My summer internship with TPAS Cymru

This summer I had my first post-graduation foray into the adult world of work as I began working for TPAS Cymru as a freelance researcher. The position was challenging for a multitude of reasons, but I learnt a lot about the social housing sector in Wales.

I began my placement at TPAS Cymru’s ‘Engagement Best Practice Day’ A one day conference about engaging people and communities. I met the team and spurred into action, setting notepads on tables and greeting delegates. We heard from some really engaging speakers and I particularly enjoyed listening to Ibby Abdi talking about youth engagement. I got the train back home filled with ideas of planned upcoming projects.

My first task was to produce a guide for social landlords about using rewards and incentives in tenant engagement work. My guide, which will be published later this year advocates for social housing tenants to be fairly rewarded for the time and insights they give to social landlord organisations. As part of producing this guide I did lots of research, exploring how landlords and other organisations navigate rewards and expenses. This was my first time producing a report and I found it challenging to organise the report effectively and adopt the right tone.

After this report was complete, I moved on to a second shorter project gathering information about the new hazards rule which was implemented in April 2026. The rule requires social landlords to investigate hazards which post an immediate risk of severe harm within 24 hours and take action to remedy it within another 24 hours. Using my research, I worked to produce guidance for tenants that aims to explain the rule as simply as possible.

In the middle of my placement, my Dad was unexpectedly diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. I found this time incredibly difficult and whilst working remotely is convenient at times it can be lonely. I often had doubts that I was doing a good job for the team but with the encouragement and support of everyone I kept going and after a few days off work continued with the next project.

I worked with David Lloyd to create an update to TPAS’s work on flooring. Their reports, FLOORED published in 2020 and 2023 paved the way for the update to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard which now requires all social landlords to supply adequate flooring when letting out a social home. Since this change has been in place since April 2024, we worked together to produce a small survey and report to update the sector on how the change is being navigated and experienced by tenants and landlords. I designed surveys for tenants and landlords. As in many surveys, we had to overcome some challenges with response rates. This was exemplified by the fact that we were surveying in August, when many people are away. However, with a few follow up emails we managed to collect enough responses from social landlords to compile a report on flooring in the sector. I particularly enjoyed analysing the responses we had to the survey which provided interesting insight into how things are functioning in practice. I produced a report with our findings and some recommendations for the future which will be published later this year.

The final main project that I worked on was an investigation into electrical performance certificates (EPCs) in the private rental sector. I was asked by David Wilton to explore how EPCs are advertised to prospective tenants and find out the savings that are associated with each EPC grade. In my research, I was shocked to learn how many rental properties are EPC E and below. I also realised how much money a high EPC can save tenants and kicked myself a bit as a student renter who has experienced high bills and cold houses during my time at university. I conducted my own ‘mini-investigation’ into the practicalities of renting an energy efficient property. I found that rental sites such as Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket have no filters that allow renters to search by EPC of properties. In addition, I observed that EPC certificates are always at the very bottom of a property listing. Most shockingly, a considerable number of listings do not provide the EPC, meaning that renters may view the property without knowing whether their energy bills could be hundreds or thousands of pounds.

As I come to my final day at TPAS Cymru and reflect on my placement I feel as though I have learnt a lot from my time here. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with the team. I am also thankful to my bosses for allowing me to work flexibly, meaning I could fit my workday around visiting my Dad in hospital after his surgery. A few hurdles were thrown my way during the duration of my time here, but I hope I have made a small but meaningful contribution to TPAS’s work. I’m not sure where I will head next, but my placement has reaffirmed my desire to work within organisations that make a difference to people’s lives.

Bethan Ryder, September 2026