Customer Annual Report
2024 - 2025
Places where everyone can flourish
Our vision…
An introduction from Karen Faye, Bolton customer and member of the Customer and Communities Committee
Dear customers, I am Karen Faye, a customer of MSV (I’ve lived in Bolton for 32 years) and also a member of the Customer and Communities Committee.
One of the great things about being involved at MSV is I really get to see what is going on at the very heart of the business – the decisions that affect customers on a day-to-day basis, and I have the opportunity to use my knowledge and experience as a customer to influence those decisions. I’ve met lots of other customers who are also involved, and some extremely committed staff. I also have a pretty good perspective of how things work and where we are doing well, and perhaps not so well. Being a customer of MSV, I hope, allows me to speak on behalf of all our customers and be a voice that cuts through the formality of regulation and everything else the sector has to deal with and get to the matter at hand, and for me that’s delivering good services that keep customers safe.
"£519,000 in backdated benefits and grants for customers"
I know one of the key things MSV has done this year to help all customers is to make sure they have an up-to-date and accurate record of who is living in every household. They are doing this in lots of ways including during tenancy visits, at community events, or over the phone. This is so that MSV has all the right information to be able to help customers with more tailored services if they need it. For example, if someone does not speak English and needs a translator, or has a disability such as deafness, they might not easily answer the door as quickly. It helps with so many things, for example we have been able to help over 700 people this year with wellbeing issues and obtained £519,000 in backdated benefits and grants for customers.
MSV has asked me if I would do an introduction to the customer annual report this year, which I was very happy to do, so please take a few minutes to watch my video here.
All the performance figures used in this report relate to 1st April 2024 - 31st March 2025, unless we've said otherwise
A huge thank you
Charlie Norman
All improvements made during the year have very much been thanks to our customers, many of whom have worked so hard alongside colleagues to help shape inclusive services.
We have conducted 3 service reviews through our Scrutiny Panel over the last year, including the 'anti-social behaviour customer journey', mutual exchanges and complaints. The Scrutiny Panel also worked with colleagues to review the recharge policy. The review process helped us to identify and prioritise key areas for enhancing the service we provide to customers. Panel members drew on their own lived experiences throughout. As a result, the panel proposed over 20 actionable improvements for the 2024/25 period, all of which have been approved and successfully implemented.
You can hear what customers have told us, drawing from their own experience of being an MSV customer, and what we have done about it here in our You Said We Did section of the website.
People Place Performance
We have also had some open and honest conversations with customers at our revamped Nibbles ‘n’ Natter sessions where we now bring in local partners such as the local authority and the police, so customers can raise wider issues relating to their neighbourhood and community. It has been great to see so many of you at these sessions across the North West.
We will continue to work hard to improve services and listen to feedback from you and your community. We regularly survey customers to ask how we are doing, and the overall satisfaction with the service has risen to 72.9% - this is certainly an improvement from last year, but we are determined to keep improving.
The Customer Annual Report is our opportunity to let you know how we are performing against the Government’s Consumer Standards. It is a completely open and transparent look at how we are doing and sets out how we are performing and where we need to improve. If you are interested and would like to know more about the Consumer Standards, you can watch our short animation here.
We have also recently signed up to the Good Landlord Charter - an initiative which has seen over 100 landlords across the Greater Manchester Region signing up to an enhanced way of working. By adopting the Charter, customers can expect better protections and improved overall quality. You can find out more about the charter here.
I hope you enjoy reading the report and watching the videos and thanks to everyone who has been involved in producing this. If you have any suggestions or want any more information from us, please get in touch.
Best wishes,
Charlie Norman,
Chief Executive
Overall service satisfaction
70.0%
Compared to 68.7% for 2023/24
We consulted with customers on what should be included in the Customer Annual Report and they said they wanted to hear from Charlie Norman, Chief Executive
Local resident De'jhan undertook work experience with the marketing team at MSV.
