Your Service Improvement Panel: meet Sadie
Sadie is a member of bpha’s newly formed Service Improvement Panel, a group of customers that constructively challenges bpha, letting us know what we are doing well and where we need to improve. Here she tells us why she took on the role and how it’s going.
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If I can be a voice for people, and help move things forward, why not?
My story
I’ve worked at Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce for just over 23 years. I started as Accounts Assistant and am now Head of Operations.
I live in South Cambridgeshire and have been in my bpha home for just over five years. Before that I lived in a South Cambs Council house and before that in a Cambridge City Council house.
In South Cambs we had a garden, which I wanted for the children but there were no amenities nearby, which was tough. The boys actually asked if we could move. I looked at a home link and bid on my current home.
I thought – I don’t want to live in a flat - but the boys loved the area and said it would be great, so we went for it. I’m really glad we did because it’s so ideally placed – we have shops and the guided busway into Cambridge a two-minutes’ walk away and I’m just five miles from work. And my son was able to cycle to school rather than rely on me, so it’s been amazing.
There are six flats in my block and I talk to everybody – I was in my previous home for ten years and although I knew my neighbour by name, we never really spoke so it’s much better now. The boys, who are in their late teens and early twenties, have got friends locally, so they're often popping in and out. They’ve both claimed they’re never leaving home…
Getting involved
I’ve been an involved customer a few times for bpha in the past and enjoyed it. Now my boys are older, they don’t need me in the same way, so I thought I need to do things, get out, make new friends and meet new people. I read about the Service Improvement Panel on Facebook, emailed to say I was interested, attended an online information session and applied straight after that.
I wanted to do something else for me – something that I could get my teeth into. It’s self-improvement as well, something that gives confidence and it’s great to be supported in that by my CEO, as well as utilise some of the skills I’ve gained through work. Why not use those to help other people?
I’m looking forward to using my own experience to help on the panel, particularly repairs and complaints. I had a leak that took a long time to sort out and the repair wasn’t what it should have been. Having said that, because the light had filled with water, one of bpha’s electricians came out to replace it – I mentioned that my kitchen light was flashing and asked what parts I needed to buy to sort it out. She was absolutely brilliant and did it all for me.
Joining the panel is an ideal opportunity to help other people that have probably had similar experiences – good and bad - and if I can be a voice for them, and help move things forward, why not?
Getting the role
Cycle of service?
This is a review of a process, procedure or experience through the eyes of customers – in this case an anti-social behaviour noise complaint. These sessions are regularly carried out by bpha colleagues, all putting themselves in the shoes of someone going through the process, procedure or experience. They help identify sticking points and areas for improvement.
I was invited to a group session where we took part in a ‘cycle of service’, which was really good.
I had a phone call inviting me back for an interview. I’ve not had an interview for many years!
I was able to do some preparation because I was sent the Tenant Satisfaction Measures, which shows what customers think of bpha. As part of the interview we had a mini panel session to discuss the results and what we thought about them, the aim being to get people with different views who can challenge but ultimately work together to agree a way forward.
I was really pleased to be offered the role, alongside nine others. We’re a real mix of people from different areas, with different types of tenancies and a wide range of ages. I’ll work as part of the panel for around 14 hours each month, which works well for me, and the Chief Executive where I work is very supportive and actually encouraged me to apply.
Getting going
Not long after I joined the panel I was invited to attend the Tpas National Tenant Conference. Tpas is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving tenant engagement standards across the country.
I thought it was a great chance to get involved and make my mark and I’m glad I did because it was brilliant. I got to know Clare, bpha’s Customer Engagement Officer, and Becky, bpha’s Customer Engagement Manager better - it felt as though we’d known each other for ages by the end of the conference.
It was also useful to understand more about the Regulator and the Housing Ombudsman in person - I think this will really help with the panel.
Next steps
We’ll start shaping our meetings, with the support of Becky – agree our agenda and priorities so that we can make a difference quickly and effectively.
We’ll also be shadowing different teams within bpha to get a real understanding of how things work. I’m really looking forward to it.
To find out more and get involved please get in touch with our Customer Engagement Team – customervoice@bpha.org.uk