Latest Housing CEO WhatsApp Highlights, July – August 2024
A note to readers
These notes summarise recent discussions on Campbell Tickell’s WhatsApp group for Chief Executives of housing associations and ALMOs across all four UK jurisdictions and the Republic of Ireland. A full summary of discussions from the inception of the group is available on request.
This is a closed group, open only to CEOs in housing associations and ALMOs. It currently has around 250 members.
While discussions are confidential and unattributable, members of the group are keen for the content themes and issues to be shared widely to assist with broader understanding.
Please note:
The following digest highlights matters that have been discussed in the group. None of the content should be treated as representing the collective views of the group as such, or be attributed to any of its members. The group is an information-sharing forum and not a policy-making body.
Download the full summary (pdf)
Key themes
Tenant Satisfaction Measures
- Members discussed their experiences with their Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) results and customer satisfaction. Several members indicated significant improvements, particularly in routine repairs following the internalisation of a previously outsourced service.
- Members considered the inclusion of their TSM results in annual board reports for statutory accounts. It was queried whether this was a requirement or merely good practice. Some organisations had included it in their Value for Money (VFM) statement rather than a separate item. Others sought advice on how to present this information, with suggestions ranging from embedding links to full TSM results on websites to sharing report copies amongst the group.
- A request was made for recommendations on companies which could select samples and conduct telephone surveys for TSM surveys. Members shared their recommendations.
- It was noted that the methodology for conducting surveys is evolving with some organisations basing their survey methods on customer segmentation data, allowing for more targeted and relevant surveying. Overall, members favoured a blend of digital and phone surveys but speculated whether a standardised approach would be required by the RSH.
- Members also shared information regarding the allocation of grants to Local Authorities for collecting TSMs, noting metropolitan areas can receive up to £75,000 annually.
Homes England Funding
- Members discussed the apparent depletion of Homes England’s Continuous Market Engagement (CME) funding from the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme, causing uncertainty for pipeline projects and potential disruptions to planned developments.
- Members highlighted that, in addition the availability of funds, the practical challenges of delivering new homes to meet housing needs extend well beyond land availability. These include complexities such as an ageing construction workforce, labour shortages, and the need for improved collaboration with statutory organisations such as the Environment Agency (EA).
Learning from severe maladministration
- The Housing Ombudsman’s ‘learning from severe maladministration report’ which named 27 landlords was discussed by members. They expressed concerns about the administrative burden placed on them by the HO. Several members reported experiencing a strain on resources due to the high volume and complexity of enquiries.
- Members also expressed concerns about the perceived lack of transparency regarding specific complaint details, which has sometimes led to surprises at the report stage, as social landlords have not always been fully aware of all the issues beforehand. Potential resolutions suggested included the use of independent mediators or consultants to assess claims and complaints.
Defibrillator installation
- Members posed a question about approaches or policies regarding defibrillator installation at schemes. Members shared their experiences, which included working with a local council to install defibrillators on their properties. However, concerns were raised about the emotional toll on staff when responding to emergencies, especially outside office hours.
- Members briefly discussed procuring funding for defibrillators through charities or other initiatives.
Celebrating anniversaries
- Members requested recommendations for celebrating a significant anniversary for their organisation, and other colleagues shares experiences and suggestions for commemorating similar milestones. Suggestions included: a party; producing a publication reflecting on their history and future outlook; a carnival with free activities for children; partnering with local organisations; planting trees in schemes; and creating a historical timeline for their website. Other suggestions including having the celebration coincide with launching a new corporate strategy or the AGM.
Disturbances of the peace
- Members condemned the riots caused by far-right anti-immigration rhetoric fuelled by the spread of misinformation online. Members discussed the impacts on staff, residents and surrounding communities, with many members stating they had issued statements on the situation to staff and residents. They were also providing training sessions, particularly for front-line staff, to help address misconceptions about immigration and housing allocation.
- Members debated appropriate responses to residents or employees who participated in the riots. While some advocated a zero-tolerance approach, including potential eviction for tenants and dismissal for staff, others emphasised the need for a more nuanced approach, considering factors such as the impact on families and the complexity of individual situations.
- Members also touched on the role of social media platforms in organising and promoting the riots. Many organisations reconsidered their presence on certain platforms, with some choosing to leave X (formerly known as Twitter) due to concerns about hate speech and the platform’s role in the unrest.
Shared ownership
- Members discussed their policies and experiences regarding buying back shared ownership equity from residents who are struggling financially or unable to sell their properties. Several members report buying back shared ownership in extreme circumstances, such as to prevent repossession, or in cases of severe financial distress, or due to external factors such as building safety or flooding. However, most members emphasised that this is only undertaken in exceptional cases.
- The discussion also highlighted specific challenges with rural exception sites, where local connection requirements and affordability issues make it difficult to sell shared ownership properties. Some members mentioned relaxing local connection criteria or considering the removal of the 80% cap on rural exception sites to make properties more marketable.
Regulator of Social Housing and Housing Ombudsman memorandum
- Members noted the publication of the revised Memorandum of Understanding between the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman. They highlighted changes in the memorandum having a perceived shift in tone in respect of the RSH’s duties to act at landlord level and the Housing Ombudsman’s duty to investigate complaints. Member posited this may reduce potential misunderstandings or miscommunications in case handling processes.
Sharing policies, processes and recommendations
- The group continues to be a place for members to share policies and processes. Policy and process examples requested related to: hybrid working; pay and sickness; out-of-hours working; a housing and health action plan; appraisal processes; temporary home loss payments; and a contractor code of conduct.
- The group is also a space for members to seek recommendations on service providers, programmes and systems. Requests were made for housing management systems; extreme indoor heat specialists; procurement consultants; salary benchmarking experts; London lone working devices or services; PR consultants; and cloud-based IT services.
- The group provides a platform for members to receive ideas on best practice. Topics considered included filing annual CQC compliance reports, and the use of Net Promoter Score questions in staff surveys. Both topics were met with positive responses from members, with offers to continue conversations outside the group.
Join the Housing CEO WhatsApp group
The group is open to all housing CEOs who are not yet members.
To join, please contact james.tickell@campbelltickell.com or greg.campbell@campbelltickell.com
For any media enquiries, please email: zina.smith@campbelltickell.com
