SGTO as an independent body are often called upon to help manage challenging group dynamics and support committees who feel misunderstood or that their concerns have not received an adequate response. When an issue arises, some groups prefer not to contact statutory agencies in the first instance uncertain of the impact and response they will receive. As an independent body, SGTO provides a safe space for individuals and groups to confidentially disclose their concerns without prejudice and hold informal mediation.
SGTO’s independence attendance at meetings as an observer and adviser has supported the council manage discussions and move groups towards making radical changes and solutions. SGTO supported officers who found interactions with their Chair stressful and overbearing, leaving them feeling discouraged and on the verge of resigning from their position and the committee. This encouraged other members to remain on the committee and engage with the process in bringing residents and the community together.
SGTO support Tenants and Resident Associations with capacity building and sustainability. Occasionally residents who may have had little prior interaction with their neighbors find themselves working voluntarily in groups. Bringing together individuals from different backgrounds, outlooks, and experiences can produce a vibrant network or a source of misunderstandings. Often it just a matter of groups going through a transition period and finding a comfortable rhythm to becoming one voice and working collaboratively.
Support for the unemployed. We assist with job search online and print outs required by the job centre to prove an individual’s efforts to find work. This is another area where a team of volunteers with the appropriate skills could support the staff team to do more. The volunteer team would benefit greatly from having a volunteer’s coordinator. This could be a volunteer with good administrative and person to person communication skills.