“The Walk That Changed Our Environment” Springville and Arus Mhuire Cork

Description

As part of Tuath Housing’s Tenant Engagement Strategy 2022–2025 — Your Voice, Your Home, Your Community — residents have been placed at the heart of decision-making, shaping the services they use and the communities they live in. In 2023, Tuath further strengthened its commitment to supporting older residents by joining the Age Friendly Business Recognition Programme, achieving accreditation later that year. This milestone highlighted our continued focus on inclusion, accessibility, and the overall well-being of residents aged 55 and over.
To ensure older residents played a meaningful role in shaping this work, Tuath’s Tenant Engagement and Research & Policy teams co-designed an age-friendly survey, informed and approved by residents during a series of in-person coffee morning events. The survey was distributed by staff across eight pilot schemes—spanning 213 households—in July and August 2023. With 101 responses received, the 47% completion rate reflected strong engagement and a desire for change.
The 26-question survey explored key themes, including social interaction, communication, outdoor spaces, transport, mobility, housing, technology, and access to health and community supports. Resident insights directly influenced the decision to adopt the Scottish Place Standard Tool—a widely respected framework that served as a walkability and environmental assessment, helping communities evaluate how well their surroundings support well-being.
Through this tool, residents from six counties ( Cork, Dublin, Meath, Cavan, Kildare, & Laois) assessed key aspects of walkability, including path quality, lighting, seating, safety, and connectivity. Their lived experience shaped a clear picture of what was working and what needed to change. These insights are now guiding meaningful, localised improvements, enhancing quality of life, fostering stronger relationships, and helping create more inclusive, accessible environments across Tuath’s housing schemes.

Aim of Initiative

The aim of this initiative is to empower older residents to shape the communities they live in by actively involving them in assessing and improving their local environment. Using the Place Standard Tool, Tuath Housing set out to identify everyday barriers to mobility, safety, and social connection issues that are often overlooked but have a significant impact on the wellbeing of older people.
By focusing on the lived experience of residents, the initiative sought to move beyond consultation and into genuine co-creation. Residents were supported to carry out walkability assessments of their neighbourhoods, sharing insights and identifying areas for change. The participation of Tuath staff alongside residents helped build trust, break down barriers, and foster a shared commitment to action.
The initiative aimed not only to gather information, but to respond meaningfully to it. Through the Tuath Housing Community Fund 2024, tangible improvements were made from installing accessible outdoor furniture to creating pop-up social spaces and strengthening access to essential services.
At its core, the initiative is about recognising older people as experts in their own lives. It demonstrates how a structured, inclusive process can drive resident-led change, create stronger relationships, and improve both the physical and social environment of a place.
The formation of the Age Friendly National Advisory Panel will be a lasting outcome of the initiative ensuring that older residents continue to have a voice in shaping age-friendly communities across Ireland.

Who is it aimed at

This initiative was designed to engage older adults in improving their living environment while also strengthening relationships with Tuath staff. It aims to raise staff awareness of the needs and experiences of older residents and to foster meaningful connections that support a more inclusive and age-friendly community. As part of the project, Walkability Assessments was carried out to identify physical and environmental barriers that affect older residents’ ability to move safely and confidently in their surrounding

3 Steps critical to success

1. 1. Meaningful Engagement with Older Persons
   Actively involve older individuals in the project through interviews, focus groups, and structured tools like the Place Standard Tool and Walkability Assessments. These frameworks help ensure residents’ lived experiences directly shape improvements in their physical and social environment
2. 2. Staff Awareness and Training
   Deliver targeted awareness sessions during staff induction and ongoing training, informed by insights gathered through the Place Standard Tool. These sessions equip staff with a clearer understanding of how older residents interact with their environment and what support they need.
3. 3. Ongoing Relationship Building
   Facilitate regular interaction between staff and older residents using findings from walkability audits and Place Standard discussions as a foundation for dialogue. This shared understanding strengthens relationships and supports a more age-friendly, responsive housing environment.

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. 1. Engaging Older Residents Consistently
   Some older residents may face barriers to participation, such as mobility issues, sensory impairments, digital exclusion, or a lack of confidence. Ensuring that engagement is accessible, inclusive, and tailored to varying needs can be resource-intensive but is essential for genuine involvement.
2. 2. Translating Feedback into Action
   Collecting data through the Place Standard Tool and Walkability Assessments is valuable, but turning those insights into practical changes can be challenging. Constraints like budget, staffing, or infrastructure limitations may delay or prevent implementation, potentially affecting trust and momentum
3. 3. Embedding Change in Organisational Culture
   While staff training is important, ensuring long-term behavioural change and commitment across all levels of the organisation takes time. Staff turnover, competing priorities, or lack of follow-through can make it difficult to sustain improvements in how older persons are supported.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. 1. Improved Staff Understanding and Sensitivity
   (PST Themes: Social Interaction, Feeling Safe, Identity and Belonging)
   By increasing staff awareness, the project helps create a more inclusive and empathetic environment where older residents feel acknowledged and secure. This directly supports social connectedness and a sense of belonging.
2. 2. Stronger Relationships Between Staff and Older Residents
   (PST Themes: Social Contact, Influence and Sense of Control, Care and Maintenance)
   Improved communication and engagement lead to residents feeling more involved and empowered. Staff responsiveness improves, which also contributes to better upkeep and attention to residents’ needs in their surroundings.
3. 3. A More Age-Friendly Living Environment
   (PST Themes: Housing, Public Transport, Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Facilities and Amenities)
   Feedback from the project informs practical improvements to living conditions, accessibility, and shared spaces, ensuring they meet the needs of older people and promote independence and well-being.