What is Performance and Customer Satisfaction data?
Within the service we collect a large range of statistical information known as performance data, for example how long it takes to deliver a particular service or how many requests for a particular service we deal with. This allows us to measure how well we are doing in delivering different elements of the service and allows us to compare this over a quarterly or on an annual basis. We also compare our performance against other social landlords.
In addition we collect feedback from our customers following a service that they have received from us, generally via a survey/questionnaire. This allows us to see how customer view our services.
What do we do with this information/data?
Our performance and survey data is discussed by the Housing Management Team to highlight any areas of concern as well as good performance. It also allows the team to look at what actions need to be taken as a result. Managers/Officers are then allocated responsibility for looking into any issues of concerns. Issues would be raised at meetings with our contractors or further research undertaken including work with our tenants and leaseholders to understand the issue in detail. All this data therefore is used to help us make decisions and look at ways to improve our service delivery.
Performance Information for 2021-22 (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022)
Performance Description |
Performance in 2021/22 |
Performance in 2020/21 |
Performance in 2019/20 |
Further information |
Housing Management/Property Services |
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Days taken to get an empty Retirement Living property ready and new occupants moved in |
72.23 |
51.56 |
33.27 |
We are carrying out a review of retirement living accommodation in 2022/23 and this will include looking at demand for such accommodations as we are experiencing a shortage of applicants for this type of accommodation. This shortage in demand is leading to properties being empty longer than necessary and is costing us money in lost rent. |
Days taken to get an empty general needs property ready and new occupants moved in |
29.76 |
34.07 |
20.23 |
Our performance improved over the financial year after a bad start due to Covid. We continue to perform well for general needs properties. In 2022/23 we will be carrying out a complete review of the process involved in getting a property ready for the next occupants once it is vacated. Our scrutiny group will be helping with this project. |
Days taken to get an empty temporary accommodation property ready and new occupants moved in |
120.75 |
87.39 |
121.63 |
Some of the properties were kept empty whilst they underwent refurbishments such as new kitchens. Another property had a change in use in order to be available for clients who require support, which attributed to void times whilst furniture etc. was purchased. We are currently reviewing the use of these properties across 2 separate blocks of flats and are in discussions as to whether we could use them more effectively. |
Percentage of rent received against amount due (includes rent collected from former tenants) |
99.09 |
98.81 |
101.13 |
We continue to perform well in terms of the amount of rent that we collect. We work closely with any residents experiencing financial problems to ensure that any arrears are paid off at an affordable rate according to that households finances. |
Number of evictions |
0 |
0 |
6 – all for rent arrears |
Evictions were banned in England at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020 and remained in place until 31 May 2021. The courts are currently still catching up with the backlog of court case for possessions and evictions. |
Properties sold under the Right to Buy (RTB) |
12, all houses |
9, all houses |
21, 3 flats and 18 houses |
With discounts of up to £84,600 off the market price Right to Buy remains an attractive option for those that can obtain a mortgage. |
Number of new cases of anti-social behaviour reported |
99 |
101 |
84 |
The number of reported incidents has remained fairly static. |
Repairs completed |
8702 of which: 900 were emergency repairs and 7802 non-emergency emergency repairs |
8560 of which: 1742 were emergency repairs and 6818 non-emergency emergency repairs |
8344 of which: 1135 were emergency repairs and 7209 non-emergency repairs |
Since the start of Covid and probably as a result of people spending more time at home, including homeworking we have dealt with more repairs. |
Repairs completed on time |
94.7% |
85.16% |
90.94% |
We have continued to deliver our service with some unavoidable delays due to labour and material shortages. However as we have returned to normal from the pandemic the contractors have been able to improve completion times. |
Tenants registered to use the MyAccounts to access information on their rent account and repairs |
537 |
437 |
341 |
We are continuing to see the numbers accessing our online portal growing and we continue to promote this service to new tenants. |
Housing Development |
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Number of new affordable homes built by the Council and Registered Housing Providers |
