Customer Engagement Strategy

Transcription

1 Customer Engagement Strategy Renfrewshire Council Housing & Property Services August 2010

2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction Target Outcomes and Key Aims Links to other plans and strategies Statutory and regulatory requirements Drivers for Change Key features of the Customer Engagement framework Building on existing good practice Action Plan page 1

3 1. Introduction Renfrewshire Council has a long tradition of involving its customers in the decision making process. This is particularly evident in Housing and Property Services. We produced our first consultation strategy, our Tenant Participation Strategy in This outlined our commitment to ensuring tenants were at the very heart of policy and strategic decision making. It showed Housing and Property Services determination to have our stakeholders views heard and their priorities addressed whenever we make major policy decisions which affect them. Since the introduction of this strategy we have consulted on a wide range of issues, including the previous proposal to transfer the Council s housing stock to Renfrewshire Housing Association, the revision of our rent and charges structure and the implementation of our 138m Scottish Housing Quality Standard investment programme. The strategic direction of Housing and Property Services has been determined by listening to our customers: They decided to retain the Council as their landlord; They informed how our rent structure should be simplified and made more equitable; and They told us how the SHQS investment programme should be prioritised and organised within their neighbourhoods. These are only a few examples of the powerful role our customers have played in shaping our services. This new strategy seeks to build on all the good work done in this area over the last few years. We recognise however, that we must continue to improve how we engage with our stakeholders. We must widen our customer engagement to reach all of our diverse range of customers, and to do this in ways in which suit their needs. We have developed this strategy following extensive consultation, discussion and feedback and building on the years of experience we have of working with our customers. There are many opportunities for people to get involved and influence how our service develops in the coming years, and these are outlined in this strategy. This document is intended to outline how we plan to engage, and with whom. However, we recognise that engagement with our customers must be fluid and flexible enough to respond to changing customer needs, changes in the political and economic context within which we operate, and other challenges which may arise in the years to come. I would encourage everyone with an interest in the provision of efficient and effective housing-related services in Renfrewshire to become involved in helping shape the development of those services. Meaningful and effective customer engagement is crucial to improving and developing the services we provide. Mary Crearie, Director of Housing and Property Services page 2

4 2. Target Outcomes and Key Aims 2.1 The Customer Engagement Strategy seeks to deliver two distinct outcomes: 1. Customers are able to influence our key policies, strategies and service standards we will provide customers with the opportunity to comment on our key policies, strategies and service standards, and we will carefully consider their comments and incorporate their suggestions, where appropriate. 2. Customer feedback is integral to service improvement we will ensure appropriate processes are in place to routinely obtain and analyse customer feedback, and use this to change services, where appropriate. The Strategy should support Best Value by promoting continuous service improvement through systematic use of customer feedback. 2.2 Key aims of the Strategy are: To engage with all our customers on issues which directly affect them - Housing and Property Services has a wide range of customers (including for example, commercial customers, owner-occupiers, other council departments, community planning partners and other public bodies, homeless applicants as well as housing tenants), and we need to develop more effective ways of communicating and consulting with all these disparate groups on those strategic, policy and service development issues which are particularly relevant to them. To use customer feedback to drive forward service improvement. Routinely collecting and analysing feedback from customers, and using this to identify areas for improvement. To engage with customers in a range of ways that meets their needs. Although some customers may be happy to meet with officers on a regular basis, most may prefer to be consulted on individual issues as they arise, using a variety of methods. The internet, for example, may offer an opportunity to consult individuals who are usually under represented when adopting more traditional approaches (such as young people or physically disabled people). Other methods could include: making better use of the Public Service Panel, developing the Tenant Consultation Register, use of focus groups, etc. To engage with our wider tenant base. Tenant consultation currently involves only a limited number of tenant activists (or owners acting on behalf of tenants). While they tend to be well informed, it is unclear how the wider membership of groups is engaged. In addition, only 36% of Council tenants live in an area with an active association. The most recent Tenant Satisfaction Survey (October 2009) demonstrated a high level of tenant concern about the quality of their homes, with 55% of respondents identifying this as a high priority area for improvement. As we are just about to launch a massive housing investment programme (to ensure all our properties comply with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015), every opportunity should be taken to gather and analyse customer feedback to help shape how these works are delivered and monitor contractor performance. To engage with those customers who are traditionally hard to reach. Hard to reach groups are generally defined as groups or communities that are difficult to engage via most traditional and conventional techniques including those from a minority ethnic background, frail elderly people, physically disabled people, young people and those with learning difficulties or mental health issues. If we are to ensure our services meet the needs of these groups, we have to look for ways to involve them in helping to shape service delivery. page 3

