CPB meeting notes 2022

October 2022 meeting notes

Operational dashboard - quarter two

Repairs and servicing performance:

• Routine repairs are below target but improving. Silva aims to get back on target in the current quarter.
• There is a reduced target for kitchen and bathroom refurbishments as the programme is 7 months rather than 12 months. If rapid progress is made and the contractor is ahead then the next programme may be brought forward.
• Voids are below target, mainly due to hard-to-let independent living properties. Silva hopes that this will be resolved by coming to an agreement with the local authority to change the current nominations agreement, enabling just one bidding round to take place within the local area before going outside the area for the next round.
• Improvement should be achieved as two new operatives are joining the gas team, with a very proactive HR team working on filling the other vacant roles. Repairs required did not reduce during the summer period and there is a winter plan in place to help manage the increased repairs required.
• Quite a few customers were taking the option to have their boiler serviced early, enabling Silva to smooth out the servicing through the year and concentrate on repairs and emergencies in the winter quarters.
• Pre-void inspections are being carried out, but sometimes properties are not left clear which adds to the work required.

Tenancy, rents, finance and estates performance:

• ASB cases appear low and the team are checking that any cases have been reported properly.
• Arrears is slightly out of target. A lot of this can be attributed to timing as on the first of each month the regular direct debit payments are received. The revenue team are looking for any particular trends. It has been noticed that customers who previously paid all their rent are slowly building up arrears, they are choosing to pay a proportion of their rent but allocating the rest of their income for other living costs and food. The team is looking to see how we can support these customers.
• The hardship fund data was not available. £2,600 had been used in the quarter, mostly with one-off purchases such as a washing machine, beds for children, fridge freezer. Not many requests had been made for heating vouchers. A report would come to the next meeting on how the hardship fund was helping people to move home.
• The website wording will be tweaked so that people realise that the hardship fund can be used for compassionate items, not just white goods.
• All blocks are inspected every two months by estates, and the tenancy team review 16 areas per month, Silva will look at the issues at Gleneagles house, and consider putting a ramp in instead of steps where empty areas could be used for bicycle storage.

Customer contact performance:

• The customer hub is still a fairly new team, with a lot to learn. The final vacancy has been filled, with a new customer manager and assistant manager also now in place.
• Following reports of hour-long waiting times on the phone Silva will investigate alternative options, maybe allowing customers to register for a callback.
• Service for complaints is good. Requests for repairs can not be dealt with in the same way as responses to complaints as this would mean employing a lot more colleagues which would not be cost-effective for Silva. The responses to complaints comply with the housing ombudsman standards, this is a different team and they look into each individual situation.
• If a complaint is repeated, the dedicated team will ensure that items are not being dealt with elsewhere with multiple responses.
• Calls should be logged so that colleagues can see if customers have called in previously, and notes should be added to the system. The new CRM system will deal with this more efficiently in time.
• Email response times will be included in future, Silva is working with its phone system provider to get this data.

Customer insight report

Silva presented the customer insight report, which looked at performance and trends for complaints and compliments received, and any insight gained from transactional customer surveys in Q2:

• An array of different repairs are triggering complaints, with an increased number of complaints received. All complaints were responded to and acknowledged within target.
• There were 3 councillor or MP queries received in the quarter and three stage two escalations of complaints in the period. All of these were responded to within target.
• There were no complaints received from the housing ombudsman, although there were 5 enquiries received from them. A complaint raised by the housing ombudsman in Q1 was closed and found in Silva's favour.
• The main themes for complaints were the time taken to deal with repair issues and the lack of communication whilst these were being dealt with. Whilst a new solution to manage customer repair updates is explored, Silva will agree on a process to ensure that regular updates on customer repairs are put in place.
• Responses to satisfaction surveys are seeing good results. Live chat satisfaction needs to improve, and this is being looked at.
• Call quality monitoring has now started within the Hub and an update will be included in the Q3 customer insight report.
• The team are continuously working with the system provider (8x8) to resolve reoccurring issues with email contact to prevent delays in email responses.

Customer perception survey action plan update

Silva updated the CPB on the progress it has made with the action plan:

• As a result of feedback, there has been a change in how customer events are held.
• Customer transactional surveys have been increased and more insight has been gained. More will be done with neighbourhood satisfaction surveys, patch inspections will be carried out and customers will be made aware of service standards, as well as raising awareness of recycling options.
• The customer service coaching programme started with the customer hub. All advisors have had calls listened to with feedback on what went well and what could be improved in order to maintain consistency. This programme will move on to those with a high volume of calls such as income revenue and planners. It will also extend to reviewing emails from departments such as tenancy to ensure customer service and consistency. Since this programme had been put in place an improvement in satisfaction with calls to the hub had been seen.
• Another phase of the customer service coaching programme is to work side by side with all front-line colleagues going out to customer homes and within the community. There will be a couple of days of training in the office and then the coach will go out with the colleague for half a day to see them in action and write up some feedback as a result.

The key points from the discussion with the CPB included:

• The company providing the training has experience in customer service, not necessarily with housing associations.
• Silva will ensure that customers know to expect the coach will be accompanying our colleagues and what to expect.
• Silva will survey a percentage of customers to see how the visit impacted them.
• This will be trialled with a limited number of customers initially.
• This is not a tick-box monitoring programme, the coaches will focus on what is being done well, and anything that needs improvement will be discussed.
• Whilst there has been inconsistency in the retention rate of colleagues throughout the pandemic, over a three-year period turnover has been at a level at which you would expect it to be.

