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  1. Focus 100 Survey 

  2. During the summer of 2005, members of NCHA staff teamed up to undertake face to face surveys of 100 tenants in their own homes.

    The staff involved included a cross section Housing Services staff including Senior Managers and Directors and staff from other departments.

    The tenants were selected to include a cross section of geographic location, family composition and ethnic background.

    Those surveyed included families who had had cause to raise an official complaint within the past 12 months, those that had adaptations undertaken to their homes and a mix of new and long standing tenants.

    The object of the survey was to obtain focussed feedback on a number of recent service improvement initiatives, the perception from tenants of the Association’s mission statement and Departmental aim (ie do we succeed) and a view as to how the Association compares with others and whether our service was getting better or worse as well as identifying areas where the tenants felt we could improve our service.

    By involving staff from the non front line departments it was also intended to give those staff an insight into the very reason for the Associations existence i.e. to provide housing for those in need.

    The results of the survey would be used in conjunction with the postal Status Survey which was also undertaken in the summer of 2005.

  3. 1.   Executive Summary

    1.1   The NCHA 2005 Focus 100 Survey was centered on general needs tenancies, including sheltered housing but excluding those tenants in receipt of Housing with Care and Support, Market Rent tenants and Shared Ownership leaseholders.

    The tenants surveyed have demonstrated that they are generally very happy with the services provided. However, there are a number of areas the Association will need to address as part of our Continuous Improvement Strategy.

    The key findings are:-

    · 85% of tenants surveyed believe the Association does ‘provide quality housing for people in need…..’

    · 74% of tenants surveyed believe we succeed in meeting our stated service aim to ‘provide high quality services that meet customers needs through efficient housing management and maintenance’

    · 87% of tenants surveyed think the new Tenants Handbook is helpful

    · 91% of tenants surveyed believe the new ‘swipe card’ rent payment method and direct debit facility to be an improvement on the previous system

    · 93% of tenants surveyed are happy with the new arrangements to service gas appliances by the in-house team

    · 82% of tenants surveyed were happy with the way we had carried out adaptations in their home

    · 62% of tenants surveyed were aware that we had reviewed our practice and policy for involving tenants in the work of the Association and increasing opportunities for their involvement

    · 48% of tenants surveyed expressed an interest in becoming involved

    · 33% of tenants surveyed who had raised an official complaint within the last 12 months were happy with the outcome

    · 86% of tenants surveyed thought NCHA were better landlords compared to known other associations or private landlords

    · 84% of tenants surveyed thought the service provided by NCHA was getting better

    · 96% of tenants surveyed said they would recommend NCHA to a friend

    Under the specific questions and service areas covered by the survey, the following themes and suggestions have been identified by a number of the tenants surveyed.

    a.  How can we encourage people to pay their rent?

    · Offer reward and/or incentive scheme ie cash or vouchers

    · Provide a rent free week at Christmas for ‘good payers’

    · Explain rent collection and arrears policy clearly and thoroughly at commencement of tenancy

    · Provide debt advice and counselling


    b.  How can we encourage people to look after their property?

    · Undertake routine periodic property inspections

    · Do not permit people to transfer unless their property is looked after

    · Advertise and enforce the re-charge policy

    · Offer incentives (eg decoration grants) to people who look after their homes

    · Offer a DIY SOS service for house and garden maintenance at a reduced charge

    · If NCHA maintain the outside (communal areas) to a high standard tenants may be encouraged to look after the inside


    c.  How could the Tenants Handbook be improved?

    · Provide advice about home security

    · Provide DIY safety advice

    · Emphasise rechargeable repair policy

    · Provide inside ‘pocket’ for safe retention of gas safety certificates etc.

    · Put it on the website, provide an audio and DVD version


    d.  How could we improve our adaptations procedures?

    · Undertake major works in warmer weather

    · Provide more information on the procedure at commencement of tenancy

    · Ensure decant properties are always fit and ready for occupation


    e.  How could we make our Complaints Procedure easier?

    · Provide more feedback on action taken and if changes are implemented

    · Don’t ‘pass the buck’

    · Be quicker in responding and resolving issues

    · Keep in touch and keep complainant informed


  4. f.  What could we do to improve our service generally?

    · Offer repairs by appointment

    · Make sure we return phone calls

    · Install a message line or queue information on the Maintenance freephone line

    · Do more to prioritise the needs of the elderly and vulnerable

    · Fit burglar alarms to properties occupied by the elderly

    · Provide budget advice in LINK

    · Offer a gardening service to elderly people at a discounted rate


  5. It is apparent from the responses that four key themes are repeated by many of the tenants:

    · Offer a repairs by appointment service

    · Offer a reward system for regular rent payers or a ‘rent free’ week at Christmas

    · Improve our performance in returning phone calls when we say we will

    · Offer a low cost gardening service to older and infirmed people

  7. 2.  Action

    · The findings of the Focus 100 Survey will be published in LINK (Spring Edition) and on the website (November 2005) for information purposes

    · The findings will be referred to the Tenants and Residents Consortium for their comments, views and for their input into prioritising follow-up action and Continuous Improvement projects (December 2005)

    · We will look at a number of the service area improvement suggestions and seek to apply the ‘fast track’ Continuous Improvement process to achieve a series of quick-wins which will achieve real improvements based upon tenant needs and wishes

    In addition to this process, the Association will also undertake, as a result of this survey, the following:

    · Monitor and look to ‘roll out’ the repairs by appointment project currently being piloted

    · Involve relevant tenant representatives in the purchase and implementation of the ‘voice over the internet protocol’ currently being implemented within the Maintenance team

    · Closely monitor the ‘Acceptable Standards of Communications’ Policy and make sure all staff are aware and trained so that calls are returned when promised

    · Continue the work already ongoing with the TRC in investigating the merits and options of introducing a reward/incentive scheme