In consultation with our communities and colleagues, we're pleased to launch our new plan for the future.
where communities thrive
Improving our communication with customers Our 2026–2028 plan
We want to communicate well with our customers and communities so we can better understand your needs and continue improving services. We want our customers to trust us with running services to the standards you expect, including how we communicate with you.
We want to:
• M ake our communication clearer and easier to understand
• Reduce complaints
• H elp you to access services online
• B e more inclusive and accessible
• E ncourage more tenants to connect with us on social media • Tell wider partners and Government about the issues that matter to you most
• Listen to customers and promote how you can get involved
• Improve customer feedback
• M ake you happier about the services we provide
• G ive you better value for money
GOALS
We also want to help achieve our Five- Year Plan vision to ‘provide excellent customer service and quality homes, where communities thrive’ .
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Our Communications approach
Shaped by you
This plan is shaped by customer feedback gathered in lots of different ways, including:
We will follow these guidelines to make sure we’re communicating with you in the best way. We will:
p
Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) surveys
Communication will be guided by our REACH values
Complaints feedback
Plan ahead – to give you enough notice and time to get involved
Put people first
Keep you updated on services and repairs
Be clear, accessible and inclusive – we’ll write in plain English so it’s easy to understand, and respect everyone’s background and preferences
Be more proactive
Open and honest – we’ll tell you the truth
The main themes from this feedback told us that you want our communication to:
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Empathetic – we’ll listen to your needs and say sorry when we get things wrong
Tailor messages to you
Regular customer service surveys
A review of written communication and tenant interviews
Be easier to understand with no jargon
Collaborative and two-way – we’ll make it easy for you to get involved and contact us
Timely – share updates with you promptly
Value for money – we’ll make sure our communication with you is cost-effective.
Accountable – we’ll be clear on how decisions are made and who makes them
Customer consultations (where we ask for your views before making changes to homes and services)
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Who are we talking to?
How we’ll communicate with you
Stories
Stories Stories Stories
Our customers are our priority, but we also need to talk to a range of people for different reasons. For example, regular communication with local politicians helps councillors and MPs to understand our services and how they can support you if you get in touch with them. It also helps us to keep talking about issues facing tenants and communities to campaign to Government for continued funding for housing.
Stories
Stories
Stories
Stories
• Community centres, libraries, Southway’s reception
• Email • Letters • Phone • SMS/text alerts • Media Local and regional press
• Social media LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp Channel, YouTube
Stories
Stories
Stories
• Customer groups and meetings • Community events and drop-ins
• Southway’s website
• Southway Stories
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Measuring success
We will: • C ommunicate more clearly with you using language that's easy to understand, avoids jargon and puts you first • H elp you to have your say more easily before key decisions are made • A sk for your views on communication projects like our tenant newsletter • P romote ways for you to get involved • U se videos to communicate in a more engaging and accessible way • Launch new customer friendly online services and a mobile app Improvements we’re making
The best measure of success is to see more happy customers, less complaints and less calls into our customer hub. We'll continue listening to customers to review how we’re doing through all our usual channels and customer surveys.
• C ontinue to issue regular customer newsletters • C ontinue to improve Southway’s new website • P ublish regular performance information • E ncourage more customers to join us on social media including WhatsApp • G et better at tailoring communication to suit your needs • U se more QR codes to signpost customers to more information online • Tell more stories about people to help you understand our projects and services better
Have your say
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If you have any other suggestions on how we can improve our communication with you, please contact us at communications@southwayhousing.co.uk
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southwayhousing.co.uk
If you would like this document in a different language or format, you can find these options on our website. Just click the accessibility icon at the top of your screen for translation, audio, large print and other helpful features. Or you can contact us using the details below.
Email: connect@southwayhousing.co.uk Call: 0161 448 4200 Get in touch
Southway Housing Trust is the business name for Southway Housing Trust (Manchester) Limited Registered office: Southern Gate, 729 Princess Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 2LT. Southway is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 Registered in England. Registration number: 30348R. Southway is registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. Registration number: L4507. Southway is an exempt charity.
@southwayhousing
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