Older feedback and improvements
Older feedback and improvements
Policy reviews
We’ve been reviewing several policies that help keep our communities safe and supported. Here’s what residents told us and what we’re doing.
Updated policies will be published on ‘Our policies’ web page.
CCTV Management Policy
We recently reviewed our CCTV Management Policy to make sure it reflects residents’ views and priorities. Feedback gathered through our survey showed that most residents found the policy clear and easy to understand. A common theme was that CCTV, including video doorbells, helps residents feel safer at home.
This feedback is now being used to review and update the policy, ensuring it balances home security with privacy considerations. The revised policy will also make it easier to understand when CCTV installations are permitted and the standards expected for their use.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Feedback from residents showed that most found the policy clear and easy to understand, and one key theme was the importance of using simple language with clear definitions so that everyone can understand it. All feedback is now being reviewed to ensure the updated policy reflects residents’ priorities and supports fairness, equality and inclusion in everything we do. The revised policy will be published soon, setting out our ongoing commitment to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination in line with the Equality Act 2010.
Pest Control Policy
The updated policy was published in August and in response to resident feedback now includes examples of the types of pests covered, clearer definitions of responsibilities for both Settle and residents, and full names alongside acronyms to make the policy easier to understand. Your input has helped us ensure the policy sets clear expectations and reflects what matters to you. The policy can be viewed on our website.
Reasonable Adjustments and Vulnerable Needs Policy
Thank you to everyone who shared feedback during the review of our Reasonable Adjustments and Vulnerable Needs Policy. You told us you wanted clearer explanations of what vulnerabilities and reasonable adjustments mean, more information about how we identify and support residents who may need extra help, reassurance that our colleagues are trained to provide the right support, and a single point of contact when discussing your needs. We’ve updated the policy to reflect this, and you can read more here.
Repairs service update
We’ve continued to make improvements to our repairs service based on resident feedback gathered through the tenant satisfaction measures surveys between April 2024 and March 2025.
These improvements are part of our repairs improvement plan, which focuses on the areas you’ve told us matter most – completing repairs quickly, getting them right first time, and keeping residents informed.
To improve communication, we’ve introduced new email and text message alerts at each stage of a repair. You’ll now receive updates when a repair is raised through My Settle Portal, reminders 10 and 2 days before your appointment, and confirmation once the work is complete. If a follow-up visit is needed or we’re unable to access your property, you’ll also get a message to let you know.
Big Door Knock
At the beginning of July, colleagues from across Settle, including members of our Executive Team and Board, visited the Westmill neighbourhood in Hitchin as part of the Big Door Knock.
It was an opportunity to meet residents, listen to what matters most, and gather feedback through a short survey focused on our five key areas for improvement.
What residents told us will help shape the Westmill Neighbourhood Plan and how we improve and develop our services.
Find out more in our Big Door Knock news story.
Nightingale Park improvements
Residents told us they want a welcoming, safe, and enjoyable park that meets the needs of children, families, and the wider community.
We worked with the Nightingale Community Group and local residents to finalise plans for Nightingale Park in Baldock.
Around 50 residents took part in a community event, sharing ideas, voting on proposals, and drawing suggestions for features like swings, slides, and a trim-trail track. The park’s wildlife area will remain, with improvements planned to enhance it further.
Construction is due to begin in October, and residents have been sent details of the plans. For the full story, visit: Residents help to shape the future of Nightingale Park.
Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) 2024/25
Between April 2024 and March 2025, 1,258 residents took part in our tenant satisfaction measures survey. Thank you to everyone who shared their feedback, it helps us understand what matters most and where to focus improvements.
The results show progress across all 12 satisfaction-based measures compared with last year, including a 5% rise in overall satisfaction to almost 75%.
Residents told us they value clear communication, quicker repairs, and services that are reliable and easy to access. These themes link directly to our five key areas for improvement.
Find out about some of the changes we’ve already made and feedback from residents in our Tenant Satisfaction Measures 2024/25 news story.
We’ve also published the full results against the tenant satisfaction measures (TSMs) and will use this data to monitor progress and continue improving the services we provide.
Complaints and query handling
Between April 2024 and March 2025, our Contact Hub answered almost 70,000 calls and replied to over 20,000 emails, consistently meeting our response targets.
Residents told us they value quick, helpful responses, clear communication, and colleagues who show understanding when issues arise.
In response, we’ve:
- Refreshed our post-call survey to make it easier for residents to share feedback and recognise great service.
- Continued to focus on resolving issues at first contact, with colleagues receiving extra training and support.
- Improved access to online services, including the My Settle Portal, where residents can report and track repairs, check rent balances and update personal details.
