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This
item was chaired by Diana Minns (Vice Chair / Tenant Representative).
Matter
for Decision
As
housing services continue to adapt to changes, it will become increasingly
important to have effective methods for gathering feedback and making sure that
services are making best use of available resources.
Recent
satisfaction surveys and follow-up focus groups had proved an effective method
for gathering customer satisfaction data – the results of which (appendix A of
the Officer’s reports) had been developed into an Action Plan (appendix B of
the Officer’s report).
Decision
of Executive Councillor for Housing
i. Agreed the Action Plan (appendix B of the Officer’s
report)
ii.
Agreed the suggested methodology for gathering ongoing customer feedback from
tenants and leaseholders
Reason
for the Decision
As
set out in the Officer’s report.
Any
Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
Not
applicable.
Scrutiny
Considerations
The
Committee received a report from the Resident Involvement Facilitator regarding
recent satisfaction surveys.
The
Committee made the following comments in response to the report:
i. Welcomed the very thorough and professional report.
ii. Expressed concerns about the future need to
prioritise actions as the funding shrinks. How would priorities be agreed?
iii. Suggested that support services could be under
threat at a time when welfare reforms began to impact on tenants.
iv.
Expressed concerns about communication problems experienced by leaseholders.
Factual communications regarding repairs and contractors often contained error.
v. Leaseholders had expressed
concerns about a lack of consultation prior to expensive repairs.
vi. The timing of communications was questioned and it was
suggested that information was not shared in a timely fashion. It could be too
early to be relevant or too late for proper consultation.
In response to Members’ questions the Director of Customer
and Community Services stated that:
i. Initiatives were already in place
to improving the tenants and leaseholders experience of the housing service and
this would not necessarily increase costs. The action plan was achievable.
ii. A follow up report later in the year would look at future
priorities once more information was available from central government.
In response to Members’ questions the Resident Involvement
Facilitator acknowledged that response rates in some areas of the survey were
low. He outlined the approach now taken to gathering information. On alternate
years a survey was carried out and in the intervening year, more targeted work
was undertaken. This might include in depth work with hard to reach groups or
work targeting new tenants.
The Executive Councillor for Housing stated that in the past
leaseholders had enjoyed services that had not been re-charged to them. The
Council was duty bound to recover expenditure on leaseholder properties. Such
matters were addressed on a case by case basis.
The Committee unanimously resolved to endorse the
recommendations.
The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.
Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor
(and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.