Have your say in South Essex Homes

South Essex Homes are keen to involve residents in the work we do and actively encourage tenants' input.

You can click here to view our document:  South Essex Homes’ Residents Charter: Our Engagement Strategy

We want residents to be able to give us feedback on our services so we can improve how we do things.  We know that residents prefer to do this in a variety of ways so we offer a range of methods to tell us what you think, so everyone can find something that fits in with them and their lifestyle. 

Mystery Shopping

To be a mystery shopper you will need to be confident talking to people over the phone, via email or in person. You will also need to be professional, discreet, and able to meet deadlines.

South Essex Homes will explain the area of service that requires Mystery Shopping, you will then be asked to make contact with that department by telephone / letter or e mail or by visiting the office. All you have to do then is complete a feedback form and we will do the rest. Once you have returned the form, we will send you a £5.00 amazon voucher for every shop completed!

As a mystery shopper you are checking that we offer services to the standard that has been agreed and suggesting how, in your opinion, the service can be improved.

Full training will be given at the start.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact the resident engagement team on residentengagement@seh.southend.gov.uk to express an interest and give your reasons for wanting to be a mystery shopper

Resident Scrutiny Forum

The Resident Scrutiny Forum (RSF) is an independent group of Southend residents who scrutinise the services that South Essex Homes provides on behalf of the Council.

The RSF was formed in 2012 and was originally made up of six residents who were interviewed to ensure the candidates who were selected had the right kind of skills to scrutinise South Essex Homes’ performance and services.

On an ongoing basis the group are looking at how satisfied residents are with their housing services overall and whether South Essex Homes is meeting its targets.

Find our more about the RSF on our website here: Resident Scrutiny Forum | South Essex Homes

Focus Groups

South Essex Homes holds 'Focus Groups' with residents, to ensure that residents are involved in the work that we do.

The Focus Group meetings, which are held in different frequencies according to the need, give tenants the opportunity to have a say in service delivery and voice their opinion in an environment which ensures that the right people receive feedback from tenants and can adjust plans accordingly.

You can find out more about our Focus Groups and read the minutes of previous meetings on our website here: Focus Groups | South Essex Homes

Our current Focus Groups include:

  • Disability & Carers

  • Income Management

  • Leaseholder

  • Planned Maintenance

  • Responsive Repairs, Gas, and Voids

Service Standards

The Resident Engagement Team have been working with residents to review and update our Service Standards for each of our services, such as dealing with anti-social behaviour, looking after your estate, and more.  
 
Service Standards refer to the set of guidelines and expectations that govern the quality, management, and delivery of the housing services we provide. These standards are designed to ensure that you receive fair, equitable, and high-quality housing services. They will be made available to you as residents to read and use to hold us to account as your landlord.  

The team have worked with the resident-led Income Focus Group to look at ‘Paying your rent’ and how we can provide support to residents in need. We have also held meetings with Tenant and Residents Involvement Groups (TRIG) to improve our Service Standards for ‘Dealing with anti-social behaviour’, ‘Getting involved’ and ‘Customer care’. 

We are committed to engaging with residents throughout the development and monitoring of our performance against these service standards. If you think you would like to get involved in any of the work taking place around Service Standards, please email the team on: residentengagement@seh.southend.gov.uk. 

How are we improving things?

We love hearing your feedback, as the residents living in the homes that we manage, and the communities that they make up, it is important to us that you know you have a voice that is being listened to.

We use your feedback to improve all aspects of how we deliver our services to you and you can find some examples of this on our 'You Said, We Did' webpage here: You Said... We Did | South Essex Homes

What are you interested in hearing about?

We have a database of residents who are happy to be contacted by us to gauge a public opinion on a range of issues. This is called the Resident Advisory Panel (RAP). The RAP may be contacted to complete short surveys by e-mail or post or asked to voice their views on a draft document.

Anyone can become a member of the RAP and can help shape the housing service they receive. You may be interested in repairs and maintenance, anti-social behaviour, caretaking and grounds maintenance or more... sign up on the link below to get involved!

Resident Advisory Panel | South Essex Homes