Alertacall’s response to the social housing white paper: two-way engagement with residents is key

Daily contact from Alertacall’s Housing Proactive technology is increasing resident satisfaction, helping to raise standards for landlords as well as supporting the recommendations of the Social Housing White Paper.

Housing Proactive released the results of its digital engagement survey, compiled in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Housing, to coincide with the Government’s new Charter for Social Housing Residents which aims to give tenants a stronger voice, ensuring social landlords face further tenant satisfaction checks.

Housing Proactive’s digital solution increases contact with residents in later life or those with higher needs for more effective housing management. Residents are provided with an interactive tablet as part of its service, which enables more effective two-way engagement between the housing provider and the resident, heightening customer satisfaction and improving service delivery. Residents are empowered to raise any concerns, helping to improve customer service; housing providers have seen a 24% increase in residents feeling safer since Alertacall’s service has been introduced.

Customers press the OKEachDay button on the device to pick up news and information; if they don’t press the button before a pre-agreed time, a trained member of Housing Proactive’s Contact Centre gets in touch. Proactive property checks made in this way identify repairs and maintenance issues earlier, and detect changing housing needs. Housing Proactive’s latest resident feedback survey shows that 98% of residents are satisfied with the service.

As a result of the White Paper, a new arm of the social housing regulator will check on standards including quality of homes and repairs, as well as landlords’ engagement with tenants. Housing Proactive enables customers to report repairs and, with their new environmental Envosense sensor, assisting landlords to proactively detect any issues which could lead to mould or damp by measuring temperature and humidity in homes.

Martin Cutbill, Director of Alertacall, said:

‘Helping residents to feel safe in their own home is our top priority and is number one on the new policy measures in the Government’s Housing White Paper post-Grenfell. Our residents feel significantly safer using our technology due to having daily contact and, at the same time, we help housing providers manage those properties more effectively. We are able to maintain a deeper level of contact with our residents, heightening customer satisfaction as highlighted in the Government’s White Paper, enabling us to offer further reassurance in these uncertain times.

‘This two-way communication has also had a hugely positive impact on resident’s wellbeing, helping to reduce any potential feelings of isolation or loneliness.

‘Residents can also self-serve, reporting repairs remotely and quickly, saving expensive and lengthy delays for the housing provider.’

In response to the Government’s White Paper, Kate Henderson, Chief executive of the National Housing Federation, added:

‘Housing associations have demonstrated willingness to be more accountable and transparent. We welcome the regulator taking a more proactive interest in how organisations are meeting consumer standards.’

Access the Social Housing White Paper in full here.

If you would like to know about Housing Proactive and to discuss Alertacall’s response to the Social Housing White Paper, contact Martin Cutbill, Director, on 0808 208 1234 or email contact@alertacall.com.