5 3. Links to other plans and strategies 3.1 This Customer Engagement Strategy must be viewed within the overall context of Renfrewshire Council s wider consultation and engagement framework, as summarised in the following documents: Renfrewshire Consultation Strategy - This Strategy reinforces Renfrewshire Council s commitment to consult with a wide range of stakeholders from individual customers to the Council s Community Planning partners. It highlights where the Council currently is with consultation, the reasons why it carries out consultation and how it will seek to improve consultation processes. The Consultation Toolkit Renfrewshire Council published its first Consultation Toolkit in This document provides Council employees with a good practice guide to effective consultation. It provides guidance on planning, carrying out and evaluating consultation exercises and includes a useful checklist for each of these steps Best Value Toolkit: Community Engagement Matrix - This toolkit details how organisations can involve their customers to increase community empowerment and to help build community capacity. 4. Statutory and regulatory requirements 4.1 Our commitment to customer engagement is driven by our conviction that involving customers in shaping our policies and services will result in these being better suited to meeting customer needs and aspirations. However, this commitment is also underpinned by legislation. 4.2 The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 requires social landlords to consult tenants and registered tenant groups on proposals which affect them, and to take account of their views. This includes: policies in relation to housing management, repairs or maintenance, where the proposal is likely to affect the tenant; the standard of service in relation to housing management, repairs and maintenance; the Tenant Participation Strategy; a transfer of housing to a new landlord, or demolition; and any rent or service charge increases. The Act also requires all social landlords to prepare a strategy for tenant participation and to establish a register of tenants organisations. There is an expectation that, in drawing up a strategy, landlords will have regard for the principles for good participation set out in the national strategy Partners in Participation. These include recognition that tenants organisations require access to adequate resources for organisation, training and support. 4.3 All social landlords including local authority landlords, such as Renfrewshire Council are also required to meet certain performance standards laid down in a regulatory framework. Guiding Standard 2.2 (Tenant Participation) of the regulatory framework for social housing requires us to demonstrate that: We have published and are implementing a sound strategy for encouraging and supporting tenants, residents and service users to participate actively in all areas of our work. We support tenants to take an active interest in managing their home. page 4

6 4.4 Renfrewshire Council s existing Tenant Participation Strategy (approved by Council in 2003), and this Customer Engagement Strategy - which effectively replaces it - are fully compliant with these statutory / regulatory obligations. 5. Existing Tenant Participation Strategy and involvement framework 5.1 With an established record of consulting and supporting tenants organisations, Renfrewshire Council already had procedures in place to involve its tenants before the 2001 Act. However, following an extensive period of consultation with existing tenants organisations, the Council approved a formal tenant participation strategy in line with the Act in March This strategy reaffirmed the Council s commitment to involving tenants in our decision making processes, and set out a structure for involving Registered Tenants Organisations and tenant volunteers in helping to monitor our performance and shape our policies and services. This was later amended during 2008, with the introduction of 5 Local Housing Forums, and now looks like this: Registered Tenant Organisations Council Wide Forum (CWF) CWF Executive 5 Local Housing Forums Tenant/Officer Working Groups Paisley North Paisley South Renfrew & Gallowhill Johnstone & Villages Houston, Crosslee, Linwood & Riverside 5.2 The key elements of this structure are: a. Registered Tenants Organisations (RTOs) These are independent tenants and residents associations that meet certain key criteria (see Section 8, below). Representatives of RTOs are consulted by Council officers on a wide range of housing-related issues affecting their members through the various forums and groups in our tenant participation structure. They also monitor the Council s housing performance, and are able to influence the development of housing policy and services. b. Local Housing Forums Meeting quarterly, one Local Housing Forum covers each of the Council s 5 Local Area Committee areas. These bodies monitor performance in their area, and progress in relation to any local housing initiatives. They also agree and prioritise small-scale environmental works. c. Council-wide Tenants Forum - All Registered Tenants Organisations are invited to send delegates to the Council-wide Forum. This is where we consult on issues which affect all of our tenants including rent setting and SHQS etc. The Councilwide Forum meets three times a year, and is consulted on a variety of issues - including changes to the rent charging structure, rent increases, Scottish Housing Quality Standard and on various policy matters. d. Council-wide Forum Executive - The Executive comprises ten tenant representatives, two owner occupier representatives and Council officers as required (two tenants appointed from each local Housing Forum and two owner- page 5