Feedback from the leaseholder event

Sivla held a customer event for leaseholders at South Hill Park in September. Representatives from Silva included colleagues from the leasehold team, planned works to talk about Hambleden Court and Hurley Court, repairs, finance, and Bell Group. 82 customers attended, with common queries coming up, that information will be put onto the internet ensuring people have access to that information in future. The event was very positive with an 85% satisfaction rate.

Feedback from the customer event

An event for all customers was held at The Coppid Beech Hotel.

Attendees were colleagues from Silva such as repairs, planned works, income, and tenancy, as well as representatives from Bracknell Forest Council and the DWP.

The event was well received but the customer numbers in attendance were low with 32 coming along. The event was useful as some issues were able to be sorted out.

Customer events are currently on pause whilst we think about the best way to engage with customers in person throughout the year.

The following points were discussed by the CPB:

• Suggested promoting the ability to book repairs on the spot.
• Consider two events a year, one that's social and one that's formal with presentations and speakers.
• Clement House residents were very happy with their roof shading.
• Clement House does have a mix of tenure, with some leaseholders and some renters. It is noted that a lot of carers are coming and going, making it difficult to assess a resident's level of care and ask them to move on, this is intended to be a community and not a care home.
• Silva is currently making a film to publicise what independent living looks like now as it has changed a lot recently.
• There is a ring-fenced position on the CPB for a member from independent living. They have a quarterly resident meeting at each scheme so customers do get the opportunity to discuss issues particular to their homes.
• It would be useful for CPB members to sit with some of the Silva colleagues at these events so that they can see what sort of issues are being raised.
• These events are notified to all customers in the e-newsletter or printed newsletter, whichever has been opted for by customers.
• There is a newsletter specifically for independent living customers.

Rent paid weeks customer consultation update

There had been a good response rate (263 customers) to the consultation, with the majority of people not in favour of a change. The next largest result was neutral and the minority were in favour, but with a caveat that it would not make a difference to them as they paid monthly.

This consultation had shown Silva that customers who still pay weekly find the rent paid weeks useful, and they help them to budget at certain times of the year.

As a result, the rent paid weeks will remain for those who pay weekly.

As the consultation had been held with all customers, they would all be informed of the decision to keep the rent paid weeks.

Garage estate plan update

Silva summarised the objectives of the garage programme, which had made progress since the last time it had been discussed at this meeting. Void garages will be made lettable by repointing brickwork, replacing or installing gutterings and repairing or replacing doors and roofs.

A number of void garages had been brought back into lettable condition and 95 void garages have been let so far during the financial year.

All garage sites have been assessed, some will be refurbished and some will be redeveloped as new housing.

The following points were discussed by the CPB:

• Silva has been in touch with Bracknell Forest Council regarding the garages at Dukes Hill, in view of their condition and public safety it is important to trace the owners of these garages and make them safe.
• It has proven difficult to trace the owners of some garages, but the team is doing all it can.
• Garages that are being repaired and refurbished will remain the same size. Silva is reviewing garages site-by-site to see if they can be reconfigured.
• Some of the garages have space in front to park, and these can be charged for at a higher premium. Similarly, some garages are slightly bigger and can command an increased rent.
• A lot of the garages are not dry enough or provide enough security for Silva to be able to divide them up and rent them out as storage units.

The possibility of battery garages is being looked into, they are cost-effective and if the surface is suitable a new site can be built in a couple of weeks. These may result in fewer garages being provided, but being wider and more suited to modern-day cars.

Planned works update

Planned works are primarily in place to make sure people are safe in their homes ahead of any planned maintenance programmes.

The main areas of work for compliance are fire, legionella, electric, gas, asbestos and lifts.

Fire – a lot of work has been carried out recently, ensuring fire risk assessments are completed and resulting fire remedial works.

Legionella – this is the safe management of water, checking the temperature, risk assessing, and making sure that there are no serious outbreaks of Legionella.

Electric – Silva ensures every property has an electrical installation condition report, which is required every five years. As the programme was started with all properties requiring a report, this will be smoothed out so that inspections are spread throughout the year and will start again in two to three years. Crystal Electronics carry out this work.

Gas – ensuring all properties with a gas boiler have a gas safety certificate annually, contract with Faulkners to replace out-of-date boilers, and servicing is carried out by the in-house Silva team.

Asbestos – planned works has sent three or four thousand letters out to people who have asbestos in their homes, indicating how to manage it. There is a regular programme of surveying and if necessary, it can be removed safely. Some of our in-house repairs team have the qualifications to safely remove some types of asbestos. Going forward asbestos is being removed where possible so that we can cut down on the inspection programme.

Lifts – these are passenger lifts primarily in independent living and taller buildings.

