We’re proud to be part of TPAS Scrutiny Week – a subject close to our hearts at LYHA as we continually strive to improve Customer Experience.

Over the last 3 years we have transformed our approach to customer engagement, providing far more opportunities for customers to feedback to us about their ‘lived experience’ and co-create improvements to our services.

Our Customer Experience Committee is a sub-committee of our board comprising customers and board members who hold LYHA to account on customer-related matters and ensure the ‘customer voice’ is heard at the highest level.

One of the ways that the Customer Experience Committee deliver on their scrutiny and service improvement remit is by overseeing periodic ‘scrutiny reviews’, working in partnership with LYHA colleagues and other customers to co-design and oversee deep dives into services.

Over the last two years these ‘scrutiny reviews’ have focussed on auditing and improving the following areas:

• Improving our telephone system and call answering rates
• Recruiting and selecting a new repairs contractor
• Improving our estates services (gardening and cleaning)

We’re currently recruiting customers to work with us on our next project to improve our repairs processes so that people requesting a repair consistently experience a streamlined and efficient customer journey.

For all of these projects, we have actively invested time and effort into bringing new customers into the governance structure to ensure we are listening to a diverse range of people and receiving a breadth of views, before acting on their feedback.

We have also introduced more regular customer satisfaction surveys and drop-in events to help us to track the impacts and effectiveness of the improvements made.

• Customer satisfaction has increased by 7% since 2018 and 84% of customers are now happy with their recent repairs (which was previously the biggest area of dissatisfaction)
• Customers feel more engaged and ‘listened to’.
  69% now believe ‘LYHA provides ample opportunities to make your views known’ up from 54% in 2018 and 65% in 2019.

“We are pleased with the positive progress that has been made over the last three years with involved customers, board members and colleagues working together to ensure that effective scrutiny and co-regulation are being delivered.” Gavin Fisk, Director of Communities and Customer Service

“During the pandemic LYHA’s Chief Executive, senior officers and board members met virtually with the Customer Experience Committee fortnightly to ensure that the customer voice was heard in every decision involving them. For example, we were involved in the discussions about the formation of the Customer Support Fund – which has supported families facing financial crisis - to the decision about the best time to reintroduce routine repairs.” Adele Rae, Customer Experience Committee and Board member and LYHA customer