Background
In 2017, Soha residents’ experiences of holding us to account formed a significant part of a Government Green Paper. In due course this evolved into The Charter for Social Housing Residents: Social Housing White Paper.
The Regulator of Social Housing is an arm of government which checks the financial viability of social landlords like Soha and ensures that tenants are treated well as consumers of the landlord’s services. The Regulator has wide-ranging powers to intervene when things aren’t right.
The White Paper requires the Regulator to examine whether the standards it expects landlords to work by are sharp and broad enough. The Regulator has decided to expand the consumer standards from currently four to six. You can read more about this at Regulator sets out six key themes for consumer standards. One of these standards relates to tenant satisfaction.
Next steps – two ways to have your say before 3 March!
Soha’s Members’ Forum represents all Soha residents and has already looked carefully at the changes to measuring tenant satisfaction which the Regulator is proposing. The Forum additionally wants to make sure that any Soha resident who has a view gets their say.
By a survey
There’s a survey you can take which goes direct into the Regulator. The survey responses won’t be seen by Soha.
The online survey link to the consultation is: https://online1.snapsurveys.com/RSH_TSM_Consultation.
Before you do the survey you’ll need to read what’s proposed. This is the overview here
You can find the proposal documents in a couple of formats – a very detailed one here and a key points version, which is here
Soha’s resident engagement staff can also provide more information about how we currently measure tenant satisfaction (chiefly by randomised general telephone survey and by individual service surveys) as well as on the new proposals.
Get in touch with them at ri@soha.co.uk or call them on 0800 014 15 45.
Remember: the deadline for giving your views is 3 March.
By taking part in a national workshop with the Regulator (online) on 9 February
If you would like to take part in this event: Tpas :: Tpas Virtual Members Event – joined by Regulator for Social Housing (free), you can book direct or via Soha’s RI team if you contact ri@soha.co.uk or call them on 0800 014 15 45.