e-learning partnership sets new standards in housing sector
InLiving, a unique tenant training package delivered as an interactive mobile phone game to young people having to deal with the realities and responsibilities of living independently for the first time is to be rolled out following the success of a pilot project.
It follows the establishment of a strategic partnership between Creative North and the Housing e-Academy, which aims to drive forward adoption of e-learning within the UK housing sector.
A unique tenant training package delivered as an interactive mobile phone game to young people having to deal with the realities and responsibilities of living independently for the first time is to be rolled out across the north and midlands following the success of a pilot project in West Yorkshire.
InLiving was jointly developed by Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing and Huddersfield-based Creative North, which designs and develops mobile games for the global marketplace.
It is being delivered free across Kirklees and received the thumbs-up from former housing minister Caroline Flint, who described InLiving as "an example of good practice in communicating with young people."
Now, InLiving is being promoted much more extensively following the establishment of a strategic partnership between Creative North and the Housing e-Academy, an Ilkley, West Yorkshire-based provider which aims to drive forward adoption of e-learning within the UK housing sector.
Chloe Weatherhead, manager of the Housing e-Academy, part of the Virtual College, one of the UK's leading providers of e-learning solutions, said: "The strategic partnership with Creative North has allowed us to explore how InLiving can be taken a stage further by linking mobile technology to a planned programme of online learning.
"This has resulted in the development of InLiving Progression, an internet-based tool that gives tenants the opportunity to test their understanding of their responsibilities, raises awareness of the potential pitfalls when living independently and also gives access to further learning opportunities."
Anton Iacono, InLiving project manager with Creative North, said: "InLiving is an exciting new tool that housing providers can use to help create successful and sustainable tenancies for 16 to 24-year-olds.
"Word is spreading like wildfire about InLiving - with several hundred downloads to date. The Housing e-Academy is an ideal partner as we now seek to roll out the package to all organisations involved in the housing sector."
Chloe added "Tenant training is promoted as best practice at a national level and this initiative is destined to equip young people new to living on their own, or about to set up a home for the first time, with valuable new, transferable skills.
"Training is delivered flexibly at a pace, place and time to suit people - offering a certificate on completion that will prove a valuable addition to their CV and references.
"This partnership is big, big news for the housing sector. It is set to make a real difference to our young people and can be held aloft as an example of best practice worthy of adoption by all housing-related organisations regionally and nationally."
Further information is available at www.housingea.co.uk
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Pic caption: Not home alone! Housing e-Academy Manager Chloe Weatherhead, left, and Anton Iacono, InLiving project manager with Creative North, demonstrate the InLiving mobile phone tenancy training game.