If you need to get in touch, visit our Contact Us page or you can get support through Live Chat on every page of our website.
Residents told us they want complaints to be handled fairly, clearly, and transparently. We’ve updated FAQs and guidance on how to make a complaint on our website, and an online complaints tracking process is being developed on My Settle Portal. The Voice of the Resident Panel tested the new reporting tool in August to make sure it is easy to use and clear for everyone. Once the upgrade is complete, you’ll be able to track your complaint in the portal and see key updates, including when we’ve responded. We’re aiming to have this live later in the year. See more about the panel’s discussions in our Voice of the Resident Panel meeting update – July 2025.
In September, we published our Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report 2024/25, reviewed by both our Board and the Voice of the Resident Panel. The report shows how complaints are handled, the improvements we’ve made, and how we plan to continue improving services. We also submitted our Complaint Handling Code Self-Assessment to the Housing Ombudsman and included a response from our Board to provide assurance on our performance. You can learn more about how we handle complaints on our Complaints page.
Service Styles
Over 200 colleagues have now completed our Service Styles training.
Each colleague has made a personal pledge to deliver services that are responsive, respectful and reliable, shaping how we communicate, resolve issues and build trusted relationships with residents and communities.
Read more about the training and Settle’s pledge to consistent and professional services in our news story.
You can see colleague pledges, updates and real examples of Service Styles in action on Settle Connect. Residents can also use this platform to continue to share what’s working well and where we can improve.
Anti-social behaviour (ASB)
In July, the Voice of the Resident Panel reviewed improvements to the online ASB reporting tool on My Settle Portal. Residents and the panel had previously given feedback on usability, wording, and accessibility, helping make the tool clearer and easier to use. The tool is due to go live in September 2025. Read more about the changes in July’s Voice of the Resident Panel meeting update.
Feedback from the latest transactional surveys, Big Door Knocks, and Settle Connect is encouraging. Since September, more residents are satisfied with how we manage and respond to ASB. In September 2025, we were managing 111 ASB cases and successfully recovered several properties through proceedings. This builds on our demand-led approach introduced in January 2024, which gives neighbourhood teams a stronger focus on community safety and earlier intervention. Our news story on ASB explains more about how we’re working with partners to improve how we respond to anti-social behaviour. You can also find out more about our approach and the support we offer on our anti-social behaviour web page.
Clean and green estate management
Last year, residents shared feedback on our grounds maintenance and communal cleaning services. You told us that you often see contractors in your neighbourhood but not actively working. In response, we’ve increased regular audits of grounds maintenance and communal cleaning services alongside our partners, to make sure work is carried out as expected.
We continue to work on the Clean and Green Estate Management improvement plan, and you can see progress on the areas that matter most to you – making it easier to report issues, improving partnership working, and understanding the services we provide.
Work is also underway behind the scenes to update our website so you know exactly what to expect. This includes clearer information on what we are responsible for, what our partners do, how long services should take, and who to contact if an issue falls outside of Settle’s responsibility. Our Digital team is making it easier to report neighbourhood issues through My Settle Portal, and updating the site with contact details and schedules for services like grass cutting and communal cleaning.
The Green Panel
The Green Panel has launched a new resident-led project on sustainability, focused on practical ideas to create greener, more sustainable neighbourhoods. We received 158 comments from 50 survey responses, giving us a wide range of resident views.
Your feedback is helping the Green Panel understand what matters most. Take a look at the key themes identified from the survey and follow this project on Settle Connect.
The Green Panel is now reviewing your comments and we’ll share updates on Settle Connect and the website, showing how your ideas are helping to influence practical improvements in our communities.
Rooted in Community
Residents told us they’d like more greenery in their neighbourhoods. In response, we launched Rooted in Community, giving you the chance to help decide where new trees, shrubs, and plants should go on Settle-owned communal land. From May to September, residents could pin their suggested locations on our interactive map and share why they thought a spot would benefit from greenery. Your ideas will help us plan planting in October, choosing the right trees and plants for each location to support shade, wildlife, and cooler, greener neighbourhoods.
You can read more about the project here: Rooted in Community on Settle Connect.
Let’s Talk About Stigma in Social Housing project
We’re pleased to share we received a total of 115 comments from 51 survey responses about this project. Residents told us they sometimes feel judged or treated unfairly because they live in social housing, and highlighted the need to challenge negative stereotypes and improve everyday experiences. Our Colleague and Resident Panel is reviewing your feedback to identify ways to tackle stigma and inform improvements across Settle. We’re making sure younger residents’ voices, ages 14–18, are included so all perspectives are heard. Feedback from residents is under review, and the panel will use it to shape practical actions and improvements. Updates will be shared once the review is complete. You can read more and follow the project here: Let’s Talk About Stigma in Social Housing.