Silva shared photographs of some work undertaken lately. This included:

• The underground sprinkler system at Point Royal, sealing around pipework to stop the spread of smoke, providing certification for work carried out, improving emergency lighting with LEDs to provide better visibility in case of fire and servicing, or installing secure door entry systems.
• At Clement House, an independent living site, roof shading had been provided on the atrium to make this area cooler in the summer.
• The communal areas at the independent living site, Liscombe House, have been redecorated and refreshed with an updated lobby area, corridors, and hair salon.
• Iveagh Court, with 102 flats, has had a complete refurbishment, with new door entry systems, enclosed walkways, new doors and windows, and extensive internal fire stopping.
• Currently underway is the provision of new hot water cylinders in all flats and showers over baths. There are still some damp and mould issues to deal with, these are being monitored and addressed as they are brought to our attention.
• The Boyd Court refurbishment is planned, including modern storage heaters, new mechanical ventilation, general updates to the estate, more internal work and new entrance designs. It is expected that the contractor, Equans, will be on-site in January to begin work.
• The Hambleden Court and Hurley Court refurbishment will include covering the building with external wall insulation, installing new windows, a new door entry system, decorating communal areas and carrying out fire remedial works. These are blocks of flats with half being leasehold. The proposal is currently in consultation with customers. It will be costly for private owners and we are able to repurchase some of these properties.
• Point Royal is currently being assessed on whether the windows need replacing, and scoping the project if so. This is a listed building and the planners will dictate what sort of replacements will be acceptable.
• 200 kitchens and 100 bathrooms will be installed by a new contractor (CLC).
• 120 roof replacements have been completed, but there are still some to do, which are being completed by Milestone.
• A new programme of boiler installations is being planned with Faulkners, new technology is being discussed including things like hydrogen-ready systems.
• Year one of a programme of cyclical decorations for external and internal works on Great Hollands has been placed with Axis Europe.
• Silva is also considering decarbonisation, getting an understanding of the stock and it’s performance, with a view to retrofitting to make it more energy efficient. Anything we do needs to be a long-term solution.
• Other projects being worked on by planned works include a more structured approach to cases of damp and mould, clearance of gutters, preventing pigeons from nesting in solar panels, promoting and understanding solar panels, giving people access in a structured way to install broadband, and reviewing small land sales.

August 2022 meeting notes

Customer annual report draft

Silva presented the proposed annual report to customers.

The key points to note are:

Front page

• Currently includes a stock photo, which may be changed to a Silva-specific one.

Repairs and safety

• Committing to visit every property experiencing damp and mould. Should not just be a visit, but also a promise to take appropriate action.

Living with us

• Include information at the end of the report on the contact information for Citizens Advice Bureau.

Complaints and resolutions

• Add yellow subtext to the heading.
• Consider making the top percentage information titles clearer so that people don’t try to total them up to 100%.

Independent living

• Change the wording of the first sentence with regard to the refurbishment at Liscombe House, not so many ‘completes’.

Silva strategic priorities

• Whilst we note the point about referring to affordable housing, this wording is part of our established strategic plan and cannot be changed.

Back page

• Consider what additional contact information can be included.

The CPB agreed with the proposed annual report to customers with amends as reviewed in the meeting.

Rent paid weeks

Silva presented a report outlining the proposed customer consultation method about rent paid weeks and asked CPB if they had any comments.

Legal advice had been sought and customers will need to sign off on a change to their tenancy, however, this consultation is about asking customers what they think about the principal of removing the two rent paid weeks.

The following points were made:

• It was acknowledged that approximately 1,000 customers would be affected as they pay their rent weekly, however, all customers would be consulted.
• The data will be considered in light of how many people respond overall, and how many of those people pay their rent weekly.
• The timescale would be increased by a further week to allow responses to the consultation in view of the fact that it falls over the holiday period.
• The letter will be reviewed to make it simpler and easier to understand.
• Once the consultation results have been reviewed a decision on whether or not to remove the rent paid weeks will be made. If there are any people who do not want to stop paying rent weekly then Silva will have to consider the legal implications at the time.
• The feedback from the consultation will be shared with CPB at the October meeting.

July 2022 meeting notes

Operational performance and customer insight

The key points to note are:

• A reduced number of emergency repairs were reported and were all carried out on time.
• Routine repair numbers increased and these are still not meeting the target. With 6 vacancies in the repairs team currently, a focused recruitment drive is in place.
• A new kitchens and bathrooms contractor is currently being onboarded, a delay in finding a suitable contractor has caused this programme to run behind
• Disappointing voids figures were reported in quarter one, but Silva has worked through the backlog and is expecting to see improved performance in quarter two.
• Following a discussion regarding new customers, it was agreed that upon viewing, if there was anything they wanted to keep in the property they can let us know and voids will be notified accordingly. As long as the installation is safe then it will remain.
• Whilst there was an increase in ASB cases reported there were no particular trends emerging.
• There has been a strong performance on arrears and colleagues are aware of challenges facing customers such as the cost-of-living crisis and increased heating costs. The team is providing support to make claims where entitled and doing more than just cash collecting.
• It was pointed out that the chase-up letter for non-payment of rent comes out very quickly, a review of the account would have saved the time and cost of sending that letter as the account has never been in arrears.
• There are some good case studies from the hardship fund. The Charis service will be able to be used shortly once the lengthy due diligence process has been completed.
• However, the narrative on the hardship fund seems to indicate that whilst the cases were identified in quarter four, the payments were not made until quarter one. Silva will look into this.
• The hardship fund will be publicised, with customers having the ability to make an application on the website.
• Block inspections are behind but have highlighted issues with standards of cleaning. This may be due to the timing of the inspection, so it will be adjusted. An action plan has been put in place to improve where issues have been noticed.
• Discussion on cleaning standards confirmed that customers can have more cleaning in communal areas if required but it does come at a cost. Areas which indicate dissatisfaction will be offered additional services if they are prepared to pay. Types of flooring should also be considered as some can look dirty immediately after they have been cleaned.
• Tree safety is 100% compliant and they are inspected according to risk and categorised high, medium or low based on their age, size and location. Tree safety will be put on the forward planner for a presentation by Ed Faherty.
• Silva will not be planting additional trees or replacing any, but some customers have said that would like to help water and maintain trees once they have been planted, so that is being considered.
• Incoming calls answered are below target, there have been resource issues with team members moving to other opportunities within the business. The team is now at full capacity with a new manager starting on 1 August and a new assistant manager towards the end of August. Silva expects performance to improve in this area as a result.
• Complaints acknowledged are below target with issues caused by not notifying resolution within the timescale. Stage one and two complaints are within target.

