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Lewisham Homes: STAR Customer satisfaction tracker – annual results 2019/2020 Customer Satisfaction Survey Report March 2016
Customer satisfaction survey 2019/20 Prepared for: Lewisham Homes by: Acuity March 2020
Produced by Acuity Acuity Research & Practice PO Box 395, Umberleigh, Devon, EX32 2 HL Tel: 01273 287114 © Acuity Research & Practice Limited, www.arap.co.uk Registered in England No. 3503391
Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
2. Overall satisfaction with services ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
3. The home ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
4. Neighbourhood ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
5. Repairs and maintenance service .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
6. Customer services ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 21
7. Listening to residents ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
8. Environmental Services ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
9. Recommending Lewisham Homes.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 33
10. Leaseholders ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
11. Comparison with other landlords ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 39
12. Understanding overall satisfaction................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 42
13. Change in satisfaction over time .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 45
14. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 47
Appendix 1 – Data tables
Appendix 2 – Questions
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 2
1. Introduction Acuity was commissioned to undertake four quarterly telephone surveys of
Lewisham Homes’ residents per year to collect data on their opinions and
attitudes of their landlord and the services provided in 2019/20. Over the
last year, four surveys have been undertaken and collectively they provide
the full data for the financial year 2019/20. The question set is based on
HouseMark’s STAR questions for customer satisfaction surveys which have
been adapted to suit the requirements of the organisation. This report is
based on the combined annual data for the last four surveys for the period
April 2019 to March 2020.
1.1 About STAR
In July 2011, HouseMark launched STAR – a set of questions designed to
measure customer satisfaction in the housing sector. The approach ensures
social housing providers remain equipped with the means of comparing key
satisfaction results with other landlords and also provides a framework for
trend analysis.
1.2 Aim of the survey
The aim of the survey is to provide data on resident satisfaction, which will
allow Lewisham Homes to:
Provide a regular picture of resident satisfaction with their homes
and with the services Lewisham Homes provides
Identify the direction of travel with services and monitor the impact
of any service change
Carry out customer recovery with residents that have voiced
dissatisfaction, and
Inform decisions regarding service reviews.
1.3 Sampling frame and fieldwork
In 2019/20, every three months, residents were called and invited to take
part in a telephone interview. The survey is designed to collect the views of
approximately 380 residents per quarter, proportionately sampled by tenure.
A service level agreement is in place which includes a set of protocols for the
survey, for example, that no customer will be telephoned more than once in
any twelve-month period and also the hours and days-of-the-week during
which residents can be contacted.
The telephone survey is confidential and the results are sent back to
Lewisham Homes anonymised, unless residents give their permission to be
identified; 93% of tenants agreed to have their names attached to their
responses and, of these, 72% were happy for Lewisham Homes to contact
them regarding any comments or issues raised.
1.4 Survey design
The current telephone script comprises of approximately 25 questions and
takes around to 7 to 8 minutes to complete. A copy of the question set can
be found in Appendix 2.
1.5 Accuracy
For the overall results, HouseMark recommend that surveys of over 10,000
population achieve a sampling error of at least ±3% at the 95% confidence
level. This means that, for example, if 75% of residents answered ‘Yes’ to a
particular question, there are 95 chances out of 100 that the correct figure
for all residents – including those who did not respond – would be between
72% and 78%.
For Lewisham Homes approximately 380 customer interviews are carried
out each quarter. This response is high enough to conclude that any figures
quoted at this level are accurate to within ±5.0%. For 2019/20 a total of
1,520 residents have been interviewed in the last four quarters, accurate to
±2.4% at the 95% confidence interval.
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 3
Also shown in the table are the margins of error for the main subgroups, the
areas of operation and age range. The table uses the information from the
original data file and some figures are missing, particularly for the tenant’s
age, but it does give a good indication of the margins of error.
Figure 1.1 Survey sampling, response and reliability (All tenants)
No of interviews Margin of error
Tenure group
Po
pu
lati
on
Qu
arte
rly
An
nu
al
Qu
arte
rly
An
nu
al
Tenants 12,200 245 980 +6.2% +3.0%
Leaseholders 5,200 135 540 +8.3% +4.0%
All residents 17,400 380 1,520 +5.0% +2.4%
Subgroups
North 6503 202 805 +6.8% +3.2%
South 5577 176 709 +7.3% +3.4%
Age 16-24 213 3 25 +56.2% +18.4%
Age 25-59 7925 185 754 +7.1% +3.4%
Age 60+ 3841 115 693 +9.0% +3.4%
1.6 This report
This report presents an analysis of the combined results for the four surveys
which took place in 2019/20. The end of year has also given the opportunity
to look at various subgroups. As well as the usual split of results between
tenants and leaseholders, the results have also been split by the main area of
operation, age group and gender of resident.
1.7 Notes to figures
Throughout this report, the figures show the results as percentages and base
numbers are also shown where appropriate.
Rounding
The vast majority of figures throughout the report show the results as
percentages. The percentages are rounded up or down from two decimal
places in the data files to the nearest whole number, and for this reason may
not in all cases add up to 100%. Rounding can also cause percentages
described in the supporting text to differ from the percentages in the charts
by 1% when two percentages are added together. In some parts of the
report percentages may be expressed to one decimal place.
Excluding ‘not applicable’
In general, in line with the convention for satisfaction surveys, only valid
responses to questions have been included and all non-valid responses (for
example, where a response to a question has not been stated) have been
excluded. Responses such as ‘not applicable, ‘can’t remember’ or ‘don’t
know’ (where these were possible responses to questions) are also excluded
from the base in this report. Where these results are excluded this is noted
in the written comments and charts.
Comparison with other landlords
Throughout the report, and in particularly in section 11, the results from the
survey are compared with other social landlords who have completed similar
surveys. It should be noted, however, that Lewisham Homes chose to use a
four-point scale on most satisfaction questions, i.e. not giving ‘neither’ as an
option. This can have the effect of inflating both the satisfied and dissatisfied
results. Therefore, whilst this type of compassion is useful and has been
included for information purposes, strictly speaking they are not directly
compatible so should be interpreted with caution.
1.8 Acknowledgements
Our thanks go firstly to the residents of Lewisham Homes who took part in
the survey. We would also like to thank the staff of Lewisham Homes for
their assistance with the project, and our particular thanks go to Gareth
Mostyn for his help throughout the project.
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 4
2. Overall satisfaction with services The following sections look at the results from the survey based on the
views of all residents at Lewisham Homes who were surveyed (general
needs, sheltered tenants and leaseholders). This section examines the overall
rating for services at Lewisham Homes and is often seen as the headline
figure in any survey. The findings are compared with the results from the
2016 and 2018 surveys; The results are also analysed by different subgroups
based on area and resident diversity.
2.1 Overall services
Three quarters of residents across the year (73%) are satisfied with the
services provided by Lewisham Homes, although the remaining 27% are
dissatisfied. Generally, in surveys of this type, leaseholders are less satisfied
than tenants and this is the case here; just 59% are satisfied with services
compared with 80% of tenants.
It is also common that sheltered tenants are more satisfied than general
needs tenants; this is also true for Lewisham Homes with 87% of sheltered
tenants satisfied compared with 80% general needs.
Figure 2.1: Satisfaction with services provided by Lewisham Homes
Change in satisfaction over time
Satisfaction with the overall services has been steadily rising over the past
few years. The rating for tenants for 2019 (80%) is 1% higher than in 2018
and 3% higher than 2016. Leaseholder satisfaction is the same at the end of
2019/20 as at the same time last year but this is 3% higher than in 2016.
Figure 2.2: Annual satisfaction with services over time
Comparison with other landlords
The comparison shown is for all tenants, section 11 will show the breakdown
with general needs and sheltered residents, but please note comment in
introduction about compatibility of results.
When the performance of Lewisham Homes (19/20) is compared with the
latest HouseMark Benchmarking data for London which is for 2018/19, the
rating for the overall services is in the top quartile, 6% above the median.
Figure 2.3: HouseMark London benchmarking – All tenants 2018/19
Top
Quartile
2018/19
Lewisham Homes 80%
Upper quartile 80%
Median 74%
Lower Quartile 68%
73% 80% 87% 80%59%
27% 20% 13% 20%41%
Total (1520) General needs(943)
Sheltered (38) Tenants (981) Leaseholders(539)
Satisfied Dissatisfied
77% 79% 80%
56%59% 59%
2016 2018 2019
Tenants Leaseholders
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 5
Further analysis
The end of the financial year sees the completion of four quarterly surveys
and gives the opportunity to look at the results for the year in a bit more
detail. Therefore, the results are shown in this annual report analysed by a
variety of different subgroups, these include the main area of operation, age
of resident and gender.
Area of operation
Lewisham Homes operates over two main areas, Lewisham North and
Lewisham South. There are a handful of properties outside these areas but
these have been ignored from this analysis.
Satisfaction with the services received is similar across the two areas with
those in Lewisham South (74%) marginally more satisfied than the residents
of Lewisham North (72%).
Figure 2.4: Satisfaction with services by area
The number of respondents from each area are shown in brackets on the chart.
Age of resident
Surveys of this type often show that satisfaction increases with age, however,
this is not the case on this measure for Lewisham Homes. The most satisfied
overall are, in fact, those aged 16 to 24 (84%) with those aged 25 to 59 and
60 and over both having 73% satisfied overall. However, the younger age
group only has a few respondents so care should be taken when considering
these results; there are also 48 residents who responded to the survey
whose age is unknown so have been excluded from this analysis.
Figure 2.5: Satisfaction with services by age range
Gender
Of those where the gender of the respondents is known, more are female
(622) than male (506). Satisfaction with overall services is fairly similar
between the genders, male residents (75%) being a little more satisfied than
female residents (73%).
2.2 Reasons for dissatisfaction
Residents who said they are dissatisfied with the overall service received
from Lewisham Homes were asked to say why. A total of 774 comments
were received throughout the year and around a third (31%) concern the
repairs service. The need for general improvement, better quality of work
and quicker repairs are the main suggestions for improvement but customer
contact is also clearly important, with some residents saying staff didn’t call
back, customer service was poor or staff were unhelpful.
