Lorna Simpson is named Participation Officer of the Year

6th December 2018

Photograph of Lorna Simpson is named Participation Officer of the Year

A Highland Council employee, nominated by the tenants she works with, has scooped a national award.

Lorna Simpson from Wick has been a Tenant Participation Officer with The Highland Council for the past ten years, covering Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross. Throughout that time she has worked tirelessly to involve tenants in the Housing Service.

She has mentored tenants, individually and in groups, to give them the confidence and knowledge to actively participate and engage with the Highland Council to influence decision making in the housing service.

In 2013, the Caithness, Sutherland and East Ross Forum, locally known as the Brora Forum, was formed The aim of the Forum is to bring together tenants from right across the north Highlands to discuss housing issues and to feed back their views on a variety of issues.

Lorna has put a huge amount of work into sustaining this Tenant Forum. She works with the tenant groups and the interested tenants on a very regular basis to give them the information and the skills to participate fully in the discussions held at the Forum. She works with them to increase their confidence and understanding of housing issues - eight of the Forum members have gone on to sit on Highland Council's strategic groups. Lorna has also arranged workshop sessions for the Forum members on subjects like the Housing Revenue Account and the Capital Investment programme.

Winning the award reflects the high esteem Lorna is held in by the tenants she works with who put her forward for Participation Officer of the Year at the TPAS Scotland annual awards.

The Council's Principle Tenant and Customer Engagement Officer Mandy Macleman said: "Lorna's tenacity, patience and support has been inspirational to the tenants she works with. She has worked with some tenants for years to bring them to a level of knowledge and understanding which enables them to engage with the Highland Council over very complex issues. With tenants who are new to this type of engagement she will work with them for as long as it takes until they are comfortable and confident and ready to fully engage."

Lorna’s award was presented at the 2018 TPAS Scotland Annual Conference in the MacDonald Aviemore Resort by Still Games’ Isa and Tam (Jane McCarry and Mark Cox). These National Good Practice Awards recognise the passion, acknowledge the dedication, and celebrate the achievements of tenants and staff from throughout Scotland.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

Today : Local Authority

 
Highland Council proceeds to procurement for a new electric Corran Ferry

The Highland Council has reached another significant milestone in the delivery of a replacement Corran Ferry, with the procurement for a new electric vessel.   Funded through a £58 million investment from the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal, including £28 million from the Scottish Government for the new electric vessel, £20 million from the UK Government and £10 million from The Highland Council towards landside infrastructure, the project will deliver a modern replacement ferry service for one of Scotland's busiest single-vessel crossings.  

Today : Local Authority

 
Wick and Thruso Jobs secured and bus services strengthened through D&E Coaches acquisition

Highland Council-owned D&E Coaches has confirmed the acquisition of Stagecoach’s Thurso and Wick bus operation securing local jobs.  This will protect vital services and strengthening public transport provision across the Highlands.  

30/9/2026 : Local Authority

Reforming Scotland’s Councils: Should We Test One Region Before Reorganising Them All?

Scotland is considering one of the biggest changes to local government for a generation.  The Scottish Government has proposed replacing the existing 32 councils with between six and ten regional authorities, alongside somewhere between 120 and 160 community authorities.  

30/9/2026 : Local Authority

Scottish Cities Alliance Investment Conference to showcase Highland opportunities

Inverness will welcome government representatives, investors, business leaders and economic development partners later this week as it hosts the Scottish Cities Alliance Autumn Investor Event.  A two-day programme designed to showcase investment opportunities across Inverness, the Highlands and Scotland's city regions.  

29/9/2026 : Local Authority

Are We Trying to Save Britain’s Towns Without Planning Their Future?

Walk through almost any British town centre and you can see the evidence of change.   There are empty shops where there were once businesses.  

28/9/2026 : Local Authority

Highland Council Ward 3 By-election - Voters urged to make sure their vote counts

Polling will take place on Thursday 1 October 2026 to elect one of five candidates standing in The Highland Council's Wick and East Caithness Ward 3 by-election.  Voters are being reminded to make sure they are ready to cast their vote.  

26/9/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

September is Scottish Start-Up Month – could your business idea become a reality?

September has become a month when Scotland's aspiring entrepreneurs are being encouraged to take a closer look at an idea that may have been sitting in the back of their minds for some time.   Scottish Start-Up Month, led by Business Gateway, has returned for 2026 with a simple message: if you have an idea for a business, this could be the month to take the first step.  

25/9/2026 : Educational Institutions

Fewer Children, More Difficult Decisions: The Future of Highland's Schools

For many years Highland Council has faced difficult decisions over small rural schools.   Some have closed, others have been mothballed, and communities have often argued that a village school is about much more than the number of children sitting in its classrooms.  

25/9/2026 : Local Authority

Glasgow’s 23,000 Council Workers Face a Major Pay Shake-Up

Glasgow City Council has taken a dramatic step in its long-running equal-pay dispute, giving notice that it intends to end existing pay arrangements for its non-teaching workforce unless an agreement can be reached with the trade unions.   Around 23,000 employees are affected.  

25/9/2026 : Employment Services

What Are the Options for Scottish Pupils Who Do Not Want the Traditional Academic Route?

Parents of teenagers in England are being told that they will need to understand a new range of vocational qualifications as their children approach the age of 14.   The Career Development Institute has welcomed the introduction of new Vocational GCSEs, which are due to start being introduced in England from 2029.