Total = 181 the council built 14 new homes across 3 sites and purchased 5 individual second-hand properties Private Registered Providers built 162 homes across 11 sites |
Total = 275 the Council built 28 new homes across 3 sites but also purchased 15 Private Registered Providers built 232 new homes across 13 sites |
Total = 201 the Council built 67 on one site Private Registered Providers built 134 new homes across 11 sites |
The number of new homes delivered continues to remain high and there are a number of large developments still onsite which include affordable homes. These will continue to be completed over the next few years. |
Housing Options & Homelessness (including Allocations) |
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Homelessness applications made and accepted |
364 applications of which 24 were accepted |
567 applications of which 40 were accepted |
547 applications of which 53 were accepted |
A homelessness case is now only accepted once we are satisfied they are homeless, in line updated guidance on how to process applications. Previously, the number was higher as we would start the Prevention or Relief duty when we had “reason to believe homelessness”. The number of households accepted as homeless has also dropped, as we have been focusing more on prevention (see figures below which show increased rates) and been able to retain accommodation rather than needing to complete a full assessment. |
Average length of Stay in emergency accommodation for homeless households |
7.8 weeks |
8.11 weeks |
6.06 |
Length of time in temporary accommodation remains fairly static. Move on options in the private rented sector are very limited for all groups, in particular single homeless under 35 years of age due to the Local Housing Allowance rates which applies to those receiving benefits. |
Total households in emergency accommodation (as at year end) |
42 |
45 |
17 |
This figure has increased since 2019-20 due to us now accommodating rough sleepers under the Rough Sleeper Initiative. |
Homelessness prevented or relieved |
165 or 45.32% of all cases |
163 or 28.75% of all cases |
320 or 47% of all cases |
We have seen an increase in performance overall resulting in more homelessness cases being prevented (support to stay in their current accommodation) or being relived (support to find alternative accommodation). |
Number of households on the housing register |
526 |
640 |
817 |
Wealden has benefitted from many new developments in recent years which means we have been able to help a large number of households in need of social housing. As a result the number of households on the housing register has declined. Next year we will be reviewing our Allocations Policy to ensure that households in need are not prevent from accessing social housing. |
Sanctuary Works |
24 |
46 |
33 |
The aim of the Wealden Sanctuary Scheme is to enable victims of domestic abuse to remain in their own homes should they wish to and it is appropriate for them to do so. Occasionally, works are also done under the scheme where an individual/households are at risk of crime/ racial hatred etc. Demand for this service is customer led. |
Complaints |
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Stage 1 complaints |
45 |
33 |
18 |
We have been actively encouraging customers to give us their feedback and promoting the ability to complain. It is therefore not surprising that complaints have increased. We have embraced the opportunity to learn from complaints, therefore an increase in complaints should not be seen as a negative. |
Percentage responded to within 15 days (or target time) |
77% |
33% |
70% |
We have not always been able to respond as quickly as we would have liked. This is mainly due to the complexity of some of the complaints we have received which raise numerous issues and the impact on staff time dealing with these We will be exploring how we can improve our performance. |
Average time in days taken to respond to a complaint |
12.5 days |
19 days |
14.5 days |
see above. |
Customer Satisfaction Data for 2021-22 (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022)
Performance Description |
Performance in 2021/22 |
Performance in 2020/21 |
Performance in 2019/20 |
Further information |
Gas Servicing
|
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Satisfaction with the way Wealden District Council and BSW dealt with your annual gas safety check |
90.4% satisfied |
82.4% satisfied |
90.44% satisfied |
We continue to receive high levels of satisfaction with the service our gas contractor provide. |
Repairs |
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Overall, were you happy with the contractor and repairs process |
92.7% satisfied |
84.95% satisfied |
90.94% satisfied |
Our performance continues to exceed the industry standard. |
Electrical works |
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Satisfaction with the completed works |
95.6% satisfied |
100% satisfied |
100% satisfied |
We used to ask if customers whether they were satisfied or not satisfied. However, in line with best practice this year we have amended the response options to include a neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (neutral) option. Some customers are now choosing this neutral option.