Below shows the subject of these comments and the numbers of each, the
full text can be found in the accompanying data tables and in the on-line
dashboard.
72%
74%
28%
26%
Lewisham North(805)
Lewisham South(709)
84%
73%
73%
16%
27%
27%
Age group 16 - 24(25)
Age group 25 - 59(754)
Age group 60+(693)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 6
Figure 2.6: Main reasons for dissatisfaction with overall service
Figure 2.7: Breakdown of reasons for dissatisfaction with overall service
Comments No
Repairs and maintenance - 31%
Repairs service generally 68
Quality of repair work 23
Quicker repairs 17
Timescale to complete repairs 16
Had to keep reporting repair to get it fixed 14
Right first time 9
Finish off repair 8
Returning calls 8
Keep appointments 7
Ease of reporting repair 6
Improve contractors 6
Internal communication breakdown 6
Outstanding repairs 6
Gave up in the end and did the job themselves 5
Check repairs done, inspect work 4
Provide appointments, at the right times 4
Contractors damaged home/belonging 3
Did not clean up 3
Follow up works communication 3
Operative attitude 3
Some repairs not covered/rechargeable 3
Treat residents/belonging /homes with respect 3
Communicating appointment times 2
Did not turn up with right fittings 2
Insufficient job details shared with operatives 2
Missed appointment 2
Replace not repair 2
Contractors just turn up 1
More chargeable repairs services 1
Repairs not covered 1
Customer contact - 17%
Did not call /email back/have to keep chasing 21
Issue/problem not resolved/Enquiry not answered 19
Not very helpful or professional, rude staff 14
Poor customer service (general) 14
Complaints handling 11
Long time to get through / hard to contact 11
Poor call handling - kept on hold/passed around to different people 7
Don't keep promises 6
Did not call back/have to keep chasing 5
Repairs - 31%
Customer contact - 17%
Propertycondition
- 8%
Tenant services - 8%
Estate maintenance -
7%
Communications -6%
Neighbourhood problems - 5%
Planned works - 5%
Tenancy management
Other - 4% Other codes -2% Communal
cleaning - 1%
Gardening -1%Positive
comments -0%
Moving - 0%
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 7
Respond to emails 5
Better customer care, customer service 4
Lack of knowledge 3
Respond to queries quicker 3
Don't answer phones 2
Staff don't communicate with each other 2
Accessibility e.g. of centres, offices 1
Be more understanding & honest, treat fairly 1
Did not know who to call/new numbers 1
Do not like automated system 1
Not taken seriously 1
Staff hung up on resident 1
Property condition - 8%
Damp problems 23
Poor property condition 16
External property maintenance 11
Carry out fire safety check 4
Problems with pests 4
Roof repairs 4
Need better property security 1
Need internal decoration 1
Subsidence 1
Tenant services - 8%
Service charge services not carried out/not properly explained 43
Poor caring company 9
Poor services generally 5
Help for older residents/health issues 3
Property adaptations needed, wet rooms etc. 3
Provide a decorating service/handyman service/window cleaning 1
Estate and grounds maintenance - 7%
Cleaning of communal areas 12
Maintenance/decoration of communal areas 12
Grounds maintenance - grass cutting/ gardeners 10
Fences and gates 6
Lifts (keep in good repair) 5
Estate services (general) 4
Drainage, flooding problems 2
Health and safety 2
Paths and driveways 1
Trees and hedges 1
Communications and information - 6%
Improve communication 15
Don't always consult or inform before acting 8
Keep tenants up to date with planned works timetable 7
Should listen more carefully/do not seem interested 5
More concerned with budgets than customers 3
Improve website 2
Views not acted upon/no feedback 2
More events, meetings 1
Planned works - 5%
New windows 14
Doors - internal or external, porch 6
Improvement works (Kitchens, bathrooms) 6
Planned works (general) 4
Central heating, better heating system 3
New roof 1
Refurbishment used poor quality fittings 1
Tenancy management – 5%
Rent issues, rent statements 9
Service charge too high/poor value 6
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 8
Enforce tenancy agreement 4
Poor condition of property at letting 4
Overcrowding 3
Poor housing officer 3
Want to move, transfer 3
Property not suitable for needs 2
Rent too high / not value for money 1
Neighbours, neighbourhood or local problems - 5%
ASB 9
Car parking 7
Problems with noise from neighbours 6
Drugs related problems 5
Improved security, do not feel safe 3
Litter and rubbish 3
Problems with pests 3
Problems with neighbours (non-specific) 2
Dogs noise or fouling 1
Going downhill 1
Standard of tenant gardens 1
Other - 4%
Negative comment 17
Homeowners not treated same as tenants 5
Other 5
Homeowners not eligible for services 2
Shared owners have to cover all costs 1
Spent a lot of own money doing up property 1
Other codes - 2%
Problems with rubbish collection, areas, skips 9
Fly-tipping, disposal service for unwanted large items 2
Area for mobility scooter / storage generally 1
Communal cleaning - 1%
Poor cleanliness of communal areas 3
Poor quality of cleaning service 3
Cleaning needs to be done more regularly 2
Never seen anyone cleaning 1
No cleaning service when caretaker is on holiday 1
Rubbish accumulating in communal areas 1
Gardening - 1%
Neglected areas, grounds are a disgrace 2
Rubbish everywhere 2
Do not pick up leaves, cuttings 1
Fly-tipping 1
Grass cutting / gardening service not regular enough 1
Overgrown vegetation causing problems with pests 1
Poor maintenance of flower beds, empty flower beds 1
Positive comments
Cleaning & maintenance are good 1
Moving
Want to move 1
Total 774
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 9
3. The home This section looks at the results from the survey based on the views of
Lewisham Homes’ residents in relation to the quality of the homes, which is
a key driver for tenants.
3.1 Overall quality of the home
A little under three quarters of tenants at Lewisham Homes are satisfied
with the overall quality of the home (72%). However, 28% are dissatisfied.
Sheltered tenants (84%) are more satisfied with their home than general
needs tenants (71%).
Figure 3.1: Satisfaction with the quality of the home for all tenants
Change in satisfaction over time
As Figure 3.2 demonstrates, satisfaction with the quality of the home has
remained fairly constant over the past surveys, being at 72% in 2016, up to
73% in 2018 and now back to 72%.
Figure 3.2: Annual tenant satisfaction with the quality of the home over time
Comparison with other landlords
When the performance of Lewisham Homes is compared with HouseMark
London averages, the rating for the quality of the home is 3% lower than the
average rating (75%) and falls into the third quartile.
Figure 3.3: HouseMark London benchmarking – All tenants 2018/19
Third
Quartile
2018/19
Lewisham Homes 72%
Upper quartile 77%
Median 75%
Lower Quartile 69%
Area of operation
There is no difference in satisfaction with the home between the two main
areas of operation, 72% in each of the areas are satisfied with 28%
dissatisfied.
72% 71%84%
28% 29%16%
Total (980) General needs (942) Sheltered (38)
Satisfied Dissatisfied
72% 73% 72%
2016 2018 2019
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 10
Figure 3.4: Satisfaction with the quality of the home by area
Age of resident
The satisfaction with the home increases with age, similar to other surveys.
There are 80% satisfied with their home in the 60 and over group compared
with 66% for the 25 to 59 group and 64% for the under 25s.
Figure 3.5: Satisfaction with the quality of the home by age range
Gender
The male residents (76%) are a little more satisfied with their home than
their female counterparts (71%).
3.2 Why not satisfied with the home
Two out of five comments about why they are not satisfied with their home
are linked to poor property condition (40%), with damp problems the top
reported issue.
A further 20% of comments mentioned major works with new kitchens,
bathrooms and windows needed, 19% are about the repairs service generally,
some complain of poor condition at letting and 4% linked to estate and
grounds maintenance.
Figure 3.6: Why residents are not satisfied with their home
Comments No
Property condition - 40%
Damp problems 72
Poor property condition 55
Need internal decoration 10
Roof repairs 10
Insulation needed 6
External property maintenance 5
Poor build quality 3
Problems with pests 3
Need better property security 2
Sound proofing 2
Carry out fire safety check 1
Subsidence 1
Planned works - 20%
New windows 38
Improvement works (Kitchens, bathrooms) 21
Central heating, better heating system 12
Doors - internal or external, porch 10
Refurbishment used poor quality fittings 4
New roof 2
72%
72%
28%
28%
Lewisham North(525)
Lewisham South(451)
64%
66%
80%
36%
34%
20%
Age group 16 - 24(25)
Age group 25 - 59(551)
Age group 60+(393)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 11
Repairs and - 19%
Repairs service generally 28
Quality of repair work 14
Outstanding repairs 10
Quicker repairs 6
Finish off repair 5
Follow up works communication 2
Improve contractors 2
Replace not repair 2
Right first time 2
Some repairs not covered/rechargeable 2
Contractors damaged home/belonging 1
Ease of reporting repair 1
Gave up in the end and did the job themselves 1
Had to keep reporting repair to get it fixed 1
Keep appointments 1
Missed appointment 1
Returning calls 1
Timescale to complete repairs 1
Tenancy management - 6%
Poor condition of property at letting 14
Overcrowding 7
Want to move, transfer 3
Property not suitable for needs 2
Estate and grounds maintenance - 4%
Maintenance/decoration of communal areas 6
Drainage, flooding problems 3
Lifts (keep in good repair) 3
Fences and gates 2
Grounds maintenance - grass cutting/ gardeners 2
Health and safety 1
Paths and driveways 1
Trees and hedges 1
Neighbours, neighbourhood or local problems - 3%
Litter and rubbish 4
Drugs related problems 3
ASB 2
Improved security, do not feel safe 1
Problems with neighbours (non-specific) 1
Problems with pests 1
Other - 3%
Negative comment 5
Other 4
Already commented in an earlier Q 1
Spent a lot of own money doing up property 1
Customer contact - 1%
Did not call /email back/have to keep chasing 2
Be more understanding & honest, treat fairly 1
Did not call back/have to keep chasing 1
Not taken seriously 1
Poor customer service (general) 1
Communications and information - 1%
Keep tenants up to date with planned works timetable 1
More concerned with budgets than customers 1
Visit us 1
Tenant services - 1%
Property adaptations needed, wet rooms etc. 2
Help for older residents/health issues 1
Poor caring company 1
Service charge services not carried out/not properly explained 1
Local facilities
Lighting, street lighting 2
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 12
Positive comments
Like home, good condition 1
Repairs service 1
Other codes
Lack of understanding from decision makers 1
Problems with rubbish collection, areas, skips 1
Total 426
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 13
4. Neighbourhood This chapter examines tenants’ views of their neighbourhood, in terms of
whether it is a good place to live. Lewisham Homes is committed to
providing a safe and attractive environment by building and strengthening
communities and working in partnership to improve neighbourhoods.
