The Resident Voices Group (RVG) is made up of the chairs and representatives of our established resident groups, our resident group board and committee members, and senior staff across the organisation. The group met in April 2023 and were joined by Ian Ellis, our group Chair.
Resident chairs gave updates on the work they have been doing alongside staff. One key priority has been the creation of a new Damp and Mould Policy. A resident project group has worked closely with Brett Hohls, director of repairs, and will continue to work with Notting Hill Genesis to ensure the new approach to damp and mould will help to provide a better service for residents.
The RVG also chose three areas of focus for this year, based on complaints, resident satisfaction and other feedback the organisation receives. These areas are:
- Emergency repairs
- Annual visits
- Complaints
The group will spend time with staff planning and scoping out what these projects might look like, as well as identifying appropriate senior staff members to sponsor and oversee the projects. These sponsors will ensure any recommendations are implemented efficiently, and that actions have a positive impact on the service that all residents receive.
The group also received an update on other resident-focused projects and events over the past few months and were pleased to hear that the housing operating model is currently being reviewed to help deliver a better and more efficient service to residents.
Ian was very encouraged by the RVG’s approach and emphasised the importance of working in collaboration with staff, so any good work is not carried out in a vacuum.
Our aim as the RVG is to do our best to ensure all resident voices are heard. I want to say a big thank you to all residents who give feedback through satisfaction surveys, complaints and compliments. It is this feedback that allows us to get a clear picture on what may and may not be working, and how we can help to improve your experiences. We also have so many residents who give up their free time to work with and influence Notting Hill Genesis to ensure better services for us all, and we are extremely grateful for their efforts.
There are always opportunities for residents to get involved, so check out the latest ones on our get involved page!
Stephen Bitti
Chair
Resident Voices Group
Stephen joined the Notting Hill Genesis Group Board (as one of two resident Board members) in April 2017 and, until our recent governance review, he worked with colleagues as part of the Resident Services Committee. As part of the recent restructure, he was asked to develop and chair the Resident Voices Group. He also serves the new Operations Committee of the Board.
Stephen has been living with a long-term medical condition for almost 30 years and has been a social housing resident for over 20. He lives with his partner in a small, one bedroom flat, within a building of 38 mixed tenure homes. He is also the chair of his diverse residents' association. When he is not working with Notting Hill Genesis, he runs a Healthwatch in London where the team gathers people’s experiences of NHS and social care services. They then share these themes and insights with those who can improve the quality of these services.