882 customers have said they want to be involved (that's 81 more than last year!)
- We aim to have 11 members on the Challenge Group (at the end of March we had 09 members.) Click here to read about the Challenge Group >
- 143 customer are involved at a medium level, such as being a Mystery Customer, participating in Scrutiny, our Damp and Mould Customer Panel, the Grounds Maintenance Residents Group, our Leaseholder Forum, and the Asset Management Monitoring Group.
- 730 customers are involved at a low level, like being part of the Commentator Panel and attending hot topic meetings.
Challenge Group
This year, we have held:High level customer engagement
Challenge Group met 11 times – this excludes attending Scrutiny Panels and team building events. Our Challenge Group meet every five weeks for 3 hours
The Group:
- 100% of meetings took place.
- 15 policies were checked and recommended for approval.
- 4 quarters of performance information were scrutinised.
- 4 quarters of Tenant Satisfaction information were monitored.
- 2 self-assessments were reviewed and approved.
- 2 Scrutiny reviews were undertaken and 3 are being monitored.
- 1 strategy was checked and approved.
- Co-production of our annual review.
- Sat on Customer Voice & Communication Officer and Board interview panels.
- The Group also attended:
- Other customer panels including Scrutiny Panels.
- Board Away Day.
- Stock tour with Board.
- Regular Board meetings.
- Training: Scrutiny, Chair, Recruitment and regulatory standards.
- TPAS conference in Coventry.
- Came along to our events such as Christmas and Easter gift drops.
(This does not include regular updates on services which is discussed at every meeting)
How our Challenge Group has influenced change at the Trust:
Updated our website for permission delays:
How they helped: Challenge Group highlighted the confusion and frustration caused by delays in permissions due to legislative changes. Thanks to their feedback, we updated our website to provide clear and timely information about these delays, helping to manage expectations and keep everyone informed.
Promoting our Pet Policy:
How they helped: The panel emphasised the need for clearer communication about our Pet Policy. They suggested more promotion to ensure all tenants understood the guidelines. As a result, we’ve increased our efforts to share this information, helping to create a more pet-friendly and respectful community.
Influenced our Complaints Policy:
How they helped: Feedback from the customer panel was crucial in shaping our Complaints Policy. They provided insights into areas where the process could be more transparent and responsive. Their input led to significant improvements, making it easier for tenants to voice their concerns and get timely resolutions.
Requested more training on Domestic Abuse:
How they helped: The panel identified a need for better awareness and training on domestic abuse. They requested more comprehensive training for members to ensure they can effectively support other tenants, as well as family and friends.
Changes to policy
- Updated the wording in section 5.2.17 of the Mutual Exchange and Assignments Policy to ‘prior to the assignment being signed’.
- Worked closely with the Complaints Team to make sure the Complaints Policy included the right information, clearly and concisely, for the Housing Ombudsman’s Code.
- Influenced changes to our Pet Policy and Domestic Abuse Policy, and made sure that we had the right information in our Permissions Policy.
Other influence Challenge Group members have:
Challenge Group members form part of the interview panel for Board and customer facing management roles. This year it included Board and Customer Voice & Communications Officer interviews.
Medium level customer involvement
Customers involved at a medium level typically dedicate 1 – 2 hours to us every 3 months.
- Grounds Maintenance Group met every quarter for 2 hours:
- Led on the Gardening Competition including judging the entries and choosing our winner.
- Provided us with constructive feedback on their local green spaces.
- Heard the latest updates on Grounds Maintenance from our Estates Manager.
- Damp & Mould Customer Panel met every quarter for 90 minutes:
- Discussed Awaab’s Law and how we are preparing for this.
- Created the Damp & Mould leaflet in collaboration with customers.
- Asset Management Monitoring Group met twice to discuss our Environmental Strategy:
- Updated the customers on the Asset Management Strategy Action Plan.
- Discussed Decent Homes Standard.
- Range & Pennine Residents Forum (our high-rise blocks) takes place at Green in the Corner every quarter.
- Six months of Mystery Customer calls.
- We held lots of events and meetings right across our communities discussing things like parking, Grounds Maintenance, repairs and much more.
- We held residents meeting at:
- Lyme Green Settlement, Macclesfield.
- Range & Pennine Court, Hurdsfield.
- Monthly coffee mornings across our over 55s accommodation.
Low level customer involvement
Low level involvement sees customers getting involved from the comfort of their own home or coming along to meetings that interest them most. We call this group of customers our ‘Commentator Panel’. At this level, you can dedicate as much or as little of your time as you'd like, such as completing online surveys or making a quick Mystery Customer phone call.
The Commentator Panel gave us feedback on:
- Our Communal Cleaning service.
- Our Customer Voice Strategy.
A range of different policies:
- ASB & Hate Crime Policy.
- Good Neighbourhoods Policy.
- Pet Policy.
- Communal Spaces (Fire Safety) Policy.
- Mutual Exchange Policy.
The Trust is a member of Tpas – the Tenant Engagement Experts.This means our customers can access their 'Members Only' services completely free.
Who are TPAS?
- Tpas are the country’s leading national tenant involvement organisation.
- They are dedicated to improving tenant engagement standards across the country. They promote, support and champion tenant involvement in social housing across England.
- They’re all about empowering tenant voices.
What’s included in the membership...
- Access to training.
- Unlimited attendance at free regional events.
- Magazines.
- Briefings as well as a telephone and information service.
Ready to join us?
Have your say on our services and influence decision-making across the Trust
There are lots of different ways to get involved – we’re making it easier for you to tell us how we are doing and how we can improve.