Satisfaction with the neighbourhood is high at 85% overall, and just 15% of
residents are dissatisfied with the neighbourhood.
Sheltered housing tenants (92%) are quite a bit more satisfied with their
neighbourhood compared with general needs tenants (84%) and leaseholders
(85%).
Figure 4.1: Satisfaction with the neighbourhood for all residents
Change in satisfaction over time
There has been very little change in satisfaction for tenants with the
neighbourhood as a place to live over the last few years, 85% are satisfied,
1% higher than in 2018 but the same as in 2016. Leaseholders are a little
more satisfied, up 2% to 85% and satisfaction in now the same for both
groups.
Figure 4.2: Annual tenant satisfaction with the neighbourhood over time
Comparison with other landlords
When the performance of Lewisham Homes is compared with HouseMark
London averages, the rating for the neighbourhood is 6% higher than the
median rating (79%) and is in the top quartile.
Figure 4.3: HouseMark London benchmarking – All tenants 2018/19
Top
Quartile
2018/19
Lewisham Homes 85%
Upper quartile 84%
Median 79%
Lower Quartile 74%
Area of operation
Satisfaction with the neighbourhood as a place to live is marginally higher in
Lewisham North (85%) than in Lewisham South (84%).
85% 84% 92% 85% 85%
15% 16% 8% 15% 15%
Total (1491) General needs(943)
Sheltered (38) Tenants (981) Leaseholders(510)
Satisfied Dissatisfied
85%
84%
85%
83% 83%
85%
2016 2018 2019
Tenants Leaseholders
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 14
Figure 4.4: Satisfaction with the neighbourhood by area
Age of resident
The oldest age group are more satisfied than the younger groups; 87% of the
60 and over group are satisfied with their neighbourhood, with 82% of the 25
to 59 group satisfied and 80% of the under 25s.
Figure 4.5: Satisfaction with the neighbourhood by age range
Gender
The male residents (86%) are a little more satisfied with their neighbourhood
than the female residents (84%).
85%
84%
15%
16%
Lewisham North(793)
Lewisham South(692)
80%
82%
87%
20%
18%
13%
Age group 16 - 24(25)
Age group 25 - 59(743)
Age group 60+(675)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 15
5. Repairs and maintenance service Customer surveys almost universally find that satisfaction with the repairs
and maintenance service is the most important factor in determining overall
satisfaction with the landlord. This chapter looks at satisfaction with this key
service at Lewisham Homes and reports any differences in satisfaction over
time.
5.1 Repairs and maintenance
The latest survey found that 69% of tenants are satisfied with the repairs and
maintenance service, with sheltered tenants (76%) more satisfied than
general needs (68%).
In terms of the repairs to communal areas, 47% of leaseholders are satisfied
with the service they receive, but this means, 53% are dissatisfied.
Figure 5.1: Satisfaction with repairs and maintenance service for all residents
Change in satisfaction over time
As the chart in Figure 5.2 shows, satisfaction with the repairs service has
changed little over the years with tenant satisfaction down a little (3% from
2018) but leaseholder satisfaction up (2% from 2018).
Figure 5.2: Satisfaction with repairs and maintenance service over time
Comparison with other landlords
Satisfaction with the repairs and maintenance service at Lewisham is higher
than the HouseMark average (3% higher) but a little below the top quartile
mark of 73% so is placed in the second quartile.
Figure 5.3: HouseMark benchmarking – All residents 2018/19
Second
Quartile
2018/19
Lewisham Homes 69%
Upper quartile 73%
Median 66%
Lower Quartile 61%
68% 76% 69%
47%
32% 24% 31%
53%
General needs(926)
Sheltered (38) Tenants (964) Leaseholders(493)
Satisfied Dissatisfied
70%72%
69%
45% 45% 47%
2016 2018 2019
Tenants Leaseholders
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 16
Area of operation
When looking at satisfaction with the repairs service by area for tenants,
those in Lewisham South (71%) are more satisfied than those living in the
Lewisham North area (66%); and consequently, fewer are dissatisfied.
As we saw above, fewer leaseholders are satisfied with the repairs service
they receive, albeit just for repairs to communal areas. There is less
difference between the areas with slightly more in Lewisham North satisfied
than Lewisham South, 48% compared with 46%.
Figure 5.4: Satisfaction with repairs and maintenance by area
Age of resident
Whilst the oldest tenant group are the most satisfied with their repairs
service, there are only 2% more satisfied than the under 25s. The 25 to 59
age group is the least satisfied (61%).
For the leaseholders, there is little between the groups, the older group
(48%) are slightly more satisfied compared with the 25 to 59 group (46%).
There are no leaseholders under 25.
Figure 5.5: Satisfaction with the repairs and maintenance by age range
Gender
Male residents both tenants (70%) and leaseholders (46%) are more satisfied
with the repairs service than female residents, 66% and 41% respectively.
5.2 How can Lewisham Homes improve its repairs service?
The tenants were asked to say why they are dissatisfied with the repairs
service and what could be improved. Below shows the subject of the 426
comments made and the number of comments recorded.
Issues with poor condition of their property is the most common reason for
dissatisfaction, with damp among the biggest problems. A number of tenants
want improvements to their property and the repairs service attracts 19% of
comments with better quality of work wanted. Some residents have also
used the opportunity to make comments about other issues relating to their
66%
71%
48%
46%
34%
29%
52%
54%
Lewisham NorthTenants (520)
Lewisham SouthTenants (440)
Lewisham NorthLeaseholders (261)
Lewisham SouthLeaseholders (230)
76%
61%
78%
46%
48%
24%
39%
22%
54%
52%
Tenants - Age group16 - 24 (25)
Tenants - Age group25 - 59 (541)
Tenants - Age group60+ (387)
Leaseholders - Agegroup 25 - 59 (186)
Leaseholders - Agegroup 60+ (274)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 17
neighbourhood and estate services.
Figure 5.6: Reasons for tenant dissatisfaction with repairs
Comments No
Property condition - 40%
Damp problems 72
Poor property condition 55
Need internal decoration 10
Roof repairs 10
Insulation needed 6
External property maintenance 5
Poor build quality 3
Problems with pests 3
Need better property security 2
Sound proofing 2
Carry out fire safety check 1
Subsidence 1
Planned works - 20%
New windows 38
Improvement works (Kitchens, bathrooms) 21
Central heating, better heating system 12
Doors - internal or external, porch 10
Refurbishment used poor quality fittings 4
New roof 2
Repairs and - 19%
Repairs service generally 28
Quality of repair work 14
Outstanding repairs 10
Quicker repairs 6
Finish off repair 5
Follow up works communication 2
Improve contractors 2
Replace not repair 2
Right first time 2
Some repairs not covered/rechargeable 2
Contractors damaged home/belonging 1
Ease of reporting repair 1
Gave up in the end and did the job themselves 1
Had to keep reporting repair to get it fixed 1
Keep appointments 1
Missed appointment 1
Returning calls 1
Timescale to complete repairs 1
Tenancy management - 6%
Poor condition of property at letting 14
Overcrowding 7
Want to move, transfer 3
Property not suitable for needs 2
Estate and grounds maintenance - 4%
Maintenance/decoration of communal areas 6
Drainage, flooding problems 3
Lifts (keep in good repair) 3
Fences and gates 2
Grounds maintenance - grass cutting/ gardeners 2
Health and safety 1
Paths and driveways 1
Trees and hedges 1
Neighbours, neighbourhood or local problems - 3%
Litter and rubbish 4
Drugs related problems 3
ASB 2
Improved security, do not feel safe 1
Problems with neighbours (non-specific) 1
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 18
Problems with pests 1
Other - 3%
Negative comment 5
Other 4
Already commented in an earlier Q 1
Spent a lot of own money doing up property 1
Customer contact - 1%
Did not call /email back/have to keep chasing 2
Be more understanding & honest, treat fairly 1
Did not call back/have to keep chasing 1
Not taken seriously 1
Poor customer service (general) 1
Communications and information - 1%
Keep tenants up to date with planned works timetable 1
More concerned with budgets than customers 1
Visit us 1
Tenant services - 1%
Property adaptations needed, wet rooms etc. 2
Help for older residents/health issues 1
Poor caring company 1
Service charge services not carried out/not properly explained 1
Local facilities
Lighting, street lighting 2
Positive comments
Like home, good condition 1
Repairs service 1
Other codes
Lack of understanding from decision makers 1
Problems with rubbish collection, areas, skips 1
Total 426
In addition, leaseholders were asked to indicate what could be done to
improve satisfaction with communal repairs. Getting repairs done generally
better, quicker and to a better quality are the most common suggestions but
communication and customer service also feature.
The subject of suggestions is shown below and the full text is available in the
data files and on-line dashboard.
