Residents first
We design our services for our residents and want you to feel safe and supported in your home and wider community.
In January 2024, we started talking to residents about how you want to shape our services moving forward. The world has changed a lot over the last 20 years and we want to use technology more, to make sure it is easy for everyone to have a say as well creating opportunities for people to come together in person.
What our Involved Residents say
"CKH delivers services to thousands of people who all have different experiences of life. Getting involved is our chance to make sure everyone can access the services and support they need. So, thinking about how to make it easier for more people to get involved in a way that works for them is really important.
I have really enjoyed being part of the Residents Board and I hope this review helps more people get involved in a way that works for them. You can get a lot out of the experience as well as helping to shape the way CKH deliver services to us as their residents." — Karen
Let's take a look at then - what we have done over the last few years, and now - w
hat we did last year or are working on today.
Then: In 2010, we launched our Scrutiny Panel. Seven residents volunteered to be part of a new way of getting involved by taking a closer look at key topics that make a difference to residents.
Now: This year, our Scrutiny Panel recently completed an in depth review of the standard of our homes when we let them to new residents. Every individual recommendation made in the report has been carried forward which is now helping to improve the experience people have of moving into one of our homes. Now, for example and based on resident feedback, before any resident moves in, all our homes will include flooring and we will complete more repairs to fix problems left by previous tenants or wear and tear over time, so new residents can just focus on making themselves at home. We hope this will help address feedback like this:
“Really happy with the service I received very helpful however the property did have a few bits that could have been sorted before moving in.”
The panel also supported a review of our ASB policy following a report published by the Housing Ombudsman following a review of landlords’ responses to noise nuisance complaints.
Visiting you at home
We visit all our residents at home at least once a year. These essential visits allow us to check the condition of your home, make sure there are no signs of damp or mould, and double check your personal information. We talk to you about any support you might need from us and you can talk to your Neighbourhood Manager about anything that is on your mind. In 2023-24, we introduced a new online calendar to allow you to book a date for your visit that works for you. We are inviting a small number of residents at a time to book their visit, so if you have not had your visit yet this year, keep your eyes open for an email inviting you to book your appointment!
Then: In 2017, we equipped our Neighbourhood Management team with tablets so they can access up to date information while out and about.
Now: In 2024, our team are using those devices as part of your annual property visit to make sure we capture all the right information about your house and your needs.
What our Involved Residents say
"The annual homes visits are a great chance to nip problems in the bud and make sure everyone knows what support CKH can offer. No one should live with damp and mould for example, so having someone check for early signs once a year is a really good idea. Expect your visit to happen every year and make the most of the opportunity to talk to your Neighbourhood Manager about anything that CKH may be able to help you with!" — Karen
Supporting you
There are lots of different ways we are here to help you, from finding support for mental health to getting your rent account back on track.
During the year, we provided 2,087 information, advice or guidance sessions, supported 128 people into employment and made referrals for 351 training courses, some of which were funded by CKH where funding was a barrier. We supported 50 people with an individual learning plan working towards improving their prospects, skills, confidence and ultimately of finding sustainable work.
Being able to manage your tenancy and look after your home is very important and not everyone has the skills to do that independently when they first move in. We have a specialist Tenancy Sustainment team who work with people who need a little extra support to make sure they are able to manage their tenancy. In 2023-24, we closed 90 cases and supported more than 240 households throughout the year. We also helped 194 people who were living in short stay accommodation to move into tenancies, in our homes or with another landlord.
Dealing with anti-social behaviour
In 2023-24, we opened an average of 10.4 anti-social behaviour cases and 0.5 anti-social behaviour cases that involved hate crime per 1,000 homes. According to the results of our resident satisfaction survey, only half of youare satisfied with our approach to handling anti-social behaviour (ASB). We were disappointed by that result so talked to some of you to understand where we were getting it wrong. We found that people who had a case handled by our ASB team were generally happy with the support they received, but you felt there should be more support provided for problems we don’t currently treat as ASB. As a result, we have decided to change our approach. From autumn 2024, we have a larger team here to work with you to address lower level ASB as well as providing full support for bigger problems and domestic abuse.
What our involved residents say
"Anti-social behaviour can have a big impact on communities and the people who are living in them, so we are really pleased to see that CKH are listening to feedback from residents about the type of behaviours that are causing problems.
The Scrutiny Panel reviewed the ASB policy this year and their recommendations have been considered while CKH has been working out how to make support available to deal with a wider range of behaviours that people see as anti-social, such as neighbour disputes and unreasonable noise nuisance. Hopefully the expanded service will help people feel more supported and show that positive steps are being taken. It is a topic that we are keen to talk about in the year ahead to understand if it is making a difference to residents or if there are still improvements that could be made." — Terri
Then: In 2020, as part of our response to the pandemic, we created our Be Kind fund to make sure support was there for those who nee
ded it most. In the first 100 days we received more than 1,400 requests for help.
Now: Thankfully, the pandemics is behind us, but we know you still need our support. This year, we secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to introduce a specialist support programme called ‘Support Plus’. Following referrals from our local partners, our two Support Workers offer one to one support on money matters, mental health support, getting online, or training and personal development.
Finding the services and support you need
We want to make it easy for you to access the services you need, when you need them. More and more residents are contacting us online, so it is important to us that our online services are available to meet your needs. You may have noticed a little icon on your screen, that gives you access to a set of translation and accessibility tools to help adjust the way our website displays to make it easier to read for people with accessibility needs.
We recognise that doing things digitally doesn’t work for everyone, so our friendly Customer First team is here to help over the phone five days a week and you can talk to us in person at Customer Central, Monday to Saturday, or pop in to one of our community hubs in Westwood and South Bretton during the working week.
Then: In 2018 we launched MyCKH and in 2019-20 we reported that 30% of residents were using MyCKH.
Now: By the end of March 2024, 63% of you were choosing to manage your account online. That is more than 7,000 households!