The Housing Service sets our principles and priorities, in the form of policies. These guide the work that we do in order to deliver an effective and efficient housing service.
Yes. If you ask, you can get a copy of a policy, free of charge. Please contact your local area housing office. Or, you can get copies of Housing Service policies here.
Can I add my views to policies?
Yes. When we produce policies, we ask for your views through some form of consultation or research activity. For example, we will ask the views of tenant representatives and will ask for your views in the Tenants’ Voice and on this website. If you think that we should consult you in different ways or if there are other reasons why you can’t participate, please tell us.
Each year we become aware of a range of issues that require policies to be produced, or amended, in order to meet new challenges and improve our performance. These include changes in legislation, the requirements of the Scottish Government, public concerns and developments in service delivery in identifying areas of work. When producing a policy, we make sure that:
Only when all of this is done will the policy be presented to the Communities Committee who have the final say in whether to approve the policy or not.
When we produce policies, we sets targets for each aspect of the service that service users and the public generally feel to be most important. For example, we set targets on the level of rent arrears.
How does the Council know that services are improving?
We record a number of indicators (targets) of performance, such as how long it takes to re-let a council house. These indicators tell us if our services are improving. These are reported quarterly to the Communities Committee. You can find the most recent report here.
How does the Housing Service know what the public cares about?
We regularly seek your views both on the services you use and on the things that you care about more generally. We use a number of ways to do this. For example, we ask the Tenants’ Forums for views and every three years we do a tenants survey and regularly ask for your views in the Tenants’ Voice.
Every three years, we carry out a tenant survey. In 2007, questionnaires were sent to 2,000 Council tenants in Moray and 38% of these were completed and returned. This is a good response rate for a postal survey. As in previous years, the survey asked for views on satisfaction with the Council and its housing service. It asked for views on problems affecting homes, common areas and neighbourhoods. It also asked about communication with the Council and involvement in tenants’ forums.
You can download a summary of the 2007 Tenant Survey here. (PDF format, 5 pages, 24.1kb)
Do I have to wait for a policy for a service to improve?
No. We are continuously trying to improve our service. We always listen to your views. You can find more information in our Customer Feedback Policy.
Who do I contact for more information?