Genesis Housing Association Residents Report 2013

Getting involved
Residents are at the heart of everything we do.
In the past year we are pleased to note that you
have been more involved than ever with our work.
More than 400 residents have been involved
in influencing our business through resident
association meetings, regional committees and
the resident’s scrutiny panel.
Our five regional committees have helped to
review our performance by monitoring the quality
of our services. They help to put forward residents’
views and decide what we should be focusing on
next. Members of the resident’s scrutiny panel,
nominated from the regional committees, then
work in partnership with us to improve specific
services.
You have also been involved in mystery shopping
and have acted as a sounding board for various
strategies and projects. These include helping
us shape the repairs and complaints services
and being part of resident panels who decide the
priorities for improvement works in our schemes
and properties.
The contact centre steering group, service charge
residential group, and disability forum are other
examples of ways you can voice your view and help
to shape the way we work.
Thank you to all of those residents you have
dedicated your time to being involved throughout
the year. Your input and feedback has been
instrumental in developing our business and
improving the services we offer our residents.
I am looking
forward to seeing
the improvements
When Basildon resident Rachel Aldridge heard
about our regional committees she jumped at
the chance to be involved. Responding initially to
an advert in our residents’ magazine for training,
Rachel gained an NVQ in customer service and
housing management and subsequently became a
member of her local regional committee.
As a committee member, Rachel feels she is giving
something back to her community, is a voice for
her neighbours and helps to improve the service
Genesis provides.
She says: “With the other regional committee
members I monitor issues in relation to repairs,
the contact centre and other housing topics that
affect people like me. It means I can ask questions
about the areas that really need tackling. I am
looking forward to seeing the improvements that
are planned for the contact centre and I am being
trained as a “mystery shopper” to help make sure
the improvements that are planned actually work.”
At 22 she is the youngest committee member but
she is already vice-chair of her region’s committee
and has been elected to be part of the resident
scrutiny panel. This panel looks in greater depth
at the services we provide and how they are
delivered.
With the help of Rachel and many others who
have volunteered and got involved, we are able to
improve our service based on your feedback.
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