Digital Ease
My Settle Portal
Residents told us they wanted clear guidance on how to use the MySettle Portal, including registration and key features. A MySettle Portal “How-To” video has been developed and the Voice of the Resident Panel worked with our Communications team to review the video before it was published.
Residents gave feedback on clarity, pace, and usefulness. 66% of residents said the video was clear and easy to follow, and had a good pace. They also suggested more videos on updating details, payments and setting up direct debits, reporting repairs, and reporting ASB. We’ve improved the video for mobile viewing to make it easier to follow and are continuing to create more short “how-to” videos to help residents use the portal independently. You can register for an account and watch the video here.
Pay by Link
Residents told us they wanted a quicker and simpler way to make payments. In response, we’ve launched Pay by Link, a new, secure way to pay using a mobile phone or laptop. Read more about this new payment method in our news story.
You can see all other ways to make a payment to Settle on our Make a payment page.
Policy reviews
We’ve been reviewing several policies that help keep our communities safe and supported. Here’s what residents told us and what we’re doing.
Anti-social behaviour
In June, we asked residents to share their views on our Anti-Social Behaviour Policy. While just under half of residents said the policy was clear and easy to understand, you also told us a few key areas about how it could be improved.
You told us you’d like the policy to focus more on noise-related issues, be clearer about how quickly we respond to reports of ASB and provide reassurance that action will be taken when concerns are raised.
We’re now reviewing all feedback and using it to revise the policy which will be published soon on Settle Connect.
In the meantime, we’ve updated our ASB webpage with more information about the support we offer. We’re also working with the Voice of the Resident Panel to improve how residents can report ASB through My Settle Portal.This new ASB reporting tool includes clear categories, space to explain what happened and how it affected you, and options to upload photos or videos. Based on feedback from the panel, we’re making the form quicker to complete and adding a short video to help guide residents through the process.
Earlier in the year, we also introduced a new way of working in neighbourhoods that gives more focus to community safety. This means we’re out and about more, speaking with residents, and tackling more serious cases, including 159 high harm ASB cases in 2024/25, up 61% from the year before. Read more on our tenant satisfaction measures page.
Mutual Exchange
Between May and June, we asked for your thoughts on our Mutual Exchange Policy. This policy sets out our position for residents who would like to mutually exchange their home with another housing association resident, outlining our landlord responsibilities,
the service we offer and how we’ll support and advise our residents during the mutual exchange process. Find out more about our mutual exchange process.
Most of you told us the language was clear and easy to understand. However, you also suggested that the policy could be made more straightforward overall. You said simpler
explanations of key terms would be helpful and that the policy should better reflect real-life situations faced by residents during the exchange process.
We’re currently reviewing all your comments and revising the policy to reflect this feedback. The updated policy will be shared soon.
Safeguarding
All Settle colleagues, including contractors and Board members, have a responsibility to adults at risk of abuse and for the safety and welfare of children living in our homes who may be at risk.
We opened the Safeguarding Policy for feedback in May and June.
This policy sets out Settle’s responsibilities to safeguarding adults and children to ensure all colleagues and residents are clear on our moral and legal obligations.
Most residents told us the policy was clear, but you also shared useful suggestions for improvement. You said you’d like more information on how we respond to safeguarding concerns, easier access to support and contact details, and a more straightforward approach to language.
We’re now revising the policy to make sure it reflects your priorities and expectations. A clearer, updated version will be published soon on our website.
Pest control
In June, we collected feedback on our Pest Control Policy. This policy sets out Settle’s responsibilities and expectations, in accordance with our service standards, the terms of tenancy agreements and relevant legislation.
A large majority of residents said the policy was clear and easy to understand. However, some of you asked for more detail about which pest issues fall under Settle’s responsibility.
Dealing with pests (such as rats, pigeons, wasps, ants), unless in a communal area is the resident’s responsibility. See our website for information about infestations in a communal or shared area.
We’re currently revising the policy to provide that clarity. The updated version will be published shortly and will clearly set out responsibilities for both Settle and residents.
Hate crime
Our new Hate Crime Policy was shared with residents for feedback in June. This policy shows our commitment to the Regulator of Social Housing’s Neighbourhood and Community Standard(External link)
Standard(External link), which states that “Registered providers must work in partnership with appropriate local authority departments, the police and other relevant organisations to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and hate incidents in the neighbourhoods where they provide social housing.”
While responses were limited, half of residents who took part said they found the language unclear. You told us you’d like a clearer definition of what we mean by hate crime and to see a stronger commitment from Settle to tackling hate incidents.
