Anti-Social Behaviour Communication - Quality and Insight Panel Scrutiny April 2020
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Final Version 2
Anti-Social Behaviour Communication
Quality and Insight Panel Scrutiny
April 2020
Contents
Page
1 Introduction and acknowledgements 3
2 Outcomes and recommendations 4
3 Scope and methodology 5
4 Observations, judgements and 6
recommendations
5 Appendices 11
21. Introduction
The Quality and Insight Panel brings together Trafford Housing Trust tenant and leaseholder
representatives to scrutinise its performance and services, and to highlight the issues that
matter most to customers. We strengthen processes through our skills and experience,
ensuring that tenants are at the heart of THT’s approach to self-regulation.
Our scrutiny review of anti-social behaviour (ASB) communication took place between
November 2019 and April 2020. We selected this scrutiny as we were concerned about the
increasing levels of ASB in communities and the resources available to tackle this increase.
We agreed to take forward this scrutiny after reviewing complaints and performance data,
satisfaction levels and making initial approaches to customers.
As part of this scrutiny, we have made 12 recommendations which we would like to be
carefully considered. Our main concern is the lack of resource available to the Tenancy
Sustainment Team which we believe is resulting in customers not receiving the quality of
communications that they deserve. With continued cuts in local communities and increased
complex need of customers, this will become even more of a challenge for the team.
The intended outcome of our work is that customers who make a complaint of ASB receive
honest, timely and transparent communication from THT.
We ask that this report is fully considered and an action plan is developed on how to take
forward these recommendations.
Rita Jones (Co-chair)
Geraldine Sharples (Co-chair)
Heather Jones
Christine Paddock
Andy Parsons
Christine Rooke
Karen Smallman
Acknowledgements
QIP would like to thank the following individuals for their help in delivering this scrutiny and
producing this report.
• Darren McKinnon • Donna Gates • Amanda Franks
• Julie Green • Susan Savage • Roger Plunkett
• Debbie Gorman • Agatha Lawton-Cooper • Chris Chandler
• Andrew Henry
32. Outcomes and Recommendations
Desired outcome
Improved understanding of the service
Recommendations
• Improve information online and in print with a step by step guide for customers
setting out the process and how THT can assist. This should be for new and
existing customers.
• Review the style of the policy and procedures to and make these more accessible
to customers.
• Work together with customers to review information to new tenants and how to
continually promote the service during their tenure.
Desired outcome
Improved customer satisfaction
Recommendations
• Review the approach to communicating to those customers who have a case
outstanding for more than 3 months.
• Commit to sending all customers a closure letter. The percentage sent would then
be included in team objectives.
• Keep the morning phone service for as long as possible and actively promote this
to customers.
Desired outcome
Improve communication of key messages
Recommendation
• Review the template customer letters and consider improvements to make the
document clearer, for example including red warnings at the top of the document.
Desired outcome
Service quality improvements
Recommendations
• Explore additional resource for the team, for example training Hub staff, adding
administration support or an additional officer.
• Share learnings with other teams on the benefits brought through investment and
BTEC training.
• Improve the gathering of feedback from customers by, for example using a range
of post, online and telephone with standardised questions.
• Explore ways for all customers to be involved with suggesting improvements on
the service.
• Investigate ways to follow up with customers who make service improvement
recommendations.
43. Scope and methodology
Our scrutiny of the ASB service took place between November and March 2020. The scope
of the scrutiny covered:
• The complainant journey from initial reporting to a case being closed.
• The process and procedures guiding staff in terms of communication and feedback.
• The systems used to support staff in communicating to customers and managing
cases.
• The visibility of the ASB process to customers.
• Limitations of what can and can’t be dealt with and how this is communicated to
complainants.
Not in scope for this review were:
• The process for dealing with ASB.
• Implications when subject of complaint is a non THT customer.
• Any individual cases.
• The complaints process.
• Unreasonable customer expectations of what THT can assist with.
Methodology for the service review
We used a variety of methods to gather information in relation to this scrutiny. This
included:
• Reviewing current policies and procedures.
• Research into the approach used by other housing associations.
• Staff interviews.
