Quarterly report November-January

If you report damp or mould in your home, we’ve strengthened and improved our service. We’ll ask a few important questions to understand your situation. If it’s an emergency, we’ll arrange an appointment within 24 hours. For all other cases, we’ll schedule it as soon as possible and within 10 working days. We’ll always explain the next steps, including any work required and expected timescales.

We’ve also updated our Repairs Customer Promise to cover all localities. It sets out clearly what you can expect from us – and what we need from you – to help us complete your maintenance and repairs quickly and efficiently.

Listening to customer feedback about our new repairs contractors in London and the East has already led to improvements. One contractor is increasing its workforce by almost 40%, while the other now contacts customers 24 hours before any scheduled work, to resolve queries in advance and make sure the right parts and equipment are ready.

We know this is an area where we need to keep improving, so we’ve strengthened the service – including expanding our centralised approach across all geographic areas.

Thanks to your feedback, we’ve also changed the way we work. This includes taking a closer look at the types of repairs being reported so we can spot trends earlier, as well as recruiting additional trades so we can complete repairs more quickly in areas where demand is highest.

We’ve worked with our Customer Insight team to develop a new tool that helps us monitor cases that are still being investigated. It’s helping us save time, avoid missing any cases, and respond more quickly and consistently. It also makes sure we only send a survey once a case is fully closed – giving us a more accurate picture of how customers feel about the service they received.

In a recent workshop, customers, colleagues and board members highlighted several ways we could improve the customer experience. These included better staff training, a clearer and fairer compensation framework, and simpler letters that show we understand the impact issues can have. These improvements will help us deliver a more consistent and supportive service for every customer.

If you’d like to get involved and help shape the decisions we make, you can join our digital platform, Engage. There, you can take part in surveys and polls, share your ideas, give feedback, and contribute to meaningful projects.

“It is a breath of fresh air to have some great communication and transparency with how things are progressing already.” - Customer feedback (January 2026)

• We know ASB affects customers and communities, and to help improve previous low customer satisfaction with this, we’ve appointed 4 new specialist ASB officers to help improve response times across our London & East areas, particularly for higher level and more serious cases. 
• Our ‘Close the Loop’ initiative is continuing as another way we’re taking practical action in all areas. This was set up to let us proactively contact customers (and resolve any issues) following surveys after you’ve received some key services, such as a repair or support with an ASB report.
• Our You said, we did webpage shares real examples of customer feedback that’s led to improvements, including on:
  • Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB): working more closely with partner agencies to manage high‑risk cases
  • Supporting young people: providing mobile youth services and activities in rural and hard‑to‑reach areas
  • Addressing deprivation: strengthening joint funding bids, helping to deliver more affordable housing – for example, on the Isle of Wight
  • Improving safety and access: installing new access doors and temporary 24/7 security where communities had reported concerns linked to drug use or homelessness

After more than a year of partnership work between SNG and Dorset Police, we supported the eviction of a household whose behaviour had caused significant distress to neighbours.

This action restored a sense of safety and calm in the community. Our priority is always to ensure that customers feel secure in their homes, and we will continue to act robustly when anti-social behaviour affects people’s lives.

• We’re working to improve how we explain what we can and can’t do on certain issues – and to make sure our decisions are fair and show we understand the impact poor service can have on you and your family.
• We’re working to improve support and services with openness and transparency, focusing on delivering value for money and making sure you can trust that services will meet expectations. A good example of this is our key focus on coaching to improve the customer experience by resolving more queries first time.
• We know that giving all customers better results is essential: whether that’s preventing and fixing faults, resolving tenancy and neighbourhood issues or making sure that rents and service charges are accurate. We’re investing in all these areas: some actions are complete, and others are continuing, but customers are telling us they can see the difference we’re making.

“You went above and beyond to help me and really did give me a first-class service.” - Customer feedback (January 2026)

Customers have a vital role in keeping everyone safe:

• Read and follow the fire action notices if you live in a shared building
• Never leave any items in shared areas – these need to be clear in case of fire so that residents can get out and firefighters can move quickly and safely with their equipment
• Please give us access to carry out your annual gas safety or other checks – if you can’t be available, let us know in advance so we can rearrange this with you
• We have lots more useful safety advice and information on our website plus regular posts on social media.

Visit our Going Green pages for a host of other top tips and useful links or check out the suggestions in our new planting toolkit (based on the guidance we use to encourage biodiversity and plants that will thrive in the green spaces that we maintain).

• Our Scrutiny Panel also completed their latest review, examining barriers to access for Stock Condition Surveys. Their findings will help us refine our processes and improve how we work with customers to make sure we can gather this vital information about our homes and plan future works.
• We held a Challenge and Change Day focused on the theme of rehousing. Customers and colleagues reviewed real examples of our communication materials – as well as considering the views of 85 customers who gave their feedback online. Some of their clear and practical recommendations included:
• Delivering these messages earlier in a more personal way, and consistently reassuring customers about how we’ll support them
• Simplifying and redesigning letters and FAQs to be friendlier, more visual, and locally tailored – including an ‘easy read’ version
• Strengthening mental health support, staff training, and cross-team awareness

“Our input carries real weight. I feel more confident now in raising concerns, challenging assumptions, and contributing to discussions that influence service delivery.” - CIP member

• Helped customers to save over £836,556 
• 2,158 customers supported around fuel poverty interventions 
• 1,968 customers supported through our ‘support for you’ service. 
• The service also generated over £62,969,445 in social value 

• 5,452 financial inclusion interventions (including helping customers access the benefits and government support they’re entitled to) 
• 552 digital inclusion outcomes achieved

• 285 jobs were secured for customers 
• 1,920 training courses or other outcomes achieved 
• 36 people supported with business start-ups and into self-employment.

• 158 community organisations supported 
• 6,819 engagements in Community Investment  
• 43 projects matched by suppliers

The team secured over £1,100,942 of external funding to enable our services and support to help even more customers.