Nearly 8 out of 10 council tenants are satisfied with the services they receive from their landlord, according to an independent report commissioned by Oxford City Council.
The annual tenant satisfaction (STAR) survey, conducted by Acuity, showed a 3% rise in overall satisfaction with council services in 2023 compared to 2022.
The STAR survey gathered feedback from 960 tenants through telephone interviews. The Council uses survey results to identify and deliver service improvements and to benchmark itself against other social landlords.
Key results
Overall, 78% of tenants are satisfied with the services provided by the Council. This is a 3% increase on 2022.
This result bucks the national trend, with Acuity reporting generally lower satisfaction levels with social landlords against a backdrop of economic and political uncertainty.
Most satisfaction measures were in the top 25% of social landlords. Acuity concluded that “despite all the current challenges facing the sector, Oxford City Council has managed to achieve high levels of satisfaction with the overall services they provide.”
On individual measures, tenants were most satisfied with:
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repairs in the last 12 months (82%)
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the Council treating them fairly and with respect (82%)
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their homes are safe (82%)
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time taken with the last repair (81%)
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the Council keeping them informed (80%)
However, the STAR survey found areas for improvement, notably in handling antisocial behaviour (67% satisfaction) and handling complaints (33% satisfaction).
Repairs
The day-to-day repairs service is usually the main reason social housing tenants are not satisfied with their landlord. Overall satisfaction with the repairs and maintenance service increased from 79% to 83%, with satisfaction about the time taken to complete repairs also rising from 79% to 81%. There was a slight decrease in satisfaction with the repairs service in the last 12 months, which fell from 85% to 83%.
Service improvements
The government has moved to drive up standards for social housing in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster and the more recent death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, the result of prolonged exposure to mould at his home in Rochdale.
A new regulatory framework is now in place addressing several key areas. These include tenant and leaseholder engagement, accountability and safety regulations, with stronger powers for the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
To meet new RSH standards, the Council is investing significant extra resources in its housing services. This includes the recruitment of a new customer care and complaint manager. It is also carrying out further work to integrate the complaints process into existing housing IT systems.
The Council’s community safety team has trained tenants in managing antisocial behaviour cases, to get feedback and advice on improving services
The team worked with Thames Valley Police and other partners to develop a successful joint approach to dealing with ‘cuckooing’, which happens when other people take over someone’s home without their consent.
The Council also aims to reduce the time it takes to resolve an antisocial behaviour case, increase visits to all areas of the city and improve its response to cases with an element of hate-related abuse.
Comment
"We are encouraged by the overall increase in tenant satisfaction this year. It reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality services. While we celebrate the gains, we stay focused on areas where we can – and will - do better. Our aim is to ensure Oxford remains a great place to live for all our tenants."
Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing
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