Agenda item

To consider the report and the accompanying presentation which provides an overall summary of progress made in response to the recommendations and the associated action plan.

The Chair welcomed James Smith, Tenant Engagement Manager to present a progress update on delivery of the action plan that was developed in response to the Tenant Scrutiny Panel investigation into how the Council could improve communications with tenants. It was a wide-ranging review that spanned many services because communication affected everyone.

He explained that communicating with tenants was intertwined with the consumer regulations and the action plan was a good starting point with more work to be conducted.

The Tenant Engagement Manager recaptured that the initial improving communications report was heard by this Commission on March 2023, the report detailed nine recommendations A - I and a further four suggestions made by the Scrutiny Panel, and the report so set out a 12-month review period.

He highlighted that all nine actions and the four further suggestions had been achieved, the Tenant Scrutiny Panel was happy with the progress, and they signed off the plan earlier this year. He pointed out three key outcomes that have helped them to achieve the vast majority of recommendations and further suggestions within the report.

The Website improvements were made as a result of the communication review and included making plans to introduce a housing section to the Council's existing complaints web pages also full review of the tenant engagement website was undertaken. The tenant engagement webpages underwent significant improvements, featuring enhanced interactivity and content co-designed with the dedicated screen team, comprising of tenants who collaborated on various projects. Additionally, he highlighted that tailored communications training had been developed, which was implemented for housing managers and their teams through a train-the-trainer approach. Over the past year, the screen team had played an instrumental role in refining communications, from webpage and web form design to enhancing letters and influencing the Council’s Home Matters magazine which was sent to all tenants. Their broad involvement contributed to achieving key outcomes and implementing recommendations.

The Tenant Engagement Manager highlighted that website improvements had directly contributed to meeting recommendations C and D, particularly in terms of website accessibility for tenants.

He noted that staff training had played a significant role in achieving one recommendation. Despite being singular in number, this co-designed training was crucial as it equipped teams with the communication skills vital for interacting effectively with tenants for years to come. The training featured interactive content and customer videos illustrating the impact of good communication on tenants.

The final key outcome in blue on the right-hand side related to our Screen Team, which facilitated the achievement of three recommendations and three further suggestions. Over the initial 12 months, the screen team contributed not only to improving communication effectiveness but also to enhancing accessibility and communication strategy. Their success integrated them into our regular business operations, and they continued to influence communication design and strategy moving forward.

He went on to explain that some of the recommendations fell outside of those three main outcomes, which were detailed below:

Recommendation B was achieved not by one overarching strategy but by a mixture of strategic documents and interventions. The tenant engagement framework and customer access strategy covered how we communicated and engaged with tenants and how tenants could access information in a digital format. The consultation and engagement framework set out guidelines for how the Council would consult with tenants, and the introduced training ensured our communications with tenants were effective across housing services.

Recommendation F was achieved through various actions, including robustly monitoring performance and call answering times, supported by a Customer Experience Board chaired by the Chief Executive. This was further underpinned by customer service standards now embedded within Council teams, with extensive work done to roll out these standards.

Recommendation G concerning complaints and compliments was accomplished through our continued focus within past editions of the Home Matters magazine. Articles explained to tenants how they could complain, with further articles being developed for the next edition, emphasising the importance of tenants informing us of any issues they may be experiencing.

Recommendation four was instrumental in shaping the Council’s approach to the procurement of a company called Quest Research, which was currently conducting our tenant satisfaction measures survey. Currently, Quest employs a combination of telephone and digital surveys. In line with this recommendation, several online forms to enable tenants to express their opinions via our website had been developed, along with a tenant engagement satisfaction survey.

The Tenant Engagement Manager introduced a video displaying the new website to the panel. The video highlighted three key takeaways: firstly, the previous site felt crowded; secondly, users struggled to access the information they wanted; and thirdly, they felt bombarded with information as a result. The new site addressed these issues by providing easy-to-access tabs across the page.

The improvement of the action plan template was highlighted for the panel. He informed that the previous action plan contained only one recommendation, a couple of dates, and some updates, making it difficult to ascertain who was responsible for each task. The updated template had been tweaked to address those issues.

The Chair enquired about the completion date for Quest Research's work and the resulting report, as well as seeking clarification on the Tpas logo seen in a video. James explained that Quest Research's two-year contract was nearing its end, with data consolidation underway for submission to the regulator before April. Regarding Tpas reaccreditation, all actions were completed, and the next assessment was scheduled for September.

Councillor Carter sought clarification on the scope of the training and its recipients, particularly enquiring about its extension to repair personnel interacting with council tenants.

The Tenant Engagement Manager explained that the training encompassed various sections, including fostering positive first interactions with tenants, effective communication methods, active listening techniques, and empathy building. Initially planned for a few hours, the training evolved into a full-day session. It was rolled out to all housing managers across departments, with at least two managers from each department participating. The training adopted a train-the-trainer approach, with managers tasked to train their staff. Discussions also arose about extending the training to contractors involved in property repairs.

Councillor McNeely emphasised the importance of transparency in communications, suggesting that alongside "you asked, we did," there should also be acknowledgement of instances where requests were not fulfilled, along with the reasons why. The Tenant Engagement Manager acknowledged this point, stating that he was currently discussing this aspect with housing teams, particularly regarding tenant scrutiny. He emphasised the need to communicate both completed actions and reasons for unfulfilled requests.

Resolved:

1.     That the Improving Places Select Commission noted the progress made in delivering the scrutiny review action plan.

2.     That information be provided to the Improving Places Select Commission on the completion date for Quest’s work.