Celebrating National Involvement Week
Our Corporate Plan, The Onward Difference, sets out how we will be a listening landlord that leaves customers delighted. This means ensuring that your voices are at the heart of everything we do, and by truly listening and acting on your views, making real improvements together.
This week, we’re joining landlords across the UK in support of Tpas’ National Involvement Week by shining the spotlight on our involved customers who help to shape the services we deliver and make our homes and neighbourhoods better places to live.
Amanda is an involved customer and member of our Customer Equity Forum.
The Customer Equity Forum helps to ensure that customer facing policies address the needs of our communities, as well as making sure that our communications are written clearly and are accessible to all customers. The Forum also oversees an action plan that supports our Houseproud Pledge and helps us to promote and celebrate diversity.
Over the last year, the Customer Equity Forum has attended pride events in our neighbourhoods and Tpas’ conferences, looked at how we approach equality, diversity and inclusion, and supported a campaign to stop the stigma in social housing.
Amanda said:
“When I first heard that customers could get involved and help to shape Onward’s future I knew it would be something I’d enjoy. I’m a people person and lots of people in my local neighbourhood often give me a shout if they need help.”
“As an involved customer I get to speak to the people who are in charge of different departments, look behind the scenes and question when things go wrong, why, and what can be done to fix it. It not only gives me, but also the other customers I speak to, a better insight into what happens when things go wrong, and equally when things go well.”
“I love having a voice and knowing that being heard can really make a difference. Being part of the Forum makes me feel like us customers are listened to, and our views are acted upon if needed. It’s also a good way to meet new people and gain new skills too.”
“If you have a couple of hours a month spare, then get involved and feel like you also have a voice in the way Onward is run.”
Tony and Julie are involved customers and members of our Customer Resolution Forum.
Our Customer Resolution Forum independently reviews our complaint handling process to ensure effective and efficient resolutions are given to customers. They also identify areas where we can improve our services and customer experience.
Over the last year, the Forum has worked with our Customer Resolution Team to make our communications clearer and improve customers’ experiences when investigations take place.
Tony said:
“Throughout my career I worked across the UK and spent a short time in the USA too, working in contract sales in the carpet manufacturing industry, as a self-employed agent for manufacturers, youth and community services and careers advice. The interpersonal and commercial relationship building skills I built up over many years served me well.”
“When I retired from work, I volunteered for Hyndburn Borough Council and the Citizens Advice Bureau. At this time, I was asked to join the Tenants Participation Group at Hyndburn Homes, this then continued onto my working with Onward.”
“I enjoy the interaction of meetings with both fellow customers and Onward’s employees, in particular those that are face to face. I believe my insight can be of benefit to policy and working practice improvement. I would like to think that the constant oversight and scrutiny that involved customers bring adds quality and leads to better service delivery.”
Julie said:
“I’ve been a customer of Onward for about three years, living in a scheme for over 55’s. I welcomed the opportunity to get involved with the Customer Resolutions Forum as I see that sometimes the customer experience is very different to statistics produced by the company.”
“Being involved means my voice gets heard and gives me the opportunity to speak up for those less able to. It means I can help bring about positive changes and improvements for customers.”
“I hope my involvement results in a better understanding and relationship between customers and Onward, and an improved service.”
Johnny is an involved customer and member of the Onward Scrutiny Board.
The Onward Scrutiny Board (OSB) provides valuable feedback and recommendations on how we can improve the services you receive. They do this by gathering information from customers and teams across Onward, checking our service performance in detail and reporting their suggestions to the Customer Committee (a sub-group of Onward’s Board who oversee all services that customers receive).
Over the last year, the OSB has:
- reviewed how we communicate with customers about rent, service charges and repairs and helped to make things easier to understand
- monitored how all key services are performing, and looked closely at the performance of our gas repairs and servicing
- shared ideas about the ways we can better support customers facing antisocial behaviour
Johnny said:
“I’m based in South Manchester and have been an Onward customer for almost 10 years, and an involved customer for the last two. Professionally, I work in social housing in customer experience, so I’m passionate about improving services and making sure residents’ voices are heard. I’m also committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and try to advocate for under-represented groups whenever possible.”
“I was inspired to get involved because I wanted to make a positive difference and ensure decisions reflect what matters most to customers. I’ve had many positive experiences as an Onward customer, particularly the support I received when I was targeted in a hate crime. I’ve also experienced times when things didn’t go as expected, and it was following a complaint that I decided to get involved.”
“I find it genuinely rewarding to contribute to shaping services and policies. Collaborating with colleagues and gaining insight into how the organisation operates behind the scenes is something I really value. I also bring a creative approach to my work, which has been especially useful in influencing areas such as the format of Scrutiny Reports submitted to Onward.”
“I believe being involved helps bridge the gap between customers and the organisation, ensuring feedback leads to real improvements. It shows that lived experience can drive meaningful change. Co-creating services with Onward means we as customers are invested, and our voices are listened to, not just heard, which ultimately leads to higher levels of satisfaction and engagement.”
Get involved
Getting the basics right and listening to you, your priorities and aspirations remain the foundation for everything we do. If you’d like to get involved, share your views and influence how we deliver our services, please get in touch with our Customer Involvement Team by emailing customerengagement@onward.co.uk, calling 0300 555 0600 or filling in the form on our website.
You can also click on the button below to learn more.
As our customer, you can also access to a wide range of support from Tpas, an organisation that helps bring tenants and landlords together to improve services. This includes things like training and networking that can help you become more involved in shaping the services we deliver.
To access this support, please visit Tpas’ website or get in touch.