How we're performing

We received 201 "Making It Right" complaints in the second half of 2020.  A Making It Right complaint is the first part of our complaints process. 

These complaints were mainly about: 

• the way that we communicate important information with customers
• the quality of repairs and the length of time it took to complete them
• the attitudes or actions of our staff and contractors. 

22 issues were escalated to complaint reviews or appeals. This is three more escalated complaints than compared to the previous six months. 

68% of complaints were upheld. This is 26% higher than the previous six months.

Our complaints process is changing at the end of March 2021.  

88% of customer's contact with us was right first time. This means that we were able to answer 88% of customer queries straight away without having to pass the question or task on to another member of staff.

We continuously monitor this figure to see if there are any trends or further training that can be given to frontline staff so that all customer queries can be resolved as quickly as possible. 

We manage many community services. Full details can be found in our Social Impact Report.

Youth services

We launched a new programme in primary schools in Sevenoaks to support year six children to move to secondary school, equipping them with the knowledge and resilience to manage this life change in a positive way.

We set up a new Sevenoaks District Youth Assembly, a youth forum to discuss issues and make positive change in the area they live.

Edenbridge Youth Forum members achieved an accreditation from a national awarding body for their work on their WW1 Centenary Project.

We developed a new programme called CookHOUSE, which supports 11-19-year olds to come together to cook meals, which they sit and eat family-style. The programme gives participants the opportunity to learn about food hygiene, the nutritional makeup of a balanced meal and how to build a recipe from scratch.

Training and employment

We offer support to those looking to return to work and wanting to get better paid work. It covers CV writing, interview skills, internet job search, online applications and accessing work experience. We also offer apprenticeships, careers advice and a range of training courses. In 2020, we changed some of the support that we offered so that we could we could continue to support people during the lockdown. In 2020, we helped 200 people get into training or employment.

Kent Support and Assistance Service

Working with Kent County Council (KCC) we support clients in crisis across Kent by providing essential household items that allow people to remain in their home and work through a period of short-term crisis.

We offer furniture, household items, white goods, carpets and basic household equipment to clients assessed by KCC as being in crisis.

In 2020, 1326 households were helped by the KSAS service.

Annual 'Kent Excellent Homes for All' survey - we asked residents at 5 schemes across Kent a series of questions about their experiences. We received feedback on topics including the help and advice given for personal issues such as debt and benefits, the maintenance of the scheme and the activity programme.

Website testing - we consulted with 47 residents on the usability of our website. We set them a series of tasks that included finding information on the website and then asked them to complete a survey at the end detailing their experience. This exercise helped us determine how people interact with the website, whether it is logical and if there is the right amount of information. As a result of their feedback we are working to upgrade the website to make it easier to use and information easier to find in a simpler format.

Rent campaign review - we asked residents for their thoughts on the colours, images and messages on our communication regarding rent. The results of this consultation influenced our current rent campaign graphics.

Augmented reality - 10 residents were involved in a pilot for using augmented reality software for repairs. This helps our engineers identify and solve issues over the phone, and the correct parts and equipment can be determined before the appointment is booked. The pilot was very successful and we are hoping to roll out this software on a wider scale to improve the customer experience.

Property checks

Last year, we reviewed our ‘property MOT’ process. You told us that these visits did not meet your expectations. Many of the issues identified could not be fixed on the same day, and more appointments with other contractors had to be arranged.

We have redesigned these visits and now call them ‘property checks’. We have made sure that we communicate properly so you know what to expect when an engineer comes out to do a property check. These visits will start in April, and all our residents will get a visit once every two years.

'Small is Beautiful' scheme

We reviewed our ‘Small is Beautiful’ scheme based on your feedback. To encourage people to downsize into a smaller property we offer a financial reward based on the number of rooms the person is giving up. This scheme was available to people over the age of 50 and we offered £1000 per bedroom downsized. You told us that this should be extended to all ages and not only those aged over 50. So now this financial reward is offered to all people downsizing regardless of age.

Value for money is a cross-cutting theme that encompasses all aspects of our work. We have effective arrangements in place to ensure good value for money is fully embedded and actively maximised in everything we do.

It’s a core activity of our business culture, a prerequisite in terms of procurement and it's embedded in the roles and responsibilities of our employees, customers and stakeholders.

To find out more about how we do this we complete Value for Money Assessments every year. You can find them on the leaflet rack. 

We also publish details of all payments over £500 that we spend to develop new affordable homes in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency.

Take a look at our latest Transparency Report.