M·E·L Research respond to The Better Social Housing Review

The Better Social Housing Review reported back with recommendations in mid-December 2022. 

We are pleased to note that all seven recommendations have been accepted by both the National Housing Federation and Chartered Institute of Housing, with both organisations collaborating on developing an action plan.

As an organisation that works closely with social housing providers to listen to and engage tenants, we regularly see evidence of the positive difference social landlords make to people’s lives, often through extremely dedicated staff. However, we also hear from deeply frustrated tenants, seemingly unable to secure modest repairs for their home. The Awaab Ishak case at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing has again highlighted the tragic impact this can have on families in social housing. We therefore welcome the ‘call to arms’ this report provides for the sector.

We hope this report, along with the introduction of tenant satisfaction measures (TSMs), leads to even more improvements. While the TSMs represent the most extensive set of tenant-led performance metrics that the sector has seen for years, some indicators risk raising more questions than answers if not matched by supporting insight.

Quantitative surveys are one part of the tenant engagement toolkit. But social housing providers should think creatively about how they can learn from lived experiences and individual customer journeys. M·E·L Research have been strengthening our approach in this area so that we can recruit and moderate communities of tenants to deep dive into customer expectations and service design issues. We can also help you segment your customers so you can better understand their needs and tailor your communications and services to them.

Finally, we realise that the weaknesses identified in the Better Social Housing Review report can demoralise employees working in social housing, especially when working to tight budgets. Employees are key to delivering the improvements needed. On this basis, understanding the level of employee engagement within organisations, plus the extent to which their feedback and ideas are listened to, is essential.

If you would like to speak to us about any of these issues, you can get in touch with our Director for Housing Research, Adam Knight-Markiegi, on 0121 604 4664 or email Adam.Knight-Markiegi@melresearch.co.uk.