork for new TAAGs in London, we have held the first meetings of the three newest London TAAGs in Westminster, Waltham Forest and Newham.
TAAGs bring together stakeholders to collaborate in a non-judgmental, facilitated space in order to improve the lives of those living in Temporary Accommodation (TA). TAAGs have a proven track record of improving the lives of those living in TA at local and national levels through collaboration on a set of shared goals that feed into an action plan.
Each TAAG was well attended by a range of local borough organisations and individuals, all of whom are stakeholders in temporary accommodation in their areas. The first meetings were aimed at setting the groundwork for future meetings through each TAAG developing a code of conduct for the group. These highlighted important factors such as recognising barriers to involvement, active listening and being respectful to each other all which lead to positive collaboration between members.
The next TAAG meetings will be taking place after Easter where we’ll dive into the different issues that exist in each borough and begin to develop a solution-focussed action plan. The action plans will identify specific issues that can be addressed locally by boroughs but will equally highlight longer-term, more systemic issues that need to be dealt with at a national level. The longer-term issues identified will be fed into the APPG, providing the opportunity to influence national policy on these issues.
The London TAAG Steering Group will also be meeting towards the end of March to share experiences of the first TAAG meetings. As we look forward to future meetings the steering group will be sharing thoughts on best practice and identify key points to be included in the agendas for the TAAG.
It’s been a really exciting first few months in this role and I’m really looking forward to continue working with our strategic partners, the Cardinal Hume Centre, The Magpie Project, Shelter and Notting Hill Genesis, as well as other organisations and individuals that have become members of the TAAGs.