7 occupiers appointed at the Council-wide Forum). The Executive meet quarterly and regularly feedback to the Local Housing Forums on issues discussed and to the Council-wide Forum. e. Tenant / officer working groups Working groups are established from time-totime to look at certain aspects of our services in more detail, and bring forward proposals for change. There is currently only one such working group, looking at the housing repairs service. 5.3 In addition, the Tenant Participation framework also includes a Housing Consultation Register. Individual tenants who are not active in a RTO, and place their name on this Register, are included in any formal consultation exercises which would normally involve RTOs. This facility is currently underutilised, with only a handful of tenants on this Register. 5.4 We support and encourage tenant participation by providing financial support for: assistance to Registered Tenant Organisations with running costs (up to 400 per organisation per annum); one-off grants to groups requiring equipment such as printers or computers (subject to budget constraints); venue hire, catering and publicity for consultation events; sending delegates to seminars, training events and national tenant conferences; and transport for delegates to and from consultation meetings, conferences and seminars. 5.5 In addition, we: a. make funds directly available to carry out a range of small scale environmental works at local level. These works are determined by Registered Tenants Organisations through the Local Housing Forums, within certain agreed guidelines; and b. employ two full-time Tenant Consultation Officers. Part of their duties is to help support and sustain tenants organisations. 5.6 All resources used to support the existing tenant participation arrangements are funded from the Housing Revenue Account (i.e. from tenants rent payments). page 6

8 6. Drivers for Change 6.1 A key feature of Renfrewshire Council s approach to customer engagement has always been seeking to involve customers in ways that meet their needs. A recent Tenant Satisfaction Survey (October 2009) indicated that our existing tenant involvement framework by focusing as much as it does on Registered Tenants Organisations did not fully meet the needs and aspirations of Council tenants. A clear majority of those tenants who participated in the Survey indicated that they would prefer to be consulted directly (by letter 81%; by phone 46%; by magazine/newsletter 21%; by personal visit 20%), rather than through a tenants and residents association (only 6%). Although only 4% of those surveyed cited focus groups as their preferred consultation method, 25% of them indicated that they personally would be prepared to be take part in such groups. 6.2 This view reinforced the feedback received from the Scottish Housing Regulator following his 2008 inspection of our services. The Regulator found that, although we had appropriate structures in place to consult and involve Registered Tenants Organisations (RTOs), we needed to do more to involve those tenants and other customers who are not active in these organisations extending our consultation arrangements beyond tenants and residents associations and seeking to engage directly with our broader tenant base. 6.3 Customer Service Excellence (the national standard for customer service) and Best Value Audit 2 (a forthcoming review by Audit Scotland of how well local authorities are delivering best value ), also require us to demonstrate how we involve all of our customers not just housing tenants - more generally in shaping services. Although often thought of principally as a landlord, Housing and Property Services provides a wide range of person- and property-related services to an equally wide range of customers. Consequently, when looking at engaging with those customers, a variety of different methods and approaches are required. 6.4 The Customer Engagement Strategy outlined in this document aims to establish a framework for engaging with all of our customers Council tenants and other customers in ways that meet their needs and aspirations. It goes beyond our 2003 Tenant Participation Strategy, effectively replacing it with a much wider approach to customer involvement. 7. Key features of the Customer Engagement framework To meet the expectations of tenants and other customers and to address the other issues outlined in Section 6, above, it proposed to create an engagement framework which allows the views of all Housing and Property Services customers to be considered and acted upon. The key features of this framework will be: Retention of the existing Tenant Participation Framework building on existing good practice, and continuing to engage with tenant representatives to set agendas for discussions at local Housing Forums and the Council-wide Tenant s Forum. We will also seek to ensure that Registered Tenants Organisations are communicating effectively with their membership. Expansion of the existing Housing Consultation Register this would allow groups which don t have an exclusively housing focus and interested individuals to be routinely consulted on matters which directly affect them. This could be particularly effective in providing a voice for people in hard to reach groups (including those from a minority ethnic background, frail elderly people, physically disabled people, young people and those with learning difficulties or mental health issues) or organisations representing their interests. page 7