|
Satisfaction with how clean and tidy the contractor for electrical works was |
97% satisfied |
100% satisfied |
100% satisfied |
We used to ask if customers were satisfied or not satisfied. However, in line with best practice this year we have amended the response options to include a neither satisfied nor dissatisfied (neutral) option. Some customers are now choosing this neutral option. |
Disabled Adaptations
|
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Satisfaction with the works carried out as part of a Disabled Facilities Grant |
100% satisfied |
98.18% satisfied |
100% satisfied |
We consistently receive high levels of satisfaction with the works customers receive under a Disabled Facilities Grant. The works often make a huge different to customers everyday lives. |
New Tenant Survey
|
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Satisfaction with the time allowed for the property viewing |
75% were satisfied and 7% gave a neutral response |
68.2% were satisfied and 13.6% gave a neutral response |
new survey and process for collating – previously data not comparable |
|
Satisfaction with the knowledge and understanding of the Housing Officer at the sign-up meeting |
N/A |
84.1% were satisfied and 15.9% gave a neutral response |
new survey and process for collating – previously data not comparable |
This question is no longer asked as it was not providing any useful information. |
Overall satisfaction with the lettings process |
89% were satisfied and 7% gave a neutral response |
86.4% were satisfied and 9.3% gave a neutral response |
new survey and process for collating – previously data not comparable |
We have now also introduced a new Allocations survey to complement our understanding of our customer’s experience of applying for social housing with us. Next year we will be able to report back on this. |
How satisfied are you that on this occasion Wealden’s Housing service was easy to deal with |
86% were satisfied and 10% gave a neutral response |
86% were satisfied and 9.3% gave a neutral response |
new survey and process for collating – previously data not comparable |
|
Antisocial Behaviour (ASB)
|
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Satisfaction with the ease of reporting ASB |
58% were satisfied and 14% gave a neutral response |
72.7% satisfaction and 18.2% neutral responses |
No Data – only 2 responses |
|
Overall satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the handling of your ASB complaint |
58% were satisfied and 14% gave a neutral response |
50% satisfaction and 9.1% neutral responses |
No Data – only 2 responses |
|
Overall, satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the final outcome of your ASB complaint |
57.2% Neither: 14.3% gave a neutral response |
50% satisfaction and 9.1% neutral responses |
No Data – only 2 responses |
Complaints handling satisfaction varies from excellent to exceptional low for those that benchmark performance. We are consistently average. The key is managing complainant’s expectations as it is unlikely that a complainant will be satisfied unless they get the outcome that they wanted, usually it is for the perpetrator to be evicted. We have to work with the existing legislative framework and therefore this is rarely possible. |
Housing Options Customer Survey
|
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Time taken to receive advice over the phone or in person |
63.9% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 10.8% neither satisfied or dissatisfied |
65.9% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 9.1% neutral |
79% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 7% neutral |
Unfortunately, satisfaction has declined slightly but this coincided with the staff shortages that we experienced during the year. We are now fully staffed. |
Knowledge and helpfulness of staff |
65.1% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 7.2% neither satisfied or dissatisfied |
75% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 4.5% neutral |
previously 2 separate questions – average across the 2 = 87.5% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 25% neutral |
As a result of staff shortages we have had some new members of staff and so it does take time for them to build up their knowledge and gain experience. |
Officers listening and understanding skills |
63.8% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 10.8% neither satisfied or dissatisfied |
65.9% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 15.9% neutral |
previously 2 separate questions – average across the 2 = 64% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 19% neutral |
The move to online or telephone meetings with customers since Covid has made it harder for staff to demonstrate these skills and build a relationship with the customer. |
Explanation of what was required from you, in your Personalised Housing Plan (if applicable) |
61.5% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 15.7% neither satisfied or dissatisfied |
72.7% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 11.4% neutral |
New question |
It is not surprising that customer satisfaction has fallen since customers are being required to commit to doing more themselves to fulfilling their obligations in the Personalised Housing Plan. This requires them to engage proactively which many chose not to do. These plans are discussed, developed and agreed with customers. |
Clarity of advice given (both verbal and written) |
63.91% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 7.2% neither satisfied or dissatisfied |
68.2% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 9.1% neutral |
previously 2 separate questions – average across the 2 = 52.5% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 26% neutral |
We will continue to monitor this to seek to understand how we can improve satisfaction in this area. |
Explanation of the reasons for any decisions made or assistance provided |
55.4% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 13.3% neither satisfied or dissatisfied |
75% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 9.1% neutral |
57% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 23% neutral |
We will continue to monitor this to seek to understand how we can improve satisfaction. |
The Overall service that you received |
60.3% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 6% neither satisfied or dissatisfied |
70.4% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 6.8% neutral |
60% of respondents to the survey were satisfied and 25%neutral |
Post the Covid restrictions and with a fully staffed team we will look to see how we can improve the service. |