In response, we’ve developed a standalone policy that sets out our approach and responsibilities more clearly and reflects our commitment to creating safer, more inclusive communities. The policy is now under final review and will be published soon.
Big Door Knocks and Neighbourhood Action Weeks
Westmill
In the last two weeks of June, we hosted a number of events in the Westmill neighbourhood in Hitchin as part of our Neighbourhood Action Weeks. The events focused on five key areas that residents have told us previously matter most to them.
They support the development of the Westmill Neighbourhood Plan and help us prioritise our resources to shape how we improve and develop our services. Learning from the events and our Big Door Knock in Westmill can be found in our news story.
Jackmans
In response to resident feedback from Neighbourhood Action Weeks and Big Door Knock visits in autumn 2024, we hosted a community safety event in early April, alongside partners from North Herts Police and North Herts Council.
During the visit, residents voiced concerns about safety and anti-social behaviour, which we addressed through immediate action and support.
Behaviour, which we addressed through immediate action and support. We invited residents to stay involved through the Jackmans Neighbourhood Plan, where you can view ongoing actions and help shape future improvements to make Jackmans a safer, more welcoming place to live.
My Settle Portal
We’ve worked with the Voice of the Resident Panel to refresh your online account experience with a new look, enhanced features, and a new name.
Whether you’re reporting a repair or checking your balance, My Settle Portal is the free, safe and secure way to manage your home, anytime, anywhere. More information on the changes made and what you can use My Settle Portal for can be found in our new story Manage your home with My Settle Portal.
We’re working on adding new functionality all of the time, including raising a complaint and reporting ASB. You can find out more about what we’re doing to improve the portal’s reliability, ease of use, and inclusivity in our Digital Ease and Accessibility improvement plan on Settle Connect.
British Sign Language service with SignLive
In May, we launched a new British Sign Language (BSL) service in partnership with SignLive, making it easier for deaf residents to contact us.
This free service lets you speak to us through a video interpreter using your mobile, tablet or computer. The interpreter will appear on your screen and help you have a conversation with us in real time.
We set up this service following a suggestion from a deaf resident, as part of our ongoing commitment to inclusion and our values. You can find out how to register for SignLive here.
Repairs service update
In response to feedback about communication and timescales of repairs, we’ve reviewed the details of all types of repairs to make it clearer what you can expect from us.
We’ve now published an updated version of our repairs and maintenance standard which sets out emergency repairs, routine repairs and planned responsive repairs.
The standard also explains which works are completed as part of longer-term programme works, and which repairs are the responsibility of residents. All new repairs are now booked in line with this updated standard.
Complaints and query handling
Building on the previous updates on the progress with our Complaints and Query Handling improvement plan, residents told us you’d like clearer information on who to contact for different services and how to reach them.
We’ve been acting on this feedback and we’re introducing a checkbox list to help categorise complaints for residents, so if an issue isn’t a formal complaint, we can guide you to the right place with the most up-to-date information. We’re also working with our digital team to improve our complaints.
webpages and reporting forms, adding more specific questions to make it easier for you to report an issue and helping us resolve queries more quickly.
In the Contact Hub, we’ve reviewed how we handle enquiries from the first point of contact to ensure issues are owned and resolved quickly. We’re focusing on a ‘Right First Time’ approach, increasing quality checks, and providing additional training so colleagues can make more decisions without needing to pass issues on. The Hub met its targets for calls answered and response times last year and is on track again this quarter.
We’ve also refreshed the short survey we sometimes send after a call to make it easier for you to share feedback. These quick surveys help us understand what’s working well, where we can improve, and give us the chance to celebrate colleagues who’ve provided great service.
You can read the full improvement plan, including all feedback and recommendations here.
Tell Us What You Think Hub
We’ve refreshed the Get involved section on Settle Connect, based on what residents told us. Some of you said the original name and wording made it feel like you needed to commit a lot of time or take on a big role to share your views. To make things clearer and more welcoming, we’ve updated the section name to Tell Us What You Think and changed the button text to show that even taking a quick survey makes a difference.
The hub now brings together all our live projects in one place, making it easier for you to share your views and help shape our services.
Since these changes, we’ve seen more residents getting involved across all projects. Visit the Tell Us What You Think hub on Settle Connect to have your say.
Service Styles
Earlier this year, we worked with nearly 90 residents and over 200 colleagues to co-create Service Styles – five commitments that set out what you can expect from every interaction with Settle.
You told us you want services that are warm, respectful and reliable, with clear communication and action when it’s needed. In response, we’ve developed five Service Styles focused on ownership, proactive problem-solving, great communication, professionalism, and knowing residents.
