Visiting housing tenants to ask open questions and generate meaningful conversations is the focus of a new intervention initiative by Swindon Borough Council.
As part of an approach called ‘Behind Every Door’, Housing officers have visited more than 180 council tenants in three months to ensure they are receiving the support they need. Work to visit more properties across the Borough will continue in the coming months.
The visits, which began in November 2024, offer an opportunity for the Council to uncover and resolve many complex issues that tenants may face.
The work is contributing to the Council’s efforts to build a profile of all the properties it owns, and the tenants who live within them. The scheme sees Housing Customer Service staff knock on the doors of residents across the Borough to ask about their living conditions and their welfare needs. By seeking a face-to-face relationship with tenants, this work provides an extra channel for the sharing and receiving of important information.
By visiting properties, the programme gives Housing officers the opportunity to find out more about the tenants and their property and whether they require any repair work. Visiting staff can use the opportunity to conduct damp and mould checks, while also identifying any safeguarding concerns or interventions which could improve the lives of the tenants who live there.
Through this work, the Council is able to identify the early signs of any issues that may arise and signpost residents to appropriate support. Cases so far have identified tenants living with overgrown gardens, home interiors which require maintenance and incidents of hoarding. Urgent repair work has also been identified and rectified following the home visits.
The project also aims to promote neighbourhood and community integration by using tenant engagement to introduce tenants to services available in the local area. By visiting tenants, the Council is also able to be more transparent in its role as a landlord and improve the multidisciplinary teamwork across teams.
Councillor Janine Howarth, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said:
“Everyone has a right to a safe and decent home. With around 10,000 council-owned properties across Swindon, we have a great responsibility to look after the welfare of all our tenants in line with our mission to build a fairer Swindon.
“The Behind Every Door project is helping us to have meaningful conversations with our tenants, enabling us to identify any issues within their properties or their everyday lives. By providing this direct communication, our teams are able to provide tenants with the support they need. This will help to prevent them requiring more intensive support from the Council at some point in the future.
“The programme of work has allowed us to identify urgent housing repairs we were not previously aware of, while also signposting individuals with poor health or financial difficulties to the most appropriate service for their needs.
“It has been great to see the positive impact of this new initiative over the past few months and I look forward to hearing more from our customers in 2025”.