Housing needs satisfaction survey

The Housing Needs Service asked for your views on the service they provide. They were interested in hearing about how their customers prefer to contact them, and they also wanted to learn about how they can encourage customers to use their online services.

We received extensive feedback on the aspects of our service that you valued, as well as the areas you felt had room for improvement. The following points were commonly raised and represented gaps in the provision of our service that could be addressed to improve the resident experience:

1. The website should be simplified and made easier to navigate to encourage greater use.
2. Speaking to officer’s face to face was the preferred method of communication. It was felt that the Council should be more flexible in providing this service.
3. Limited digital accessibility was highlighted as a key obstacle in engagement with our online services.
4. An improvement in customer service and the way officers engage and communicate with residents would be appreciated.

The following service improvements have been made following feedback from the 2020 Housing Satisfaction Survey.

1. Changes to our website:

• The Housing section of the Council’s website has been improved, and content has been re-organised and enhanced. These changes combine to create a more user-friendly and informative website that will allow residents to find information and resolve issues more quickly.
• The Housing section of the website has been reviewed for outdated team contact details. These have been updated to make it easier for customers to contact the relevant team directly.

2. Increased flexibility in offering face to face communication:

• We’re offering services at five different locations across the Borough where we can offer support on specific themes or customer needs.
• We are implementing a booking system that will also support co-location in the community. This will help us meet current Covid-19 restrictions and keep our communities safe.

3. Increasing digital accessibility and connectivity for our residents:

• We have undertaken a borough-wide rollout of full-fibre broadband to ensure all residents have access to a consistently fast internet connection.
• We are in the process of installing digital devices in community centres, clubrooms and sheltered units across the borough, to ensure that our residents can access internet-connected devices should they need to.
• The Customer Access Programme is conducting activities to improve access to services, including a digital ambassador programme that will help residents gain the necessary skills to get online.

4. Greater monitoring and improvement in customer service and communication:

• We have surveyed customers to better understand residents’ views of our engagement and customer service. We were pleased to receive 102 positive responses.
• We have begun trialling a listening tool when communicating with residents over the telephone. These recordings will be used for training purposes and to improve customer service.