Colleagues across Settle are now completing training and pledging how they’ll bring these Service Styles to life in their day-to-day work. You’ll start to see these changes in how we communicate, resolve issues, and support residents.
Read more about Service Styles and see real examples in action on Settle Connect.
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.
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.
Settle Connect
In 2024 we launched Settle Connect, our online community available to all residents to engage, feedback and interact with Settle on many different areas.
We provide monthly updates to residents signed up to Settle Connect on actions we are taking in response to feedback and upcoming projects. Sign up to Settle Connect here – Settle Connect
Policy reviews
Our policies influence the way we work at Settle and decisions we make. During 2024 we shared several policies for review by Settle residents, including on Settle Connect. Policies we secured feedback on during 2024 include those for Service Charges, Neighbourhood/ Housing Management, Vulnerable Residents. See our latest policies at Our policies – Settle
Recruiting residents to the Operations Committee of our Board
Reinforcing our commitment to strengthening resident influence over our work and being a responsible social business. Read more in our news story – Strengthening resident voice – new members join Settle’s Operations Committee – Settle
Annual Report for Residents 2023/24
We published our annual review for residents, looking back on the services we delivered during 2023/24 and improvements we are making based on residents’ feedback.
This draws together in one report several areas of improvements we are making including to repairs, neighbourhoods and communal areas, through to our handling of Anti-social behaviour. You can see the report here – Annual report for residents – 2023/24
Annual complaints performance and service improvement report for 2023/24
We published this report as required for the first time at the end of June 2024. The Report details the improvements we are making following feedback from complaints, including around repairs; our handling of damp and mould; communication – keeping residents updated in a timely way; quality of the work we deliver; and our overall handling of complaints. You can see the full report, details on the improvements we are making and other updates including our complaint handling self-assessment for 2023-24 here –Complaints performance
Tenant Satisfaction Measures
We published our first full set of data as required at the end of June 2024, using data gathered between April 2023 and March 2024. We also published an update using data gathered between April and September 2024. You can see the full results here – and details of improvements we are making, particularly to improve our repairs service and maintenance of communal areas.
Residents co-created toolkit with Settle for enhancing developments of new homes
Our new neighbourhood design toolkit, developed in partnership with the Voice of the Resident panel and Tpas, aims to help us develop high-quality, sustainable homes that residents can be proud of.
Input from Settle’s residents was integral to the creation of the toolkit. Members of the Voice of the Resident panel were deeply involved in creating the toolkit, participating in workshops and field trips, and collaborating with Tpas to ensure the toolkit reflects what matters most to residents. Read more – https://www.settlegroup.org.uk/2024/09/09/residents-co-create-toolkit-with-settle-for-enhancing-developments-of-new-homes/
Resident feedback shaped our 2030 plan
Earlier this year we published our plan which will guide our work from 2024 until 2030. This was shaped by extensive feedback from our Voice of the Resident Panel, along with feedback from surveys made available to all residents. We received hundreds of responses, meaning that all of the priorities and commitments we will work to through the 2030 plan have been shaped by residents, and our central commitment that we will put residents first throughout all that we do. The full plan is available at www.settlegroup.org.uk/our-plan
Residents helped choose new kitchen and bathroom contract
We were delighted to be supported by members of our Voice of the Resident panel as we reviewed tenders for our next kitchen planed investment programme. Members of the Voice of the Resident Panel worked alongside Settle colleagues, ensuring the resident perspective was considered and influencing the final contractor choice. Read more in our news story https://www.settlegroup.org.uk/2024/03/21/residents-help-choose-new-kitchen-and-bathroom-contract/
Residents co-created toolkit with Settle for enhancing developments of new homes
Our new neighbourhood design toolkit, developed in partnership with the Voice of the Resident panel and Tpas, aims to help us develop high-quality, sustainable homes that residents can be proud of.
Input from Settle’s residents was integral to the creation of the toolkit. Members of the Voice of the Resident panel were deeply involved in creating the toolkit, participating in workshops and field trips, and collaborating with Tpas to ensure the toolkit reflects what matters most to residents. Read more – https://www.settlegroup.org.uk/2024/09/09/residents-co-create-toolkit-with-settle-for-enhancing-developments-of-new-homes/
Resident feedback shaped our 2030 plan
Earlier this year we published our plan which will guide our work from 2024 until 2030. This was shaped by extensive feedback from our Voice of the Resident Panel, along with feedback from surveys made available to all residents. We received hundreds of responses, meaning that all of the priorities and commitments we will work to through the 2030 plan have been shaped by residents, and our central commitment that we will put residents first throughout all that we do. The full plan is available at www.settlegroup.org.uk/our-plan
Residents helped choose new kitchen and bathroom contract
We were delighted to be supported by members of our Voice of the Resident panel as we reviewed tenders for our next kitchen planed investment programme. Members of the Voice of the Resident Panel worked alongside Settle colleagues, ensuring the resident perspective was considered and influencing the final contractor choice. Read more in our news story https://www.settlegroup.org.uk/2024/03/21/residents-help-choose-new-kitchen-and-bathroom-contract/
Complaints handling review
In March 2024, we reached out to residents who had raised a complaint in the past year. Their feedback proved invaluable, providing insight into their expectations regarding our complaint handling process. This transparency also enabled us to address any shortcomings in meeting the requirements outlined by the Housing Ombudsman’s complaint handling code.
