How we performed

We use all the feedback we receive throughout the year to make sure that we are delivering the high-quality services that residents expect from us. Here is how we performed in 2023/24.

Monitoring satisfaction

In 2022/23 the government announced that it would be introducing a new system for housing providers across the country to monitor customer satisfaction and to make sure we’re getting it right for every one of our tenants. The new Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) use a standard set of questions which make it easier to compare different providers and highlight where we should concentrate our efforts to make positive improvements for our residents.

Following the introduction of the TSMs, some of the figures in this report are now being recorded and calculated in a different way, so they may not be comparable to previous years. 

We received feedback from a total of 1,180 customers using a trusted independent survey provider called Pexel. Compared to our initial surveys in 2022/23, we saw improvements in eight out of the 12 TSMs, which shows that, while there is always room for improvement, we are moving in the right direction and customers are happier overall with the services we provide.

Our Tenant Satisfaction Measures scores

Listening to your feedback

Your feedback is vital in helping us to make real improvements to our services. That is why we log every compliment, grumble and formal complaint that we receive. 

In 2023/24, we received:

Over the last twelve months we held two scrutiny events, which give our residents a ‘deep dive’ into certain topics. Based on the feedback from these events, we identified a number of areas for improvement, which we’ve now addressed or are currently working on. 

Following our ‘rightsizing’ scrutiny session, we have improved our FAQs for customers and will be putting in place further drop-in sessions to talk to staff about the different housing options that are available for people whose home is no longer right for them. 

Our second scrutiny event focused on communication with our repairs contractors. Thanks to this we have located high-priority areas for guttering works and have begun building a communication portal so residents can receive messages and updates directly from the contractors, just as they can do with our in-house repairs team.

We’ve taken the time to understand more about who our customers are. By understanding your needs and knowing what’s important to you, we are better able to tailor our service to meet your expectations. By understanding customer demographics, such as any language preferences or whether there is anyone in your household with vulnerabilities, we can respond to complaints more sensitively and effectively. 

We are also improving how we communicate by using a new system which allows us to send messages to specific community areas, or customers with certain tenure types, to make sure you will only receive messages that are relevant to you. You’ve also told us that you prefer to receive short-form messages such as texts, so we’ll be utilising the new system for that more in the future too. 

Involving customers in shaping our policies

A big focus for this year was giving our tenants the chance to have an input in shaping the wider policy agenda for housing on a national level. Customers got involved in consultations for Awaab’s Law, Consumer Regulations and consultations for the Housing Ombudsman.

You were also involved in helping us to review and relaunch a number of our own policies. Following feedback from residents, we reviewed our Anti-Social Behaviour Policy to ensure there is more transparency with the service we provide, and we created a new Good Neighbourhood Management Policy, which will help to tackle disruptive behaviours that are not considered to be anti-social behaviour. We updated our Access to Housing Policy which sets out how current and prospective customers can access affordable homes through Watford Community Housing and began work on reviewing both our Tenancy Fraud and Mutual Exchange Policies.  

The Big Door Knock

On 15 June 2023 we held our third annual Big Door Knock. This is an all-staff event that sees us head out into our neighbourhoods to visit our residents in person. It is a great opportunity for us to listen to feedback and make positive changes to the services that matter to you the most. 

Find out more about this year's Big Door Knock in our video below.