801 customers have said they want to be involved

Challenge Group

  • Challenge Group met 12 times – this excludes attending Scrutiny Panels.
  • Our Challenge Group meet every five weeks for 2 – 3 hours

The Group:

  • 100% meetings took place
  • 13 policies checked and recommended for approval
  • Five strategies checked and approved
  • Four quarters of together with tenants' data and Customer Satisfaction checked and approved
  • Two self-assessments reviewed and approved
  • Two Scrutiny reviews and three being monitored
  • Co-production of the annual review
  • Sat on Board interview panels
  • Met with internal auditors on Customer Voice
  • Attended:
    • residents' meetings such as Range & Pennine
    • stock tour with Board
    • regular Board meetings
    • training: Mental Health, Chair, Scrutiny, Questioning skills and Tenant Empowerment
    • TPAS conferences
    • sessions on the update to the website
  • Came along to our events such as Christmas and Easter

(This does not include regular updates on services which is discussed at every meeting)

How our Challenge Group has influenced change at the Trust:

Orbis service

We understand you’re busy, so we’ve been working with Orbis – our out of hours call line – to make things easier.

So, what's changed?

Orbis have now introduced something called ‘queued callback’, which means you no longer have to wait on hold. Queued callback will allow you to ‘opt out’ of the queue and instead be called back when an agent becomes available. You will not lose your position in the queue.

How it works

Queued callback works by:

  • Allowing callers to opt out of the queue and be called back as soon as an agent becomes available.
  • It will detect your phone number or will allow you to input a preferred callback number before you exit the queue.
  • Your position in the queue will not be lost.

Changes to policy

  • Updated the wording in section 5.7.4 of the Former Tenant Arrears Policy. The Group asked that it was made clear that arrears are with the tenant not the property
  • Requested for guidelines and a procedure in line with the CCTV Policy for customers asking permission for and when gifted CCTV or doorbells as part of target hardening*
  • Added the Trust’s number to the Complaints Policy.
  • Made sure that the correct term ‘Domestic Abuse’ were used throughout policies rather than Domestic Violence.
  • Challenge Group members will form part of the interview panel for Board and customer facing management roles.

* improving the security of a property to reduce the risk of crime.

Collaborators

  • Customers who were involved with these events 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 attended the award giving event
    • Fed into the changing of the Ground Maintenance contractor
  • General Leaseholder meeting
  • Established two new customer panels:
    • Damp & Mould Customer Panel
    • Asset Management Monitoring Group
  • Launched Range & Pennine (our high-rise blocks) resident forum which takes place at Green in the Corner every quarter
  • Six months of Mystery Customer calls
  • We held Energy Efficiency sessions with our customers on the Moss Estate whose homes will be undertaking energy efficiency works.
  • We held lots of events and meetings right across our communities discussing parking, grounds maintenance, repairs and much more.
    • We held residents meeting at:
      • Throwsters Court, Central Macclesfield
      • Astle Court, Chelford
      • Masons Lane, Hurdsfield
      • Range & Pennine Court, Hurdsfield
      • Harry Lawson Court, Hurdsfield
      • Greenhill Walk, Disley
      • Crossings, Central Macclesfield

Commentators

  • We’ve worked closely with our Digital Panel, a group of customers who fill out surveys or online forms for us once every couple of months.
  • At this level, customers get involved from the comfort of their own home or come along to meetings that interest them most.
  • At this level, you can dedicate as much or as little of your time as you'd like (e.g. an email survey or a quick phone call).

The digital panel feedback on:

  • What topic was to be the focus of the scrutiny reviews
  • Whether the Trust should hold dedicated repairs roadshows. You told us that you’d prefer to see us out and about in your communities rather than dedicated events. That’s why we make sure that our Repairs Team come along to all our Roadshows. Find out when the next roadshow will be happening near you >
  • Complaints self-assessment – you told us that you thought we were doing what we should in line with the Housing Ombudsman Code.
  • Reviewed and commented on our updated Aids & Adaptations Policy >

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.

Get involved

If you have any feedback for us,

we’re listening.

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