customer involvement promises 2012-2014
Customers are at the heart of our business and we believe that by working together with you will enable services to be delivered in the way you want them. The involvement of customers into policies and performance helps Incommunities to check and improved the way it conducts its day to day business.
Our strategic objective is to develop service improvement in line with customer needs. We are aware of the diversity and the changing needs of our customers and are dedicated to engaging and listen to the views of all our customers. We actively encourage customers to be involved and to provide feedback on the way services are provided.
Incommunities is committed to listening to the views of customers and acting upon customer recommendations and wants to improve lives for customers living in our neighbourhood areas. Detailed below is how we will be taking involvement forward over the next two years.
Involvement aims and priorities for 2012 – 2014
The aims and priorities listed below will be delivered by the Customer Insight and Involvement Team over the next 12 months. All staff members at Incommunities are committed to embedding customer involvement and will be made aware of how involvement helps to shape services by means of briefing, training and information shared by the Customer Insight Team.
Scrutiny checks
Going forward in to the every changing housing climate, we will ensure that customers have a leading role to play in improving and scrutinising our services. Scrutiny of services will flow through all involvement methods with the customer inspectors taking a leading role. We will work intensively with scrutiny leads to disseminate performance and complaints data. This work will be reported back to customers via the Local Management Trusts.
Online opportunities for involvement (surveys)
We recognise that customers would like to be involved but sometimes cannot physically be present at meetings and consultations; we plan to carry out more surveys online to seek the views of customers on various service areas. This will be accessible from a direct link from the Incommunities website.
Equalities
Incommunities Group Ltd is proud to be a partner in a multi-cultural community. We value diversity and will ensure that we treat all individuals fairly, with dignity and respect.
We will be setting up Equalities Group to represent customers across all strands of equality and diversity this will ensure that all groups in our communities have a chance to share their voice and give them an opportunity to engage with us. Work will be done to work alongside our customers from Black and Minority Ethnic communities so that services are delivered to meet their needs.
Incommunities is aware of the need to embrace new technology and innovative ways to engage with customers, going forward we will use Facebook as a tool for involvement. We will ensure that this method is administered in a friendly and professional way creating events and consultation tops where you can either comment on service area through Facebook inbox or like a status.
Digital inclusion
We recognise that some of our customers do not have the means to get online and access some of the benefits and money savings available through the internet. Our main concern is to be prepared for 2013/2014 when customers of working age will have to claim benefits via online services.
Our aim is to understand need and access in order to support customers with he following:
- low cost equipment
- local connection hubs
- broadband access in blocks and schemes
- tackling isolation
- employability
- access to services including health and well being
Further training opportunities
To further enhance the skills of our customers we will be setting up an in house Service Area Training Academy. This will give customers an in-depth insight into all service areas and provide the opportunity to meet with service managers and directors. It will give customers the knowledge and expertise to be effective scrutinisers of our services.
For further information about our involvement priorities please contact the Customer Insight and Involvement Team Leader, Helen Oates on 01274 254131.