Figure 5.7: How to improve leaseholder satisfaction with communal repairs
Repairs and maintenance - 52%
Repairs service generally 44
Quicker repairs 32
Quality of repair work 26
Improve contractors 14
Outstanding repairs 9
Timescale to complete repairs 9
Check repairs done, inspect work 8
Communicating appointment times 5
Had to keep reporting repair to get it fixed 5
Provide appointments, at the right times 5
Some repairs not covered/rechargeable 5
Returning calls 4
Right first time 4
Gave up in the end and did the job themselves 3
Repairs not covered 3
Contractors just turn up 2
Follow up works communication 2
Replace not repair 2
Contractors damaged home/belonging 1
Did not clean up 1
Ease of reporting repair 1
Internal communication breakdown 1
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 19
Missed appointment 1
More chargeable repairs services 1
Operative attitude 1
Treat residents/belonging /homes with respect 1
Use local contactors/staff for each area 1
Communications and information - 9%
Improve communication 12
Don't always consult or inform before acting 6
Keep tenants up to date with planned works timetable 6
Should listen more carefully/do not seem interested 4
More events, meetings 2
Views not acted upon/no feedback 1
Estate and grounds maintenance - 8%
Maintenance/decoration of communal areas 14
Fences and gates 3
Lifts (keep in good repair) 3
Drainage, flooding problems 2
Grounds maintenance - grass cutting/ gardeners 2
Cleaning of communal areas 1
Estate services (general) 1
On-site office/caretaker 1
Paths and driveways 1
Customer contact - 7%
Do not keep us informed of progress 4
Better customer care, customer service 3
Complaints handling 2
Did not call /email back/have to keep chasing 2
Issue/problem not resolved/Enquiry not answered 2
Long time to get through / hard to contact 2
Not taken seriously 2
Respond to queries quicker 2
Be more understanding & honest, treat fairly 1
Don't keep promises 1
Not very helpful or professional, rude staff 1
Poor call handling - kept on hold/passed around to different people 1
Poor customer service (general) 1
Property condition - 6%
External property maintenance 7
Inspect property 6
Poor property condition 4
Need internal decoration 2
Roof repairs 2
Carry out fire safety check 1
Insulation needed 1
Neighbours, neighbourhood or local problems - 4%
Improved security, do not feel safe 5
ASB 3
Car parking 3
Drugs related problems 1
Going downhill 1
Problems with pests 1
Other - 4%
Other 9
Homeowners not treated same as tenants 2
Neutral comment/not applicable 2
Homeowners not eligible for services 1
Negative comment 1
Shared owners have to cover all costs 1
Tenant services - 3%
Service charge services not carried out/not properly explained 9
Help for older residents/health issues 1
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 20
Poor caring company 1
Poor services generally 1
Tenancy management - 2%
Rent issues, rent statements 4
Service charge too high/poor value 4
Poor housing officer 1
Local facilities - 1%
Lighting, street lighting 4
Provide play areas for children 1
Communal cleaning - 1%
Cleaning needs to be done more regularly 1
Poor cleanliness of communal areas 1
Poor quality of cleaning service 1
Gardening - 1%
Bushes & hedges - not pruned, trimmed regularly enough 1
Neglected areas, grounds are a disgrace 1
Planned works - 1%
New windows 2
Other codes - 1%
Would like to opt out of certain services/have to pay for services I don't use 2
More financial efficiency 1
Poor condition of the roads, road repairs 1
Total 364
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 21
6. Customer services Providing excellent customer service is a fundamental part of landlord
services to ensure a positive relationship with its residents. This section
examines how staff deal with the various queries and enquiries raised by
residents.
6.1 Level of contact
Five out of six residents had contacted Lewisham Homes in the 12 months
prior to the survey (84%). A higher percentage of general needs residents
made contact (89%) compared with sheltered residents (78%) and
leaseholders (76%).
6.2 Ease of getting most recent enquiry resolved
The survey found that three out of five residents found it easy to get their
last enquiry resolved, although 32% found it difficult and 9% found it neither
easy or difficult. Tenants (67%) found it easier than leaseholders (42%),
where 47% found it difficult and of the tenants, general needs tenants found
it a little easier than sheltered tenants, 67% compared with 65%.
Figure 6.1: Satisfaction with ease of getting enquiry resolved
Change in satisfaction over time
These customer contact questions were first asked in the quarterly surveys
so it is not possible to compare the results with the 2016 and 2018 surveys.
Why residents had problems resolving last enquiry The table below show the main reasons why the residents had some
problems with their last contact. Poor call handling and staff not calling back
are the most common complaints, although a number of residents also
referred to difficulties getting repair work done.
Figure 6.2: Problems with last contact
Comments No
Customer contact - 41%
Did not call /email back/have to keep chasing 47
Poor call handling - kept on hold/passed around to different people 35
Long time to get through / hard to contact 15
Complaints handling 12
Better customer care, customer service 11
Don't answer phones 10
Issue/problem not resolved/Enquiry not answered 10
Poor customer service (general) 9
Respond to emails 9
Not very helpful or professional, rude staff 7
Staff don't communicate with each other 6
Be more understanding & honest, treat fairly 5
Lack of knowledge 5
Couldn't help/Not their job 4
Do not like automated system 4
Can't use the computer/get online so cannot access the service/form 2
Inconsistent - some staff good/some bad 2
Accessibility e.g. of centres, offices 1
Always engaged 1
59% 67% 65% 67%
42%
9%9% 4% 8%
11%
32% 25% 31% 25%47%
Total (1136) Generalneeds (751)
Sheltered(26)
Tenants (777) Leaseholders(359)
Easy Neither Difficult
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 22
Did not get outcome wanted 1
Did not know who to call/new numbers 1
Do not keep us informed of progress 1
Don't keep promises 1
Language barrier 1
No direct lines 1
Not taken seriously 1
Poor/inconvenient opening hours 1
Staff hung up on resident 1
Want face to face contact 1
Repairs and maintenance - 27%
Repairs service generally 36
Had to keep reporting repair to get it fixed 14
Ease of reporting repair 9
Timescale to complete repairs 9
Quicker repairs 8
Outstanding repairs 7
Returning calls 7
Improve contractors 6
Internal communication breakdown 6
Keep appointments 5
Gave up in the end and did the job themselves 4
Provide appointments, at the right times 4
Finish off repair 3
Missed appointment 3
Quality of repair work 3
Some repairs not covered/rechargeable 3
Follow up works communication 2
Insufficient job details shared with operatives 2
Jobs get forgotten 2
Right first time 2
Did not turn up with right fittings 1
Replace not repair 1
Communications and information - 5%
Improve communication 11
Improve website 7
Keep tenants up to date with planned works timetable 3
Don't always consult or inform before acting 2
Should listen more carefully/do not seem interested 1
Views not acted upon/no feedback 1
Tenancy management - 5%
Rent issues, rent statements 17
Poor housing officer 3
Service charge too high/poor value 2
Better tenant mix, vet tenants 1
Enforce tenancy agreement 1
Want to move, transfer 1
Other - 5%
Negative comment 8
Other 8
Homeowners not treated same as tenants 4
Already commented in an earlier Q 3
Don't know 1
Shared owners have to cover all costs 1
Neighbours, neighbourhood or local problems - 4%
Car parking 6
ASB 5
Litter and rubbish 3
Dogs noise or fouling 2
Drugs related problems 2
Problems with pests 2
Litter, graffiti, vandalism 1
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 23
Problems with neighbours (non-specific) 1
Property condition - 4%
Problems with pests 6
Damp problems 5
External property maintenance 3
Poor property condition 2
Carry out fire safety check 1
Need better property security 1
Roof repairs 1
Estate and grounds maintenance - 3%
Drainage, flooding problems 5
Lifts (keep in good repair) 4
Fences and gates 3
Maintenance/decoration of communal areas 1
Planned works - 2%
New windows 6
Central heating, better heating system 1
Doors - internal or external, porch 1
Improvement works (Kitchens, bathrooms) 1
Tenant services - 2%
Poor warden/housing officer 4
Service charge services not carried out/not properly explained 2
Different tenures treated differently 1
Help for older residents/health issues 1
Poor caring company 1
Property adaptations needed, wet rooms etc. 1
Positive comments - 1%
Staff - helpful 2
Cleaning & maintenance are good 1
Other codes- 1%
Fly-tipping, disposal service for unwanted large items 4
Lack of understanding from decision makers 1
Communal cleaning
Fly-tipping 1
Local facilities
Lighting, street lighting 2
Total 501
6.3 Friendly and approachable staff
Seven out of ten residents (71%) agree that Lewisham Homes has friendly
and approachable staff. The vast majority of sheltered residents agree (92%),
more than general needs residents (78%) and particularly leaseholders (59%).
Relatively few disagree with this, 10% of tenants and 15% of leaseholders,
where 27% neither agree or disagree.
Figure 6.3: Percentage of residents who agreed that Lewisham Homes has friendly
and approachable staff by tenure
Why residents feel the staff are not friendly and approachable
71% 78%92%
78%59%
17% 12%3%
12%
27%
11% 10% 6% 10% 15%
Total (1456) Generalneeds (906)
Sheltered(36)
Tenants(942)
Leaseholders(514)
Agree. Neither Disagree.
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 24
The table below shows the reasons why residents have disagreed that
Lewisham Homes has friendly and approachable staff. The bulk of the
comments refer to customer contact with 63 residents saying the staff were
not very helpful, professional or rude. Getting through and poor call handling
is also an issue to some.
Figure 6.4: Reasons for disagreeing that Lewisham Homes has friendly and
approachable staff
Comments No
Customer contact - 84%
Not very helpful or professional, rude staff 63
Long time to get through / hard to contact 13
Inconsistent - some staff good/some bad 12
Poor call handling - kept on hold/passed around to different people 11
Respond to emails 11
Better customer care, customer service 9
Did not call back/have to keep chasing 8
Not approachable 7
Poor customer service (general) 7
Issue/problem not resolved/Enquiry not answered 6
Did not call /email back/have to keep chasing 5
Complaints handling 4
Lack of knowledge 4
Be more understanding & honest, treat fairly 3
Staff don't communicate with each other 3
Can't use the computer/get online so cannot access the service/form 2
Not taken seriously 2
Respond to queries quicker 2
Couldn't help/Not their job 1
Do not like automated system 1
Don't answer phones 1
Don't give direct answers 1
Language barrier 1
Staff hung up on resident 1
Tenancy management - 4%
Poor housing officer 3
Rent issues, rent statements 3
Overcrowding 1
Want to move, transfer 1
Other - 4%
Negative comment 4
Other 3
Neutral comment/not applicable 2
Repairs and maintenance - 2%
Repairs service generally 2
Keep appointments 1
Provide appointments, at the right times 1
Communications and information - 2%
Views not acted upon/no feedback 3
Don't always consult or inform before acting 1
Neighbours, neighbourhood or local problems - 1%
ASB 2
Problems with neighbours (non-specific) 1
Tenant services - 1%
Poor caring company 2
Positive comments - 1%
Staff in general 2
Gardening
Neglected areas, grounds are a disgrace 1
Moving
Need bigger property 1
Total 212
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 25
Area of operation
The area where residents live appears to make very little difference in how
they feel about their customer service. The same number in Lewisham North
and South found getting their last enquiry resolved (both 59%), while there is
only 1% between the areas who agree that Lewisham Homes has friendly and
approachable staff.
