Our scrutiny panel is a vital link between customers and our board and committees. Entirely made up of tenants, its main job is to perform deep dives into our services, to make sure they reflect our customers’ needs.
Their latest service review focussed on our kitchen improvement programme, part of our wider investment programme to improve the quality of our homes.
What they did
- Reviewed key documents, including policies and procedures.
- Met with colleagues from SLH and Avela Home Service (AHS) to get a better understanding of the process - this included how we assess customer needs, choose contractors and check the finished product. They wanted to make sure that everything we do meets the standards our customers expect.
- Visited homes with colleagues from AHS and our kitchen supplier. They carried our pre-work and post-work visits. The panel observed how the supplier interacted with tenants, helping them choose designs and guiding them through the process.
- Researched practices at other Merseyside housing providers, to make sure we are on par with others.
Conclusions
The panel concluded that SLH offers clear, accessible information about planned home improvements on its website, with dedicated pages for kitchens, bathrooms, fencing, and more. Still, they saw an opportunity to make the improvements process even more user-friendly and transparent online. Thanks to their feedback, the site has now been refreshed to guide customers more smoothly through every step.
They also felt that communication with vulnerable customers could be improved throughout the process. We have made improvements in this area, so that vulnerable customers receive clearer updates and additional support at every stage of their kitchen improvement journey.
Recommendations
Read the Scrutiny Panel’s full list of recommendations and our responses here