We're redesigning our approach to resident engagement. To start this off we partnered up with some of our residents to set up a co-design action group
What does co-design mean?
We want our resident engagement to create positive and impactful changes for our residents and customers. And we know the best way to achieve this is by working with you.
This is what co-design is all about - Peabody colleagues and residents coming together to listen and learn from each other and agree on new ways of working.
How the action group worked
Over the summer our group of residents met with residents from our communities and neighbourhoods to participate in group discussions and activities to help us identify what areas need improvement, develop new approaches and potentially test these ideas.
You can find out more about the groups and their activities on our customer engagement platform - The Garden.
Your voice
Our group of residents got a lot from the listening sessions and were touched by how open you were with them. It was clear to them that you:
- Care about your local community.
- Want to understand what happens after you've engaged with Peabody – you don't want to attend a talking shop, and you don't want your feedback to disappear into a black hole.
- Need to be able to contact Peabody when you want to, using easy and accessible channels of your choice.
- Want to be able to escalate an ongoing issue or complaint easily and effectively to Peabody.
- Want to be heard and know Peabody will do what they say they will.
Co-design in action
The group met with various Peabody colleagues over three Saturdays to discuss the full range of resident experiences to help them develop their recommendations.
An independent facilitator led these sessions to support and guide the discussions around the changing world of resident engagement and Peabody after the merger with Catalyst.
The group co-designed five recommendations that support a new approach to resident engagement at Peabody. These recommendations are:
- Make a cultural commitment to resident engagement. Create engagement service standards supported by a genuine commitment to hearing and acting upon residents' voices.
- Nurture resident talent. Create a dynamic and diverse group of engaged residents called Peabody Voice. Peabody will provide engagement training and development opportunities for all residents in the group.
The Customer Engagement team will support residents signed up to Peabody Voice with resident-led engagement activities that encourage different groups and communities to collaborate on projects together. - Create a flexible and accessible engagement offer. This will include formal and informal engagement opportunities such as:
- Face-to-face or online strategic meetings.
- Regional and local level activities.
- Involvement in board meetings and regional panels.
- Drop-in sessions and fun days.
Engaged residents will support us to create a flexible and fun engagement offer, which means everyone can get involved how, when and if they'd like to. - Always close the loop. This will show residents what Peabody has done with their feedback. We want residents to see the impact of their engagement through an annual impact report. We will support celebrating and promoting resident achievements at an annual resident event.
- Support a new strategic resident-led panel to oversee and connect resident engagement activity across Peabody. This strategic group will commission resident-led approaches to scrutiny, service improvement, policy and strategy development based on a collection of performance information, insight and resident feedback.
Apply to join our strategic panel
Read the action group’s full report
Our charter of commitments
The action group created a charter of commitments to help us keep the final action plan on track.
Read the full charter
Help us turn these recommendations into action
The co-design action group’s main recommendation is for the resident engagement team to work with them to create an independent strategic entirely resident-led panel.
This strategic panel will oversee all the resident engagement activities across Peabody – from strategic policy decisions and service improvement scrutiny to the more regional and neighbourhood resident groups and activities.
This resident-led strategic panel will work with residents from Peabody Voice to create smaller working groups to scrutinise and help improve specific areas and services across Peabody.
If you’re interested in helping us improve our services and performance, please apply to become a member of our resident led strategic panel on The Garden.
The closing date for all applications is 9am on Tuesday 7 November.
We’re looking forward to working with you.
Join Peabody Voice
The resident engagement team send regular updates on what’s happening across Peabody in all our regions. Being part of Peabody Voice is a great way to keep updated on their work and be one of the first to find out about future engagement activities and opportunities.
Contact us at get.involved@peabody.org.uk and get involved today.
Learn more about The Garden
You can learn more about the action group and other resident groups on our customer engagement platform.