Annual Report 2023/24

In 2023/24, we received and investigated a total of 51 formal complaints, of which 100% of Stage 1 and 90.9% of Stage 2 complaints were responded to within the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code timescales. Below is a breakdown of the service areas where we have responded to complaints and the outcomes.

• Service Area - Anti Social Behaviour
  Upheld - 0
  Not Upheld - 1
  TOTAL - 1
• Service Area - Asset Investment
  Upheld - 1
  Not upheld - 0
  TOTAL - 1
• Service Area - Choice Move
  Upheld - 0
  Not upheld - 3
  TOTAL - 3
• Service Area - Damp
  Upheld - 7
  Not upheld - 1
  TOTAL - 8
• Service Area - Housing and Support
  Upheld - 2
  Not upheld - 4
  TOTAL - 6
• Service Area - Multiple Service Areas
  Upheld - 4
  Not upheld - 1
  TOTAL - 5
• Service Area - Regeneration
  Upheld - 9
  Not upheld - 0
  TOTAL - 9
• Service Area - Rents
  Upheld - 0
  Not upheld - 2
  TOTAL - 2
• Service Area - Repairs and Maintenance
  Upheld - 11
  Not Upheld - 2
  TOTAL - 13
• Service Area - Voids
  Upheld - 1
  Not upheld - 2
  TOTAL - 3
• TOTAL FORMAL COMPLAINTS
  Upheld - 35
  Not upheld - 16
  TOTAL - 51

Learning From Complaints

Each complaint we receive is treated as an opportunity for us to learn and to improve our services. The actions that have taken place as a result of learning from complaints in 2023/24 include:

• Reviewing and improving the Equality, Inclusion and Diversity Policy and Delivering Services to Vulnerable Persons Policy
• Reviewing and improving the Equality Impact Assessment Process and undertaking staff training to ensure customers circumstances are effectively considered during service delivery
• Improved communication for customers by requiring specific service teams to put any agreed actions with customers in writing
• Improving the Adaptations Policy to ensure customers are given advice and support when referred for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)
• Increased capacity in our Complaints Team by appointing a new member of staff to support customers during the complaints process
• TSM Satisfaction with complaints handling was 43%. This is inline with the claims not upheld at 45%. RHL's complaints service is compliant with the Housing Ombudsmans Complaint Handling Code, we will continue to seek ways to improve this service. 

• Proportion of homes for which all required gas safety checks have been carried out
  = 99.9%
• Proportion of homes for which all required asbestos management surveys or re-inspections have been carried out
  = 100%
• Proportion of homes for which all required legionella risk assessments have been carried out
  = 100%
• Proportion of homes for which all required communal passenger lift safety checks have been carried out
  = 100%
• % of emergency repairs carried out within timescale
  = 98.2%
• % of non-emergency repairs carried out within timescale
  = 98.1%
• Proportion of homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard
  = 8.7%
• Proportion of homes for which all required Fire Risk Assessments have been carried out
  = 99.2%

In 2023/24 we delivered the Councils £21.2 million Major Works programme.

The program has proved successful with customer satisfaction at 97%.

The following key component upgrades to homes were complete:

Rykneld Homes works with NEDDC to increase the number of affordable and social homes in the district. In the last year we have purchased homes in the following areas:

• Higham fields – 5 new 2-bedroomed houses for affordable rent
• Shirland – 4 new 1-bedroomed houses for affordable rent
• Calow - 9 new houses - 8 x 1-bedroomed houses and 1 x 2-bedroomed house.

Whiteleas Avenue, North Wingfield

The Whiteleas started on site in September 2023.

The first new properties will be handed over by the developers in July 2024. 70 new homes 48 for affordable rent and 22 will be sold on the open market.

Stonebroom - 77 new two-bedroom bungalows

Subject to planning permission, 77 new two bedroom bungalows will replace the old pre-fabricated bungalows at Stonebroom.

We have taken on board the views and needs of people who live in the bungalows to shape the options we are proposing for redevelopment.

Following consultation with the tenants we have undertaken short term works until the redevelopment works can commence. This has included works to defective windows, mastic seals and improved security.

The redevelopment works is scheduled to start in 2024/25.

Equality Objective 1: Improve Accessibility of Services (Equality)

• We have delivered training to staff and contractors that need to undertake equality impact assessments to ensure that customers' vulnerabilities are fully considered when delivering services
• The Tenant Scrutiny Panel commenced their review of the new website including accessibility checks in December 2023. They will report their findings in 2024.

Equality Objective 2: Support people to live independently and sustain their tenancy (Equality)

• Our Business Plan 2023/27 sets a target to deliver 400 new homes. We are on course to deliver against this target - to date the total number of approved homes through new build and buy backs is 276
• We have supported NEDDC to review its Adaptations Policy. The updated policy will ensure consistency of service delivery and provide more support and advocacy to help applicants consider different routes to secure applications.