Customer insight report

The key points are:

• Complaints have increased, with all but two responded to within target.
• Repairs and servicing have the greatest number of complaints, however, the number of these coming in has dropped.
• Councillor and MP enquiries had increased in the quarter but had all been responded to in time.
• There had been eight complaints escalated to stage two and all were responded to within the target of 20 days. No cases were received from the ombudsman, but they did make a couple of enquiries.
• Customers are mainly complaining because we are not responding quickly enough to issues, they are not being followed up, and there are still damp and mould problems being reported.
• There are also frustrations around repairs, where there are incidences of an initial visit which is not followed up.
• Weekly meetings are carried out to review current complex complaints cases and we are getting much better at dealing with these.
• Silva has received a good response rate to transactional surveys with an 85.28% satisfaction score resulting.
• Communal cleaning transactional surveys indicate a lot of dissatisfaction, which could be due to customers not being aware of when cleaning will be happening.
• Repairs' overall satisfaction rate is at 90% which is very good.
• Satisfaction with the customer hub sees the average brought down by emails, with an overall result of 68%.
• The hub satisfaction rate will be reviewed again in the next quarter, the target is for 90% of incoming calls answered and all emails should be responded to within 48 hours.
• Silva is already seeing an improvement in the quality of conversations following the start of the quality monitoring work.

Transactional surveys

Silva proposes to carry out some new transactional surveys, starting with new homes (lettings), anti-social behaviour (ASB), and resolution. The CPB gave its thoughts on the surveys and recommended some changes to the proposed questions.

Silva will report on the initial findings after 6 months worth of data to allow for trends to be identified.

Complaints annual in-depth analysis

The key points were raised:

• Whilst Silva did not meet its own target for a couple of the responses, we still responded in line with the Housing Ombudsman complaint code.
• There were 149 compliments received and these were split between repairs and the hub.
• No Housing Ombudsman complaints were received, although they did make seven enquiries, six of these support current customer complaints, and the other one resulted in a new complaint being raised.
• One of the stage 2 complaints took 45 days to resolve, but this timescale was agreed upon with the customer due to the complexity of the case.
• The biggest driver for complaints is damp and mould and the time taken to resolve issues and the lack of response. The dates that these complaints have come in do indicate some seasonality.

The CPB commented that:

• The amount paid out by Silva in claims was less than last year, each is dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and compensation is only paid in case of a genuine claim with significant service failing.
• Customers will go directly to an MP or councillor to make a complaint, sometimes it is to get a repair done, and sometimes it is because they disagree with our approach. They can be used as an advocate and in some cases have supported us in explaining the issue to the customer. There can be an increase in these types of queries during an election campaign when people are out canvassing
• Informal complaints are recorded on the system

Customer perception survey action plan update

Silva presented the progress it has made with the customer satisfaction action plan. Each action has an executive board owner, and the progress is reviewed monthly by the executive board and quarterly by the CPB and board.

The key points raised were:

• Progress had been made, particularly with the complex case review which is held on a regular basis. This is starting to change ways of working and is helping sort out some of the wider issues Silva faces.
• A big step forward has been to enable customers to add photographs to requests for work.
• Customer communications with Silva's estates teams working in communal areas has improved.
• The garage team will be put on the forward planner to come and talk at a CPB meeting. They have an action to get 300 more garages back into service this year. The current waiting list is around 500.
• The plan for quarters two and three is for repairs to return to a 20-day target, the customer coaching programme to be launched, and our estates team will trial parking sites with the council and create its own customer action plan.

The CPB had the following comments:

• The CPB was pleased to see the action plan and the progress made so far.
• The CPB understood that some of the dates for items to be completed were to ensure that the right decisions were made for customers in the long run.
• It was suggested that the action plan could be ordered by the completion date, which Silva will look into.

Feedback from the customer event 6 July 2022

Silva asked for feedback from the CPB about the customer drop-in event:

• The repairs team took a laptop and were booking repairs at the meeting which was well received.
• More seating should be available for certain sections.
• Silva should look into hosting smaller, targeted events.
• Overall this was thought to be a really good opportunity to talk to customers.

Damp and mould working group

Silva had been looking at the Housing Ombudsman report called: 'Spotlight on damp and mould', which made 26 recommendations for housing associations to adopt to change the practice of how they manage cases of damp and mould for their customers. From these, Silva put together an action plan to improve how it manages cases of damp and mould.

The CPB will have the opportunity to look at the full policy and procedure in the future.

When a complaint about damp or mould is received, an appointment will be made for someone to go out and have a look within 10 days to establish a course of action. There will be increased training within teams, better equipment provided to measure the issues, and recording with sensors which provide information on humidity, ventilation and damp within the home.

Another aspect is to improve communications and be more empathetic to reflect the Housing Ombudsman's tone. There is also something around using communications differently, and putting self-help videos etc. onto the website to help customers.

