Customer Voice and Scrutiny Panel
Customer Voice and Scrutiny Panel
As a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) in Scotland, BHA must make sure we provide opportunities for our customers to get involved in decision making. We do this primarily through our Customer Voice Group and our Customer Scrutiny Panel.
Customer Voice
We continue to engage with a group of around 50 volunteers, who participate in surveys and consultations across various service areas. In the last year, we’ve worked with this group of customers on repairs priorities for our new contract arrangements and got feedback on our communication and engagement plans for customers.
Customers can let us know any time that they would like to get involved in Customer Voice. Our Neighbourhood Managers also promote involvement during Customer Connect Visits, inviting more customers to join. Our aim for the year ahead is to have a system to record preferences for involvement to make sure customers receive invitations of the most interest.
Customer Scrutiny Panel
A small group of customer volunteers are being supported by Tenants Information Service (TIS) to provide scrutiny of BHA services. The Customer Scrutiny Panel has looked at both our repairs service and allocations since starting, reporting their findings to BHA’s Operations Committee. Their current project on our empty homes is due to end in early 2026.
Repairs Project
Following customer recommendation, we’ve increased our surveys following repairs to every job where we have contact details for customers. This has seen a 100% increase in customer responses since this was launched. Surveys are sent out automatically when a job is completed and performance for all contractors is around 90% satisfaction from customers.
The panel requested we updated our repairs responsibilities information for customers. This was launched on our website in August 2024 alongside training to BHA colleagues.
The panel recommended we review our communication tools around repair work – this included acknowledging the repair, communicating appointment times and contractors attending and any changes to the job. This is something we are developing through an add-on to our housing system during 2025/26.
Although we’ve made significant progress in improving our ‘Right First Time’ rate, the panel recommended that we look at a tool to increase first time diagnosis of repairs and to monitor van stocks and materials carried with contractors throughout the term of the contract to spot trends and deliver appropriate improvements.
Allocations Project
The panel provided several recommendations which have helped to shape our review and consultation with customers and applicants for our allocations policy which will be issued to customers in late 2025. The actions will be reviewed alongside customer and applicant responses to our consultation and reported back to the group ahead of a new policy being presented to BHA’s Board.