By Sarah Crabb, assistant director of housing services at Mount Green

In our fast-evolving society, a lot of things are changing. Becoming more streamlined, ‘digitally transformed’ and optimised to reduce costs or resources or staff time. Traditional practices are now often replaced with modern ways of working and new technology.

These changes can create opportunities to work more quickly or save money and divert resources to other areas, and we’re as open as any to those possibilities.

But while we appreciate the opportunities for efficiency and resource allocation, there are some traditional practices which may have fallen by the wayside for others that we believe remain invaluable, especially as the sector begins to re-engage with tenants following recent regulatory changes. One such practice is our commitment to estate engagement and dedicated, visible neighbourhood officers.

Local patch management

As a small, local housing association, our neighbourhood officers and independent living officers cover relatively small geographical areas, typically overseeing around 350 homes, usually comprising several small estates. This means that not only do the residents know them, but our team are able to get to know the residents in their patch.

There are a several benefits to this. Firstly, residents have a reliable and dedicated point of contact for their needs. Being locals themselves, our officers are also knowledgeable about the area. Two of our officers are also our tenants, meaning they have a lived experience of being a Mount Green resident.

Secondly, as our neighbourhood officers meet every new resident within six weeks of moving in, they are also able to identify unfamiliar faces on our estates. Lastly, their smaller geographical area of responsibility enables them to offer wide-ranging support, from antisocial behaviour to neighbourhood concerns, financial support referrals, and more.

We liken our neighbourhood officers to the headteachers of a primary school: they know their pupils by sight and name, just as our staff know who’s a Mount Green resident.

Building strong partnerships

Even with small areas to manage, and despite empowering our neighbourhood officers to make decisions on our estates, we understand that they cannot tackle everything alone, and that’s why partnership working is also so crucial.

We’ve built and continuously nurture strong relationships with local partners, including the police, local authorities, social services and councillors. Our ‘patches’ align with the geographical areas of the local authority wherever possible, simplifying areas of responsibility and ensuring effective collaboration.

Our estate visits, conducted by neighbourhood officers, are not only promoted to residents, via social media and other channels, but partners are also invited along, making these whole-community events where problems or suggestions can be addressed immediately, or logged with the appropriate partner.

Proactive communication

We have also worked with residents to build a network of estate representatives – residents who volunteer as an additional pair of eyes and ears, keeping us informed of any issues or concerns, such as communal repairs, something we will no doubt see more of across the sector following the new regulations and guidance around resident engagement.

Additionally, when we anticipate something that might affect or disrupt residents, such as changes to service charges, parking or even cyclical decoration, we schedule appointments to discuss these matters with them. After all, these are their homes and they should be the first to know about things that affect them.

Early interaction with new residents

Our approach to letting new properties also differs from many housing associations.

While virtual sign-ups and minimal interactions are becoming common, particularly as a result of the digital changes following the Covid pandemic, we remain committed to traditional face-to-face resident viewings and sign-ups, seeing them as crucial to the safety and cohesiveness of our communities. Our lettings officers meet prospective tenants in advance to ensure the community is right for them, and vice versa, reducing problems and resource requirements further down the line.

This process also allows our staff to identify those who might require extra support. Within six weeks of new residents moving in, their neighbourhood officer pays them a visit, initiating the process of building connections with those on their patch and providing support where needed.

Benefits vs resources

While there are costs associated with employing neighbourhood officers and conducting estate management checks, these investments can lead to long-term cost savings.

By addressing issues early and ensuring we house people in the right homes, estates and communities, we can prevent problems that may require interventions in the future. Additionally, a well-maintained and safe community is less likely to experience high turnover, reducing the costs associated with voids or resident rehousing.

We recognise there is always room for improvement in resident engagement, but we believe that modern technologies and streamlined systems should complement, not replace, the ‘old school’ activities that connect us with our residents.

Our focus, while perhaps not revolutionary, is to treat our residents as individuals, ensuring our staff remain visible and accessible rather than sat behind closed doors, and our estate interactions and inspections play a large part in that.

Based in Leatherhead, Mount Green Housing Association manages around 1,600 properties, mainly within the communities of Surrey and North Sussex.