106 residents across YMCA Black Country Group Housing Services completed a survey, just over 30% of all potential respondents. Thank you! Your views really matter to us.
We would like more residents to engage in the survey and will do what we can to remove the barriers to completing it, such as providing tablets or other devises for you to use to tell us what you think, providing a paper survey where requested, or translating the survey into other languages where needed.
Most of the surveys returned, 32.4%, were from residents who had been with us less than 6 months, 22.5% had been with us between 6 months and a year, 17.6% have been with us over a year and 27.5% over 2 years.
Home & Facilities
91% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied with the overall services provided by YMCA. That’s great to hear.
83.7% of residents stated that they live in a building with communal areas, either inside or outside that the YMCA is responsible for maintaining, and of those 89.5% said they are either satisfied or very satisfied that the YMCA keeps these communal areas clean and well maintained.
58.2% had a repair carried out in their home over the last 12 months, and 84% of those were either satisfied or very satisfied with the repairs service. 91.2% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied that the YMCA provides a home that is well maintained.
Indirectly linked to anti-social behaviour, one resident at a multi-service housing project stated “There’s constant noise for at least 20hrs per day. This is caused by YMCA renting every spare square foot of the building to outside groups. Is this a Residential Property or Commercial Property? Too Much Traffic. Too Much Noise.” An unintended consequence of delivering multiple services from one building and responding to the needs of the community, is the increased footfall in that property, and we appreciate the impact that’s having on you in your home. Thanks for highlighting this, we will look to reduce the impact of noise and disruption on our residents.
89.2% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied that the YMCA provides a home that is safe, whilst 9% gave a neutral response to this question.
A sense of safety and a place to belong are two key themes that are coming out of our consultation regarding the strategic priorities of the organisation. We understand being safe is fundamental to everything else.
Customer Services
92.9% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied that the YMCA listens to their views and acts upon them, and 89.1% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied that the YMCA keeps them informed about the things that matter to them.
90.2% of residents agree or strongly agree that the YMCA treats them fairly and with respect.
16.3% of residents had made a complaint in the last 12 months and of those 59% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied with the YMCA’s approach to complaint handling. 29.4% of residents gave a neutral response to this question, but sadly 2 respondents reported that they were very unsatisfied. In line with the Social Housing Regulators requirements, we are currently undergoing an assessment of our approach to complaints handling and the results will be published on our website soon.
87.4% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied with the YMCA’s approach to handling anti-social behaviour, whilst 10% of residents gave a neutral response to this question.
Support Services
95.3% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied with the support services they receive from the YMCA, and 91.5% are either satisfied or very satisfied with the frequency of support they receive. There were a few specific staff shout outs, “Steve has been polite, understanding and very patient with me. He’s been amazing to talk to and always gives good advice.” “Staff are easy to approach and talk to.” “My Housing Officer is great.” “Steve is a great officer! Great at his job & communicating with me.” “Staff are friendly.” “Amanda is a G!” (we think this is a compliment :)) Its lovely to hear you value your Housing Support Officers.
80% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied with the progress they are making within the YMCA and their community, whilst 15.4% of residents gave a neutral response to this question.
We received several comments from residents regarding the prospects of moving on from YMCA accommodation. One resident remarked, “It takes longer to move out than I would like” another stated, “The waiting lists for housing are so long, I’m ready to move on but have nowhere to go.”
There is a national shortage of social housing, and we are doing everything we can to enable to residents to move on when they are ready. This includes building our own Y-Living Accommodation (affordable YMCA housing for 18-35 years olds who are in work) and working with Housing Associations and Local Authorities to identify more efficient move on pathways.
Belong, Contribute & Thrive
75.3% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied with their sense of belonging to the YMCA and their community, whilst 22% of residents gave a neutral response to this question. One resident commented, “It’s great living here, the staff are very nice and friendly, and I enjoy my own space. I’m close to getting to work and my neighbours are nice.”
77.4% of residents are either satisfied or very satisfied with the opportunities to contribute to the YMCA and their community, whilst 20.6% of residents gave a neutral response to this question. One resident commented “I would like to see a resident forum group to support residents, projects and staff.” This is a great idea, and one will we look to take forward. Another resident noted “I’ve been given some responsibility in the onsite cafe as a volunteer and it’s amazing how I’m treated by the staff in the cafe & the whole building.” That’s great to hear you are enjoying contributing to the organisation.
90.4% of residents are either likely or very likely to recommend YMCA services to other people, whilst 6.7% of residents gave a neutral response to this question.
Thank you so much for taking the time to complete the survey.
Your voice really does matter, and it helps to shape the services we deliver. Look out for opportunities that will be promoted shortly to get involved with setting our Strategic Priorities for the next 5 years.