Reshaping social housing for the consumer standard
As social housing grapples with new consumer standards, Mark Holdsworth, Civica’s sales director, explores how housing providers must transform their culture and technology to deliver outstanding tenant services.
The most significant cultural transformation in social housing in decades is underway. The introduction of consumer standards by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has fundamentally shifted expectations, moving housing providers from traditional gatekeepers of services to customer-centric organisations focused on tenant satisfaction and service excellence.
A seismic shift
This evolution isn’t just about meeting regulatory requirements; it represents a complete reimagining of how housing providers operate, communicate and deliver services. The question is – are housing providers ready for this seismic shift?
In April 2024, the RSH introduced comprehensive new standards for all social landlords. The new framework included a consumer service measure (C1-C4 rating, where C1 represents the highest level of consumer service) alongside the traditional governance (G1-G4) and viability (V1-V4) measures, which assess an organisation’s management effectiveness and financial stability, respectively.
Under these standards, housing providers must ensure tenants are safe in their homes, respond promptly to complaints, treat tenants with fairness and respect, maintain detailed knowledge of property conditions and effectively collect and use data across all service areas. The stakes are high; a provider could achieve G1 status for governance but still fail its inspection with a C4 rating for consumer service.
Early results and expectations
The early inspection results reveal the scale of the challenge. The RSH awarded 35 consumer grades to social landlords managing over 1,000 homes from April to late October. Nine received the highest C1 grade, demonstrating excellence in tenant service, 13 were graded C2 and 12 received C3 ratings, indicating significant room for improvement.
In October 2024, the first housing provider received the lowest C4 grade, with the regulator finding “very serious health and safety issues” and at least 20 per cent of its homes failing to meet decent living standards.
The NHS’s journey from a gatekeeper model to a more patient-centric approach offers valuable lessons for housing providers. Like the health sector, social housing is transitioning from a system focused on managing access to services to one centred on delivering positive outcomes for service users.
Consider how GP functions have evolved. Many have moved from restrictive appointment systems to more flexible, technology-enabled services prioritising patient needs. Online booking systems, text reminders and digital consultations have changed access to healthcare services. The housing sector must undergo a similar transformation but with its own unique challenges and opportunities.
Technology as an enabler
This cultural shift requires robust technological foundations. During a recent visit to a community housing group in Kidderminster, I witnessed at first-hand how technology can enable superior customer service. Their customer service team demonstrated excellence in tenant engagement, seamlessly moving between different types of interactions, from routine enquiries to complex cases, while recording everything in their CRM system.
What’s particularly striking is that many organisations already have the technological capability to transform their tenant services but they don’t realise it. Modern housing management systems often come with built-in CRM capabilities, automated communication tools and sophisticated workflow management, but these features remain dormant without proper understanding and implementation.
Yet many organisations still need to improve with fragmented systems and manual processes. Some have invested heavily in measuring failure, such as sophisticated phone systems tracking dropped calls, without investing in the background systems needed to improve service delivery. It’s rather like having a high-tech dashboard in a car with an unreliable engine; the measurements might be precise but the underlying performance isn’t improving.
Building a customer-centric culture
Technology alone isn’t enough. The shift from gatekeeper to service leader requires a fundamental change in organisational culture. This means empowering front-line staff with both the tools and authority they need to serve tenants effectively.
It involves developing new organisational skills, from customer service excellence to data literacy. Most importantly, it changes mindsets from ‘managing access’ to ‘enabling service’.
I’ve seen this transformation in action. Housing providers who successfully make this shift don’t merely implement new systems, they reimagine their entire approach to tenant interaction. Their staff become partners in tenants’ success rather than administrators of processes. They use data to measure performance and anticipate and prevent problems before they arise.
Let’s be honest – delivering exceptional customer service is expensive. It requires significant investment in technology platforms, staff development and process redesign. However, the cost of not changing is far greater. Poor consumer standard ratings could impact an organisation’s ability to secure funding, develop new properties and maintain tenant satisfaction. Furthermore, efficient systems and processes can reduce the service cost over time.
The key is to view this investment not as a burden but as an opportunity to create more efficient, effective organisations. When implemented thoughtfully, new technologies and processes can streamline operations, reduce manual workloads and free staff to focus on serving tenants.
Transformational roadmap
The journey from gatekeeper to service leader requires a carefully considered approach. With the RSH’s inspection programme now underway, housing providers must move fast to assess their capabilities, not just in terms of technology but of people, processes and culture. This assessment should inform a clear transformation roadmap that aligns technology investments with organisational goals and specific requirements for consumer standards.
Success requires more than just implementing new systems. It demands a comprehensive approach to change management, ensuring staff are supported and empowered throughout the transformation. It means creating a culture of continuous improvement, where feedback from both tenants and staff drives the ongoing refinement of services.
The introduction of consumer standards isn’t just another regulatory hurdle; it represents a fundamental shift in how housing providers must operate. The early inspection results demonstrate that even well-governed organisations can fall short of the required standard for tenant services. Those who embrace this change, by investing in both technology and cultural transformation, will be better positioned to thrive in this new environment.
Trusted partners
Housing providers need trusted technology partners who understand both the technical landscape and the unique challenges of social housing – partners who can help them maximise their existing systems while planning for the future.
Ultimately, those who seize this opportunity by investing in their people’s digital skills, embracing cultural change and working with experienced partners, will create organisations that don’t simply meet standards but set them.
The future of social housing will be shaped by those who recognise that technology, properly implemented and supported by the right culture and skills, isn’t just a tool for compliance but the key to delivering exceptional tenant services.
Mark Holdsworth is the sales director at Civica.
