LJHA are committed to listening to the voice of residents. Every individual resident should listened to by LJHA on issues that matter to them. As part of our accountability to, and transparency with, our residents, and ‘can do’ attitude, we want to demonstrate how we are acting on the ideas, suggestions and areas of improvements which our residents have told us about.
Would you like to make a suggestion?
You can do this via our online Suggestion Form at https://forms.office.com/r/EyvAcvKQbu.
You can also complete a paper copy. These are available in the reception areas of our communal blocks, and can either be posted in the various postboxes located in reception, given to a Housing Support Worker, or dropped into the LJHA office during opening hours.
We also want to be able to tell people why we may not be able to act upon all of the ideas or suggestions we receive.
On this page, you can see a list of some of the things we’ve done. We are also including quotes we’ve received from residents, thanking us for work which has been carried out. The ‘You Said’ examples reflect ideas and suggestions from both individual residents or groups of residents.
In addition, we are including some examples of ‘You Said…..We Couldn’t’, where we explain why we couldn’t do something, or where we had an idea ourselves, but residents were not in favour.
July 2023
You Said: We are not happy with the quality of the grounds maintenance service across LJHA and want to tell you where Nurture are going wrong.
We Did: Our Compliance Officer, Abi Frankland, has ensured regular walkarounds and resident meetings to monitor the quality of the grounds maintenance services.
June 2023
You Said: We don’t always receive information in a format that meets our communication needs. We also receive a lot of information that we’re not interested in reading.
We Did: We have revised and relaunched a new Communications Survey.
You Said: It can be really annoying when we report an Anti-Social Behaviour incident, or a crime, and the various CCTV cameras don’t pick up relevant information.
We Did: We have relocated some of our CCTV cameras, as well as install an ANPR vehicle recognition camera, in the Queenshills to pick up ‘hotspots’.
May 2023
You Said: It would be wonderful if we could offer new residents some useful items when they move into their new home.
We Did: We have rolled out a Welcome Pack for all new residents, comprising various cleaning items from Astonish, as well as two challah breads and a small bottle of grape juice.
April 2023
You Said: We want to provide feedback on our experience of the repairs service, but we don’t always receive the Repairs Satisfaction Survey in a timely manner.
We Did: We have engaged with the independent organisation Service Insights, who will call a % of tenants the month following their repair and this will ensure independent and meaningful results.
March 2023
You Said: “There are lots of things we would like LJHA to do to improve our level of satisfaction with LJHA”.
We Did: With the help of our Resident Consultative Group, we have produced a Tenant Satisfaction Action Plan. This is shown below, and we will update this at regular intervals.
December 2022
You Said: “We would like some green recycling bins at Burton House to allow us to play our part in helping the planet”.
We Did: We now have 2 large bins at the rear
June 2022
You Said: “We would like to see more and varied social activities each week in our sheltered housing locations. In particular, we feel isolated at outlying, non-Queenshill sites”.
We Did: We have now appointed a Deputy Sheltered Housing Manager, whose remit is to oversee a programme of activities. She is now working on a structure which will see activities take place across the week at all sheltered locations. This will include bingo, bagel brunches, yoga and discussions.
May 2022
You Said: “We are fed up with the cleaning contractors. They fail to keep our communal areas clean and the services provided are not fit-for-purpose. There is also too much to be done for the small team who are on site”.
We Did: We have now commenced a cleaning contract as a result of a tender involving resident representation. We plan to carry out regular cleaning satisfaction surveys.
April 2022
We’re proud to be partnering with Nurture to make LJHA a prettier & greener place to live. The team share our commitment to caring for residents. A partially-sighted resident contacted us to tell us that a team members was on site and could see that she was struggling with her buggy down the stairs of her home. He helped her with the buggy, and helped her again to get back up her property.
Thank you for this feedback on our gas service contractor from one of our residents:
Just had our annual gas check done and wanted to give you some feedback.
The gentleman was extremely polite and very informative and helpful.
Thank goodness that we now have a company that knows what they are doing!
They were also very accomodating in terms of changing the appointment, and took into account the circumstances.
I would be very grateful, if you would please forward this email onto the relevant person/department.
February 2022
We asked sheltered residents in Sheila Saunders Lawn and Stonegate Way about the stairlifts, which haven’t been working for some time. We presented them with options of replacing, repairing, removing or leaving these in place, accompanied by various costings.
You Said: “We don’t want to pay for something which many of us don’t use, and which will incur a large expense for us all. Please concentrate on making sure that there is a good maintenance contract in place for the lifts”.
We Did: Listening to the majority feeling of our residents, as a result of this consultation, we have made the decision to isolate the lifts. This would save an annual servicing cost of £2370 per annum, and residents a saving of £32 for the first year and then £38 each year after that.
January 2022
You Said: “The car park on Queenshill Gardens needs resurfacing. It’s uneven and there are potholes”.
We Did: Thanks to our partners on the Queenshill Development, Engie, we have now resurfaced the car park. We are also planning to make improvements to the far car park as well this year.