He tells his story
De'jhan
Lacey talks about how her time at our Foyer, Forest Court, shaped her future
Lacey
Another great way for customers to contact us is through their My MSV account on the website. We asked our customer scrutiny panel to review My MSV, and we have made a number of significant changes based on their suggestions. It is now simpler, more reliable, and easier use. Customers can now go onto their My MSV Account and book a repairs appointment at a time that suits them, update their details or message a member of the team.
Customers need to get in touch for lots of reasons, so we have invested in new service centre technology. This gives customers more choice, for example through webchat, and means we are now quicker and more consistent in responding to customer enquiries. We do not always get it right, there are times when customers may have to wait for longer than expected to speak to someone, but we are constantly working to improve on this important service.
Helping customers access services
How we've met the Safety and Quality Standard
Keeping Customers Safe and Warm
Our new digital service, Find My Engineer, means customers can track exactly when an operative is on their way, and what time they will arrive at a customer’s home.
We can also now plan repairs more efficiently, meaning we will be completing more repairs every day, with shorter waiting times for customers to get those jobs done.
We also have a new contract in place so that our repairs team can access better quality materials more quickly, shortening the time customers must wait to get a repair done.
Over the last year we have completely reviewed the way we deliver our repairs service. With the help of our customers, we have implemented a new IT system, and reorganised the way we deliver the service. As a result, repairs surveys show that overall satisfaction with the service stands at 73.4% compared to last year which was 70.4%. We still need to do better in this area though, and improving the repairs service remains a focus for us in the coming months.
Investing in the repairs service
70.0%
Compared to 70.4 % 2023/24
Overall repair service satisfaction
£50,000
Spend on major work
New warden call system
0
New lift
0
Other energy efficiency measures
0
New Windows
20
New Roofs
20
Major adaptations
20
New bathrooms fitted
190
Internal Wall insulation
120
Heating Systems
260
New Kitchens fitted
260
Properties fitted with new doors
300
Cavity wall insulation
370
Property Renovations
We are continuing our work to improve many more older and colder homes by increasing thermal efficiency and comfort for customers and now 89% of homes haven an EPC rating of C or above*. Not only will those homes be warmer, but they will be cheaper to run. We are doing this by installing internal wall and loft insulation, energy efficient doors and better ventilation.
We are installing a ground source heat pump at our Later Living scheme, Khubsuret House in Rochdale. This will hugely bring down the cost of living at Khubsuret House for our older residents.
If we contact you regarding a survey please do respond, its important we have up-to-date information about your home.
*EPC stands for Energy Performance Certificate, a document that rates a building's energy efficiency on an A-G scale. An EPC of C or above is good.
To date we have surveyed 84% customers’ homes, helping us to make sure they meet a high standard of repair and are safe to live in. By surveying more homes we are learning so much more about customers’ needs, helping us tailor services to suit you, for example we have been able to help customers get the adaptations they need to continue to live safely in their homes.
Investing in Homes
We have transferred some of our homes in the St Helen’s and Warrington areas to another trusted landlord. We have only a small presence in these areas and doing this allows MSV’s customer facing teams to concentrate efforts in delivering services in our key neighbourhoods. Look at our map to see where MSV has its homes.
A focus on key neighbourhoods
Over the next 5 years we will be investing over £68 million into improving customers’ homes. This means new kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems, roofs and doors where they are needed.
Focus for the future
Sitting at the very heart of MSV is the customer voice, helping shape services. In the last year, through various forums, 2,500 customers have worked with colleagues influencing the services. This has been by; attending Nibbles ‘n’ Natter sessions, completing surveys, taking part in focus groups and by taking part in our customer voice network.
Customer Voice
Being clear and accountable to our customers
How we have met the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard
We have had a real focus on how customers can access our services, including:-
- Using text messages to provide customers with important information
- Better translation services, which includes training for customer-facing colleagues
- Improving our website, making it easier to find information and ask for assistance.
Better communication
We work closely with the Housing Ombudsman so that learning from complaints can be implemented into our services. So far we have:-
- Implemented a review of our defects policy and procedure
- We will be reviewing our fair rents process and introducing a fair rent policy and process
- Improved processes for working with and monitoring external contractor performance
- Reviewed sign up documents for new customers in our later living schemes.