Figure 6.5: Customer service by area
Age of resident
Perhaps unusually, satisfaction with these aspects of customer service largely
decreases with age. For the ease of resolving the last enquiry the under 25s
age group are the most satisfied (76%) with 61% of the 25 to 59 group and
57% of the 60+ group.
The youngest age group are most likely to agree that Lewisham Homes has
friendly and approachable staff (79%), although the over 60s are the next
most satisfied (74%) with the 25 to 59 group the least (70%).
Figure 6.6: Customer service by age range
Gender
More female residents made contact with Lewisham Homes in the last 12
months, 88% compared with 79% male and more found it easy to get their
enquiry resolved, 62% (male 58%). When asked about whether Lewisham
Homes has friendly and approachable staff, both genders have the same
percentage agreeing (72%).
59%
71%
59%
72%
Ease of resolving lastenquiry
Friendly andapproachable staff
Lewisham North (770) Lewisham South (680)
76%
79%
61%
70%
57%
74%
Ease of resolving lastenquiry
Friendly andapproachable staff
Age group 16 - 24 (24) Age group 25 - 59 (733) Age group 60+ (655)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 26
7. Listening to residents Over recent years, social landlords have put a lot of time and resources into
ensuring that they have effective and clear communication channels in place
with their residents, and that information given out to residents is clear and
easy to understand.
Three out of five residents are satisfied that their landlord listens to their
views and acts upon them (60%), although 40% are dissatisfied. Again, tenants
are more satisfied than leaseholders, 67% compared with 46% and sheltered
tenants (79%) are more satisfied than general needs tenants (67%).
Figure 7.1: Satisfaction with listening to views for all residents (2019/20)
Change in satisfaction over time
This question was not included in the previous, annual surveys.
Comparison with other landlords
Lewisham’s rating for listening to views and acting upon them compares very
well with their landlords, in fact it is 12% above the median and falls into the
top quartile. However, in this survey there is no ‘neither’ option so care
should be taken when considering these results.
Figure 7.2: HouseMark benchmarking – All tenants 2018/19
Top
Quartile
2018/19
Lewisham 67%
Upper quartile 62%
Median 55%
Lower Quartile 49%
Area of operation
Both areas have the same percentage satisfied that Lewisham Homes listens
to their views and acts upon them (60%).
Figure 7.3: Satisfaction with listening to views by area
Age of resident
The youngest age group are the most satisfied that Lewisham Homes listen
to their views (64%), with the other two groups both the same with 60%
satisfied.
60% 67%79%
67%
46%
40% 33%21%
33%
54%
Total (1315) General needs(825)
Sheltered (33) Tenants (858) Leaseholders(457)
Satisfied Dissatisfied
60%
60%
40%
40%
Lewisham North(705)
Lewisham South(606)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 27
Figure 7.4: Satisfaction with listening to views by age range
Gender
More male residents (65%) are satisfied that their views are listened to than
female residents (58%).
64%
60%
60%
36%
40%
40%
Age group 16 - 24(22)
Age group 25 - 59(668)
Age group 60+(584)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 28
8. Environmental Services This section examines resident satisfaction with environmental services; the
cleaning of external communal areas, including the cleaning done by the
caretakers, and the gardening service provided by Lewisham Homes.
8.1 External cleaning services
Four out of five residents are satisfied with the external cleaning service
(80%); while 20% are dissatisfied.
Satisfaction among the sheltered tenants is high (92%), more than the general
needs tenants (84%) and leaseholders (73%).
Figure 8.1: Satisfaction with external cleaning services
The residents were asked to say why they are not satisfied with the external
cleaning. A number of residents refer to rubbish accumulating, but also
cleaners not seen or work of poor quality. There also appears to be some
issues about rubbish collection and disposal.
Figure 8.2: Reasons residents are not satisfied with the external cleaning
Comments No
Communal cleaning - 61%
Rubbish accumulating in communal areas 68
Never seen anyone cleaning 23
Poor quality of cleaning service 22
Cleaning needs to be done more regularly 21
Poor cleanliness of communal areas 20
Mixed performance / service 4
Poor cleaner / caretaker, does not respond to requests, does not care 4
Fly-tipping 3
Problems with dog mess 3
Caretaker has too much to cover 2
Caretakers do not have proper cleaning equipment 1
People urinating in communal areas 1
Estate and grounds maintenance - 10%
Cleaning of communal areas 12
On-site office/caretaker 7
Drainage, flooding problems 3
Grounds maintenance - grass cutting/ gardeners 3
Paths and driveways 2
Estate services (general) 1
Maintenance/decoration of communal areas 1
Neighbours, neighbourhood or local problems - 7%
Litter and rubbish 14
Problems with pests 3
Car parking 1
Dogs noise or fouling 1
Drugs related problems 1
Going downhill 1
80% 84% 92% 85%73%
20% 16% 8% 15%27%
Total (1194) General needs(733)
Sheltered (37) Tenants (770) Leaseholders(424)
Satisfied Dissatisfied
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 29
Gardening
Rubbish everywhere 8
Do not pick up leaves, cuttings 4
Fly-tipping 3
Neglected areas, grounds are a disgrace 2
Grass cutting / gardening service not regular enough 1
Never seen a gardener 1
Other codes - 6%
Problems with rubbish collection, areas, skips 11
Fly-tipping, disposal service for unwanted large items 7
Other - 4%
Neutral comment/not applicable 6
Other 4
Negative comment 2
Tenant services - 2%
Service charge services not carried out/not properly explained 6
Property condition - 1%
External property maintenance 2
Customer contact
Want face to face contact 1
Communications and information
Improve communication 1
Positive comments
Cleaning & maintenance are good 1
Total 282
8.2 Internal cleaning of blocks by the caretakers
Slightly more residents are satisfied with the internal cleaning of the blocks
done by the caretakers (81%). Again, the sheltered residents (89%) are more
satisfied than the general needs residents (83%) and the leaseholders (76%).
Figure 8.3: Satisfaction with cleaning by caretakers inside the block
The residents were also asked to say why they had given their response
about the internal cleaning done by the caretakers and below shows the main
reasons for any dissatisfaction.
The quality of the cleaning is the most common comment and a number say
they don’t see the cleaners or the cleaning should be done more often.
Figure 8.4: Reasons residents are not satisfied with the cleaning by caretakers inside
the block
Comments No
Communal cleaning - 86%
Poor quality of cleaning service 83
Never seen anyone cleaning 56
Poor cleanliness of communal areas 43
Cleaning needs to be done more regularly 35
Rubbish accumulating in communal areas 17
Caretaker has too much to cover 9
81% 83% 89% 83% 76%
19% 17% 11% 17% 24%
Total (1057) Generalneeds (633)
Sheltered (38) Tenants (671) Leaseholders(386)
Satisfied Dissatisfied
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 30
Mixed performance / service 8
People urinating in communal areas 8
Caretakers do not have proper cleaning equipment 5
Poor cleaner / caretaker, does not respond to requests, does not care 4
Fly-tipping 1
No cleaning service when caretaker is on holiday 1
Estate and grounds maintenance - 7%
Cleaning of communal areas 15
Lifts (keep in good repair) 5
Maintenance/decoration of communal areas 1
Other - 3%
Don't know 3
Negative comment 3
Other 2
Neighbours, neighbourhood or local problems - 2%
ASB 3
Car parking 1
Dogs noise or fouling 1
Drugs related problems 1
Tenant services - 2%
Service charge services not carried out/not properly explained 6
Tenancy
Service charge too high/poor value 1
Repairs and maintenance
Quicker repairs 1
Total 313
8.3 Gardening service
Residents are more satisfied with the gardening services than the cleaning
(83%). There is also less between the tenure groups; the sheltered residents
are, again, the most satisfied (86%), but only 1% more than the general needs
residents (85%), with 80% of leaseholders satisfied.
Figure 8.5: Resident satisfaction with gardening service
The tables below show the main reasons why residents are dissatisfied with
the gardening service. Work not being done often enough is the main reason,
with poor maintenance of flower beds, neglecting areas and not picking up
grass cuttings also mentioned.
Figure 8.6: Reasons residents are not satisfied with the gardening service
Comments No
Gardening – 67%
Grass cutting / gardening service not regular enough 36
Poor maintenance of flower beds, empty flower beds 34
Neglected areas, grounds are a disgrace 26
Poor grass cutting, do not pick up grass cuttings 26
83% 85% 86% 85% 80%
17% 15% 14% 15% 20%
Total (1159) Generalneeds (710)
Sheltered(28)
Tenants(738)
Leaseholders(421)
Satisfied Dissatisfied
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 31
Bushes & hedges - not pruned, trimmed regularly enough 13
Rubbish everywhere 13
Gardens are overgrown 10
Fly-tipping 3
Overgrown vegetation causing problems with pests 3
Do not pick up leaves, cuttings 2
Never seen a gardener 2
Area needs landscaping, more than just grass 1
Poor or little weeding carried out 1
Estate and grounds maintenance – 16%
Grounds maintenance - grass cutting/ gardeners 26
Fences and gates 3
Maintenance/decoration of communal areas 3
Paths and driveways 3
Estate services (general) 2
Trees and hedges 2
Health and safety 1
Other – 7%
Other 17
Neighbours, neighbourhood or local problems – 5%
Dogs noise or fouling 8
Litter and rubbish 3
Standard of tenant gardens 1
Communal cleaning – 2%
Fly-tipping 2
Problems with dog mess 2
Rubbish accumulating in communal areas 2
Tenant services- 2%
Gardening service or cheaper service 4
Service charge services not carried out/not properly explained 2
Local facilities
More green spaces 1
Repairs and maintenance
Quicker repairs 1
Property condition
External property maintenance 1
Positive comments
Garden 1
Total 255
Area of operation
Again, there is very little difference between the areas in terms of the
environmental services delivered by Lewisham Homes. The same percentage
in Lewisham North are satisfied with the external cleaning as in Lewisham
South (both 81%).
