Listening and acting on feedback from residents

We would like to be more involved in supporting the delivery of Anchor’s environmental objectives.

We introduced a new Residents’ Environmental Forum. The group fed into the Environmental sustainability and Net Zero Carbon strategy before it was finalized and will continue to comment and question its implementation across the business.

Homeowners were unhappy that they could not opt out of the new regional Repairs and Planned works contracts.

We are piloting a different approach across 62 locations, which will use local contractors and at the end of the pilot, the prices paid will be compared with the regional contractors to inform the decision on the way forward.

We would like to see more information about damp and mould cases and what Anchor is doing to put things right.

A section on damp and mould has been added to both the Residents’ Council and the Property, Safety and Quality Group performance dashboard. It includes an overview of all cases by category and explains what action is being taken.

We would like to be more involved in the standard materials and equipment used in bathrooms and kitchens.

Residents are now involved in reviewing documents that set these standards. The Residents’ Communications and Property, Safety and Quality Groups are working on a new Frequently Asked Questions document for kitchen installations, with one for bathrooms to follow.

Make sure letters and general communication are written in plain language, are accessible, and easy to understand.

The literature we send to all residents is reviewed by our Residents’ Communications Group. Following feedback, we added a covering page to a key document about Anchor's Repairs and Asset Investment Programme for residents, explaining its purpose in plain English.

Make the regular newsletter and Life magazine more relevant to residents.

At each Residents’ Communications Group meeting, members share suggestions for both. Their ideas are incorporated into future editions.

We want to meet the potential contractors taking over the repairs and planned investment service.

Residents were invited to ‘meet the contractor’ sessions, where they could hear about the contractors’ approach and ask questions.

Have residents been involved in the procurement of the regional repairs and planned works contractors?

Residents have been involved at every stage of the process. A summary of this involvement is available.

We would like to know more about Anchor’s Board and the work it does.

Information about Board members’ visits to locations is now included in the Resident Involvement and Wellbeing Report. This report is circulated to all formal resident groups before their meetings.

Strengthen the relationship between Anchor’s Board and residents.

In July, the Residents’ Council met with the Board. This will now be a regular occurrence, and Board members will be invited to meetings of the eight formal resident groups.

We are concerned about the increase in scams and how it could affect residents.

An article on scams will be included in the next edition of Life magazine. The scams information on our Be Skilled platform has also been expanded.

We are concerned about the number of mobility scooters at locations and where they will be stored.

The Residents’ Scrutiny Panel reviewed this issue, with their findings and recommendations submitted to the Housing Services Committee. The Head of Health and Safety is now reviewing the policy.

We would like more opportunities for mindful exercise as part of the Be Well service.

We introduced a Tai Chi Be Active class, funded by a successful Sport England funding application.

The virtual coffee morning should take place later in the day.

We held a series of virtual Coffee Afternoons as well as Coffee Mornings to make it easier for residents to connect socially.

We need more mental health and suicide prevention resources on Be Skilled.

Following feedback from the Residents’ Communications Group, we introduced new topics covering mental health support and suicide prevention awareness.