"Deliver quality services to residents in a way that is accountable, transparent, and guided by their voice and needs"
In 2023/24, we continued to strengthen our commitment to delivering high-quality services that are accountable, transparent, and responsive to residents' needs. Our focus on resident engagement and service improvement delivered several key achievements >>
Resident Engagement and Satisfaction: We built upon our early adoption of the Together with Tenants initiative and formal Tenants Charter, enhancing our collaboration with residents. The introduction of Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) provided valuable insight into areas requiring improvement, particularly in listening to and acting on resident views. In response, we developed and launched new plans in consultation with residents to address these concerns.
Innovative Engagement Approaches: Recognising the challenges of traditional engagement models for our dispersed rural homes, we worked with residents to develop innovative solutions. These new approaches leverage technology and accommodate resident time constraints, focusing on priorities identified by residents themselves.
Enhanced Customer Service: Our services staff have intensified efforts to build upon our customer-oriented approach, with a particular emphasis on increasing visibility and accessibility to residents.
Stock Condition and Investment: A comprehensive stock condition survey completed during the year provided reassurance that our homes are safe and well-maintained. The survey data has been incorporated into our 30-year financial business plan, ensuring appropriate provision for future investment. We've also implemented new software to enhance our approach to planned investment and strategic asset management.
Environmental Upgrades: We paused our environmental upgrade programme to evaluate the success of previous initiatives and explore the most impactful approaches for the future. Significant financial provision has been made for environmental improvements, which will be a central feature of our emerging Sustainability Strategy.
Our commitment to residents goes beyond providing homes; we're dedicated to building a responsive, transparent service that truly reflects the needs and voices of our rural communities.
At English Rural, we're committed to delivering high-quality, resident-focused services that are accountable, transparent, and responsive to the unique needs of our rural communities. Our dedication to value for money ensures we maximise the impact of every pound spent, balancing efficiency with effectiveness to provide affordable homes, maintain our existing properties, and advocate for rural housing needs.
Tenant Satisfaction Measures: For the first time, we collected and analysed Tenant Satisfaction Measures, conducted by an independent third party. While we compared favourably to the sector in many areas, we identified key areas for improvement, including:
Listening and acting on resident views
Value for money relating to service charge costs, particularly ground maintenance
Overall quality of day-to-day repairs services
We have transparently reported these findings to residents and outlined our planned actions in response.
Looking Ahead: As we move forward, our priorities include:
Evolving our resident engagement and involvement activities
Enhancing our understanding of resident viewpoints
Refining our approach to environmental upgrades based on collected data
Expanding and updating our property data and related software systems
Deepening our insight into individual household needs to tailor and enhance our service delivery
We remain committed to continuous improvement in our service delivery, guided by resident feedback and sector best practices.
One of our residents talking to English Rural's President, Sir Peter Dixon at the official opening of our affordable rural homes in Kent.
Our partners at the launch of the Rural Housing Design Guide in Cheltenham
English Rural's approach to Value for Money (VfM) remains central to our strategic ambitions, particularly in the face of ongoing sector challenges. Our VfM Strategy is designed to effectively mobilise and prioritise investment to deliver on our agreed purpose, while simultaneously improving operational efficiency.
To measure our success, we utilise a set of performance indicators within our "Business Health Dashboard," which is considered each month and reviewed at each board meeting.
These indicators encompass both financial and non-financial outcomes, providing a comprehensive view of our VfM performance against our strategic ambitions.
Key focus areas for our VfM approach include:
New Supply Delivered: We remain committed to adding new affordable homes in rural communities, addressing the ongoing housing crisis.
Operating Margin: We strive to improve our underlying efficiency to support debt levels and ensure sufficient funds for long-term investment.
Reinvestment: We continue to invest in both existing and new homes, balancing the need for maintenance and growth.
Environmental Performance: We've set ambitious targets for improving the energy efficiency of our homes, aiming for EPC C ratings across our stock by 2029.
Resident Satisfaction: We closely monitor complaints and satisfaction levels to ensure our services meet resident needs.
Advocacy: We maintain our commitment to being a leading voice for affordable rural housing, recognising the value this brings to our sector and residents.
In these uncertain economic times, our focus on value for money is more critical than ever, driving us to make smart, strategic decisions that balance efficiency with the quality of homes and services our rural communities deserve.
In line with the Regulator of Social Housing's VfM Standard, we report on a range of defined measures. These, alongside our bespoke metrics, offer stakeholders insight into our efficiency and effectiveness in delivering our strategic ambitions. Our performance is benchmarked against sector figures and comparable providers, providing context to our results.
English Rural's Housing Managers, Luke Versteeg, chatting with residents at one of our developments in Kent.
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Evolution of resident engagement and involvement activity
Better understanding of resident viewpoint from Tenant Satisfaction Measures
Enhanced intelligence on most effective environmental upgrades
Updated and expanding data on properties and residents
>> Our residents have expressed a desire for more meaningful engagement, seeking channels that allow them to contribute effectively while also gaining clarity on how English Rural acts upon their feedback.
>> While we've made significant strides in data collection on both our properties and residents, continued refinement of this process is crucial to optimise our service delivery and tailor our offerings to meet specific needs.
>> Achieving our ambitious target of EPC C ratings for all homes by 2029 will require innovative, bespoke solutions that address the unique challenges presented by our diverse rural housing stock.
