Homeowners’ Improvement Plan
We’ve heard your feedback through surveys, our Customer Voice Panel, face-to-face meetings, and insights from complaints. It’s clear we have work to do to improve your experience as a Raven homeowner.
This is why we’ve created our Homeowners’ Improvement Plan – to focus on key priorities, set clear milestones and deliver the outcomes that matter most to you.
Below you can read an overview of our plan and what you can expect from us moving forward
Timeline
This timeline illustrates the steps we have taken to create this plan.
Our commitments to you and the key priorities to fulfil these
Commitment one
We want you to feel confident that decisions about charges are fair, transparent and that you can trust them.
What you’ve told us
“We have concerns about the transparency of service charges, particularly where there have been year-on-year increases.
We want clearer explanations, noting that the cost of living crisis affects us too.
Charges year on year have increased significantly without a reason.”
What we’re going to do
- Improve service charge letters and information to meet new legislation and make them easier to understand.
- Review Value for Money on charges before they’re finalised.
- Be accountable for the accuracy of works carried out in communal areas for compliance checks.
- Keep you informed by reviewing how and when we notify you about inspections and assessments. We’re currently piloting a new process for this.
Commitment two
We’ll make sure you have the right information to make decisions about the long-term future of your homes.
What you’ve told us
“We feel that Section 20 consultations for major works revealed that these often lack sufficient detail about the planned activities, making it challenging for leaseholders to assess or question the proposals.
These works are crucial long-term investments, important both in terms of cost and suitability for the future of our homes.”
What we’ve done
- Reviewed Major Works Consultations (Section 20 notices), to make sure you’re fully informed about proposed major works.
- Provided clearer information about how to nominate a contractor and how the procurement process works.
- Trialled face-to-face and online sessions so you can ask questions about the Section 20 notices consultations.
- Added links to communal areas cleaning and grounds maintenance standards on the Homeowner FAQ website page here.
What we’re going to do
- Carry out a full review of homeowner website pages to make them clear and easy to navigate, with useful information.
- Further update our website with more detailed information about the Section 20 process.
- Review MyRaven to make sure you can easily report and access details about communal repairs.
Commitment three
We understand that your home is a significant investment to you. That’s why we’re committed to treating you with respect and involving you in decisions that matter about your home.
What you’ve told us
“We believe that there isn’t enough recognition of the significant financial investment our homes represent, including the personal pride and financial resources they invest in home improvements.”
What we’ve done
- Held our first Homeowners’ meeting to understand what matters to you and your needs better
What we’re going to do
- Ensure you have a say in decisions affecting the building or communal areas where you contribute financially.
- Continue to hold regular in person / virtual meetings to discuss homeowner updates, have discussions and collect feedback.
- Carry out a consultation to better understand how you’d like to contact us to report issues or share concerns.
- Host regular online sessions on key topics like service charges, Section 20 consultations, staircasing and lease extensions.
Commitment four
We’ll communicate with you when we’re planning on completing work, what your responsibilities are and be quick to respond when you ask us for more information.
What you’ve told us
“We want better communication regarding schedules for compliance checks and communal repairs as well as timely and accurate responses to our queries.”
What we’re going to do
- Create an induction process for new homeowners showing responsibilities as homeowners, covering aspects of the lease, service charges, cyclical works, staircasing, subletting and lease extensions.
- Continuing with our overall review of how we communicate with homeowners to make sure it aligns with our culture of Put Customers First.
We’re here to listen and improve
Our goal is to create a better experience for you as a homeowner and this plan shows the first steps of how we’ll achieve this. We want to have greater transparency and collaboration with you at every step to build your trust in us.
Thank you for your ongoing feedback. If you have any comments or thoughts on this plan, or anything we’ve not covered here, then please get in touch.
You can email homeownership@ravenht.org.uk or call us on 0300 123 3399.