You Said: “I am the Resident Ambassador at Sheila Saunders Lawn. A resident would like to purchase a mobility scooter to allow her to be more independent. She would like to store this outside her flat, rather than inside where there is less room”.
We Couldn’t: Unfortunately with the way the corridors are configured in Sheila Saunders Lawn, it has meant that tenants within cannot have a mobility scooter that is stored outside of their flats. You may notice that tenants in Skyte House and Stonegate Way mostly have their doors set back from the corridor and it is only in those flats where a tenant can have a mobility scooter stored outside.
Our Fire Risk Assessment shows that due to this we cannot have any mobility scooters kept in the communal corridors at Sheila Saunders Lawn.
Fire Brigades have mostly banned mobility scooters from inside of buildings following Grenfell, but have allowed LJHA to continue with our policy for Stonegate Way and Skyte House. The new Cherry Tree House will not allow for any storage outside of flats and is built with a mobility scooter storage room on the ground floor.
December 2021
You Said: “We really enjoyed the opportunity to share and read about personal stories and achievements in @Home magazine. This should be a regular feature”.
We Did: A ‘Residents in the Limelight’ feature will be a regular section in the magazine. Stories are welcome from everyone. The Winter edition will include a feature on a resident was awarded an MBE, a resident who knew various actors and actresses in the 1970s and 80s, and a resident who is related to Charlie Chaplin!
You Said: “We don’t understand the Assured Non-Shorthold Tenancy Agreement. The wording is quite complicated and there are various things that we would like to challenge LHJA on relating to the responsibility for repairs, as well as how service charges are calculated”.
We Did: We set up a Leases and Service Charges Hot Topic Group. The first part of this group has focused on consulting with those who rent properties, and with the advice of residents, we have drafted an amended tenancy agreement. This will, hopefully, form the basis of the agreement for new tenancies in Cherry Tree House and Hillside when these open in Spring. We have also been consulting with a range of residents on the a draft Rechargeable Repairs Policy.
November 2021
You Said: “We’re not happy about the cleaning service in some of our blocks. We would like to have the opportunity to tell the cleaning contractors what matters to us, and areas in which they could improve.
We Did: We arranged meetings at different sites between resident representatives and representatives from our cleaning contractors. The contractors have taken on board suggestions, and explained which ones will be more practical to rectify than others”.
October 2021
You Said: “It would be great to have a storage facility for shared tools and equipment so that tenants can borrow tools to carry out basic repairs in their properties rather than always reporting them and being recharged. A lot of tenants can not afford tools and would find it helpful if we had a borrowing system (possibly deposits to be paid). Tenants should be shown how to do some basic skills so that they know how to do this for themselves. Perhaps we could run a couple of sessions”.
We Couldn’t: Having considered this, a shared tool store may be problematic in terms of who would manage it and where it would be, including from a security perspective. In addition, we wouldn’t feel comfortable in a situation where a resident hurt themselves trying to fix something (or made something worse) because they couldn’t afford to pay a rechargeable repair.
You Said: “We would like the opportunity to tell LJHA about problems with our properties, as well as ideas to improve the area”.
We Did: We started a trial walkabouts programme, beginning with the Queenshill estate, Bentcliffe Court and Green Park. Walkabouts will then take place on a regular basis covering all blocks and schemes.
September 2021
We asked some sheltered residents on the Queenshill site whether they thought that a menorah outside the new general needs and sheltered blocks would be a good idea.
You Said: “This could be a security risk for residents living on the site and in the surrounding area. Money would be better spent on other things”.
We Couldn’t: Our consultation with sheltered residents led to opinion being very much divided. We had the same number of people who said Yes and No, so this will not be going ahead.
One resident attended over the Day of Atonement and told us:
I attended Queenshill Shul for Kol Nidrei on Wednesday! The Arrangements of Seating and the Open Doors gave a Fresh Atmosphere and I felt All had been done in the interests of Covid Safety- I wore a Mask as requested!!
And brought my own Mahrzor!
Am very Grateful for the opportunity provided!!
With 12 Men I could say Kaddish, as I had Yahrzeit for my Father os!!
Many Thanks!
August 2021
You Said: “Will the Queenshill Synagogue be re-opening in time for the High Holy Days?”
We Did: “In the middle of August, the synagogue re-opened, with negotiations with the LJWB to create a risk assessment. This has meant that some residents have been able to attend a synagogue for the first time in 18 months, having not been able to attend elsewhere.
June 2021
Many thanks to the Powers that Be for The Repairs to my Patio Doors and Double Glazing Replacement!
I can now actually Open them Both, and See through them Both even in the Rain!! Thank you also for the New Gardeners
You Said: “The Sheila Saunders Lawn communal lounge is looking very old compared with the other sheltered complexes. Why can’t improvements be made to the lounge?”
We Did: As part of the redecoration and renovations to the whole of Sheila Saunders Lawn, we have completely transformed the communal lounge. We have new chairs and tables, new paintings, and the conservatory roof has been replaced. You can view some videos showing the new lounge on our You Tube channel here.