We have worked with our customers to ensure that our complaints process is easy to access and use and can put help in place where needed to support customers through the complaints process.
Performance on complaints has improved and we are keen to ensure that we do all we can to listen to our customers and involve them in the process. To do this we are introducing a customer complaints panel. The Panel will provide a fresh insight, with a willingness to see us learn and improve, so all our customers receive an improved service. This includes reviewing stage 2 complaints.
During the previous 12 months we received 376 complaints, which shows an increase from the previous year’s 280. We welcome complaints as they provide really valuable customer insight and help us improve.
Receiving a complaint can mean that somewhere along the line we have failed, but it also gives us an opportunity to listen and learn from customers where things need to improve. For that reason we see complaints as a positive step towards improving services and the customer experience. We have completely overhauled the complaints system, making it easier and quicker to resolve an issue.
Take a look at this short clip below from Michelle Hill, Chair of the Customer and Communities Committee and Complaints Board Champion.
Complaints
We provide customers with an update every 3 months of how we are performing against the Government’s Tenant Satisfaction Measures. We do this in the Voice (the customer magazine) and on the website. Below is the full year’s figures up to March 2025. You can also see the most recent figures here on our website. You will see we are performing better in some areas than we were 12 months ago, but there are some areas which still require more work and we are not reaching our target, for example time taken to complete repairs and completing non emergency repairs within the timescales. These ares are a focus for us over the coming year.
Making sure we are performing well is crucial to delivering excellent services, and to do that we need to make sure MSV’s workforce is properly trained. This year we have trained colleagues in:-
- Accessing welfare benefits for customers
- Dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour
- Raising a ‘cause for concern’ for vulnerable customers
- Cultural awareness training and equality and diversity
- Customer excellence
- Dealing with gangs
- Protecting customer’s data
- Retrofitting homes and making improvements
- Dealing with damp and mould
- Carrying out effective property inspections
- Helping people with dementia
- Helping people suffering from trauma
- An officer to help customers who are hoarding. This can be a significant risk to a customer’s health and so it is important we have the resources to assist
- A new Leasehold team with additional resource for customers who have purchased part of their home. We believe the service offered to leaseholders in the past has fallen short of the standard we would expect so this is an important area for us to make improvements
- An officer to lead on domestic abuse – this is a specialist role to provide tailored support to customers
- A new Income and Financial Resilience team to provide specialist and dedicated financial support before it becomes a real problem
Performing well also means making sure our resources are targeted where they are needed, so we have recruited to the following new posts:-
Responsible Neighbourhood Management
These figures are based on the number of anti-social behaviour and hate crime cases opened for each 1,000 MSV homes (annualised)
Responding to anti-social behaviour and hate crime
Overall and Repairs - Customer satisfaction
Respectful and Helpful Engagement
Effective Handling of Complaints
Maintaining Building Safety
Tenant Satisfaction Measures
Performance
Colleague training is an important part of our improvement plans. We were joined by over 380 colleagues at our recent colleague training event in Manchester where we focused on Community, Connection and Collaboration.
A presence in your neighbourhood
Across all of our areas we now have a dedicated Neighbourhood Plan which aims to focus our resources in the right areas and in the right ways. For example, how we will address anti-social behaviour, noise and crime, or how we can work with partners in your area to help make your neighbourhood a place you can feel proud of. We are currently finalising the details of neighbourhood plans which will be published on the website and in your newsletter before the end of the year.
We have had a real focus on getting out and about, inviting customers to join us on scheme walkabouts. This helps us to identify any issues which need addressing, for example fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour or parking problems. We are working with Manchester City Council on an alley-gating pilot project and clean and green strategy so customers can enjoy a safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhood.
Solid plans for your neighbourhood
Living safely in your home also means any shared spaces, such as communal hallways, landings and gardens need to be safe as well. We have had a focus on shared spaces this year, putting in additional safety checks and signage, all of which has been achieved through our ‘block champions’. Block champions are customers who live at a scheme and do a weekly safety check to make sure there are no hazards or anything that could affect the safety of customers in communal areas. We are spending another £1 millon on shared spaces in the Stockport and Carrbrook areas this coming year.
