Latest updates (January – March 2025)
Latest updates (January – March 2025)
Repair responsibilities
We updated details in our repairs and maintenance service standard and on the repairs responsibilities page of our website.
These changes make it clear that it is the resident’s responsibility to replace bath panels, unless they are damaged by Settle.
If they are replaced following damage by Settle, they will be renewed with a standard MDF panel. We added this detail following resolution of a resident’s complaint and agreeing that we could have been clearer on this point.
Early rent rise letter
The Voice of the Resident Panel asked to work with us on the messages and information in the early rent rise letter. In recent years we have sent this letter about a month before the annual Landlord’s Notice of rent increase, to support residents who want to plan ahead. Panel comments included keeping the letter shorter; using real numbers rather than percentages and clearly showing what type of support is available. Following completion of the letter, we heard positive feedback from Panel members on the layout and wording as well as a ‘thank you for listening’.
LGBTQ+ History Month webinar with Stonewall
We hosted a webinar with Stonewall Housing for all Settle colleagues and residents to learn more and get a greater awareness about experiences of LGBTQ+ residents and former colleagues with housing and homelessness throughout time. This webinar helped build on our commitment to be an inclusive landlord and our pledge to LGBTQ+ residents.
Service improvement plan
Feedback was sought from residents on our five key areas for improvement in January. We received a total of 2432 comments from 600 survey responses and the results are being used to improve our services and create an improvement action plan.
Policy reviews
[update published April 2025]
Settle residents were invited to share their suggestions for reviews of our Gas and Heating, Electrical Safety, Water Hygiene, Lift Safety, and Asbestos policies. We received 63 survey responses and the findings have been published on the Policy Review Hub. The feedback is being reviewed and used to update our policies.
Engagement Framework
At Settle, we prioritise resident engagement to shape our services and communities. In March, we published our new Engagement Framework, developed in partnership with residents.
This framework sets clear commitments on how we involve residents in decisions affecting their homes and communities, ensure participation suits everyone’s needs and every voice is heard, and use feedback to improve and drive real change.
Communication and contact
Some residents said it wasn’t always clear who to contact. We’ve made it easier to find contact information on our website and clarified who is responsible for different services, including repairs and damp and mould.
To help improve customer service overall, we’re continuing to record calls to our Customer Hub for training and monitoring to ensure ongoing improvements in how we communicate with you.
Damp and mould
We’ve improved how we manage cases of damp and mould by strengthening our internal processes and introducing greater oversight of repairs and contractor performance. Our complex case panel has been given more responsibility to make timely decisions, and we’ve improved how information is recorded and shared across teams. We’re also using feedback from the Housing Ombudsman to help staff understand what’s working well and where we need to improve further.
Supporting residents
Some residents need more personalised support, particularly when facing complex or sensitive situations.
We’ve updated our noise transference procedure to reflect individual needs, including vulnerabilities and impairment and identified advocates or external support agencies we can involve where appropriate.
We’ve also improved the support available to residents who may need to temporarily relocate to allow urgent repairs to be completed safely. Information for leaseholders and shared owners has been updated to ensure it’s clear and easy to understand.
Complaints and service requests
Residents told us they were frustrated by delays, poor communication, and a lack of follow-up when raising issues with Settle.
In response, we’ve strengthened how we respond to concerns raised, providing points of contact where relevant and we’re continuing with ongoing checks in our Customer Hub to improve the quality of service.
Our staff are receiving additional training, and to make things more transparent when responding to enquiries.
We’ve also updated our complaints procedures to help our teams focus on first time resolution and made it clearer when something is a service request and when it should be treated as a formal complaint.
We’re’ also considering adding a tracker to My Settle Portal (formerly ‘My Account’ on our website), so you can follow the progress of your complaint.
Asbestos policy review
We received 42 comments from 10 survey responses on our Asbestos policy. Your feedback highlighted three main areas for improvement: clearer explanation of technical terms and acronyms, better communication about how asbestos risks are managed by Settle, and quicker response times for asbestos-related inspections. We are currently reviewing all feedback and revising the policy based on your input. The updated version will be published soon.