Congratulations on a super job on the Sheila Saunders lounge absolutely great give everybody concerned my great full thanks.
You Said: “I am a resident at Stoneleigh Way and I would like somewhere to store my bike safely, but without it causing an obstruction to fellow residents”.
We Did: We consulted with all Stoneleigh Way residents to ask their opinions on the best solution. Following discussion, it has been agreed that the resident in question can purchase a small bike shed to be stored outside the rear of her property without causing any intrusion to others.
May 2021
You Said: “As residents living Jewish housing association properties, we are worried about our security, particularly when an escalation of violence in Israel-Palestine leads to an increase in anti-semitism.
We Did: We issued a security briefing by e-mail, post and Facebook to all of our residents, reminding them of what to do in the event of any incident.
You Said: “Whenever there’s a Jewish festival, it always seems as though communal volunteers do things for other organisations, and not us”.
We Did: For the festival of Shavuot, we worked with the Leeds Kollel and Brodetsky Primary School to ensure that sheltered residents received a gift of biscuits, and that general needs and sheltered residents received some origami flowers from local children.
You Said: “The pathway in front of flats 1-8 at Bentcliffe Court is dangerous. There is a broken grate and the edging is uneven”.
We Did: We have now fixed this, making the area safer for residents, particularly those who tender the garden area opposite.
April 2021
You Said: “As residents living in the newer properties on Queenshill Avenue and Queenshill Drive, we want to be able to give you our experiences of living in these homes, and also tell you how Queenshill Development Phase 2 may affect us”.
We Did: We will be setting up a Hot Topic Group of relevant residents, who will help to advise us as the project moves forward.
March 2021
You Said: “Sheila Saunders Lawn looks a bit shabby compared to the other sheltered buildings on the Queenshill site”
We Did: We are currently in the middle of a programme of works to refurbish and decorate the building. This will include re-roofing the conservatory, repainting individual flat and communal doors and repainting across the whole building. This will be completed in June.
You Said: “We want to know who works for LJHA and who is on the Board”.
We Did: We have now updated our website with clearer information on who works for LJHA, and what their role is. We have also updated information on members of the LJHA Board, Operations Sub-Board and Finance Audit and Risk Sub-Board. In due course, this will be made into a booklet which will be available in hard copy.
February 2021
You Said: We don’t like the title of our magazine, Tenant Talk. Some of us aren’t tenants and the @Home magazine matched LJHA’s colours. The last magazine was a bit too long.
We Did: For our next magazine, we will be going back to @Home, using the same design and magazine length.
January 2021
You Said: “We want the voice of tenants and residents to be heard and to work together with LJHA to make things better”.
We Did: We are going to be signing up for the National Housing Federation’s Together with Tenants Charter, and working with the Resident Consultative Group to look at what we need to do across the 6 areas.
You Said: “Customer service needs to be improved”.
We Did: We have rolled out Customer services training for relevant staff.
You Said: “The process for managing repairs to our homes needs to improve”.
We Did: A full review of our repairs service is underway and we have set up a Hot Topic Group of residents. We are also planning to carry out a tendering exercise for our repairs service. This will allow residents to have an input on setting performance indicators, agreed timescales, agreed priorities, and the selection of a contractor.
You Said: “It’s frustrating when someone comes to look at a repair and they say they don’t have the item/s required to complete the repair”.
We Did: We now have contractor stores located in house to help increase right first time. We now have full team meetings to make “quick fixes” to improve service for repairs.
December 2020
You Said: “We only want to receive information on things that matter to us”.
We Did: We have carried out a communications survey to ensure that you will receive information on subjects that you feel are relevant to you.
You Said: “The process for managing how you deal with Anti-Social Behaviour needs to improve”.
We Did: We have now amended and refreshed and policy and procedure. We have also produced a new ASB Reporting Form.
You Said: “We want to feel safer in our homes at Stone Court. There is a lot of anti-social behaviour taking place, and there have been neighbour disputes. We want to be able to report things with confidence”.
We Did: With the assistance of the local Community Committee and CST, CCTV cameras have now been installed at Stone Court.
November 2020
You Said: “We want to be able to understand the information that LJHA provides”.
We Did: We started to produce information in Easy Read and are committed to making information accessible.
You Said: “We want to be able to understand how to make a complaint to LJHA”.
We Did: We have now published our new Complaints Policy following consultation with residents. This includes a Frequently Asked Questions document.
You Said: “We want to be able to discuss the Tenant Satisfaction Survey concerns in more detail”
We Did: We organised 3 focus groups as result of resident survey to discuss the findings in more detail.
April 2020
You Said: “During Covid, we need to know that when we contact you, we will receive a reply as soon as possible”.
We Did: We have rolled out our Communications Charter to indicate when you should expect a reply from us.
July 2019
You Said: “The quality of the gardening is poor”.
We Did: We are conducting a retendering of the gardening contract, and have set up a Hot Topic Group of residents to help us select a provider.