9 Widening tenant representation on officer / tenant working groups currently restricted to RTO representatives, these should be open to tenants who have appropriate skills and are prepared to devote the time involved. Consideration will need to be given as to how this can best be accomplished. Better use of publications to communicate with customers Regular publications can play a significant role in keeping customers up-to-date with any service developments or proposed changes which may directly affect them: a. The People s News - Aimed solely at Council housing tenants (and delivered to every tenant by post), this publication is used to keep them informed of service changes/developments, service performance and policy changes. It is proposed to continue to produce this twice annually, and seek tenant s views on service development issues through this publication from time to time. b. Consultation Register Newsletter it is proposed to develop a short newsletter for quarterly circulation to all groups and individuals on the Housing Consultation Register. It is envisaged that printed copies would be made available to the public at Customer Service Points to encourage membership of the Register. c. Other customer newsletters it is proposed that consideration be given to developing newsletters for other customer groups (such as shopkeepers or internal customers) where there is an identified need to keep them informed of service developments. For some services in this position, an annual newsletter may well be sufficient. d. Tenant Participation Annual Report in the past, this has focused almost exclusively on consultation with - and involvement of Registered Tenants Organisations. It is envisaged that this will be replaced with a report showing how customers views have been considered across the full range of Housing and Property Services activities, and renamed Customer Engagement Annual Report. Sections relevant to Council tenants will be published in the People s News. e. How Are We Doing? In the past, this has focused almost exclusively on housing issues, covering areas identified by RTOs as priorities. It is proposed that, in future, our public performance reporting will cover key indicators across the full range of Housing and Property Services activities, with sections relevant to Council tenants including key areas for improvement identified by the 2009 Tenant Satisfaction Survey - being published in the People s News. Systematic collection and use of customer experience feedback to inform policy or service change There are a range of arrangements already in place to gather such feedback. However, this needs to be more systematic, with: a. key stages identified in the customer journey for each service; b. structured feedback routinely gathered at each key stage; c. a more consistent approach adopted to the recording and analysis of customer feedback; and d. feedback routinely reported to and considered by the Senior Management Team, and used to promote policy development and drive forward service improvement. Involvement of tenants in tender evaluation and monitoring continuing to engage with tenants in evaluating tenders for SHQS work and monitoring the quality of the work carried out. page 8