• Survey for customers and one on one conversations – overview found in Appendix
1.
• Review of the THT website concerning ASB.
• Review of customer feedback, performance and complaints data.
54. Observations, judgements and recommendations
During our scrutiny, customers discussed with us a range of views they had about the
service. Here are some of the common themes that emerged.
Positive views Negative views
• Valued the support provided by THT • Many did not know of the Tenancy
staff throughout their case. Enforcement Team before making a
• Received good, informative and clear ASB complaint.
information – including timescales – at • Customers often held unrealistic
the beginning of the case. expectations of what could be
• Staff were able to communicate the delivered.
process in a clear and concise way • With long-standing cases, customers felt
when speaking to customers. they needed to continually chase up for
• Customers were contacted throughout updates.
the case and had a key point of contact • The reason for closing the case was not
that was managing their case. always communicated effectively.
• After speaking to colleagues, customers • Some resolutions often took a long
knew how THT could support them. time with customers feeling updates
lacked substance.
• A feeling that too much information is
online with a lack of information in
communities.
Appendix 1 provides an overview of the questions we asked customers during the interview
stage of this scrutiny.
Based on customer feedback on their experience we have identified four key areas to focus
on. These include:
A. Promotion of the service
B. Updating customers and closing a case
C. Structures, systems and processes
D. Feedback and improvements
Here we set out some observations, judgements and a series of recommendations.
6Section A – Promotion of the service
The service provided by THT is invaluable for customers and supports creating safer
communities. Informing customers about the service, and the role it can play, is vital.
• THT staff are great advocates of the service and THT.
Strengths • Policies and procedures were robust and informative.
• New Homes Guide is a useful tool for customers.
• There is a lack of ongoing, proactive communications,
both online and in print, sent to customers.
• Information on the website is not substantive and fails
to engage customers. A screen shot can be found in
Requiring improvement appendix 2.
• Searching for information, including policies and
procedures, was difficult and often information was
not customer friendly. Appendix 3 shows the
navigation panel on the THT website.
• An interactive online ‘toolkit’ used by various housing
associations including Hyde Housing and Together
Housing.1
• A printable guide for customers produced by
Best practice examples
Stockport Homes, Tackling ASB: A guide for
customers.2
• L&Q provide extensive information to manage
expectations and explain the process.3
Recommendations
1. Improve information online and in print with a step by step guide for customers
setting out the process and how THT can assist. This should be for new and existing
customers.
2. Review the style of the policy and procedures to and make these more accessible to
customers.
3. Work together with customers to review information to new tenants and how to
continually promote the service during their tenure.
1
Hyde Housing ASB Toolkit, https://www.hyde-housing.co.uk/tenants/antisocial-behaviour/is-this-antisocial-
behaviour/ and Together Housing ASB Toolkit, https://www.togetherhousing.co.uk/your-neighbourhood/anti-
social-behaviour/asb-toolbox/
2
Stockport Homes, Tackling ASB: A guide for customers, https://www.stockporthomes.org/media/3159/asb-
4001-asb-tackling-asb-customer-guide.pdf
3
L&Q antisocial behaviour, https://www.lqgroup.org.uk/community-information/anti-social-behaviour/
7Section B – Updating customers and closing a case
Keeping customers updated on the progress being made, and being open and honest about
why a case has been closed, are important parts of the communication approach.
• Introduction of a new REACT system has been
welcomed by staff and is delivering results for
customers.
• Initial phases of a complaint are managed well with
customers feeling they are receiving clear timescales
Strengths
and information.
• Choice on offer to customers in terms of how they
are communicated to. This includes time of contact in
addition to the type of communication (for example,
email/SMS/letter).
• Communications approach for customers with long-
standing cases.
• Template letters to customers don’t convey the
seriousness of the issue and the action needed by
Requiring improvement
customers.
• Clarity on the reasons for closing a case and ensuring
key information is communicated verbally and in
writing.
• Notting Hill Genesis set out clearly the service level
Best practice examples
agreement and next steps.4
Recommendations
1. Review the approach to communicating to those customers who have a case
outstanding for more than 3 months.
2. Review the template customer letters and consider improvements to make the
document clearer, for example including red warnings at the top of the document.