With help from our Scrutiny Panel we have completely reviewed the anti-social behaviour service making it is easier to report and receive a faster response from us. We have also rolled out video clips for customers to help them access the service, and for colleagues so they can help customers who may be experiencing anti-social behaviour first hand. You can watch the video clip here.
We have a new domestic abuse caseworker, Beth, who has a wealth of expertise and knowledge in this area and will be helping support customers who have suffered domestic abuse. Beth also supports customers with anti-social behaviour - you can find out more about Beth and her casework here.
Supporting customers who are victims of anti-social behaviour or domestic abuse
How we have met the Neighbourhood and Community Standard
Working with our customers and partners
The Brotherhood
Peace Garden
MSV helped fund this garden project in Moss side.
Watch Michelle's story in this short video
Providing homes for people who need them is an important part of our work as a social landlord. One new development in Trafford, which was completed recently, helps people who have been unfortunate enough to find themselves homeless. New tenant, Tom, told us about his experience of ending up without a home, how he has moved his life on and is now receiving support from colleagues at Trafford Council and MSV.
As part of our commitment to young people we have changed the way we work to give priority to young care leavers who, so often, face challenges such as discrimination. Many young people leave the care system with nowhere to go, and no home or family to guide them. We have a number of schemes specifically for care experienced young people and we will continue to do everything we can to make sure they receive the support they need.
Our work to bring ‘A Voice in Every Home’ to life means Neighborhood Officers can deliver the service in a customers’ home using a hand-held device. The sorts of things they will be able to do are taking repairs and reporting them on the spot, logging any anti-social behaviour issues and helping customers to carry out an on-line mutual exchange.
We have implemented a new ‘Escalate and Resolve’ procedure which means our customer facing colleagues can work quickly to identify complex cases where a customer may be struggling to live within the requirements of their tenancy. This is proving to be particularly helpful for people with additional needs or living in poverty.
MSV is signed up to the House Exchange service, which means we help customers exchange their home with another social tenant from anywhere in the UK who also wishes to move. It’s a great way to find your next move, and we have more information about this service on our website.
Tom's story
Number of Mutual Exchanges
1
In the last year we have secured over £200,000 in external funding and social value for community projects, hubs and initiatives
Providing people with a home and support
How we have met the Tenancy Standard
A Snapshot from Alexander Briant Court Scheme
Alexander Briant Court reminds us just how special these communities are. On a Friday in August, our Assistant Scheme Coordinator was helping customers with the coffee morning. The atmosphere was warm and lively proof that simple moments can have a big impact.
Looking Ahead with Purpose
Thanks to £6.5k lottery funding recently secured by Alison our Scheme Coordinator, the scheme will soon benefit from a garden upgrade and enhanced social fund. These improvements reflect our ongoing commitment to creating spaces that support wellbeing, independence, and joy.
During the morning, we met Edith, who will be 102 later this year, and whose joyful spirit and stunning paintings left a lasting impression. Her creativity and zest for life are a testament to the nurturing environment of Alexander Briant Court.
We also spoke with Linda, who along with other Brian and Carol help runs the on-site shop. She shared how much she values the time spent there—not just for the practical support it offers, but for the conversations and connections it fosters.
Alexander Briant Court resident Edith and her paintings
At the heart of our Later Living services lies a simple but powerful belief: everyone deserves to thrive—not just live. Across our 14 sheltered schemes in the North West, we see this belief come to life every day in the warmth, creativity, and resilience of our residents and the dedicated teams who support them.
These schemes are far more than bricks and mortar. They are vibrant communities where friendships flourish, talents are celebrated, and support is always close at hand. Whether it's a coffee morning, a shared garden project, or a chat in the shop, every moment contributes to a richer, more connected life.
Thank you
A big thank you to the MSV customers who helped shape the design and content of this report, and to those who shared their stories.
If you would like to find out how you can be involved in shaping MSV’s services you can email us at involved@msvhousing.co.uk
Geoff Eaton - Elmswood Park resident