The CPB made the following comments:

• Silva needs to deal with the customers' expectations and make it clear to them straight away what is being done to help. Also that the customer does have responsibilities and ventilation is key.
• Some properties have not been provided with adequate ventilation systems, especially new builds. Silva does issue dehumidifiers and will offer contributions to running these, heated airers are also good solutions for drying clothes.
• Any work towards an ESG certification takes into account damp and mould.
• The CPB members liked the idea of the videos as these are much easier and quicker to understand than written procedures.

Wild areas and biodiversity

Silva explained why it is re-wilding areas within its estates:

• It fits in with regular maintenance schedules.
• It reverses the loss of biodiversity.
• It helps with local wildlife and pollinators.
• It introduces more colour to estates.

Paths will be mown in what seems to be the most logical route for people, enabling access to garden gates and natural routes. There will also be other paths in the larger areas which will be adjusted if it is noticed that those initially mown are not useful.

The areas chosen are large open areas with low footfall that need regenerating to enhance the areas for people and wildlife.

Once the scheme is up and running Silva will install better signs that are nicer to look at as well as informative. There is already a map on the website that people can click on and see the areas included within the biodiversity scheme.

Bird boxes and bat boxes using recycled wood will also be built. Any fallen wood will not be cleared if it is not in the way of anything, it may just be stacked more neatly and will provide a useful habitat for wildlife.

To prepare the wild area for the following year, they will be cut down at the end of July or the beginning of August, left for a couple of weeks for the seed to crop and then cleared. 

Silva agreed to look into an alternative for using weed spray to suppress the grass. Yellow rattle is included in the seed mix which does discourage grass from growing.

The first area around flats to be re-wilded is Campion House. Silva will consider how customers can suggest suitable areas and volunteers get involved with some of the seasonal litter picking, raking or re-seeding.

A visit to a couple of these re-wilded areas will be put onto the forward planner.

Customer charter update

The customer charter had been reviewed and was fit for purpose.

One thing had been noted with regard to the statement ‘providing homes that are safe and well managed’, which falls now in the home and neighbourhoods charter, rather than the customer charter. Silva proposes to change the statement to ‘creating safe and well-managed communities’ instead.

The CPB agreed with this suggestion.

May 2022 meeting notes

Health and safety

Silva's goals for health and safety include: improving customer engagement, improving communication, and enabling concerns to be raised easily.

The following points were raised

• Damp and mould: Silva's damp and mould working group is a group of colleagues looking at how to deal with this issue proactively rather than reactively.
• Definitions: health and safety encompasses a lot of issues that people don't necessarily think about.
• Welcome packs: a separate, health and safety pack detailing what to look our for, what is a health and safety issue, first steps. Silva should consider issuing this booklet to all customers annually.
• Magnets: key information should be put on to a fridge magnet, or a magnetic card for easy access.
• Extension leads: provide guidance to people in old homes on safe ways to increase access to electrical sockets, without linking up several extension leads.
• Social media: use social media to provide small graphics and clips of health and safety information.
• Reporting: Include an annual health and safety report at CPB meetings. This should include information on asbestos, how many homes have it and how many have had it removed. Should also include a report from the damp and mould working group.
• Communication: Ensure to always clearly explain what Silva is asking people to do and why.
• Website: Include information on the home page of the Silva website for health and safety.
• Safety checks: access to customer properties in order to carry out safety checks should be more flexible with timings, people work so evening and weekend appointments should be offered. Shorter timescales for waiting in for appointments should also be offered. There should be a penalty for not allowing access and costs to customers should be highlighted at customer events.

Silva strategy progress

The CPB is updated every 6 months on the progress of Silva's business strategy.

The following points were raised:

• The CPB is concerned with two of the themes. Customer and communities and existing homes, neighbourhoods and building safety.
• Following the customer survey, Silva put together an action plan to address issues, some of these are already detailed within the strategies and have been dealt with, or their timescale for completion has been brought forward.
• Some supply issues are being affected by the war in Ukraine, whether it is availability or cost. We do not source our power from any of the affected areas and we fixed the prices of gas and electricity until 2024. We are affected by the cost of fuel to run the fleet of vehicles. Cyber security is also a concern.
• The coaching programme for all front-line colleagues has been delayed due to the availability of a suitable service provider for the coaching. We are currently considering taking on a coach and training them in our requirements. Progress is being made with phone quality monitoring and the team has been recruited.
• Silva has appointed a customer service designer who is mapping out the touchpoints for customers initially looking at follow on repairs, lettings and section 20 consultations.
• Supply chain issues – these are not always the same, it is a constant challenge, with different things not always available and all prices rising.
• Boyd Court work is due to start and effective communication has already been carried out.
• The Point Royal sprinkler system is being added to, with a system being installed into the car park under the building.

Emerging consumer regulations

Silva is already compliant with most of the proposed consumer regulation changes, and has a clear path to meet the remainder.

The following points were discussed:

• Ensure that people purchasing shared ownership properties understand they are taking responsibility for payment of all of the maintenance. This communication does take place when people purchase a home including affordability assessments
• An independent advisor could be made available to people considering buying their home, whether through shared ownership, right to buy or right to acquire.

Housing ombudsman complaint handling code

Self-assessment against the Housing ombudsman complaint handling code is now required annually, and must be published on the website.

