Your voice is making a real difference. Listening, learning and acting on your feedback is central to everything we do. This year, we’ve continued to work with you to make sure you can get involved in a way that suits you.
From shaping services through our Customer Committee working alongside the ForHousing Board, to influencing change through Scrutiny, complaints panels and Community Voice groups, you’re at the heart of decision-making.
The majority of people involved in these groups are tenants, helping us improve services, strengthen communities and enhance everyday experiences. You’re not just making changes to how we do things every day, but you’re impacting the way we lead our organisation,
Here’s what has changed this year as a result of listening to and learning from tenants just like you.
Our Customer Committee is made up of nine tenants and residents; they are part of our formal Governance structures that hold us to account and have oversight for how we work as an organisation and the decisions that are made. So far, they have been:
Community Voice brings tenants and community members together in Fitton Hill, Salford and Stockbridge Village to share feedback and improve local areas. They also make decisions on funding for local projects through our Community and Local Area Improvement Funds.
In the last year they have:
1
Shared a quarterly Community Voice blog, helping you see how your feedback is being used and what changes have been made
2
Opened up sessions in Fitton Hill and Salford to include local groups and volunteers, strengthening community involvement and shaping what it means to live well in each area
3
Worked with Oldham Council on plans for St Martin’s play park, increasing consultation responses and influencing changes, including the removal of a sandpit area
4
Led work in Stockbridge Village to bring together local partners to tackle anti-social behaviour, including creating a young people’s task group
5
Raised concerns about safety and environmental issues at The Withens in Stockbridge, leading to the installation of alley gates to improve safety, reduce litter and create a more secure environment
6
Identified wider environmental issues, including litter and the condition of areas around new developments, resulting in improved access for cleaning and the introduction of regular litter picking
7
Highlighted local environmental issues and areas that were often left unclean, helping us take action to improve cleanliness across neighbourhoods
8
Worked with partners such as the Police and local councils to increase focus and resources on anti-social behaviour, particularly during peak periods
9
Influenced how community funding is used, helping make sure money is invested in the projects and improvements that matter most to local people
Every quarter our Community Voice members meet to discuss topics affecting their area. To view the latest blog, click here.
We have three funding streams that sets money aside to support the community to make a difference to the area they live in. This includes:
- Community Group Grant that supports the running costs of constituted groups within the community
- Community Fund that offers financial support to local groups so they can keep delivering services and projects in their community
- Local Area Improvement Fund that is used to support small scale improvements to ForHousing communities.
This year, we have:
- Awarded over £119,000 in funding to 174 groups and individuals, helping bring local ideas and projects to life
- Supported community projects that provide free activities for children and families, including 80 Play Streets sessions with over 1,600 attendances
- Helped improve local neighbourhoods through funded projects and additional support secured with partners
Applications are reviewed by our Community Voice group, who help make sure funding supports the things that matter most to local communities. If you would like to find out what funding is available, click here.
The Complaints and Feedback Panel is made up of tenants who meet regularly to discuss complaints. They support us to listen and learn from them by improving services.
This year they have:
1
Reviewed our complaints letters and recommended changes to make them clearer and easier to understand, including improving how we explain outcomes, timescales and compensation
2
Challenged how we communicate during the complaints process, leading to improvements in how we explain decisions and keep you informed
3
Influenced the introduction of earlier contact for complaints, including a new approach where we contact you within 48 hours for non‑urgent complaints to better understand your concerns and start resolving them sooner
4
Supported a review of our compensation approach, helping ensure decisions are fair, consistent and clearly explained, in line with Housing Ombudsman guidance
5
Helped us better understand the reasons complaints are raised, so we can use this insight to make improvements across services, including repairs and communication
Customer and Tenant Reviewers work with us to review services, inspect neighbourhoods and make sure your homes and communities meet the standards you expect.
