Customer voice
We want every customer, wherever you live, whether this is renting, leasing or part owning your home, to be able to speak up, be heard, and see how what you say makes a real difference. Here, you’ll find information about the ways you can share your views and how we’ll use your feedback to listen, learn, act and show what’s changed.
Our Customer Voice and Influence Strategy
Providing a good home is the foundation of everything we do. But a good home is about more than bricks and mortar, it’s about feeling safe, being listened to, treated with respect, and knowing your voice actually changes things.
This strategy is our commitment to getting that right. It sits at the centre of our Corporate Plan, The Onward Difference, and our ambition to be a landlord that genuinely listens, responds, and helps people and communities to thrive.
We didn’t sit in a room and write this new strategy on our own. We went out, listened properly, and it was shaped by you. Explore the journey we took in this video from our involved customers.
Our customer voice promises
Our strategy is for every Onward customer. It’s about doing more of what works, cutting out what gets in the way, and making sure every voice, from every background, every community, and every corner of the places we work, helps to shape what we do next.
Here, you’ll find our four straightforward promises. No jargon or small print, just what we’re going to do and why it matters.
Listening
Making it easy for everyone to be heard.
Listening well means knowing who you are, what matters to you, and how you want to talk to us. It also means being easy to reach and most importantly, making sure everyone feels welcome to speak up.
You told us you want:
- Quick, simple ways to get in touch, such as online, over the phone, in person, or seeing us out in your neighbourhoods more frequently
- To feel understood as an individual, including your situation, who you are and what matters most to you
- A wider mix of voices to be heard, not just the same groups every time
- To feel respected, valued and included in every interaction with us
What we’ll do:
- Make it easy to share feedback in whatever way suits you
- Use modern digital tools so sharing your feedback is quick and straightforward
- Build a much clearer picture of who you are, what you need and how you feel
- Actively contact the people we don’t hear from enough, so more voices shape what we do
Learning
Joining everything up so we truly understand what you’re telling us.
Listening only counts if we do something with what you tell us. In the past, your feedback wasn’t always joined up and sat with different teams. We want to change that, so what you tell us is properly heard, recorded and used to make a difference.
You told us you want:
- Your feedback to be taken seriously, and not feel like it goes nowhere
- Us to join things up, so insight isn’t scattered and hard to find
- To help us make sense of what the feedback is telling us and what to focus on
- Surveys that are shorter, simpler and actually worth filling in
What we’ll do:
- Bring all feedback together in one shared place, so nothing gets missed or forgotten
- Help teams understand what matters most to you and take action
- Look beyond facts and figures to understand how you are actually feeling
- Involve you in reviewing what the feedback tells us, and work together to decide what to do next
Acting
Turning what we hear into real, visible change.
You were clear on this one: listening is a start, but it’s not enough. What builds trust is actually doing something with your feedback. Not ticking a box and acknowledging what you tell us but using your insight to make real changes.
You told us you want:
- To see real change when you raise something, not just a thank you and nothing more
- To feel safe in your home, and confident that we listen to and act on safety concerns
- Clear responsibility, so you know who’s dealing with what and you’re not passed around
- Your voice to genuinely shape decisions and how services are designed, not just asked for your views when a decision has already been made
What we’ll do:
- Use what you tell us to shape our policies, priorities and service improvements
- Keep you safe by listening carefully and acting on building and fire safety concerns
- Be clear about who owns what, so you get a quicker, more consistent response
- Work with you from the start to co-design the things that matter most
Showing what’s changed
Telling you what happened, and being honest about it.
This is the bit that was often missing in the past, and the bit that makes the biggest difference. If you’ve taken the time to tell us something, you deserve to know what happened next. Not a vague update or silence, a proper, honest answer.
You told us you want:
- Updates that are timely, local and personal, not generic, one-size-fits-all messages
- To be able to see what changed because you spoke up
- Honest updates when something is taking time or can’t be done
- To know we’ll keep our promises consistently, not just now and again
What we’ll do:
- Introduce a simple “You Said, We Did” standard that every team understands and sticks to
- Keep you in the loop in the way that suits you, whether that’s digitally, over the phone or face to face
- Be honest with you when something is taking time or isn’t possible, and tell you why
- Share good news stories when your voice led to real change
You can also download our Customer Voice and Influence Strategy by clicking on the link below.
customer voice and influence strategy
Share your views
Whether you have a huge idea or a small suggestion, your voice can spark real change. So, speak up, join in and watch things change for the better!
If you’d like to share your views, please get in touch by:
- visiting the My Onward Portal
- emailing customerengagement@onward.co.uk
- calling 0300 555 0600 or messaging 07418 344 603 on WhatsApp between 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday, and 10am – 6pm on Wednesdays
Get involved
We also have a range of groups you can get involved in, so there are plenty of ways share your views in a way that suits your lifestyle and interests. You don’t need any experience to get involved, just your views and a willingness to share them.
Customer Committee
Have your voice heard at the highest level, working alongside Board members to shape decisions and hold us to account. This is a paid role that has equal status in our governance structure, with three customer positions available for a three-year term. The Committee meets quarterly. To find out more, please email governanceteam@onward.co.uk.
Customer Voice Board
Join a group of customers who meet quarterly to review performance, customer feedback and satisfaction. You’ll help identify key issues, set the focus for scrutiny reviews and drive improvements, with all findings reported through to the Customer Committee.
Scrutiny Champions
Get involved in reviewing the services that matter most to customers. Opportunities are flexible, from one-day sessions to longer projects, so you can take part as much or as little as you like, depending on your interests and availability.
Customer Resolutions Forum
Work with our Customer Resolutions Team to review real complaints and suggest improvements to both services and how we respond. The group meets quarterly, with colleagues joining to listen, learn and take your feedback directly back into their teams.
Homeowners Forum
Share your views as a leaseholder or shared owner and help shape the services and support that matter to you. The forum meets quarterly and focuses on the issues that are most important to homeowners.
Inclusion and Belonging Network
Help us create a more inclusive and accessible service by sharing your experiences and ideas. You can join themed sessions, such as disability awareness or cultural events, or simply be part of the network and give your views in a way that suits you, whether that’s online, over the phone or in person.
Readers Panel
Help to make sure our letters, emails and information are clear and easy to understand. This is a flexible, voluntary role, and you can get involved as much or as little as you like. Your feedback will help us get the tone right and improve how we communicate.
Quick feedback opportunities
From time to time, we’ll invite you to share your views on services, policies or ideas for improvement. This could include short surveys, workshops or mystery shopping. You can get involved whenever something interests you, just let us know and we’ll be in touch.
If you’d like to get involved with one of these groups, please let us know by filling in the below form or giving us a call.