10 Use of Tenant Satisfaction Surveys undertaking a 10% survey of tenants satisfaction with the services we provide every two years. It is intended that the next survey will be in 2011 (resources permitting). Use of Council tenants in mystery shopping exercises undertaking mystery shopping exercises, ensuring that, where possible, shoppers are recruited from amongst our wider tenant base. Use of telephone and the internet to collect customer feedback Opportunities will be sought be use non-paper surveys to collect information on customer experience. It is also intended to explore ways of using internet contact in a more interactive way (which is thought to be attractive to younger customers) to inform policy or service change. Better use of customer complaints and comments to inform policy or service change there is a need to develop more effective mechanisms for gathering and analysing both formal and informal complaints and comments, and using it to promote change where appropriate. Use of focus groups to gauge customer opinion on any significant proposed policy or service changes where appropriate, age, family composition or other relevant factors should be taken into account when setting up focus groups to ensure representation of views from across the entire customer profile. Use of letters to advise customers of significant policy or service changes letters should be used not only to inform customers of such changes, but to explain the thinking behind them. Customers should also be given the opportunity to seek further clarification by phone, letter or and, where practicable, face-to-face at a local information event. Where feasible, customers should be given the opportunity to comment on draft proposals, rather than simply be informed of changes. 8. Building on existing good practice 8.1 Although this Customer Engagement Strategy effectively replaces the Council s 2003 Tenant Participation Strategy, the Tenant Participation framework established by the 2003 Strategy is generally accepted as an example of good practice and should continue to play an important role in how we engage with established tenants groups. 8.2 Registration, consultation and support - Registered Tenants Organisations (RTOs) will continue to play a key role, and it is important that the existing registration, consultation and support arrangements are retained and strengthened. To ensure that they continue to be effective, these arrangements and the administrative procedures which support them - should be subject to review every two years. 8.3 However, this review should be based on certain fundamental principles. To qualify for registration with Renfrewshire Council, tenants and residents organisations must, as a minimum, be able to demonstrate that they: represent tenants interests, and actively seek their views; have a well-defined area of operation, with membership open to all people living within that area; meet regularly, and that these meetings are open to all members; have a constitution that details how people can become members, how the committee will operate and funds will be managed, how decisions will be reached democratically and a commitment to equal opportunities; and page 9

11 are prepared to adhere to Renfrewshire s Tenant Participation Code of Conduct (which sets out agreed standards of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour by both tenant representatives and Council officers). 8.4 Training and support for tenant representatives - The Council currently has dedicated staff within Housing and Property Services who provide training and other support to tenants and residents organisations to ensure that they meet our registration criteria. However, as the wider Customer Engagement Strategy develops, it is intended that the main focus of their work will shift in favour of supporting consultation with our wider tenant base and other customers. Against this background, and in an economic climate that is likely to see increasing pressure on all Council resources, consideration may have to be given as to whether this support could be provided in other ways. 8.5 All RTOs are currently issued with a copy of a training and support package called Getting Involved. This contains guidance to assist groups on practical matters, including: How to set up a Registered Tenants Organisation The duties of the various office bearers How the Council operates A model constitution Guidance on access to funding - both internal and external to the Council. The contents of this training package will be reviewed annually to ensure it remains up to date and comprehensive. 8.6 Council funding for attendance at conferences (such as those run by the Tenant Participation Advisory Service or Tenant Information Service) or specific training events identified by tenant representatives will be considered in line with budget provision and availability. 8.7 Tenant Participation Annual Report - We will continue to publish an annual report on Tenant Participation in Renfrewshire outlining what was achieved the previous financial year. 8.8 External funding - We will ensure that RTOs are aware of - and have access to information on - other potential funding opportunities, through the Renfrewshire External Funding Partnership. Through this partnership, the Council will; highlight organisations that can provide information and support; provide guidance on preparing funding applications; provide access to a free funding search engine; and ensure each RTO, on request, receives a copy of the bi-monthly funding bulletin produced by the partnership. 8.9 Equalities issues - Renfrewshire Council supports and promotes measures to ensure that all groups have equal access to participation and that no group is disadvantaged owing to sex, race, colour, disability, age, nationality, marital status, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or gender re-assignment. We are committed to the promotion of equality and diversity throughout our organisation, including the commitment to barrier-free customer participation and engagement. When we organise customer events, we will ensure that consideration is given to the following: page 10