The CPB had been provided with the report that was going to the Risk and Compliance Committee the following week and which would be going to the Board in June for assurance. Silva has assessed itself against all parts of the code whether mandatory or recommended and was found to comply with all relevant parts.

Annual report for customers

The CPB was shown the annual report to refresh their memory of what was included, before it was asked for suggestions for the next one.

The main points discussed were:

• Last year was a good clear document
• It needs to be accessible
• Send out information using different channels, giving people the opportunity to view it on various social platforms, indicate likes etc.
• Incorporate into a video on the website
• Use the 8 strategic principles to frame the report and use this as an ongoing vehicle for consistency.

The CPB will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed report in the July meeting.

Customer event - ideas and formats

The following points about the previous customer event were raised:

• Silva needs to be clear about the purpose of the events.
• If you are having an open event, have a private room for people to be able to voice their complaints, rather than involving the whole meeting.
• Have less talking at people and more talking with them, in an open forum.
• Getting people involved will encourage more questions and discussion.
• Complaints need to be turned into a positive rather than a negative, ask people how they would like to see something resolved.
• If people want to complain have a complaints clinic with set time slots for people to book.
• Hold fun social events.
• Hold small community events to foster community spirit with the tenancy support and estates team from that area in attendance.
• Summer of fun – social and informative.
• Live stream events.
• Don’t provide a buffet meal, just tea and cake.

Kitchen and bathroom contract

The CPB was shown the recently procured kitchen and bathroom contract. Customers will be given choices prior to their kitchen or bathroom being installed and the specification will meet the decent homes standard.

The CPB thought this was very positive, and liked that people could have an influence on how they wanted their homes to look. Some before and after pictures should be taken, along with getting quotes from customers about how they were involved, how the work went and whether were they happy with the result.

April 2022 meeting notes

Customer perception survey action plan

The CPB was informed that:

Silva created an action plan from the results of the customer perception survey, with aims for improvement in three key areas:

• Repairs.
• Customer service.
• Neighbourhoods.

The following points were discussed:

• The timescales are ambitious and should not be shared with customers. The timescales are not necessarily for when the issues will be fixed, but are about what is needed to make a start and what can be done now to make a difference.
• There should be a consistent service level for teams to respond, and if someone says that they are going to do something they are accountable and it should be done or followed up if dealt with elsewhere.
• Repair times will be trialled offering different times of day and working patterns will be added to the action plan.
• Issues with damp and mould will be dealt with immediately by an assessor’s visit, rather than going through lifestyle questions.
• Operatives should have the ability to make small purchases to enable parts for repairs rather than delaying and taking a repair over the agreed timescale.
• Progress with the action plan will be fed back to CPB as part of the quarterly reporting.

Homes and neighbourhoods charter

Silva presented the CPB with the proposed homes and neighbourhoods charter:

This sets out the minimum standards we expect our properties and neighbourhoods to meet, in a customer-friendly way. This charter is just about assets, not the broader community. There are three themes, safe and secure, well-maintained, and sustainable.

The following points were discussed:

• There is a tree inspection programme and they will be inspected according to risk assessment. A tree will not be replanted if it falls and a tree contractor deals with any waste wood.
• Cyclical repairs are dealt with according to how long on average each component should last. A proposed programme is put together to replace a certain number of components on an annual basis, these are surveyed and an exact programme is put in place.

Customer insight report

Silva received 23 complaints in the quarter which was a decrease on the previous one. All of these had been acknowledged within target, but one had been out of time for the final response.

The survey against recent transactions returned an 85.6% satisfaction rate.

Reasons for dissatisfaction revealed that 33% of respondents were not sure of the next steps with regard to repairs, this links to the action plan from the annual survey and we need to be able to keep customers updated.

The following points were discussed:

• Damp and mould is in the general trade category on My Silva, would it be worthwhile to separate it? This will be investigated along with considering how best to enable customers to report this whether it is on My Silva or not.
• Live chat scores are very different scores to email, this is an area that will be examined. Email surveys have only just launched and we will be considering the speed and quality of response, as the functionality of the hub develops the transactional surveys will increase.

Annual complaints analysis

Silva presented the annual report on complaints with an update on performance in the last year, and outlined the proposals for dealing with complaints, including:

• Putting together template responses
• Carrying out more transactional surveys
• Carrying out service reviews
• Coaching customer-facing teams on a one-to-one basis in their interactions with customers
• Carrying out complex case reviews with departments concerned
• Putting in place an insight and quality team.

Feedback from the customer event

The recent customer event involved a lot of talking ‘at’ customers, but not much engagement. The best part of the evening seemed to be the opportunity during the break and at the end, for customers to talk to colleagues who were in attendance.

Silva will review the way that these events are done and change the format to reach and engage with more customers. This would be something for CPB to contribute to at a future meeting.

Independent living - services and standards

Some of Silva's existing schemes need to be brought up to similar standards as Lawrence Court and Clement House.

Wifi and devices will be provided for communal areas, and where possible computer rooms which had been closed down would look to be reinstated. Access to other types of modern living requirements such as Sky TV, fast networks and future-proofing updating would be reviewed on a scheme-by-scheme basis.

Guest rooms have already been updated, with each one provided with a kettle, microwave and toaster.

Other improvements will be providing tea and coffee in communal areas, games, and all properties will have a key safe for emergency access.

The health and wellbeing team re-launched last year and proved to be a massive success, with some successful entertainment events held. A second health and wellbeing partner will be recruited and will include social prescribing to bring isolated customers in general housing to join in activities.