On the cleaning of the internal areas in the blocks done by the caretakers,
slightly more in the South area (82%) are satisfied than in the North (79%),
but for the gardening service it is the other way around with more satisfied
in Lewisham North (85%) than South (82%).
Figure 8.7: Satisfaction with environmental services by area
81%
79%
85%
81%
82%
82%
External cleaning
Internal cleaning bycaretakers
Gardening service
Lewisham North (607) Lewisham South (581)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 32
Age of resident
The youngest age group are the most satisfied with the external cleaning
(92%) and the internal cleaning (87%) but least satisfied with the gardening
service (75%) where the most satisfied are those aged 25 to 59. This group
are least satisfied with the internal cleaning by the caretakers (78%).
Figure 8.8: Satisfaction with environmental services by age range
Gender
Whilst there is little difference between the genders on these environmental
services, male residents are slightly more satisfied with the internal cleaning,
81% (female 78%) and the gardening service, 83% (female 81%). However,
female residents are a little more satisfied with the external cleaning, 80%
(male 79%).
92%
87%
75%
81%
78%
86%
80%
83%
81%
External cleaning
Internal cleaning bycaretakers
Gardening service
Age group 16 - 24 (24) Age group 25 - 59 (600) Age group 60+ (534)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 33
9. Recommending Lewisham Homes Lewisham Homes asked tenants how likely it was that they would
recommend them as a landlord using the Net Promoter Score (NPS®), which
is based on the fundamental perspective that every company’s residents can
be divided into three categories: Promoters, Passives, and Detractors.
By asking one simple question, ‘How likely is it that you would recommend
your landlord to a friend or family?’ it is possible to then track these groups
and get a clear measure of your organisation’s performance through your
residents’ eyes. Tenants respond on a 0-to-10 point rating scale as shown in
the chart.
The responses are categorised as follows:
Promoters (score 9-10) are loyal enthusiasts who will promote and
support the landlord, increasing their reputation.
Passives (score 7-8) are satisfied but unenthusiastic tenants who can easily
become detractors depending on circumstances.
Detractors (score 0-6) are unhappy residents who can damage the
organisation and hold back development and growth through negative word-
of-mouth.
According to the NPS®, under a quarter of all residents are very loyal and
happy to promote Lewisham Homes to friends and family and are promoters
(25%). The chart shows that 46% of residents are detractors, who are likely
to have negative views about Lewisham Homes. Less than a third of residents
are currently passive (28%) and could be persuaded one way or the other.
There are more promoters among the tenants (34%) than the leaseholders
(11%) and within sheltered properties (39%) compared with general needs
housing (33%). There are considerably fewer detractors among the sheltered
residents (17%) than general needs (37%) and particularly the leaseholders
(65%).
Figure 9.1: Net Promoter Score breakdown by tenure
Change in satisfaction over time
As figure 9.2 shows Lewisham Homes now has fewer tenant promoters than
in 2018, but the number of leaseholder promoters is up a little.
Figure 9.2: Number of promoters over last two surveys
25% 33% 39% 34%
11%
28%30%
44%
31%
24%
46%37%
17%36%
65%
Total (1470) General needs(946)
Sheltered (36) Tenants (946) Leaseholders(524)
Promoters Passives Detractors
37%34%
8%11%
2018 2019
Tenants Leaseholders
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 34
Net Promoter Score
The NPS® is calculated by taking the percentage of tenants who are
Promoters and subtracting the percentage who are Detractors. The result is
known as the net promoter score and it is not a percentage. The net
promoter score for all of Lewisham Homes’ residents is -21 (-2 all tenants, -3
general needs and 22 sheltered residents). For leaseholders there are just
11% promoters and 65% detractors so the Net Promoter Score is -54.
In order to be of use to Lewisham Homes, the Net Promoter score needs to
be put into context. In the commercial sector it is reported that companies
with the most efficient growth operate with an NPS® of 50 to 80. An average
company often have an NPS® of only 5 to 10 – in other words their
Promoters barely outnumber their Detractors.
Comparison with other landlords
Lewisham Homes’ net promoter score is 5 below the HouseMark median for
London tenants, but a little above the bottom quartile mark so falls into the
third quartile. There are 14 landlords included in the sample.
Figure 9.3: HouseMark London benchmarking – All tenants 2018/19
Third
Quartile
2018/19
Lewisham Homes -2
Upper quartile 10
Median 3
Lower Quartile -11
Area of operation
The two areas where Lewisham has properties are quite similar in terms of
the Net Promoter Score. For tenants, there are slightly more promoters
(34%) in the North area than the South (33%) and fewer detractors, 34%
compared to 37%.
For the leaseholders, as shown above, there are few promoters but there
are a few more in the North area than the South, 13% and 8%
respectively. There are also slightly more detractors in the South area
(67%), than the North (63%).
Figure 9.4: Net promoter scores by area
Age of resident
As the chart shows in Figure 9.5, the number of tenants who are happy to
promote Lewisham Homes to family and friends increases steadily with age
from 24% for the under 25s, 29% for the 25 to 59 group and up to 40% for
the 60 and overs. The pattern for detractors is not so regular with the most
being those aged 25 to 59 (43%), 48% of the under 25 group are passive.
For the leaseholders, there are slightly fewer promoters among the 25 to 59
group (14%) than the 60 and over group (15%). There are correspondingly
more detractors with the 25 to 59 group (63%) than the 60 and overs (59%).
34%
33%
13%
8%
31%
30%
24%
25%
34%
37%
63%
67%
Lewisham NorthTenants (508)
Lewisham SouthTenants (434)
Lewisham NorthLeaseholders (270)
Lewisham SouthLeaseholders (252)
Promoters Passives Detractors
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 35
Figure 9.5: Net promoter scores by age range
Gender
There are more male promoters (36%) among the tenants than female (32%)
and correspondingly, fewer detractors, 29% compared to 40% female.
Of the leaseholders, the genders are much closer, 11% of male promoters
and 10% female and detractors 65% and 66% respectively.
24%
29%
40%
14%
15%
48%
27%
34%
24%
26%
28%
43%
25%
63%
59%
Tenants - Age group 16- 24 (25)
Tenants - Age group 25- 59 (544)
Tenants - Age group60+ (368)
Leaseholders - Agegroup 25 - 59 (199)
Leaseholders - Agegroup 60+ (54)
Promoters Passives Detractors
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 36
10. Leaseholders This section looks at the additional questions asked to leaseholders about
their service charge, information provided by Lewisham Homes and major
works processes.
10.1 Service charge (value for money)
Less than half of the leaseholders are satisfied with the value for money of
the service charge (48%), but this has improved by 2% since the end of 2018.
However, the rating is still below that given in 2016.
Figure 10.1: Satisfaction with value for money of the service charge over time
10.2 Information from Lewisham Homes
The majority of leaseholders said that they understand the information they
receive from Lewisham Homes on service charges (80%), however, 20% did
not.
10.3 Major works process
Nearly two out of five leaseholders (38%) said they have had major works
completed in the last 3 years.
Seven in ten leaseholders are satisfied with the payment options available
(71%), and half with the information provided (52%).
However, only around two out of five leaseholders are satisfied with the
consultation they received on major works (42%) and a quarter with the
level of the costs (26%).
Figure 10.2: Satisfaction with the major works process
Satisfaction with these different aspects of the major works process is
generally a little higher than in 2018.
There are 15% more leaseholders satisfied with the different payment
options available, 3% more with the level of the cost involved and 3% more
satisfied with the information provided.
However, 4% fewer are satisfied with the consultation they receive as a
homeowner.
54%
46% 48%
2016 2018 2019
42% 52%26%
71%
58% 48%74%
29%
Consultationwith you as ahome owner
Informationprovided
Level ofcharge/cost
Paymentoptions
available
Satisfied Dissatisfied
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 37
Figure 10.3: Satisfaction with the major works process over time
10.4 Let property out
A quarter of leaseholders (25%) say they let out their property and all said
that Lewisham Homes has their forwarding address.
Area of operation
Satisfaction with the value for money of the service charge is a little higher in
the Lewisham South area (50%) than the North (46%). This area also has
more satisfied with the information they receive about their service charges
(2% more), the consultation they receive as a homeowner (6% more) and the
information provided about any major works (11% more).
However, leaseholders in the North area are more satisfied with the level of
charge for major works, 29% compared with 25% in the South and with the
payment options available, 76% (South 68%).
Figure 10.4: Leaseholder satisfaction by area
Age of resident
There is little between the age groups in terms of leaseholder satisfaction
with their service charges and the major works process. Whilst satisfaction
often increases with age, for Lewisham Homes this is not really the case, in
fact, the 25 to 59 age group are a little more satisfied than the 60 and over
group.
On the value for money of the service charge, 50% of the 25 to 59 group are
satisfied compared with 45% of the 60 and over group. They are also more
satisfied with the consultation they receive as a homeowner, 46% (60+ 38%),
the information provided on major works, 54% (60+ 50%) and the level of
the charge/cost of major works, 27% (60+ 26%). The only exceptions are for
the payment options available where more of the older group are satisfied,
71% compared with 69% and the information about their service charge
where 80% of both groups are satisfied.
46% 42%
49% 52%
23% 26%
56%71%
2018 2019
Payment optionsavailable
Level ofcharge/cost
Informationprovided
Consultation withyou as a homeowner
46%
79%
38%
45%
29%
76%
50%
81%
44%
56%
25%
68%
VFM Service charge
Information onservice charges
Consultation as ahomeowner
Informationprovided
Level of charge/cost
Payment optionsavailable
Lewisham North Leaseholders Lewisham South Leaseholders
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 38
Figure 10.5: Leaseholder satisfaction by age range
Gender
Male leaseholders are more satisfied than female leaseholders with the value
for money of their service charge (11% more), but less with the information
about the charges (1% less). They are also more satisfied with the
consultation about major works they receive as a homeowner (3% more),
the level of charge for major works (5% more) and the payment options
available (7% more), whilst more female leaseholders are satisfied with the
information about the major works (6% more).
