Agenda item

Report of Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report (previously circulated) requesting that Members give consideration to the draft Customer Engagement Strategy for 2021-24 (also previously circulated).

It was reported that one of the key strands of the new Social Housing Regulator’s Consumer Standards covers ‘Tenant Involvement and Empowerment’;  these state that the Council must consult its tenants at least once every three years on the best way of involving them in the governance and scrutiny of the Council’s housing service; and the Customer Engagement Strategy for 2021-24 sets out the process for how the Council will involve and empower it’s tenants, including how the engagement activities will be monitored and reported.

The submitted report stated that the Council’s Housing Services had a long and successful track record of engagement and consulting with its tenants on every aspect of service delivery; and the strategy had already been considered by the Tenant’s Board, with regular progress updates to be provided to the Tenant’s Board and to this Scrutiny Committee on an annual basis.

Details were provided of the four specific themes of the Customer Engagement Strategy; an annual Engagement Plan would support specific actions within the strategy; and where possible, opportunities for engagement would be promoted through digital channels, whilst always providing more traditional methods of engagement.

RESOLVED – (a) That the Customer Engagement Strategy for 2021-24 be recommended to Cabinet for approval.

(b) That this Scrutiny Committee receives six monthly progress reports on the Customer Engagement Strategy.