Housing Customer Feedback Policy - Section 6
6. Customer Feedback
6.1 On a three-yearly basis a large-scale survey will be undertaken to measure tenants’ perceptions of performance in housing services. This will be benchmarked against previous results. An Action Plan to address any improvement areas will be agreed by the Community Services Committee.
6.2 Current methods of feedback include:
- airing views/concerns through elected members;
- questionnaires sent out following service provision (currently only available for a limited number of services);
- response repairs receipts sent out with each repair carried out;
- individual tenant responses;
- tenant meetings;
- the tenants’ newsletter;
- the corporate complaints procedure; and
- consultation.
6.3 The Council will analyse existing methods of feedback annually to ensure their effectiveness and relevance.
6.4 Alternative methods of feedback will be piloted where appropriate. Alternative methods include face to face interviews, exit surveys, estate walkabouts, focus groups and Internet comments box.
6.5 Opportunities for tenants and other customers to influence service delivery will be enhanced with tenant involvement in working groups.
6.6 Feedback methods will be targeted to meet the needs of client groups and individuals. For example where people have a learning disability, a picture board may be a more appropriate format to gauge feedback.
6.7 When feedback is received, individual managers will retain responsibility for the initial response to customers where this is required, for example where an issue is highlighted that requires an explanation or action.
6.8 Where no action is taken as a result of feedback a full explanation will be given to customers to support decisions, for example where a customer suggests a change to the way we allocate housing in the area that contravenes legislation the Council would advise him/her accordingly.
6.9 Time limits will be set for managers to respond to feedback. These are:
- written feedback (that requires a response) will be replied to within 10 working days or any other formal response time stated by the individual/agency;
- telephone calls will be returned within one working day or a message given to the caller to advise of a different time scale; and
- where face to face contact has been made, best endeavours will be made to give an immediate full response. If this is not possible contact details will be taken and followed up within the above time scales.
6.10 Within the Housing Service, the Service Development Manager will co-ordinate the management of all feedback. This will be in consultation with representatives from each section within the Housing Service that uses feedback methods.
6.11 Feedback from partner agencies will be taken into account when reviewing service delivery. For example, reports received by the Care Commission will be analysed and responded to by the Manager of the service. The results of this will be relayed to the Service Development Manager.
6.12 External accreditation will be used, where appropriate, to enhance service delivery, service delivery standards and methods of customer focus. For example, leaflets published by the Housing Service will meet the Crystal Mark standard, housing information and advice will be accredited by the National Standards for Housing Information and Advice (Communities Scotland).
6.13 Customer care and other forms of staff training will be undertaken to enhance staff awareness of the relevance all feedback can make.
6.14 Informal views and aspirations expressed by tenants and other customers will be recorded, analysed and used to influence service delivery. For example a tenant does not want to make a formal complaint but has a comment to make on an area of service delivery this will be taken into account when reviewing the service.
6.15 The Council will work with partner agencies and other internal colleagues to reduce the possibility of duplicate consultation taking place. The Council will set down a clear programme for obtaining customer feedback and the methods used. This will be published annually and distributed to all our partner organisations operating in Moray and internal departments.