In the last year, they have:
1
Carried out inspections across neighbourhoods, identifying issues that matter to you — including overgrown areas, poor visibility and safety concerns, leading to improvements in local maintenance
2
Raised concerns about overgrown areas at Tiger Moth in Salford, resulting in the area being cleared and added to a regular maintenance programme
3
Highlighted safety issues on Keswick Avenue in Fitton Hill, leading to trees being cut back and visibility improved for pedestrians and drivers
4
Identified gaps in winter maintenance, including a lack of grit bins, resulting in additional bins being installed and updates to gritting routes to improve safety during colder weather
5
Raised concerns about access and litter issues in neighbourhoods such as The Withens in Stockbridge Village
6
Reviewed key customer information, including the tenancy agreement, helping make technical language clearer and easier to understand so you can feel confident about what it means for you
7
Supported improvements to how we communicate, including reviewing letters and services to make sure information is clear, accessible and easy to use
8
Carried out ongoing reviews of our website, helping improve how easy it is to find information and understand services
The Repairs Service Excellence Group launched in October 2024 and is made up of tenants who work with us to improve the repairs service. They meet regularly with colleagues to review performance, share feedback and identify where improvements are needed.
In the last year, they have:
1
Reviewed repairs feedback and helped improve how we gather your views, including making surveys clearer and easier to complete so more tenants can share their experience
2
Highlighted issues with response rates for repairs and gas servicing surveys, leading to changes such as simpler questions and exploring additional ways to gather feedback
3
Supported work to better understand the repairs experience by reviewing feedback, complaints and how services are delivered
4
Worked with us to identify key areas for improvement, including out of hours repairs and gas services, which will help shape future changes
Scrutiny is a group made up of tenants. They review what we do and why we do it and make recommendations – influencing what happens to your home and community and putting you at the heart of our decision making.
In the last year, they have:
Delivered three scrutiny reviews, focusing on:
- Tenant responsibility for repairs
- Pest control
- Delivery of the ForHousing Strategy
- Supported one internal scrutiny review on voids and allocations
Scrutiny made 20 recommendations, which have led to improvements including:
- Re-introducing neighbourhood walkabouts in all areas to increase visibility and help identify issues more quickly
- Improving information on the ForHousing website, making it clearer which repairs are your responsibility and which we will complete
- Strengthening our approach to pest control, making sure all colleagues understand how we manage this and respond consistently
To find out more about Scrutiny, click here.
We work with tenants across our communities and high-rise buildings to understand what matters to you and make sure you feel safe and informed where you live.
In the last year, they have:
- Continued to meet regularly, providing opportunities to raise concerns, ask questions and stay informed about safety and any works taking place
- Supported ongoing engagement with tenants to shape how we communicate about building safety and ensure information is clear and accessible
- Contributed to wider work to strengthen tenant involvement and make sure your voice is heard in decisions that affect your home and building
We’ll continue working with you to improve services and make sure your voice shapes the way we work.
Over the next year, we will:
1
Continue to show more clearly how your feedback is making a difference, so you can see the impact of your involvement
2
Review our together with tenants charter to make sure we truly understand the things that are important to you and work alongside you to improve what we do and why we do it
3
Build on our approach to co‑regulation, working more closely with tenants to influence decisions and shape how services are delivered
4
Improve how we communicate with you, making information clearer, more consistent and easier to access in ways that work for you
5
Continue to improve repairs services, including reviewing performance and working with tenants to shape how the service is delivered
6
Strengthen our work to involve a wider range of tenants, including those whose voices we don’t always hear from
7
Increase our presence in communities, with more opportunities to see and speak to Housing Officers locally
8
Continue to use feedback from surveys, complaints and involvement groups to shape and improve services
There are lots of ways for you to get involved and shape the services we provide, in a way that works for you.
Whether you want to have your say on a survey, join a group or take part in reviewing services, we’d love to hear from you.
You can find out more about how to get involved and the opportunities available by visiting our Get Involved page.
If you’d like to hear from someone who’s already getting involved, you can read Grace’s story here.