Transfer incentive scheme review

Historically the transfer incentive scheme had paid an amount per bedroom to customers who downsized properties, freeing up family homes for those in need.

Having reviewed the use of the scheme it was found that only people who were planning to move anyway were claiming these funds.

Those it was set up to attract were not using it and still occupying family homes as their requirements were more to do with support for the move rather than a financial incentive.

Silva proposes to help people in a different manner by providing what they need, whether it is with removals, a handy person help with shelves, flat pack furniture etc.

The voids budget would also be able to help with improving décor from the most basic standard currently provided. The emphasis is on supporting someone to move and making their new house a home, albeit smaller.

The following points were discussed:

• The CPB was concerned that customers could lose out as a result of the transfer incentive scheme being closed down. However, in order to encourage people to move out of a family home, Silva would help more with the move, rather than just giving people a set amount of money.

Customer hardship fund

This year, the intention was to help more customers in need this year as a larger budget had been provided.

The hardship fund is open to all customers now, not just those receiving benefits, or universal credit. Applications are made when there are no other options available and tenancy partners make applications on behalf of customers. They will usually spot people in difficulty whether it is as a result of a visit to them at home, or a dip in paying their rent.

The hardship fund panel meets as often as possible in order to speed things up for customers in need. The main awards tend to be for flooring and other one-off items for the home.

The hardship fund will be reviewed on a quarterly basis and reporting information will be included in the operational performance dashboard.

The following topics were discussed:

• The CPB was concerned with the budget set aside for this fund. The board will review the hardship fund on a quarterly basis will authorise a further release of funds if necessary.
• Case studies will be shared to the CPB to illustrate where the fund helps and the report will be made on a quarterly basis in the operational dashboard.
• The application form will be uploaded and able to be completed digitally.

March 2022 meeting notes

Garage rent increase 2022/2023

Silva outlined the garage rent increases for 2022/2023:

Garages linked to a rental property will see the same increase rate as the property of 4.1% from 1 April 2022. Commercially rented garages will see an increase of £1 per week which is approx. 8%.

This increase will ensure that all work needed on garages can be completed to ensure that the 400 currently void will be made suitable for letting over the course of the Silva strategy.

It will fund a dedicated handyman resource and cover the cost of the materials needed.

To date, there had been no negative feedback on the £1 per week increase from those concerned.

 

A group discussion took place with the following points being highlighted:

• Had the increased cost of materials and decreasing availability of labour been factored in when considering plans for new homes?
  Silva recognised that costs will always increase but informed the CPB that this had been considered this when planning with the available budget.
• Regarding garage disrepair, there is a plan in place to deal with the garages that Silva owns, however, some of the garages are privately owned and it is very hard to enforce any work in that case. There is an active waiting list to rent a garage privately, they are available but in need of repair. With this increase, Silva will have the ability to repair about 150 garages per year.
• The budget for the garages is covered by the £1 per week increase. There are no extra costs. There has been no impact on the budget as no one has cancelled their privately rented garage as a result of this increase.
• The recent storm resulted in two garage sites being damaged. It will not be cost-effective to rebuild these, and they will be pulled down for safety. Planned works are looking at the best way to deal with these.
• An increase of 10% was not thought to be necessary. The proposed increase is 8% and will enable Silva to carry out the work it wants to do.
• Self-store is a much greater cost than renting a garage, however, the garages do not provide the same conditions and security as self-store and we are not advertising them as such.
• Silva will look into the suggestion that garages are removed from the rental agreement when re-let so that they are no longer linked to a certain home.

 

Annual customer perception survey results

Silva reviewed the results of the customer perception survey, focusing on three main areas:

1. Customer experience and change over time on key measures.
2. Customer experience and change over time on performance.
3. Understand the views of different customer groups.

Some of the results included:

• A good response rate had been received, with results from 1,300 customers. The same percentages of types of customers were surveyed to represent the Silva customer base.
• The sector had had challenges over the past year, particularly on repairs and Silva’s results followed these trends.
• It was disappointing that satisfaction with Silva had dropped. This meant that in order to receive better results than last year, we will have to get back to where we were and improve upon it.
• Customer satisfaction with the quality of their homes is stable, but the way that customers feel about Silva is very much led by repairs and is a very great influence depending on whether it is a positive or negative experience.
• Trust has also dropped amongst our homeowner customers.
• A lot of work had gone into changing the service and the work on cleanliness of communal areas, but the satisfaction had not been impacted considering the effort made, this was disappointing.

 

The CPB made the following comments:

• Basic operational delivery is not difficult to get right, but it is difficult to get consistently right, and this is where Silva is failing.
• Customers feel it is hard work to get things done in their homes.

January 2022 meeting notes

Feedback from the board meeting

The CPB was briefed on the December 2021 board meeting. The following points were considered:

• The board will be taking a final look at rent increases and colleague pay.
• New contractors are being procured for roofing work and fire safety remedial work.
• A design guide was approved for new build homes.
• The strategic risk register was reviewed.
• Strategic delivery plans were reviewed and progress will be reported to the CPB soon.
• A joint session with Board and CPB was agreed to hold the business to account.

 

The CPB asked the following question:

• Had the increased cost of materials and decreasing availability of labour been factored in when considering plans for new homes?
  Silva recognised that costs will always increase but informed the CPB that this had been considered this when planning with the available budget.

