The CIG effect

Our Customer Insight Group (CIG) is a formal scrutiny panel, currently with nine customers who meet four times a year. Find out more about what they do and how to get involved here.

CIG completed their first official scrutiny report looking at the process of letting our voids or empty homes in March 2025. They made several recommendations to improve the process and agreed changes to the standard of these homes before they're relet. These included:

  • Improving customer communications and awareness of asbestos 
  • Quality checking paintwork, plumbing and cleaning before handover 
  • Introducing gifted items where good quality curtains and poles, blinds, carpets or sheds are left at a property 
  • Communicating with neighbours and providing a contact where major works may be required in a void property 
  • Reminding customers before they move out of their obligations to leave the property in a suitable condition via a pre-void inspection.

Customer Insight Group member, Simone, said:  

 "It was a very insightful experience to be able to be part of the void scrutiny and the work that goes into a property before it can be relet.  We experienced properties that had just been handed back and ones that had been refurbished and had all the remedial works completed.  We were shocked at the state of disrepair that some had been left in but after the voids team had finished with them and transformed them back into homes again, the differences were huge.  We saw the hard work and dedication by the teams and just how difficult some of the properties were to work on. It was an experience that changed my perception of what the works would entail."  

CIG members attended our Board meeting to present their report, discuss their experience and recommendations.

Our Board member, Karin Stockerl , said: “ We’ve made great strides in customer engagement over the last few years. As Chair of our Customer Experience Committee, I’ve seen the huge impact customers can have in our decision-making process, especially with our first scrutiny report on voids. Customers should be at the heart of all our decisions.”  

You can read the summary report here –   CIG Scrutiny Report - Delivering the void standard.pdf [pdf] 1MB

 

CIG inspects our planned works

CIG completed their second formal scrutiny report during June and July 2025. This focussed on the customer experience for planned works and specifically communication with customers having a new kitchen, as part of our investment into existing homes. This area was targeted following varying customer feedback.

We’ve produced a summary report which is available to read here – but CIG’s main recommendations included:

CIG Scrutiny Report - Communication of planned works.pdf [pdf] 2MB

  • Clearer information for customers on who they should contact when things don’t go to plan, including the role and responsibilities for the contractors Resident Liaison Officer.
  • Ensuring customers understand the schedule for trade visits in advance to help manage expectations.
  • Introduction of a customer-friendly information pack with less words and more visuals, signed off by customers.
  • Simplify the current feedback process with Golding, sharing themes from customer satisfaction surveys with contractor to deliver improvements. 

CIG’s next scrutiny is planned for December 2025. We’ll share more on their findings and a summary report early in 2026.