Voice of the Resident Panel meeting update – April and May 2025
The Voice of the Resident Panel met in April and May to share ideas and give feedback to help shape and improve our services. The panel is made up of residents from across the neighbourhoods in which we work.
Update from April
Members of the Voice of the Resident Panel and Green Panel came together for a joint meeting. The focus was on the proposed partnership between Settle and Paradigm, with updates also shared from a recent Housing Ombudsman network meeting, and Green Panel projects.
Proposed partnership with Paradigm
Dean Anderson, Settle’s Managing Director, joined the meeting to talk the panel through the proposed partnership with Paradigm. He explained why Paradigm had been chosen as Settle’s preferred partner and what this could mean for residents.
Dean shared some of the potential benefits of the partnership, including:
- More financial flexibility and capacity
- Being able to combine resources to have more impact in our communities and to make significant improvements to a number of our estates
- More resources to invest in resident services
- The opportunity to do more of what’s set out in our 2030 plan.
He also gave context about the wider challenges affecting the housing sector, such as rising costs and changes in government regulation.
Dean confirmed that the process will follow all necessary regulations, including full compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Before any decisions are made, there will be a six-week consultation where residents can share their views. This feedback will form a key role in how both Boards make a decision around the partnership.
Panel members stressed how important it is that communication is clear and transparent. Panel members will be updated on dates for consultation events, including webinar and face-to-face events and were encouraged to take part if they wanted to.
Housing Ombudsman update
Two panel members shared what they learned from recent national Housing Ombudsman meetings, which focused on anti-social behaviour (ASB) and complaints. Key messages included the importance of understanding why ASB happens, responding more effectively, and making sure residents’ voices influence service improvements.
The sessions shared good practice examples from housing providers across the country who are improving services for residents. There was also a strong focus on the benefits of delivering services in-house rather than through contractors.
They also explained how residents’ feedback is helping the Ombudsman decide what to focus their future priorities on, such as making services more focused on people’s needs and improving how complaints are handled as the number of complaints continue to rise.
Panel members welcomed the update and considered what Settle can learn from other organisations. Settle’s Head of People and Resident Experience also shared how we continue to use resident feedback to improve how services are delivered.
Green Panel projects
The panel heard about ongoing sustainability work across Settle and how a graduate team member could support future projects.
If you’re a resident and would like to join the Green Panel and help us make Settle homes warmer, more comfortable and energy-efficient, we’d love to hear from you. Email [email protected] or call us on 0330 343 0016.
Panel membership
It was announced that Annette has been elected as the new Chair of the Voice of the Resident Panel – the first resident to take on this role. You can read more about Annette’s appointment and watch a short video where she shares what the role means to her in our previous news story.
Over the coming weeks, panel members will have the chance to share their thoughts on how the panel is working. This will help ensure everyone feels supported and that a wide range of resident voices continue to be heard.
Looking ahead
Topics for discussion at the May panel meeting include the new anti-social behaviour (ASB) reporting tool on the My Settle Portal, the Community Benefit Fund, and the upcoming Big Door Knock, which will gather resident views to help shape the Westmill Neighbourhood Plan.
May meeting
Anti-social behaviour reporting tool
Settle’s Digital Experience Partner shared an update on the new anti-social behaviour (ASB) reporting tool. The tool includes clear categories for different types of ASB, a section to describe what happened, and prompts to help residents provide more detailed information help. It also gives the opportunity to explain the emotional impact on the person reporting the issue. During the discussion, GDPR compliance and data privacy concerns related to video and photo submissions through the portal were discussed.
The Panel gave helpful feedback on the design and usability of the tool. They recommended adding simple yes/no questions to make the form quicker to complete and suggested updating some of the wording to make it clearer. To support residents using the tool, the panel suggested adding a short video on the portal, in line with the updated ASB pages on Settle’s website.
Panel members are looking forward to seeing the tool in action and have asked to see data on how it’s being used in future meetings.
Community Benefit Fund
The Head of People and Resident Experience shared information about the Community Benefit Fund, which provides funding to support local projects, that are shaped and led by residents.
The fund comes from a transfer agreement with North Hertfordshire Council and is used for projects that make a real difference to residents, helping to improve wellbeing and safety, create more inclusive spaces, and provide new opportunities in the community. This could include improving green spaces, supporting residents in vulnerable situations, running training sessions, or putting on local events that bring people together and help them feel more connected to each other and to where they live.
Everyone was invited to start thinking about ideas for projects that could benefit neighbourhoods across North Hertfordshire where Settle has homes, and also how residents could be encouraged to get involved. These suggestions will be brought to future meetings for discussion.
Big Door Knock
Panel members were invited to take part in the upcoming Big Door Knock in July. This event aims to connect with Westmill residents and gather their views to help shape the neighbourhood plan.
Looking ahead
The next panel meeting in June will focus on an update on the new anti-social behaviour (ASB) online reporting tool on the My Settle Portal, complaints and query handling, and the recruitment of a Vice Chair for the panel.
