Voice of the Resident panel meeting update – July and September 2024
Our most recent voice of the resident panels took place in July and September this year.
The panel is made up of residents who work closely with settle colleagues and Board members, to discuss, shape and improve our services.
Update from July
Tenant satisfaction measures insights
The panel provided valuable feedback on tenant satisfaction measures. They highlighted concerns about “grey area” responses—where residents indicate they are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. Additionally, they questioned whether this neutrality indicates a lack of interest or disagreement with the options provided.
Panel members asked settle colleagues how we can better interpret ‘neutral’ responses and whether we should amend our questions or seek more detailed feedback from those who give a neutral response. We will listen to this feedback and explore ways that we can explain this term more in our narrative following updating tenant satisfaction measures survey responses.
Safety in your home
The panel also pointed out the need for clearer communication around the question:
“Thinking about the condition of the property or building you live in, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you that settle provides a home that is safe?”
Panel members suggested that the narrative should better differentiate between structural and communal safety. The panel also requested more responsive communication to residents when there are ongoing issues or incidents in neighborhoods that may impact them.
Update from September
During the September meeting, we shared our plans to develop a report for residents based around the four consumer standards. This report will review the past year and highlight key areas that encourage resident engagement with our services. We are collaborating with panel members to create the report and will present a draft for review at the November meeting.
Early Messaging on Rents
Following a request from panel members at the meeting in May 2024 to have early sight of messaging we share with all residents around rents, we began early discussions with the panel on information we will share in 2025. The next step is to share draft documents with the panel for their review.
Report Reviews: Anti-Social Behaviour and Lettings
We gave the panel an update on our work around Anti-Social Behaviour, inviting feedback from the panel before we then share the report with the Operations Committee of our Board.
In addition, the panel also reviewed a draft of our Lettings Report, which is a review of how we let homes. We will update the language in the report to reflect feedback from the panel before sharing with our Board.
Housing Ombudsman Resident Panel Updates
Two members of the Voice of the Resident panel are also members of the Housing Ombudsman Resident Panel, which provides an opportunity for members to give feedback on their own experiences of complaining to their landlord and accessing the Housing Ombudsman service.
They updated the group on work and priorities of the Housing Ombudsman Resident Panel with consideration to how we use this insight across our work to support all residents at settle. This is a standing agenda item and will be discussed at each Voice of the Resident meeting.
Looking Ahead
The next meeting in November will focus on a review of our repairs improvement plan, panel priorities, and the appointment of a Chair from within the group.
