"Deliver quality services to residents in a way that is accountable, transparent, and guided by their voice and needs"
This year marked a significant step forward in how we engage with and respond to the needs and expectations of our residents. Through the full implementation of our Resident Engagement Strategy, we placed resident perspectives at the centre of decision-making, shaping service delivery based on direct feedback. This structured engagement framework - designed around the priorities identified by residents themselves - has reinforced our accountability and transparency, while deepening our understanding of their needs.
We convened a series of thematic workshops, each focused on critical areas highlighted by our residents, including repairs and contractor performance, complaints, communications and energy efficiency. These workshops proved highly effective, with the diverse participation of residents directly influencing operational improvements. Notably, insights gained from this collaborative approach led to a comprehensive review of our grounds maintenance contracts and a significant overhaul of repairs procurement across all locations, enhancing both service quality and value for money.
Our Resident Scrutiny Panel continued to play an essential role, reviewing broader organisational performance, such as our complaints handling procedures.
Additionally, this year saw greater direct interaction between residents and Board Members, ensuring Board decisions are grounded in the real experiences of our residents.
The recruitment of resident Board Members further demonstrates our commitment to meaningful resident involvement, embedding their voice firmly at the heart of our governance arrangements.
To ensure the ongoing quality and safety of our homes, we continued building upon the comprehensive external stock condition survey conducted in 2023. An accelerated programme has been implemented, aiming for all homes to be surveyed by March 2026. Encouragingly, the data gathered to date confirms our homes remain well-maintained, with financial projections for future maintenance aligning closely with our long-term financial plans.
Significant attention has also been given to our data strategy, enhancing how we capture and use information about our homes and residents. This data now directly informs our investment decisions and allows us to better tailor services to individual resident needs, improving our support for households in vulnerable circumstances.
In addressing environmental performance, our ambition to achieve EPC rating C for all homes by 2029 received a substantial boost. We successfully secured a £1.3 million grant from the Warm Homes Fund, which, matched with internal resources, will enable a £2.6 million investment programme for targeted environmental improvements over the next three years.
Our residents' voices have fundamentally shaped the services we deliver this year. By placing resident engagement at the heart of our decisions, we've strengthened accountability and transparency, ensuring our work truly reflects the priorities and expectations of the rural communities we serve.
Shepherdswell, Kent
Chiddingstone Chequers, Kent
To measure our success, we use a set of performance indicators within our Business Health Dashboard, reviewed monthly and at every board meeting.
These indicators cover both financial and non-financial outcomes, giving a rounded view of our VfM performance against strategic ambitions and how we meet stakeholder expectations.
Key focus areas for our VfM approach include:
New Supply Delivered: Committed to delivering new affordable homes in rural communities, last year we completed over 30 homes – equivalent to around a 2% increase in our existing stock. This outperforms most providers of similar size and compares strongly to sector averages.
Operating Margin: We aim to improve efficiency to support debt levels and maintain funds for long-term investment. Our operating margin rose to 24.6% in 2024/25, comparing favourably to sector peers.
Reinvestment: We continue to invest in both existing and new homes, balancing maintenance with growth. Capital investment in new schemes slowed in 2024/25 due to planning delays but is fully funded and set to increase in 2025/26. Spend on existing homes rose year on year.
Environmental Performance: We have ambitious targets to improve energy efficiency, aiming for EPC C ratings across all homes. In 2024/25, we secured £1.3m in Warm Homes Grant funding, supporting our goal to achieve EPC C or above by 2029.
Resident Satisfaction: We track complaints and satisfaction closely to ensure services meet resident needs. While no organisation welcomes complaints, handling them well is vital. Formal complaints increased slightly from 16 in 2023/24 to 17 in 2024/25. Our annual published complaints report sets out performance against targets.
Advocacy: We remain committed to being a leading voice for affordable rural housing, recognising the value this brings to our sector and residents. Our investment in advocacy helps us influence government and partners, enabling us to deliver more new homes.
English Rural's approach to Value for Money (VfM) remains central to our strategic ambitions and our Value for Money Strategy sits alongside our strategic ambitions to help ensure our objectives are delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Avening, Gloucestershire
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Full implementation of our Resident Engagement Strategy, significantly enhancing resident voice, influence, and accountability.
Direct improvement in key Tenant Satisfaction Measures, notably overall resident satisfaction.
Comprehensive reviews and improvements to grounds maintenance and repairs services, directly driven by resident feedback.
Significant expansion of our data collection on homes and residents, enabling smarter investment decisions and better targeted services.
Securing substantial funding (£1.3 million) from the Warm Homes Fund, initiating a major three-year investment programme in energy efficiency upgrades across our homes.
>> Due to the rural and dispersed nature of our homes, contractor management will continue requiring a balanced approach, combining regional frameworks with local arrangements to secure responsive and cost-effective services.
>> Resident engagement approaches must remain adaptable, enabling residents to actively shape and inform priorities as their needs evolve.
>> Achieving ambitious energy performance targets will require tailored solutions for individual properties. Accurate and comprehensive data at a property level is critical to inform strategic planning, maximise environmental gains, and ensure ongoing value for money.
