Client : Harrogate Housing Association
Harrogate Housing Association is a small but expanding housing association who only operate in the Harrogate District. They offer homes for rent and on a shared ownership basis and aim for a personal, local service that helps customers create homes near family and work.
The Challenge
Like many providers, HHA was facing changes as a result of the new consumer standards from the Regulator of Social Housing. They wanted to think about how they could meaningfully engage with customers to improve services and satisfaction, in the context of a small provider.
The Workshop
The Board at HHA needs to have assurance that the consumer standards are being met, so they joined the workshop, along with colleagues and customers. Claire Blacka, facilitator and engagement specialist, ensured that all participants knew that they hold equal power in decision-making.
The workshop followed a structured series of activities that bring out the thoughts and ideas of every participant, even the quiet ones.
Outcomes and Key Achievements
The outcomes of the session were not what anyone anticipated! When the game was commissioned, the management team was expecting the result to be a structured engagement programme. However, all participants felt there was more value in ‘kitchen table conversations’ that were more organic. Due to the size of the organisation, HHA felt a more personal service was a realistic and more meaningful aim.
The session also identified that HHA colleagues and customers are not clear about what is meant by engagement, meaning it was hard to set the right culture. As a result, the group focused on developing the following three actions:
1. Define what involvement and engagement mean for us.
Harrogate Housing felt that there was a lack of understanding about involvement and engagement from both colleagues and customers. To make sure that activities were meaningful, they wanted a clear definition so that everyone was on the same page. They planned to use the definition to set performance expectations for colleagues.
2. Ask customers what they want from engagement.
Rather than making assumptions, Harrogate Housing agreed they needed more information on what is important to their customers so that they could tailor their engagement activities, ensuring the biggest impact.
3. Reset the culture to allow engagement to thrive.
The players recognised that engagement will only work if colleagues embrace the ideas behind it. They supported an investment in colleagues to make sure they had the support, resources and culture in place.
Next Steps
Each action was developed in more detail, and the results were shared with HHA for them to develop the specifics.
Nothing is wasted when we play Game of Homes and every idea is documented so it can be developed in the future.
Participant quote
“It was a really interactive and engaging session which practically helped to unpick a massive topic and make it more accessible.” Megan Henderson, Board member, Harrogate Housing Association.