12 Location and timing of meetings using meeting venues which are barrier free where available Provision of a hearing loop Provision of crèche facilities where there is an identified need Provision of information in alternative languages and formats, on request. We will also ensure that each Registered Tenants Organisation includes a statement on equal opportunities in their constitution and will encourage them to adopt an inclusive approach to involving groups in the community We shall endeavour to strengthen links to organisations that represent the views of marginalised members of our community. We shall liaise with existing organisations and groups who have the skills, contacts and knowledge about hard to reach people, particularly in the voluntary and community sectors. We shall also seek to engage with harder to reach groups by adopting consultation methods which are more responsive to the expectations of these groups Mainstreaming of customer engagement Involving and consulting customers is the responsibility of all Housing and Property Services employees. We will ensure that all of our employees receive the training and support they require to deliver this. 9. Action Plan 9.1 The Customer Engagement Strategy has an operational action plan designed to achieve the objectives laid out throughout the strategy. This action plan will be expanded and developed as the strategy grows. 9.2 The operational actions for the year ahead are outlined below. The actions will be monitored and progress reported in the Customer Engagement Annual Report. This will also be used to outline improvement actions for the year to come. No. Action Target Date 1. Review and update contents of Getting Involved pack for RTOs December Carry out recruitment drive for members of the Housing Consultation Register October Establish Housing Consultation Register Newsletter February Compile register for other customer newsletters, and establish timetable for production. 5. Complete review of RTO registration / re-registration and funding arrangements 6. Review systems in place for the routine collection, analysis and use of customer experience feedback to inform policy or service change and improve mechanisms for reporting back to customers on outcomes/changes November 2010 August 2010 December Consider ways of engaging with customers in a more interactive December page 11

13 No. Action Target Date way, and develop proposals and timetable for introduction Establish focus groups, where appropriate, to inform significant proposed policy or service changes 9. Advise customers by letter of any significant proposed policy or service changes directly affecting them 10. Arrange distribution of Renfrewshire External Funding Partnership newsletter to all RTOs who wish it. 11. Produce annual report on Customer Engagement (expansion of the existing Tenant Participation Annual Report) 12. Review arrangements for the provision of practical support and guidance to RTOs From July 2010 onwards From September 2010 onwards August 2010 March 2011 January 2011 page 12

14 APPENDIX 2 PROPOSED CHANGES TO RTO REGISTRATION & SUPPORT ARRANGEMENTS 1. Registration of Tenants and Residents Associations Current position: Registration currently involves tenants and residents associations being able to demonstrate that (a) they are a properly constituted organisation with a clearly defined area of operation; (b) they have held an Annual General Meeting within the previous 12 months; and (c) they comply with the Renfrewshire Tenant Participation Code of Conduct. Proposed change: Introduce another criterion to ensure that existing Registered Tenants Organisations (RTOs) are representative of the communities which they serve, by asking them to provide as part of the re-registration process - minutes of four quorate general meetings (including their Annual General Meeting) they have held within the previous 12 month period. A sederunt (name and address list of all those members attending) for all four meetings must be taken and submitted to Council officers as part of the annual re-registration process. These will be used by officers to confirm that meetings are quorate, and for no other purpose. They will be retained by the Council, and will not be open to public scrutiny. 2. Financial assistance to Tenants and Residents Associations Current position: Financial support to associations is currently a flat rate payment of 400 per annum (reduced where the percentage of members who are Council tenants is below 50%). Access to financial support is dependent upon RTOs (a) having less than 500 as at their Annual General Meeting; and (b) having an audited financial statement approved by their Annual General Meeting. Proposed changes: i) Continue with a flat rate payment, using the same formula as at present, but increase the maximum amount payable to 500 per annum. ii) Remove the requirement for associations to have a balance of less than 500 as at the Annual General Meeting. iii) Associations to submit audited annual accounts (approved at their AGM) showing how much they spent on certain allowed administration costs. Any underspend on administration will be deducted from the grant payable the following year. iv) Allowed administration costs will cover: a. Cost of hall hire for both general and committee meetings b. Postage, stationery, printing costs c. Telephone calls made on behalf of the Association (but not telephone / internet line rental) d. Training costs for office-bearers e. Delegate fees for participation events (TPAS/TIS/Scottish Government) f. Reasonable travelling expenses to training and participation events and conferences (but not socialising or other expenses) Page 1 of 1