Our Customer and Communities Committee launches with first meeting

Our new strategy to help us deliver the best services to our customers, ways we’re enhancing services through new technology, and how we’re performing. These were among the items discussed at our Customer and Communities Committee’s first meeting in June.

The group is a new committee in our Board structure and provides an important link between residents who live in FCHO homes and neighbourhoods and our Board.

Made up of three FCHO customers and leaseholders plus one independent Committee member and three Non-Executive Directors, the committee makes sure that customers' voices are heard and have the chance to influence strategies, policies, services, and decisions which affect everyone who lives in our properties and communities.

Committee members collectively oversee and examine operational matters for the Board, with a focus on customer service delivery, impact, and performance, ensuring that all the decisions made by our Board have customers at their heart.

Topics discussed at the committee’s June meeting included:

• Customer and Communities Strategy, including plans for customer consultation and ways we can listen to a diverse range of customer views and opinions.
• Review of the Executive Director of Customer Experience’s quarterly report, this covered an update on our new telephony service and looking ahead at ways that technology can help enhance how we deliver personalised customer service. The group heard customer feedback on the new West Vale development and matters important to local people there, which our team will review.
• Our organisational performance in 2024/2025. The group was positive about how clear the report was and would like to see how our performance compares with other similar housing associations.
• Customer Voice, including key themes from surveys and our Customer Voice Panel's activity. The group debated opportunities for customers to give feedback, which we will consider going forward. Members also reviewed the purpose of our involved customers groups and the recommendations they have made through service reviews.

After the meeting, we spoke with some committee members to find out what motivated them to be part of the group and hear their first impressions….

“I wanted to get involved because I care about where I live.

“I bring the perspective of someone who has moved into a new build home. It’s positive that you want to hear about our experiences and I think I played a vital part in discussion during the first meeting.

“I think it’s really important that FCHO gets customers’ views and hears things from our point of view and I’m looking forward to what the committee goes on to achieve.”

Gary Brady from Coldhurst

“I think it’s impressive to see the path from customer involvement up to the Board. The reports we discussed are about things that customers have told FCHO about through feedback and involved customer work, and it’s really interesting. We talked about things that affect all tenants and looking ahead I want to see how our committee’s role will make a difference.”

Lee Bolton from Delph

Get involved

Our Customer and Communities Committee is among the ways customers can get involved and influence our work.

To learn about other opportunities available, visit the Stronger Communities section of our website.