Agenda item

·       Action Plan Update

·       Refresh of Objectives following Inspection

The Tenant Engagement Officer presented the report to the Board.

The report formed the next six-month update on progress against the Action Plan, and updated Members and Tenants of the Board on the changes required to the Strategy as a result of the Regulator of Social Housing Inspection.

The Action Plan was attached as Appendix 1.  The original Objectives and Priorities was attached as Appendix 2.  The proposed revised Priorities and Milestones was attached as Appendix 3.

An update on the Tenant Engagement Strategy would be carried out every six months.

The Council was in the process of introducing a framework which encouraged tenants to express their opinions.  The Tenant Satisfaction Measure survey would ask new tenants to provide contact details (where they expressed interest in further involvement).  More informal events like ‘Tea with Tenants’ would also take place.

To ensure tenant involvement was as inclusive as possible, the Council had recruited a fulltime Tenant Engagement Officer.

The Council were developing the use of the Gov.Notify service, which would allow large scale communication and surveys via email and text.

Leaflets for ‘Customer Service Standards’ and ‘How to make a complaint’ had been updated and actively used as part of tenancy sign-ups.

A Tenant raised they had not received the leaflet, had subsequently contacted the Customer Standards and Complaints Office, who then proceeded to handle, agree with the complaint, and had then asked if there was any other help required.  The Tenant was left impressed by Customer Services on the handling of this issue.

The Tenant Engagement Officer stated all property types had been contacted, with the Head of Property (Repairs and Maintenance) noting this would enable the Council to analyse the collected data and identify which tenant groups submitted complaints and on what issues.  The Housing Strategy and Development Officer added this was the result of the feedback that followed the inspection; the intent was to take tenant engagement to another level.

The Board was informed that the expansion of communication possible between the Council and tenants, while primarily digital, had produced the unexpected result of all age types responding well to emails and texts; it was not just from younger tenants.

The aim of this expansion was for improved modern interaction and cost efficiencies to take place.

The Housing Strategy and Development Officer highlighted the red text of Objective 3 of Appendix 3, which included: develop and implement a quarterly service performance report (which would be submitted to the Board and the Customer Services Scrutiny Committee twice a year); and produce specific ‘Tenant Summary’ reports, in conjunction with tenants, for all core regulatory reports.

Also highlighted was the red text of Objective 4 of Appendix 3, which included the following: expand reporting and evaluation of complaints data, with specific

emphasis on trend analysis.

The Board briefly discussed the need for the data to be collected, analysed, and for the Council’s performance to be compared with other local authorities.

Moed by Councillor Sandra Peake and seconded by Councillor Janet Tait

RESOLVED that: 1) progress against the action plan, as stated, is reviewed             and tenants provide feedback on current activity; and,

2)    members of the Board review the proposed amendments to the Strategy Objectives in appendix 3 and confirm which additions/amendments are to be approved.