Resident’s feedback highlighted several areas for improvement:
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- Improving the accessibility of our complaints procedure.
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- Ensuring timely appointments and minimising delays.
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- Clearly communicating complaint outcomes and following through on agreed actions.
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- Providing a dedicated point of contact and maintaining regular updates until resolutions are achieved.
In response, we’ve updated our complaints policy and committed to implementing service improvements based on residents’ feedback. Additionally, we’ve made significant enhancements to the information available on our website. For comprehensive guidance on raising a complaint, please click here
Winter Big Door Knock 2024
In February 2024, we held our first Big Door Knock of the year, where colleagues from across Settle spoke to residents in our communities to understand how we’re doing and where we can improve – Hearing from residents aged between 24 and 34.
Contact Hub
[update published December 2023]
Reviewing feedback from the Tenant Satisfaction Measures and post call surveys, we can see areas for improvement linked to wait time for calls and emails; knowledge and ability; and the ease to resolve a resident’s query.
What we’re doing
We have introduced more colleagues into our contact Hub and made better use of technology. As part of this we launched a call back feature on our busiest two lines. This means that we are now responding to all emails within our target of 5 working days.
We are increasing the number of calls and emails our Hub management team will be reviewing. This will enable us to ensure that gaps in knowledge are acted on and improve future interactions.
What’s next
We are hoping to launch live chat early in the New Year. This will enable us to manage more contacts at any one time. We will also have a quality assurance partner join the team in the New Year. This will enable us to further understand feedback received about the experience delivered in the Hub and work with colleagues to upskill them.
Contact Hub
We updated the format and content of the report following feedback, especially from our Voice of the Resident Panel. This included introducing a summary version of the report to make the information clearer and using ‘resident’ and ‘tenant’ instead of ‘customer’. The news story we published on the report provides more details.
Repairs, including wait times
In our annual report for residents 2022/23, we noted that we had received the highest number of complaints during the year linked to repairs – with feedback that it is taking too long for us to book in repairs, and complete follow on works where we haven’t been able to complete a repair on our first visit to a property. During the year we made changes to the property team management and staff resources to ensure we can better respond to requests for support in this area. At the time of publishing the report, in December 2023, we have a repairs recovery plan in place to ensure we reduce the waiting time for repairs, and we are providing monthly updates on our website until we meet our repairs targets.
Condensation, damp and mould
Throughout the year 2022/23 we proactively encouraged residents to report any instances of damp or mould to us. We saw a significant increase in requests for support in this area, and also a corresponding increase in the number of complaints. We include details in our annual report for residents. We are committed to making sure no resident lives with damp or mould in your home. We noted in the report that introduced a new damp and mould policy during the year, to be clear to all residents on how we will respond to these cases, and we have increased the level of resource available to work on cases of damp and mould.
Property condition
In the annual report for residents 2022/23 we noted that some of the complaints we received around repairs, damp and mould and the processes we follow around these types of contacts to us, will also be influenced by the age and condition of the homes and how comfortable they are to live in. We have significantly increased the investment we make in homes, to replace things like windows, roofs, kitchens, bathrooms and boilers. At the end of March 2023 we also secured additional funding to invest in energy efficiency improvements to homes, which we will deliver through a two-year programme involving 677 homes. The combination of improvements delivered through these programmes will make homes more comfortable for residents to live in.
Issues within the neighbourhood
During 2022/23, we saw some complaints linked to areas such as the quality of our estate management, cleaning of communal areas, and wider issues in the neighbourhood such as how we deal with Anti-Social Behaviour. We included details of these and how we are acting on this feedback in our annual report for residents 2022/23. This includes launching our customer offer in September 2022 and work to develop the more detailed settle standards, which all set out our aims for the services we provide, so that we are clear to residents on the standards we will work to and you can use these to hold us to account.
