“Robust action plan” in place to drive satisfaction scores higher in response to Ashford Borough Council’s annual tenant survey

Ashford Borough Council has vowed to accelerate the delivery of a comprehensive action plan for improvement following the publication of its annual tenant satisfaction survey.

All social housing providers are required by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) to collect data and report annually on their performance using a core set of defined measures, called the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs). The RSH require us to collect the data using prescribed questions across 12 different areas for this perception survey.

A report to Cabinet last night (Thurs 13 Feb) outlined how the most recent results were collected between 21 August and 4 October 2024 and a total of 1,191 responses were received. We asked how satisfied tenants are with their homes and how we look after them, as well as how they feel we manage our services and interact with tenants. 

This year’s overall satisfaction score shows 59.2% of tenants were very or fairly satisfied with the service provided with the Council. This has edged down by 4% compared to the result of last year’s survey. 

The tenants who are satisfied with our services reported punctual responses to queries and repairs, proactive updates and information, positive interactions with staff members and the completion of works. 

Tenants with lower levels of satisfaction reported poor quality repairs / contractors, damp and mould issues, lack of updates or responsiveness, poor maintenance of communal areas, maintenance works not being completed or slow responses to these queries. 

Cabinet heard that a cross-service action plan to deliver a variety of improvements was implemented following the results of last year’s survey. This year two survey has provided a lot of information from tenants which will allow the Council to revise that plan and focus heavily on the areas which are likely to have a big impact on tenant satisfaction.

The report to Cabinet added: “Using this data allows us to focus on those areas that require improvements as well as share best-practice from those where we perform well. Examining each comment submitted enables us to react and resolve any outstanding issues and redress negative perceptions directly with tenants.

“The action plan provides reassurance for tenants, members, and the Regulator that we will dedicate cross-service resources to commit to improving our services.”

Cllr Noel Ovenden, Leader of Ashford Borough Council, said: “Now in its second year, this annual survey has provided us with crucial insights into how we can better serve our tenants. While the results show there is room for improvement, the high number of responses reflects the strong engagement of our tenants, and their feedback has been instrumental in shaping our robust action plan. 

“I’m confident that these insights will drive meaningful improvements and help us continue to enhance the housing services we provide. We remain committed to listening to our tenants and ensuring their voices lead to positive change.”