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Positive-practice examples 3 and 4 – asking tenants about their information preferences

Manor Estates Housing Association asks tenants about their information preferences in its full tenant satisfaction survey carried out by a consultant every four or five years. The association supplements the full survey with smaller, in-house surveys each year. These are brief and targeted to focus on areas that have previously been identified as giving cause for concern. The last survey included questions about:

• how the quality of the information tenants receive about the association could be improved; and

• how they prefer to be consulted.

A third of tenants who responded to the first question said they would like more local information. As 74 per cent of tenants had indicated that they used newsletters to obtain information about the association, Manor decided to develop local inserts for the newsletter. It will use next year’s survey to evaluate the impact of the local inserts.

Local meetings were one of the preferred options for consultation, with letters and newsletters. In response, Manor decided to pilot local surgeries for tenants in its sheltered housing schemes, where housing officers are on hand to talk to tenants, answer questions and listen to their views.

For further information or a copy of the newsletter contact:

www.manorestates.org.uk

Email: info@manorestates.org.uk

Tel: 0131 337 3222

Perthshire Housing Association (PHA) uses a range of methods to gather residents’ views, so that residents can decide how much they would like to be involved and choose what suits them best. The methods include:

• an annual residents convention;

• public meetings;

• a resident satisfaction survey every five years;

• service-specific satisfaction surveys;

• group meetings with residents; and

• its ViewPoint residents panel.

There are around 130 members on the ViewPoint panel. They represent a cross-section of the association’s residents. Panel members have agreed to complete and return questionnaires in pre-paid envelopes supplied by the association. PHA uses the questionnaires to gather performance and satisfaction information that it can use to improve and develop its services. The association is committed to carrying out three ViewPoint surveys a year and publishes the feedback on its website. The website encourages other residents to add further comments or suggestions after reading the feedback.

Based on the panel’s feedback, PHA now uses a range of ways of providing information for residents. These include public meetings, informal ‘drop-in’ sessions, newsletter articles, leaflets and electronic communication.

For more information contact:

www.perthshireha.co.uk

Email: info@perthha.co.uk

Tel: 01738 441088