3. Commit to sending all customers a closure letter. The percentage sent would then
be included in team objectives.
4
Notting Hill Genesis, How we manage reports of anti-social behaviour,
‘https://www.nhhg.org.uk/residents/feeling-safe-in-your-community/anti-social-behaviour/#panel35167’
8Section C – Structures, systems and processes
Good communications require strong structures, systems and processes to be in place.
• Significant investment in technology, including the new
REACT system, is improving how the team
communicate to customers
• A positive team environment is helping to bring the
best out of colleagues.
Strengths • A BTEC offered to staff is helping ensure the team are
delivering excellence.
• The morning rota service is welcomed by customers
and is a valued resource.
• The team are embracing technological improvements
to make collecting evidence easier for customers.
• Support and staffing for the Tenancy Enforcement
Team. Some staff members have significant workloads
Requiring improvement
with a lack of flexibility if they are ill or on leave.
• Promotion of the morning phone service on offer.
• Your Housing trains members of their customer
Best practice examples service team to take details and pass a comprehensive
note to the anti-social behaviour team.5
Recommendations
1. Keep the morning phone service for as long as possible and actively promote this to
customers.
2. Explore additional resource for the team, for example training Hub staff, adding
administration support or an additional officer.
3. Share learnings with other teams on the benefits brought through investment and
BTEC training.
5
Your Housing, Conversation with Head of Service, Donna Bradley.
9Section D - Feedback and improvements
Customers have a positive role to play in improving the ASB service. By reviewing the
current process of collecting feedback and making changes we feel more can be done to
involve customers.
• Feedback is being collected by the team and is being
used to make improvements to the service.
Strengths
• The Quality and Insight Panel has now conducted two
scrutiny reviews into the service since 2018.
• Gathering of feedback is resource intensive and is
often not conducted when team resource is low.
• Feedback is gathered mainly by phone and does not
Requiring improvement use other methods such as email or SMS.
• Customers currently have no way of suggesting
changes to the service beyond feeding back on their
individual case.
• Saga, in conjunction with Silver Line, feedback on
survey response is included on the next month’s
survey.6
Best practice examples
• Automated feedback surveys are sent to customers in
other parts of Trafford Housing Trust such as gas and
ground maintenance.7
Recommendations
1. Improve the gathering of feedback from customers by, for example using a range of
post, online and telephone with standardised questions.
2. Explore ways for all customers to be involved with suggesting improvements on the
service.
3. For customers who provide feedback, follow up to thank them and show changes
made as a result.
6
Silver Line, https://www.thesilverline.org.uk/contact-us/
7
Surveys delivered by Agatha Lawton-Cooper in the Customer Experience team.
10Appendix 1 – Customer survey and interviews
We contacted customers who had recently, within the last 6 months, had a case closed by
the Tenancy Enforcement Team. We received 20 anonymised online responses and spoke
to 6 customers directly. Their feedback helped shape the recommendations in this report.
Questions included in online survey
• Have you reported anti-social behaviour within the last 12 months to Trafford
Housing Trust?
o Yes
o No
• How would you rate the service you received from THT?
o Poor
o Satisfactory
o Good
o Excellent
• How much do you agree with the following statements?
o I received enough information at the start including timescales
o I understood what THT could and couldn't do to help
o The process was explained in a clear and concise way
o I was updated by THT throughout
o The reason for closing the case was communicated effectively to me
• How would you rate the quality of communication you received?
o Poor
o Satisfactory
o Good
o Excellent
• How do you think THT can improve how it communicates with customers who
make a complaint of anti-social behaviour?
Questions posed to customers who were called by QIP
1. Trying to put aside the outcome of your case, where you satisfied with the service
you received from THT?
2. Did you get enough information at the start, including timelines?
3. Was the process explained to you in a clear and concise way?
4. If closed, was the reason for closure clearly communicated?
5. Overall, how well did you find THT communicated to you?
a. Poor
b. Fair
c. Good
d. Excellent
6. Anything further you would like to add to explain why you rated it this way?
11Appendix 2 – Report anti-social behaviour website
12Appendix 3: Navigation screenshot
13You can also read