50%
80%
46%
54%
27%
69%
45%
80%
38%
50%
26%
71%
VFM Service charge
Information onservice charges
Consultation as ahomeowner
Informationprovided
Level of charge/cost
Payment optionsavailable
Age group 25 - 59 (600) Age group 60+ (534)
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 39
11. Comparison with other landlords Undertaking a satisfaction survey, based on a widely used standard question set, helps landlords to benchmark the satisfaction of their residents against other
landlords with similar characteristics, such as size, type and location. It provides a broader dimension than internal targets may offer, assisting both the landlord
and any resident scrutiny panel in assessing performance levels and areas of improvement. The results from the Lewisham Homes survey have been compared
against residents from HouseMark data for London landlords and generally compare very well. Please note, these comparative scores are only available for tenants,
not leaseholders. Also, as stated in the introduction, Lewisham Homes used a four-point scale for the main satisfaction questions, whereas, most other landlords
use a five-point scale. This means that they are not directly comparable but are still included for information purposes, but care should be taken when interpreting
these results. The number of landlords included in the sample are shown on the charts.
All tenants
When all tenants are compared with the HouseMark London average, satisfaction with overall services is 6% above average and falls in the top quartile. Satisfaction
with the neighbourhood and listening to views and acting upon them are 6% and 12% respectively higher than the average and also fall in the top quartile. The
repairs service is second quartile and the quality of the home and the Net Promoter Score are a little below average and fall into the third quartile range.
Figure 11.1: Comparison with other landlords (HouseMark London – All tenants 2018/19)
Overall servicesOverall quality
of homeNeighbourhoodas a place to live
Repairs andmaintenance
service
Listens to yourviews and acts
upon themNPS Score
Lewisham Homes Tenants 80% 72% 85% 69% 67% -2%
Upper quartile 80% 77% 84% 73% 62% 10%
Median 74% 75% 79% 66% 55% 3%
Lower quartile 68% 69% 74% 61% 49% -11%
Number in sample 35 32 33 31 31 14
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 40
General needs residents
The comparison with HouseMark for general needs residents reveals that satisfaction with overall services is 6% above average, is just below the top quartile mark
so falls into the second quartile. Satisfaction with the neighbourhood is top quartile, 6% above average and listening to views is also above average but falls into the
second quartile. The remaining measures, the quality of the home and the repairs service are all a little below average and all fall into the third quartile. There are
very few landlords who have submitted NPS data so this has been excluded from this chart and the one below for sheltered tenants.
Figure 11.2: Comparison with other landlords (HouseMark London - General needs residents 2018/19)
Housing for Older People residents
The results for sheltered residents have been compared against residents in Housing for Older People in London from HouseMark. The comparison reveals that
satisfaction with overall services is 1% below average and falls into the third quartile. Satisfaction with the neighbourhood and listening to views are 6% and 4%
respectively above average and fall into the top quartile. The other measures are below average, the quality of the home and repairs are third quartile. The sample
numbers for sheltered tenants is relatively low so some care should be taken when considering these results.
Overall services Overall quality of homeNeighbourhood as a
place to liveRepairs and
maintenance serviceListens to your viewsand acts upon them
Lewisham Homes Tenants 80% 71% 84% 68% 67%
Upper quartile 81% 75% 83% 74% 69%
Median 74% 73% 78% 69% 57%
Lower quartile 65% 69% 76% 58% 49%
Number in sample 16 14 15 14 13
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 41
Figure 11.3: Comparison with other landlords (HouseMark London - Sheltered 2018/19)
Overall servicesOverall quality of
homeNeighbourhood as
a place to live
Repairs andmaintenance
service
Listens to yourviews and acts
upon them
Lewisham Homes Tenants 87% 84% 92% 76% 79%
Upper quartile 90% 91% 91% 89% 76%
Median 88% 87% 86% 83% 75%
Lower quartile 84% 80% 82% 64% 72%
Number in sample 10 8 9 8 8
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 42
12. Understanding overall satisfaction This section explores the differences in the relationship between the overall
rating and individual ratings in an attempt to understand what is driving
overall satisfaction at Lewisham Homes.
12.1 Key services (2019/20)
There is quite a difference between tenants and leaseholders in terms of
satisfaction with services, but this is common among surveys of this type. The
vast majority of tenants are satisfied with the overall service received (80%),
considerably more than the leaseholders (59%). Both groups are appreciative
of the environmental services and 85% of both groups are satisfied with their
neighbourhood as a place to live.
Figure 12.1: Satisfaction with key services for all residents
Satisfaction with the quality of the home for tenants is less (72%), as is the
repairs service (69%) and listening to views (67%).
12.2 Lower levels of satisfaction
As demonstrated above, the survey found some areas with lower satisfaction
and for Lewisham Homes this can be taken to be where satisfaction falls
below 75% for tenants (quality of home, repairs, listening to views and ease
of dealing with last enquiry). For leaseholders, satisfaction with some services
is below 50%; repairs to communal areas (47%), listening to views (46%) and
ease of dealing with enquiries (42%).
12.3 Dissatisfaction levels (2019/2020)
Sometimes, where satisfaction is lower than in other areas, the remaining
residents can be split between those who fall into the ‘neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied’ middle ground and those who are actually dissatisfied. The
difference between these two groups of residents is important – as it can
signal areas where residents do not have strong opinions or, more
worryingly, areas where a high percentage of residents are actually
dissatisfied. However, for the Lewisham Homes survey most of the key
satisfaction questions have been asked without the option of a ‘neither’
answer. This can have the effect of increasing both satisfaction and
dissatisfaction levels.
The survey found a few areas with noticeably higher levels of dissatisfaction
for both tenants and leaseholders. For tenants, there are some ratings where
over 25% of residents are dissatisfied these should not be overlooked:
Listen to views (33% dissatisfied)
Repairs (31% dissatisfied).
Quality of home (28% dissatisfied)
Also, there are 37% detractors
For leaseholders, there are some measures with dissatisfaction above 40%:
Listen to views (54% dissatisfied)
85%
85%
85%
83%
80%
78%
72%
69%
67%
67%
29%
80%
73%
85%
76%
59%
59%
47%
46%
42%
10%
Gardening service
External cleaning service
Neighbourhood
Caretaker cleaning inside the block
Services provided by landlord
Friendly and approachable staff
Quality of home
Repairs & maintenance service
Listens to views and acts on them
Ease of dealing with last enquiry
NPS (% Promoters)
Tenants Leaseholders
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 43
Repairs to communal areas (53% dissatisfied).
Ease of dealing with last enquiry (47% dissatisfied)
Overall services (41% dissatisfied)
Also, there are 65% detractors
These may be areas which Lewisham Homes wish to investigate further.
12.4 General needs and sheltered residents (2019/20)
Generally, the results from customer satisfaction surveys reveal that
sheltered residents are more satisfied than general needs residents. This was
found to be the case for every measure at Lewisham Homes (1% to 13%
higher) except ease of dealing with last enquiry (1% less).
12.5 Leaseholders (2019/20)
In similar surveys, leaseholders are generally less satisfied than tenants, for
Lewisham Homes this is also the case with all measures with a difference
between 5% and 24%. The only exception is for satisfaction with the
neighbourhood where both groups have 85% satisfied.
12.6 Subgroups
Throughout this report we have looked at the results from the perspective of
a number of different subgroups. Whilst it should be remembered that when
you split results down the accuracy will be affected, it still gives a good
indication of the main differences between the groups chosen.
Lewisham Homes operates across two main areas, Lewisham North and
Lewisham South and there is very little between the areas suggesting that
location is not a factor in the way services are delivered across the borough.
The differences only range from 1% to 5% with the South area marginally
more satisfied, the biggest difference being for repairs (5%).
The results are also looked at by age range, the most respondents fall into
the 25 to 59 age group with a few less in the 60+ group. There are very few
under 25 (around 24) but despite the smaller numbers this group tends to be
a little more satisfied than the older residents. On overall services, 84% of
this younger group are satisfied with 73% of the other two groups. They are
also more satisfied with the cleaning service and the ease of contact. This is
unusual as in most surveys of this type, satisfaction increases with age.
12.7 Key driver analysis
The table below shows that there are service areas which have a strong
correlation with overall satisfaction for both tenants and leaseholders. For
tenants, the analysis found a strong correlation with satisfaction with overall
services and listening to views and acting upon them and the Net Promoter
Score. Meanwhile, repairs and the quality of the home have a moderate
correlation. Satisfaction in other service areas have only a weak correlation
with overall satisfaction.
For leaseholders, the Net Promoter Score has the highest correlation
followed by listening to views and acting upon them. Communal repairs also
have some influence.
Figure 12.2: Correlation with overall satisfaction
Tenants Leaseholders
Service area Correlation Service area Correlation
Listening to views 0.60 NPS 0.66
NPS 0.59 Listen to views 0.64
Repairs and maintenance 0.57 Communal repairs 0.56
Quality of the home 0.47 Ease of resolving enquiry 0.48
Friendly & approachable staff
0.44 VFM service charge 0.47
External cleaning 0.31 Friendly & approachable staff
0.44
Neighbourhood 0.30 Internal cleaning 0.30
Key: orange = strong correlation, yellow = moderate correlation and white = weak
correlation
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 44
Key driver analysis is useful to identify service areas in which increases in
satisfaction could potentially lead to an increase in the overall satisfaction
rating. As Figure 12.3 shows, the most important driver for tenants is the
repairs service followed quite closely by listening to views and acting upon
them. Of a little less importance is the quality of the home.
Figure 12.3: Key driver analysis – overall satisfaction and key services (Tenants)
For leaseholders, having their views listened to and acted upon and repairs
are also the most influential on overall satisfaction, although the other way
around than for the tenants. Also of importance is the value for money of
their service charge, the ease of resolving enquiries and whether they would
recommend Lewisham Homes to others.
Again, the implication of this analysis is that if these particular services can be
improved they are more likely to lead to increased overall satisfaction.
