Hastoe has published its new Business Strategy for 2024-27. This has been drawn up by our Board in consultation with residents to ensure our priorities are correct and we are doing the best we can for our customers.
Priorities that residents have told us are the most important to them are listed below together with an outline of how Hastoe plans to make improvements.
Read Hastoe’s Business Strategy 2024-27 in full
Objective 1: Deliver good quality services for our residents that meet their needs
Residents agreed this should be Hastoe’s first objective to demonstrate how important it is and that we should prioritise the following:
Proactive checking of outstanding repairs:
- Hastoe will pro-actively follow up repair orders, keeping customers informed, so they don’t need to chase us.
Improve our services for repairs, including renewable heating breakdowns:
- We will increase the number of local response repairs contractors.
- We will appoint a professional external Contract Administrator for repairs to improve the effectiveness of our contract management and improved performance.
Improve staff knowledge of shared ownership leases:
- Review the management of services for home owners to provide a single point of contact for our home ownership residents.
Improve communication with residents about repairs:
- Re-procure our out-of-hours’ emergency repairs service.
- Improve communication with our residents on specific scheme/block repairs including those which may take longer to resolve such as lift breakdowns.
Objective 2: Invest in and maintain, safe, energy-efficient homes
In this objective, residents told us their highest concern was safety so we should prioritise the following:
Damp and mould:
- Complete stock surveys of all remaining properties over 5 years old by March 2026 and publish more information for customers to view.
- Review procedures for dealing with high repairs properties to ensure effective resolution.
- Invest in technologies that can remotely monitor damp conditions in our homes.
Fire Safety:
- We have worked hard over the last few years to improve fire safety in our homes and ensure compliance with new legislation. Where improvements to properties have been necessary, we have recovered most of the cost from the original contractors, professional services and insurances where possible.
- Although we have no specific actions for the current year, this remains a priority for us as a landlord and we closely monitor performance.
- We have a target in the new strategy of 100% of blocks of flats having a valid fire risk assessment and as a business we closely monitor compliance to our policy and procedures in this area. We have developed systems to ensure effective reporting so we can spot any potential non-compliance at an early stage.
Objective 3: Develop homes in rural areas to support the sustainability of rural communities
Residents agreed this should continue to be a priority, citing the personal benefits of having an affordable home in a rural area and providing examples of people they know who are still in need of housing in their communities.
- Actions contained in our strategy are in relation to promoting the need for more affordable housing in rural communities and working with other groups in order to achieve this.
Objective 4: Run a professional, efficient organisation and be an excellent employer
The main area of concern that residents had that related to Hastoe as an organisation, was about high staff turnover and the impact this was having on services to residents. Residents said they want us to improve this situation. We will:
- Hold joint Executive team and manager meetings to facilitate briefings, discussion and feedback on strategy, policies and processes.
- Organise briefings and Q&As on the Business Strategy for all employees.
- Organise 2 days that create opportunities for employees and Board Members to network, provide updates and celebrate achievements.
- Conduct a triennial review to ensure that pay and benefits remain competitive.
- Enhance Hastoe’s profile on social media.
- Promote housing qualifications to existing staff and new candidates.