Lack of response – communications
We hear feedback about the importance of keeping residents updated in a timely way about work we are due to carry out in your home. We noted in our annual report for residents 2022/23 that this had been one of the themes of complaints received during that year. We noted that we are regularly sharing examples with all colleagues about the importance of keeping residents updated on what we are doing and when; that during the year we launched an internal process called ‘Raise, chase, escalate’ to proactively monitor when updates are due to residents and make sure these are provided in a timely way; and also developed new online forms to help residents provide information to us online, if this is the format they would like to use for sharing that information.
Quality of work completed
In our annual report for residents 2022/23 we noted that we had received some complaints during the year about the quality of work completed, mainly linked to repairs, estate management and our planned investment programmes. We noted that we are addressing this through our customer offer and settle standards, which are clearer on the quality of work we will deliver and support you to hold us to account to meet these standards. Also that we regularly share case studies with colleagues about where we can improve, and where quality issues are linked to an external contractor, we will follow up on this through our procurement process to make sure any issues are fed back into contracts and improvements are made.
Summer Big Door Knock 2023
Summer Big Door Knock Summer 2023 – we spoke to residents in Royston and surrounding villages. We chose the Royston area following lower scores around the quality of the neighbourhood which were captured through the surveys we carry out as part of the Tenant Satisfaction Measures. We visited 805 households and spoke to 234 residents. We heard feedback about what residents like about the neighbourhood and improvements that can be made. We will use this feedback to shape our work in this neighbourhood, and ongoing support responding to the impact of cost-of-living challenges.
Spring Big Door Knock 2023
Spring Big Door Knock July 2023 – We spoke to residents in the Jackmans. We received feedback about improvements we can make to the neighbourhood, and also to help shape our new homes and neighbourhoods standards. We asked residents also about the impact of cost of living challenges to help inform the support we provide to all residents.
Winter Big Door Knock 2023
Winter Big Door Knock January 2023 – We spoke to residents in Westmill to continue gathering feedback about the impact cost of living challenges are having on residents and the ways settle can help. We have used this feedback to further develop the support we provide, all of which is kept updated in the support from settle section on this website. We also received some escalations from residents about queries including outstanding repairs and these were sent directly to teams involved to action.
Reviews by Settle Voice during 2022/23
Settle Voice is our online community of over 300 residents. During 2022/23 settle voice members were instrumental in shaping 11 policy reviews, including those for complaints, damp and mould and vulnerable customers, along with our Sustainability Plan 2020-2025.
Maintenance
December 2022 – We know that a fast and reliable repairs service is one of the things that matters most to residents, but in our review of complaints received during 2021/22 [Our customer annual report 2021/22] we could see that wait times before appointments are too long and that resolving an issue can take multiple visits. We’ve introduced a new smart scheduling system to help us plan in repairs in the quickest and most efficient way · So that more jobs can be completed by a member of the settle team, we’ve expanded our in-house repairs team, including Homes and Maintenance Partners who oversee specific locations.
Damp and mould
December 2022 – We know that having problems with condensation, damp and mould in your home can be a difficult and distressing experience. In our review of complaints received during 2021/22 [Our customer annual report 2021/22] we noted that we’ve heard residents feel worried and don’t always feel listened to, sometimes feeling like we were leaving them to resolve the problem themselves. Our response included introducing a damp and mould policy that emphasises our zero-tolerance commitment to tackling damp and mould problems; we’ve brought in a dedicated damp and mould team; and we are tracking all damp and mould cases.
Housing management
In December 2022 – In our review of complaints received during 2021/22 [Our customer annual report 2021/22], we explained that you’ve told us that we need to be open and honest and manage expectations so that you are clear about what to expect from us. When something goes wrong, take ownership and pro-actively seek a resolution to put things right.
Communicate clearly so that you do not have to chase to find out what’s happening. When you request a call back, we need to be clear about when this will happen. Our response includes introducing colleague principles for query handling; monitoring closely how many times residents contact us about the same thing and making sure that there are clear escalation routes when things go wrong; we’ve developed a customer offer to set out clearly what to expect from us; and we’ve introduced a customer hub and we’re working to improve queries at first contact.
Property condition
December 2022 -What have we heard? We included in our review of complaints received during 2021/22 [Our customer annual report 2021/22] that we know that having problems with condensation, damp and mould in your home can be a difficult and distressing experience. We heard that residents feel worried and don’t always feel listened to, sometimes feeling like we were leaving them to resolve the problem themselves. What are we doing? We invested £8.3 million during 2021/22 in improving our existing homes – up from £4.9 million in the previous year – and around £13 million during 2022/23; we are working to improve how we proactively communicate to residents when planned maintenance is scheduled. We formed the Greener Herts partnership with two other Hertfordshire–based housing associations to accelerate our work to improve the energy efficiency of our homes.
