It's been just over a year since we created our 'Your Voice' resident-led groups and members have stepped up to get involved and help shape the future of housing services for everyone.
Members began by completing their introductory training in scrutiny, preparing them to make impactful contributions. For four of our members, it didn’t stop there — as they’re now working toward the Chartered Institute of Housing Level 2 qualification.
Over the summer, Your Voice members got involved in our local Summer Fun Days, raising awareness of the group's work and recruiting fresh voices to join the team.
One of the standout achievements this year was in how Your Voice contributed to reviewing our annual policies and reports. They played a key role in shaping our compensation policy, ensuring it reflects their lived experiences.
As Jen Boswell, Strategic Lead for Resident Experience noted, “The lived experience of your voice members brought our policies to life, advocating for transparency and picking out unnecessary jargon.”
This commitment to resident-led change has also contributed to the creation of a a new and improved Repairs Service Standards Model - just the beginning as 2025 will see even more resident-led initiatives roll out.
Your Voice have also been listening closely to resident feedback about how Housing Services communicates and the ease of getting in touch. While there is still plenty of work to be done, Your Voice have helped with the development a new customer app to give residents better self-service options.
Collaboration has been key throughout the year. Your Voice members had the chance to shadow our colleagues at MCC and EQUANS, gaining a deeper understanding of their roles and the challenges they face.
They also contributed to open discussions about our new frontline housing officer service model, as well as policies related to Rent, Money Advice, and the Community Living Fund.
