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In April, tenants attended two different focus groups at the council's offices on Cobalt Business Park.
The first meeting was to look at a new online site for tenants called Unified. This will enable tenants to have an account and easily check things like their rent account and housing options as well as make reports like repairs. Tenants gave a list of ideas to improve the look of the site and ideas to make it easier to use. They came up with a list of links to external organisations that they felt would be helpful to have on the site and made suggestions around how to launch the site, ensuring all tenants have a chance to know about it and feel safe in using it.
The second group looked at the issue of 'no access' - people not being in for pre-arranged appointments and lack of access to properties when needed. We need to be able to complete regular safety checks and visits to ensure our properties are safe, well maintained, and tenants have the support they need. These missed appointments also lead to additional costs to the service, impacting on rent. When it comes to what the housing service can do to reduce incidences of no access, tenants agreed that a lot of this comes down to better communication and more transparency. It is important that the housing service have up to date information and contact details for tenants, as well as potentially gather next of kin information for each household. Positive attitudes of staff can encourage tenants to allow access, as can promoting the potential consequences if essential safety checks are not regularly carried out. As well as this, encouraging both tenants and staff to update details if circumstances change, even after an appointment has been made, could help.
Staff thanked the tenants explaining that the Unified system will be adjusted to reflect their comments where we are able to do so and that the feedback on no access for repairs and inspections will be followed up further by our tenant panels.
Afterwards a tenant said it was "Good to be given a voice. Listened to and not judged"
Council tenants give their views
In April, tenants attended two different focus groups at the council's offices on Cobalt Business Park.
The first meeting was to look at a new online site for tenants called Unified. This will enable tenants to have an account and easily check things like their rent account and housing options as well as make reports like repairs. Tenants gave a list of ideas to improve the look of the site and ideas to make it easier to use. They came up with a list of links to external organisations that they felt would be helpful to have on the site and made suggestions around how to launch the site, ensuring all tenants have a chance to know about it and feel safe in using it.
The second group looked at the issue of 'no access' - people not being in for pre-arranged appointments and lack of access to properties when needed. We need to be able to complete regular safety checks and visits to ensure our properties are safe, well maintained, and tenants have the support they need. These missed appointments also lead to additional costs to the service, impacting on rent. When it comes to what the housing service can do to reduce incidences of no access, tenants agreed that a lot of this comes down to better communication and more transparency. It is important that the housing service have up to date information and contact details for tenants, as well as potentially gather next of kin information for each household. Positive attitudes of staff can encourage tenants to allow access, as can promoting the potential consequences if essential safety checks are not regularly carried out. As well as this, encouraging both tenants and staff to update details if circumstances change, even after an appointment has been made, could help.
Staff thanked the tenants explaining that the Unified system will be adjusted to reflect their comments where we are able to do so and that the feedback on no access for repairs and inspections will be followed up further by our tenant panels.
Afterwards a tenant said it was "Good to be given a voice. Listened to and not judged"