 

Clement House atrium roof consultation

The CPB was informed that:

• The plastic roof is causing Clement House, one of our independent living schemes, to become unbearably hot during summer.
• Following consultation with experts, it was suggested that a shaded roof would reduce the temperature by up to 10 degrees and prevent heat build-up over time. This was thought to be the best solution.
• Silva proposed to hold informative drop-in sessions for Clement House customers and any questions will be included in an FAQ to be circulated to all customers.

Following a group discussion, the CPB was informed that:

• There is a 10-year warranty and the coating is expected to last for the life of the roof. There would also be no more costs to maintain the coating above regular cleaning that is carried out for the roof anyway.

• There will be no cost to those living in Clement House and no additional costs to those that leaseholders already pay.
• The initial agreement for this building involved different builders and the architect is no longer in business, there is no recourse to go back to the original decision-makers of this design.
• Should the initial shading solution not prove as effective as expected, there are more options to improve the ventilation and apply a different reflective coating to the side areas.
• The reflective coating was not recommended for the main part of the roof but the consultants can be asked about this.
• The energy being built up and producing heat is not able to be harnessed to help with energy costs within the building.

 

Rent increases 2022/2023

Silva informed the CPB about the proposed rent increases for 2022/2023:

• The formula is set by the regulator for all housing associations.
• The impact of inflation is not just on rent but all other bills.
• Silva needs to consider the increase in costs for budgets.
• Housing benefit will cover the increase for some of our customers, of which 57% get full or part housing benefit.
• Silva compared its response with that of the housing industry.
• A hardship fund is in place if people are really struggling and can provide help elsewhere other than paying rent.

• The outcomes of this will be reported to the CPB quarterly.

The following points were raised during a discussion:

• Unless there was an improvement in repairs and service it was not thought fair to charge an increase. There is an understanding of why prices need to increase, but with the changes to national insurance, a lot of people are going to be worse off this year.
• If people start to have difficulty with rent, then there are people within the business who can help see the benefits they may be able to access.
• This is not a way of moving people to smaller homes if they cannot afford a larger one.
• There was a concern for people who are just about managing, maybe going without in order to meet rent and bill payments.
• It is not anticipated that rent arrears will increase if the rental amount is raised, as customers may get an increase in benefits or their own salary, however, the situation will be monitored
• Regulations mean that it would not be possible to delay applying the increase.
• Concern was raised for the 43% of customers who do not receive housing benefits. They will be monitored to try and ensure they are not pushed into hardship or rent arrears.
• Consideration of potential debt has been factored in with the forecast team who are very good at considering costs and income coming in. This can sometimes go down to individual level. A review of the first four months of the year is done, with a re-forecast for the remaining eight months.
• More consideration should be given to the 43% of customers who are not receiving housing benefits as many of them will not get a pay rise, but are
• facing increasing costs on all sides
• Rents have increased for the past two years. However, in the previous four years, there was a decrease, but Silva must move in line with the regulator.
• A lot of people have incurred debt through furlough at 80% pay for the past couple of years, local councils are going to have to pay out more in housing benefits which will in turn prevent them from providing funds to support social services and those in need in the community.

 

Regarding the hardship fund, the CPB was informed that:

• It is used on a case-by-case basis.
• It is signposted by customer relations partners in rent and tenancy. They will assess outgoings and incomings for anyone who is thought could benefit.
• It is for one-off payments and not for the regular payment of rent.
• Silva will look into providing ongoing information to the CPB on the use of the hardship fund.
• Last year, with the agreement of CPB, a donation was made to charity and part of this was to fund an additional person within Citizen’s Advice Bureau. This was not taken up, and consequently, the money has been added to the hardship fund.
• The CPB asked that if the rent is not paid, will that lead to more customers losing their homes? Eviction due to rent arrears is a long process that would only be applied for if someone had not engaged with Silva. Silva has not evicted a customer who has engaged in the last 12 months for non-payment of rent.

 

Operational dashboard

Silva presented performance information in key customer areas for quarter three of the current financial period:

• Emergency repairs were showing good performance with routine repairs dropping below target, but now back to a twenty-day delivery target following the change during the pandemic.

• Planned works improvements are on course to complete as scheduled.

• Minor and major voids have problems in both areas, it is hoped there will be an improvement in quarter 4 as there are remedial actions in place.
• Overall transactional customer satisfaction showed an improvement to the above target in the quarter.
• Anti-social behaviour saw a reduction in cases in the quarter, this is thought to be a seasonal trend.
• Arrears, revenue and surplus all showed good performance and were on track to meet expectations.
• Block inspections had seen some improvements.
• Tree safety, all high-risk inspections had been completed within their target date.
• Incoming calls answered within target time would improve in the next quarter.

 

The CPB asked:

• If someone has a stage two complaint, is it tougher to resolve? Silva said that this is not necessarily true. A specific, complex case caused this to be out of target.

 

Customer insight report – quarter three

Silva presented the quarter three report on customer insight, which includes an overview of formal complaints, how many were responded to within target and what was happening with a late response complaint:

• A group complaint about Iveagh Court had been received and an action plan is in place to deal with this, including clear communications with customers.
• A stage 2 escalation involving the housing ombudsman regarding a complex case was reported. There were a further four enquiries from the Housing Ombudsman where we were already working with customers.
• No new disrepair cases had come through and there was an increase in compliments received.
• Overall the transactional surveys show that customer satisfaction is improving, with complaints trending down. But Silva is working further with teams to understand why complaints are coming in.