Equality Objective 3: Support all customers to shape service delivery (Inclusion)

• We have promoted the complaints service on the website and through Your Rykneld to ensure that everyone can make a formal complaint. We have confirmed compliance with the Housing Ombudsman Services Complaint Handling Code to ensure the service provided meets best practice
• Your Scrutiny Team continue to undertake reviews of service areas and make recommendations to the Board to improve services. 2023/24’s projects included customer satisfaction with the Contact Centre and the Lettable Standard.

Equality Objective 4 – Support and promote the diversity of Communities and Rykneld Homes (Diversity)

• The Community Involvement Team have delivered events including summer holiday projects for children and young people, funded by the Government’s Holiday Activity Fund.
  These included:
  • Eckington
  • Stonebroom
  • Mickley
  • Renishaw
  • North Wingfield
  • Holmgate.
• We delivered a Kurling tournament in Eckington suitable for customers with limited mobility, tea dances aimed at elderly customers and two ‘Share the Warmth’ events aimed at giving out donated winter clothing to families. We’ve also attended community market days and galas, run cooking sessions and clean ups.

Service Delivery Expenditure 2023/24

The expenditure to provide all services was £11,943,962. This includes Repairs and Maintenance, Housing Management and Customer Services.

The chart below gives more detail about the service areas that the (Revenue Budget) covers and the breakdown between the main service areas. You can find more information including the Final Accounts and Financial Statements on the key documents page of the Rykneld Homes website.

Repairs and Maintenance - 58%
Includes: gas, electrical servicing and Health and Safety

Neighbourhood Services - 30%
Includes: Anti Social Behaviour, estate management, rent collection and Choice Move

Customer Services - 12%
Includes: Call Centre, Community Involvement, website, IT and communications.

Operational Group Board - A Customer Perspective

Our Operational Group Board (OGB) is made up of Rykneld Homes (RH) customers, who come together throughout the year. They meet with RH members of staff to learn about how the organisation is performing and give their input on proposed service improvements.

Service Standards

Our biggest consultation this year was all about RH’s Service Standards. It asked customers to tell us which services were most important to them. We received 644 responses to the survey and this information is being used to help us create a new set of standards, so they match up to what our customers care about the most.

The new service standards that come out of this process will be promoted to customers in 2024/25.

Key Themes and Achievements

This year the group have focussed on a range of key areas and have helped RH departments across the organisation develop and instil a number of policies and working documents. These have included:

Policies

• Repairs Policy
• Delivering Services to Vulnerable People Policy
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
• Business Plan
• Customer Annual Report
• Damp Mould and Condensation Policy.

Consultations

• Service Standards
• Consultation Website and Home Contents Insurance
• Performance Workshop
• Permanent and Temporary Moves.

The OGB works closely with other involvement groups, including the Your Scrutiny Panel and the Digital Involvement Group (DIG).

The DIG is made up of over 300 customers, who receive regular online surveys from RH. These surveys help RH to canvas customer views so we can continuously improve our services.

Your Scrutiny Team

The Your Scrutiny Team (YST) is a group made up of customer volunteers who come together regularly to investigate how RH is performing in specific areas of the business. They conduct detailed research and write up a report with recommendations for service improvements. This report is then provided to the Board, who provide feedback on the recommendations and ensure those that are accepted are enacted.

Key Themes and Achievements

Lettable Standard

The Scrutiny Panel investigated if RH’s current Lettable Standard is still suitable and relevant for customers.

It was identified that the Lettable Standard should be considered a good example of best practice countrywide but there is always room for improvement.

The Panel made 11 recommendations to RH Board with nine of these being accepted.

These included:

• Transfer inspections will now be carried out by the Housing Officers and Surveyors so it can be agreed at the inspection if the floor coverings can be left in the property. This training is now being delivered to RH staff
• Satisfaction Surveys will be revisited between 3–6 months after the customer has moved into the property so the customer has more time to reflect on their experience and condition of their new home
• Specifications for individual works will be made available to customers upon request
• More advice about damp and mould will be included in the revised version of the Lettable Standard.

Contact Centre Satisfaction

The Panel reviewed how Contact Centre performance compared to other similar organisations. The always high performing Customer Advice Support Team delivered excellent service to customers and the methodology of how it captures its satisfaction data is well executed. The Panel made three recommendations to Board and all were accepted:

• Implementation of new ways of gathering satisfaction data from calls, such as an automated survey at the end of the customers call and a text message survey to a sample of customers who called that day
• A new Customer Satisfaction Policy to be implemented
• Rykneld Homes will consider a recognised accreditation for the Contact Centre.

The Work Plan 2024/25 will include:

• Revisiting reporting a repair
• Health and Safety in properties
• Estate Standards.