Figure 12.4: Key driver analysis – overall satisfaction and key services
(Leaseholders)
Repairs service
Listen & acts
Quality of the home
External cleaning
Friendly & approachable
staff
Neighbourhood
Promoters
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25
Pe
rfo
rman
ce
Measure of influence
Listen and acts
Communal repairs
Value for money of
service charge
Net Promoter Score
Ease of resolving last
enquiry
Information on service charges
External cleaning
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25
Pe
rfo
rman
ce
Measure of influence
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 45
13. Change in satisfaction over time This section explores the changes in satisfaction when the 2019/20 annual data is compared with previous surveys to identify any patterns or potential trends
developing at Lewisham Homes. It is important to note that the margin of error for each survey is around ±2.4%, and therefore, when examining any change
between two surveys, satisfaction differences of less than 5% fall within the margin of errors for the survey as they are not statistically significant. In reality,
however, a change in the level of satisfaction of around 3% to 4% is also worth noting as it could signal the start of a trend if it were to continue in the future.
Housing and key services (Tenants)
As Figure 13.1 highlights there has been some change in satisfaction over the last three years. The latest set of results shows a mixed picture with most areas
showing increased satisfaction from the previous year, but some decreasing. However, over the longer period, satisfaction does appear to have been fairly
constant. Satisfaction with overall services shows a 2% increase and there are small increases with the neighbourhood (up 1%) and listening to views and acting
upon them, also up 1%. However, satisfaction has decreased for the repairs service (down 4%) and the quality of the home (down 1%), both of which are key
drivers of overall satisfaction.
Figure 13.1: Change in satisfaction for key services over time (Tenants)
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
2016 2018 2019
Services provided by landlord
Quality of home
Neighbourhood
Listens to views and acts onthem
Repairs & maintenance service
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 46
Housing and key services (Leaseholders)
As has been shown above, leaseholders tend to be less satisfied than tenants, however, satisfaction with key services is increasing. Whilst overall satisfaction has
remained the same at 59%, there are increases for the neighbourhood, the repairs to communal areas and the value for money of the service charge, all up 2%.
There are also increases in satisfaction with the different aspects of the major repairs process, the payment options (up 15%), the information provided (up 3%)
and the level of charges, also up 3%.
Figure 13.2: Change in satisfaction for key services over time (Leaseholders)
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
2016 2018 2019
Services provided by landlord
Neighbourhood
Communal repairs & maintenanceservice
Service charge (VFM)
Payment options available
Information provided
Level of charge/cost
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 47
14. Conclusion The results from the STAR surveys for each of the four quarters in 2019/20 demonstrate a continued good level of satisfaction with the majority of services at
Lewisham Homes and, as shown above, a number of areas continue to see increases in satisfaction, however, there have been decreases in certain service areas.
The 2019/20 survey found that overall satisfaction with landlord services at
Lewisham Homes has increased by 2% from the previous year for tenants,
although it is the same for leaseholders, and it compares well with other
social landlords. There are high ratings for the neighbourhood for both
tenants and leaseholders (85%) and the cleaning and gardening services.
Comparison with the previous year
When the results from 2019/20 are compared with those from a year ago
there are some positive and some negative findings, although generally the
changes are small.
Pattern Satisfaction measure
Potentially
increasing
Tenants
Overall services (2% higher), neighbourhood (1% higher,
listening to views (1% higher)
Leaseholders
Payment options (15% higher), major works information and
level of charge (both 3% higher), neighbourhood, communal
repairs and VFM of service charge (all 2% higher)
Potentially
falling
Tenants
Repairs service (3% lower), quality of the home (1% lower)
Note: It is important to note that the combined margin of error when comparing
annual surveys is around ±5% and any difference less than this is not statistically
significant.
At tenure level, the survey found that in 2019/20 sheltered residents are
generally more satisfied with the service they receive than general needs
residents; on overall satisfaction 7% more sheltered tenants are satisfied than
general needs, 13% more on the quality of the home, 8% more with the
repairs service, 14% more agree the staff are friendly and approachable and
12% more are satisfied that Lewisham Homes listens to their views and acts
upon them. The only exception is for ease of dealing with their last enquiry
where 1% more general needs residents are satisfied than sheltered.
Subgroups
Throughout this report we have looked at the results from the perspective of
a number of different subgroups including the main areas of operation, age of
resident and gender.
Lewisham Homes operates across two main areas, Lewisham North and
South and there is very little between the areas suggesting that location is
not a factor in the way services are delivered across the borough. The
differences only range from 1% to 5% with the South area marginally more
satisfied, the biggest difference being for repairs (5%).
There are very few under 25 (around 24) but despite the smaller numbers
this group tends to be a little more satisfied than the older residents. On
overall services, 84% of this younger group are satisfied with 73% of the
other two groups. They are also more satisfied with the cleaning service and
the ease of contact. This is unusual as in most surveys of this type,
satisfaction increases with age.
Comparison with other landlords
When the results are compared against other London based landlords (using
HouseMark’s benchmarking) the combined tenant scores for Lewisham
Homes have a strong performance, with overall satisfaction, the
neighbourhood and listening to views in the top quartile. When looking at
general needs and sheltered tenants separately, these three areas are all
above average for the general needs tenants but for sheltered tenants, whilst
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 48
the neighbourhood and listening to views are top quartile, the other key
measures are below average.
Recommendations
Lewisham Homes should be pleased that the rating for overall satisfaction for
tenants has increased over the last year. Also, leaseholders are more satisfied
with a number of services than previously.
However, the key driver analysis suggests that the repairs service and
listening to residents are the most important factors in determining overall
satisfaction. The free comments left by residents also confirm this with many
comments, in particular about the repairs, with better quality repairs and
quicker repairs wanted. Also, the condition of the home is important to
tenants with many complaining about damp problems.
Customer service and communication is also important and residents want
to be heard, they also want better customer service, staff to call back when
promised and to find it easier to get enquiries resolved.
Finally, whilst satisfaction with the cleaning services is relatively high, many
comments referred to poor quality, cleaning and gardening not done often
enough and particular issues with rubbish building up in areas.
It is suggested that Lewisham Homes considers these results, and the
residents’ comments, and looks at how these key services are delivered to
see where improvements can be made.
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 49
Appendix 1 – Data tables
2019/20 All
residents General needs Sheltered Tenants Leaseholders
Services provided by landlord 73% 80% 87% 80% 59%
Quality of home 72% 71% 84% 72%
Neighbourhood 85% 84% 92% 85% 85%
Friendly and approachable staff 71% 78% 92% 78% 59%
Ease of dealing with last enquiry 59% 67% 65% 67% 42%
Listens to views and acts on them 60% 67% 79% 67% 46%
Repairs & maintenance service 69% 68% 76% 69% 47%
External cleaning service 80% 84% 92% 85% 73%
Caretaker cleaning inside the block 81% 83% 89% 83% 76%
Gardening service 83% 85% 86% 85% 80%
NPS (% Promoters) 22% 29% 33% 29% 10%
Leaseholders 2016 2018 2019
Services provided by landlord 56% 59% 59%
Neighbourhood 83% 83% 85%
Communal repairs service 45% 45% 47%
Service charge (VFM) 54% 46% 48%
Payment options available 56% 71%
Information provided 49% 52%
Level of charge/cost 23% 26%
NPS (% Promoters) 8% 10%
Tenants 2016 2018 2019
Services provided by landlord 77% 79% 80%
Quality of home 72% 73% 72%
Neighbourhood 85% 84% 85%
Listens to views and acts on them 68% 66% 67%
Repairs & maintenance service 70% 72% 69%
NPS (% Promoters) 37% 29%
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 50
Appendix 2 – Questions (March 2020)
Question number Question text
Q1 Taking everything into account, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the service provided by Lewisham Homes?
Q1B Can you explain why you are dissatisfied with the service provided by Lewisham Homes?
Q7 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you that Lewisham Homes listens to your views and acts upon them?
Q8 How likely would you be to recommend Lewisham Homes to family or friends on a scale of 10 to 0, where 10 is extremely likely and 0 is not at all likely?
Q2 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the overall quality of your home?
Q2B Please tell us why you were not satisfied (with the quality of your home)
Q3 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your neighbourhood as a place to live?
Q5 Do you agree or disagree that Lewisham Homes has friendly and approachable staff
Q5B Please explain why you think that about how friendly and approachable staff are
Q6 Have you contacted Lewisham Homes in the last 12 months?
6A Overall, how easy or difficult was it for you to get your most recent enquiry resolved?
6B
If you experienced any difficulties or were dissatisfied the last time you contacted Lewisham Homes, please could you provide more information? Is there anything Lewisham Homes could do to improve customer service?
Q4_TEN Generally, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way Lewisham Homes deals with repairs and maintenance?
Q4B_TEN If you are not satisfied with how Lewisham Homes deals with repairs and maintenance, please could you explain the reason why?
Q4_LH Generally, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way Lewisham Homes deals with communal repairs and maintenance?
Q4B_LH What could Lewisham Homes do differently to improve your satisfaction with communal repairs?
Q9 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the external cleaning service Lewisham Homes provides?
Q9B Can you explain why you are satisfied/dissatisfied with the external cleaning
Lewisham Homes Annual Report Page - 51
9C How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the cleaning the caretakers carry out inside your block?
9D Why are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the internal cleaning service?
Q10
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the current gardening service? Please take into account the grass cutting and maintenance of any flower beds in the shared green spaces, but disregard trees.
Q10B Why are you satisfied/dissatisfied with the gardening service?
L1 How satisfied or dissatisfied are you that your service charges provide value for money?
L1B Service charge VFM
L2 How well do you understand the information you receive on service charges from Lewisham Homes?
L3A Have you had a major works process in the last 3 years?
L3BA If you have had major works, how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the consultation with you as a home owner
L3BB If you have had major works. how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the information provided?
L3BC If you have had major works. how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the level of charge/cost?
L3BD If you have had major works. how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the payment options available?
L4A Do you let out your property?
L4B Does Lewisham Homes have your forwarding address?
P1
The results of this survey are confidential. However, would you be happy for us to give your responses to Lewisham Homes with your name attached so that they have better information to help them improve services?
P2 Would you be happy for Lewisham Homes to contact you to follow up any of the comments or issues you have raised?