Autumn Big Door Knock 2022
Cost of Living Big Door Knock Autumn 2022 – We spoke to residents in Royston and surrounding villages, along with those living in Pixmore, Letchworth. We used feedback about the impact of the increased cost of living on residents to help shape the support we provide. Details of this are included in the support from settle section in this website. Some of the residents we spoke to also used those conversations to escalate issues they were waiting to hear from us on. We passed details directly to teams involved to make sure these were all actioned.
Summer Big Door Knock 2022
Summer Big Door Knock July 2022 – We visited residents living in retirement living schemes. We heard feedback about being more consistent around the general maintenance and upkeep of some indoor and outdoor communal spaces. Some members from our executive team who took part in these visits spoke with residents about these issues and ensured improvement works are in place to put things right as a result of what they heard. Other residents mentioned that they were waiting for a follow-up on reported repairs and these were all sent directly to the teams responsible to action.
Big Door Knock 2022
Spring Big Door Knock April 2022 – We spoke to residents in Stevenage and surrounding villages. We heard feedback from some residents about waiting longer than expected for repairs to be carried out or for updates on those repairs. We noted that we will continue to do all we can to reduce the time it takes to complete repairs and are recruiting new colleagues into our trades teams to help us provide repairs more quickly. We also got in touch directly with residents who highlighted concerns during the visits with an update on any outstanding repairs or queries.
Winter Big Door Knock 2022
Winter Big Door Knock February 2022 – We spoke to residents in Royston and surrounding villages. We heard a theme in particular across the feedback we received that colleagues need to check in with customers when we are providing services, to make sure we have done everything we could at that time. We will work together across settle to make sure we get better at this.
Improving the online account statement
February 2022. We received several requests from customers asking if it was possible to go back further than 90 days in the online account statement on the website.
We’re pleased to say that we’ve now made it possible for you to go back as far as you like in the account statement page. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and click the back arrow.
Repairs
September 2021. As highlighted in our complaints report for 2020/21, we received some complaints and feedback about the time it takes to arrange repairs, repeat visits to complete a repair and the quality of work carried out. We have introduced the ability to book repair appointments through our website, and we now send surveys following all appointments which immediately tells us about the customer experience. We have also published our repairs recovery plan which shows how we’re working to provide repairs more quickly.
Condensation, damp and mould
September 2021. We received feedback through complaints that residents were unclear about how we will help resolve damp and mould issues and were not sure what support we provided or what to expect next. We don’t want any settle resident to live with condensation, damp or mould in their home. We have reviewed how we respond to and deal with cases of condensation, damp and mould and we’ve updated our residents. You can see more details here about the update we published in July. If you have any ongoing concerns about condensation, damp and mould in your property, please report these now using our web form or call us.
Service charges
September 2021. We received several complaints about the charges included in the annual rent and service charges sent to customers. We have reviewed the way estimated service charges are set and have made changes when setting the 2020-2021 service charge estimates. These are now set in line with the previous years’ actual costs, making them more accurate and removing the high variances leaseholders have faced in the past.
Problems with neighbours and in the neighbourhood
September 2021. We noticed an increase in complaints about how we respond to reports of anti-social behaviour. Through our investigation of these complaints, we saw cases where extra support was needed for vulnerable residents. We have reviewed our anti-social behaviour policy and we worked with residents to agree on what is defined as anti-social behaviour and what is within our remit to manage in line with legislation. We have also created a dedicated team to support residents who are impacted by anti-social behaviour. We have refreshed the information on our website and putting in place additional training for colleagues who work with vulnerable residents. We expect this to be completed by October 2021. We also worked with the Housing Associations Charitable Trust (HACT) to develop a framework to further develop our ability to support customers.
Cleaning and grounds maintenance
September 2021: We received a number of complaints about the quality of grounds maintenance and the frequency of cleaning in communal blocks. A common theme was around timely query handling. We have increased the resource of our estate’s team to help improve the way we deliver services. We’re also undertaking a consultation with our customers to help us better understand the services they want to receive and will use feedback from this to shape our future service.
Replacing kitchens, bathrooms and windows
April 2021. Through our big check-in during April, you told us that you’d like more communication about when we’ll carry out major maintenance to homes like replacing kitchens, bathrooms and windows. During May we wrote to about 500 residents who were due to have kitchens and bathrooms replaced this year to provide more information on when this work will take place. You can read more including details of our investment in homes over the next 10 years in our results from our latest big check-in article.
Website account access for homeowners
February 2021. Homeowners told us that they’d like the same access to the website as renting customers with the ability to see account data, make payments and report and track repairs. So, we’ve enabled homeowners to register on the website and access their account from any device.