Salix Homes Customer SenateMargaret Connor

Customer Involvement and Service Manager

Tenant and resident led scrutiny

• Background

• Customer Vision

• Salix Homes approach

• Lessons Learnt

• Outcomes

Background• Legacy of old ‘Tenant Participation’

• Blank sheet of paper

• Customer Driven supported by Board

• Customer Profiling to target involvement

• History of tenant activism

Customer Vision ‘As an organisation we will place our customers

at the centre of everything we do’

• Continue to embed customer involvement across the business

• Establish a scrutiny panel• Devolve greater

responsibility to local communities

Ch

Customer Access &

Involvement

Investment&

Maintenance

Cleaner,

Greener

Safer Income

Management

Empty Properties

Sec

Ind

Co

Co

Co

Aims and Drivers• Act as a driver for continuous improvement in

performance and excellence through the process of Resident Led Self-Regulation.

•Scrutinise individual areas of the business•Central to customer driven performance indicators•Hold Salix Homes to account for poor performance

Core Standards• To be accountable to the wider customer body• To be independent of Salix Homes• To act with transparency• To reflect the needs and aspirations of the customer body• To respect the primacy of the Salix Homes Board

• To make recommendations based on robust evidence that are proportionate and reflect the context in which Salix Homes operates

Accountability

• Detailed terms of Reference• Enforceable Code of Conduct• Annual Schedule of its’ programmed activities.• Annual Report.• Annual health check is published.• ‘Call for Action’ from a community group or

collection of customers.• Mechanism that allows customers to instigate

a full scrutiny of the Senate

Influence

• A formal duty on the Salix Homes Board/ Executive Team to respond appropriately and in a timely manner to the Senate’s requests and recommendations.

• A requirement that the Salix Homes Board/executive team develop and implement any Improvement Plan that has been agreed jointly with the Customer Senate.

• Clear mechanism for redress for ‘non action’– A formal ‘Notice of Intent’ served on the Salix Board and a

prescribed duty to respond.– Referral of the matter to Salford City Council.– Request for intervention by TAROE

Scrutiny• Salix Direct contact centre

• Service standards

• Repairs appointment

• Count Me In

• Complaints process

2 Customers

Property Services Place

People Leaseholder forum

Communication

Panel

Customer Inspectors

Young Senate

Co-optees

Independent

Mentor

Lessons Learnt

• Organisation

– Cultural

- Resource Intensive- Marketing effectively

- Customers- Culture change- Lack of understanding of scrutiny role- ‘Chomping at the bit’

Outcomes

• Savings of over £150,000 through delivery of action plans

• Excellent out of hours service including anti-social behaviour

• Improved telephone service • Customers monitor service level agreements• Customers involved in procurement of new

contracts• Customer Business Plan

Outcomes

• New repairs appointments system

• Improvement in failed appointments

• Changes to income management and focus on support

• Increase in customer satisfaction

• New customer access strategy

Outcomes

• Winner of 3 UKHA awards– Involving and Empowering

Communities

– Outstanding achievement in housing in England

– Outstanding achievement in UK

Love Co-regulation

• Co-regulatory Champion

• Manchester 5th August

Any questions?