Making improvements

What we have done:

• We recognise damp and mould is a serious issue and are committed to keeping you informed about how you can report concerns and the steps we will take in response.  We have produced a new Healthy Homes Handbook with all the information you need in one place. We have also reviewed and improved the advice on our website, and included information in our newsletters, on our social media channels and at community events.   
• We ran a Healthy Homes “Let’s Talk” customer webinar providing an opportunity to meet members of our Healthy Homes team and ask questions directly – watch the recording here. 
• We worked with our Customer Experience Panel to review repairs timescales and responsibilities.  In response, we recruited additional colleagues to our Healthy Homes Team to ensure problems are inspected and repairs undertaken promptly.  
• We have continued our home condition survey programme, visiting 92% of homes in the past five years.  We are using the information we collect to identify where repairs are needed and to plan future investment in improving homes.  

What we plan to do:

• We want to make sure every Hightown home is maintained to a high standard. To make this easier for you, we will offer evening and weekend appointments to carry out your home condition survey, so you can choose a time that works best for you. 
• In Autumn 2026, we will be holding ‘damp and mould’ roadshows in Radlett, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead, giving you the opportunity to speak to us face-to-face about issues or concerns ahead of the winter months.  More information is available here. 

What we have done:

• We have completed home condition surveys in 92% of homes. These surveys are carried out by qualified surveyors and help us check important safety features in your home, such as fire doors and smoke alarms, so we can identify and deal with any issues as early as possible.
• We have improved the way we record and use information about the safety of your home. This helps us spot issues sooner, make better decisions and keep homes safe.   
• We have prioritised building safety by introducing a new Head of Landlord Health and Safety role in our senior leadership team to lead this vital area of work. 

What we plan to do:

• We will run ‘Safety First Days’ at the estates where we have high and medium rise buildings, to give customers the chance to give feedback and discuss concerns about fire safety. 
• We will produce a new fire safety handbook, with clear and accessible explanations on how to keep your building safe, when to report an issue and what to do in the event of a fire. 

What we have done:

• We are committed to providing fair and accessible services to everyone. We have launched our ‘Tell Us More’ customer insight campaign to check the information we hold about you is correct and to help us understand more about you and others living in your household, so we can tailor services to meet your needs. 
• We have introduced ‘MyTown News’, our printed newsletter, posted to every Hightown home twice a year so that every customer has access to important news and updates. 
• We want to ensure that customers’ voices drive improvements. We have relaunched our Customer Experience Panel with a more accessible format, making it easier for you to take part and give feedback on the subjects that are important to you. 
• Our regular ‘Let’s Talk’ webinars have provided an opportunity to hear directly from Hightown colleagues, ask questions and feedback on any concerns.  Recordings of our ‘Mutual Exchange’, ‘Damp and Mould’ and ‘Let’s talk about rent’ webinars are available via our Get Involved page. 
• We want to be transparent about how we are performing and have introduced monthly performance updates so you can see where we are doing well and where we need to improve. 

What we plan to do:

• We will develop a Customer Strategy, co-produced with customers, clearly stating our offer to you and what you can expect from us.   
• We will continue to roll out our ‘Tell Us More’ customer insight campaign, visiting homes in-person and creating a contact form to make it easier to keep us updated if your circumstances change. 
• We want to be transparent about how customer voice is influencing decision-making, so will publish quarterly updates to keep you informed. 
• We will develop and share an Annual Customer Involvement and Communications Plan, outlining all the ways you can get involved with influencing the services we provide. 
• We will share communal cleaning, grounds maintenance, communal area decoration schedules and details of major improvement works on our website and in our newsletters, so you know what to expect and can hold us to account. 
• Our ‘Let’s Talk’ webinar series will continue, keeping you informed about things that matter to you.  Future topics include ‘Repairs: Get your home winter ready’ and ‘Understanding service charges’.   
• We will hold roadshows specifically for shared owners and leaseholders, giving you the opportunity to speak to us in-person about the things that matter to you. 
• We will launch the Hightown Professionalism Programme, training and development that equips our colleagues with the skills they need to deliver a consistently high standard of service, whoever you speak to. Alongside this, we will introduce a new Professional Code of Conduct, so you know exactly what to expect from us every time. 

What we have done:

• We have created a dedicated Customer Resolution Team to handle complaints and resolve issues quickly.   
• We have listened to customer feedback and identified some recurring concerns, particularly around damp and mould, as well as how anti-social behaviour is managed. In response, we have given more training to colleagues in these areas and launched targeted customer awareness campaigns, so you know what to expect from us. 

What we plan to do:

• We will strengthen and improve our learning from complaints and how we share this with you – find out more in our Annual Complaints Performance & Service Improvement Report. 

What we have done:

• We recognise that anti-social behaviour (ASB) causes distress and we take reports of ASB very seriously, as we know it can affect your quality of life. Our housing officers have continued to visit estates to listen to your concerns and worked in partnership with local agencies to actively address ASB issues.  
• We have continued to provide advice and information about reporting ASB and created an ASB Focus Group to ensure your experiences feed into improvements. 
• We have set aside £28,000 every year for our Estates Improvement Fund, giving you the opportunity to suggest practical improvements to your estate.  You can submit a bid here (deadline 1 September 2026). 
• We have worked closely with our grounds maintenance and cleaning contractors to ensure the services they deliver meet your expectations. 

What we plan to do:

• We will increase visibility of colleagues in neighbourhoods through regular walkabouts and surgeries, working in partnership with local agencies such as the Police where possible. 
• We will share the outcomes of ASB door knocks with you through quarterly updates on our website and newsletter. 
• We will introduce new technology to help us manage community safety and anti-social behaviour more effectively. This will allow us to record and track incidents more accurately, so we can respond more quickly and keep you updated on what’s happening.