Client : Rochdale Boroughwide Housing
The Challenge
As part of their new scrutiny role, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing’s elected Representative Body looked at how they deal with complaints and how they can improve the service they provide to customers when they need to make a complaint. They brought some of their elected Representatives together with members of their Complaints Panel to meet with their Engagement Team and Complaints Team to discuss this.
The Workshop
The Game of Homes session was led and facilitated by tenant engagement specialist Claire Blacka, who brought scrutiny to life with Game of Homes, alongside members of their Representative Body, Complaints Panel, and colleagues.
RBH had been looking for ways to make their reviews more engaging when they found this innovative approach.
Key Activities Included:
- Fun and creative activities.
- Exploring the importance of engagement.
- Envisioning the ideal complaints process.
- Mapping out how to get there.
Participant Quotes
- "Colleagues and tenants as equals, working together."
- "The company of everybody else in the room - everybody got involved and had fun."
- "Really interactive, great format and generated fab ideas."
Outcomes and Key Achievements
Amy Holden, Community Investment Manager at RBH said, “One of the game’s rules that stood out to me: everyone is equal. It’s simple and should be a given, but it can sometimes feel lost when you’re sat around a table looking at KPIs. This session truly embodied that spirit, helping us come together as a team and focus on real solutions.”
Why It Worked
The Game of Homes workshop succeeded in fostering a sense of community and collaboration among participants. The gamified approach turned potentially dry consultation processes into engaging and productive experiences. It showcased the power of creativity and shared decision-making in addressing real-life challenges in social housing.
Next Steps
Following the workshop, RBH committed to implementing the rewards system and providing regular updates to participants. This included a feedback loop to refine the system and ensure it continued meeting the tenants’ needs.
