Tenant Satisfaction Improves in Hammersmith & Fulham, Repairs and Communication Key to Gains

Tenant satisfaction in Hammersmith & Fulham has seen broad improvement across most perception measures, according to a report presented at the Housing and Homelessness Policy and Accountability Committee meeting on Wednesday. The 2024/25 Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) Survey shows significant gains in areas such as overall satisfaction, responsiveness to tenant views, and fair treatment. Repairs and communication, along with addressing anti-social behaviour, have been identified as key drivers of this positive trend.

Richard Shwe, Director of Housing, presented the update, highlighting that Hammersmith & Fulham Housing has improved its performance through continuous improvement and a robust improvement plan implemented between 2023/24 and 2024/25. The TSM framework includes 22 measures, with 12 derived from tenant perception surveys and 10 from management information held by landlords.

The council commissioned BMG Research to conduct the TSM surveys. According to the Public Reports Pack, the methodology was refined to focus primarily on face-to-face (70%) and telephone (30%) engagement to enhance the quality of feedback.

H&F's performance against the TSM perception measures has shown broad improvement against nearly all the measures, the report pack states. Key improvements include:

• Maintaining 100% compliance across all safety-related metrics.
• Improved completion rates for non-emergency repairs within the target timescale.
• Slight improvement in emergency repairs from an already high base.
• A notable decrease in the number of stage 1 and stage 2 complaints per 1,000 homes.

John Hayden, Assistant Director – Repairs, explained that key operational changes, including a focus on the quality of repairs and direct engagement with residents, contributed to the gains. The repairs team now contacts residents who are dissatisfied with the quality of repair to discuss the issues and reinspect the work. Additionally, the point of contact has shifted from the contact center customer services to the service that delivers the works. The step change was that rather than you getting a complaint person or somebody who deals with it, the repairs team will contact you and run through the dissatisfaction, he said.

Councillor Jacolyn Daly, Chair of the Housing and Homelessness PAC, inquired about the operational changes driving the gains and how they would be sustained. Hayden highlighted the importance of communication, particularly regarding delays, and ensuring emergency repairs are followed up promptly. A Direct Labour Organisation (DLO) has also been introduced to target communal repairs and sheltered homes.

Councillor Asif Siddique asked about how the council assesses dissatisfaction before a formal complaint is launched. Hayden explained that the council uses C-STAT returns, a text-based survey sent to residents after job completion, to gather feedback. If a resident indicates dissatisfaction, there is a description box for them to elaborate on the issue. This data is collected daily, reviewed weekly, and analyzed monthly to identify areas for service improvement.

Councillor Frances Umeh, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, added that the service is using complaints data to identify areas for improvement. Beyond repairs and communication, anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a specific area being targeted for improvement based on feedback from the TSM information and the Housing Residence Forum. A triage program has been developed to understand and address ASB cases more effectively. She also noted that the service is working with residents to improve the complaints handling process.

While the proportion of homes meeting the Decent Homes Standard increased, it remains low, rising from 2.8% to 4.1%. The council plans to have stock condition surveys completed for every home by the end of 2026. Over 5,500 properties have been surveyed in the last 14 months. Key steps include modeling the survey data into the system and implementing a five-year kitchen and bathroom program based on the survey results. Any hazards identified during the surveys will be addressed as emergency repairs.

Richard Shwe noted that sector-wide data was published on 4 November, and the council is analysing it to benchmark its performance against other local authorities in London. A quick analysis shows that Hammersmith & Fulham is in the top quartile for roughly seven of the 12 perception surveys. Specifically, for well-maintained homes (TPO4 at 68.6%), they are third best in London. For the proportion of residents who report that they are satisfied with their landlords treats them fairly and with respect (TPO8, 84%), they are also third best in London. With regard to the proportion of residents who report that they are satisfied with their landlords’ approach to antisocial behaviour (TP12, 69.6%), they are second best in London. In West London, Hammersmith and Fulham are at 62.7% for the proportion that is satisfied with the overall service provided to their landlord, placing them in quartile 2, compared to a median of 61.6% and an average of 55%. He emphasised the council's commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring residents are at the heart of service standards and have a modern repairs service.