Daventry & District Housing - preparation for inspection

 

Client brief

As the communications consultants to this stock transfer organisation, we were asked to review internal and external communications to support a good result at inspection.

 

With the inspection due after just two years of operation, the challenge was to ensure staff’s understanding of the organisation’s vision and mission was embedded, and that customer communication was comprehensive and up to date.

 

What we did

We developed internal and external communications plans which included the following:

 

Internal communications

• Wrote and uploaded weekly blogs on the intranet - both from the Executive Director and other team members. The focus of the blogs was to share updates on the inspection process and to share knowledge of team members’ work and special projects

 

• Produced monthly team newsletters which included a focus on the cross cutting KLOEs and examples of DDH successes against these

 

• Produced posters which helped to celebrate key achievements and demonstrate how these link to delivery of the mission

 

• Made use of new digital display screens in office locations to communicate the vision and values and performance information

 

• Produced Braille identity guides for repairs teams and housing officers to promote equality of service for visually impaired customers

External communications

• Reviewed all customer leaflets in line with new policies and service standards. The text and designs for the new suite of leaflets was approved by tenant representatives, and endorsed via a new ‘tenant approved’ stamp. All literature was produced in 14pt type for maximum accessibility

 

• Produced a new tenants’ handbook, including repairs handbook guide, in collaboration with tenants. Tenant input guided the format of the handbook which became an easily updatable ring binder with sub-sections

 

• Reviewed and produced a plan for revising standard letters and forms to ensure clarity of message and awareness of the ‘customer journey’
  

 

• Developed a communications database to ensure all external items were logged and featured a timeline for review to help with co-ordination

 

• Reviewed and updated
  website content

 

• Set out rationales for the community languages used, and ensured these were supplied consistently across all literature
  

 

• Developed a ‘you said, we did’ summary to promote how tenant feedback has shaped service delivery in the last year

 

• Designed and printed flyers to promote opportunities for home visits to be included in sign-up packs, to overcome accessibility issues.

 

Results

The organisation achieved a two-star, excellent rating by the Audit Commission. The report highlighted a number of examples of communications ‘best practice’, including:

 

• Information provided by DDH is of a good quality and accessible to tenants. This applies to general information, leaflets, newsletters, the handbook and other documents. DDH has a Communications Group to ensure all new written material going out to tenants is written in plain English and is easy to read.

 

• Written information now contains contact information, an equality statement and an explanation of its availability in alternative formats. Information is available in the main office and downloadable from the website.

 

• The DDH website is easy to use and provides information and interactive facilities. The site is well presented, easy to navigate and includes the facility to pay rent, report repairs and make complaints. This allows tenants to interact with the service, access information and request services at any time. The availability of information ensures that tenants are aware of services and how to access these.
  

 

• Comprehensive service standards are in place. These have recently been revised and agreed with tenants and other stakeholders. They are all included within a single document that is publicised to tenants and is widely available.

 

• Information on performance is now on the website, in the quarterly newsletter, and on television screens in the reception area. This helps ensure tenants are clear about the standard of service they should receive and how well DDH is performing against these.

 

• Feedback is used to improve and shape services and regular 'you said, we did' updates in the newsletter show tenants how their views have had an impact.

 

• Written information is available in alternative formats and the association offers interpretation and translation services. There are clear equality statements in four community languages on written information to inform tenants about its availability in other formats.

 

• There is a helpful and easy to use diagnostic tool on the website which is also replicated in the tenants’ handbook. There is also clear information about the categories of repairs - emergency, urgent and routine - and the target times for completing these.

 

• DDH provides a good level of information about gas safety. Gas safety is regularly publicised and information is available in leaflet form and on the website. There is a prize draw every quarter for tenants where access to carry out the service has been achieved. Two tenants each win £50 of vouchers. The draw is picked by members of the Repairs Panel and winners are often photographed and appear in the tenants’ newsletter. This helps to publicise the programme positively.

 

• A range of useful information is available to tenants concerning rent payment. Good quality written information is provided to tenants on how to pay rent and the approach to arrears management, and this mirrors what is included within the handbooks for tenants, the service standards and on the website. Publicity and service standards also help inform tenants of their responsibilities and the level of service to expect.

 

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