Our Scrutiny Panel met in September 2025 to review key areas of Hafod’s services and provide valuable feedback to help us continue improving for our customers.
Meeting overview
The panel discussed a range of topics, including our repairs responsibilities policy, voids process, annual rent setting, and recent Board updates. Members also received updates on engagement activities and were pleased to hear that the merging of the Hendre and Hafod Boards (now the Common Board) is working well.
In total, panel members made nine recommendations, one suggestion, and twelve observations during the meeting. A new Board feedback template will also be developed to show where scrutiny recommendations and observations have been discussed.
Spotlight on Repair Responsibilities
Members gained a better understanding of Hafod’s repair responsibilities policy and provided several recommendations to improve communication and transparency for customers.
Key recommendations included:
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Advising customers that photos are taken at the void stage to help identify repair responsibilities and suggesting customers do the same when moving in or out.
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Advertising available payment methods for recharges and offering affordability discussions with coaches to reduce concerns about costs.
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Making it clear that customers are charged our preferred contractor rate, ensuring costs are as low as possible.
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Including details on costs and payment processes directly in the policy and communications.
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Linking related policies for easy cross-reference.
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Providing training for call and email handlers to improve their understanding of properties and the repair reporting process, including exploring video call options.
The panel also suggested exploring financial incentives or penalties for contractors as part of KPIs to encourage quality and local engagement.
Members made several positive observations, welcoming improvements to the void process, clearer expectations for contractors, and continued monitoring of customer satisfaction.
Spotlight on Annual Rent Setting
Members reviewed the rent and service charge setting process and offered feedback to help improve transparency and understanding for customers.
Key recommendations included:
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Providing clearer communication about what service charges cover, as some customers still find this confusing.
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Increasing communication about value for money and how the Hafod £1 is spent, to help manage perceptions.
Members were pleased that Welsh Housing Partnership (WHP) homes follow the same rent-setting module as general needs homes and that the 2025 consultation has been split between rent and service charges to provide better insights.
Engagement and Community Updates
Members welcomed an update on Hafod’s customer engagement activities, including plans to refresh the Customer Engagement Framework. They were also pleased to hear about financial savings achieved for customers through access to the Databank and partnership initiatives that help reduce costs.
A special thank you was shared with everyone involved in the Fir Tree Community Allotment project, which received £12,000 of Social Value funding to make the space more accessible for all. (find out more about Social Value funding Social Value | www.hafod.org.uk)
Any Other Business
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The intermittent issue with website photo uploads when reporting repairs has been investigated and will continue to be monitored as new systems are implemented.
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Some members experienced device connectivity issues when joining the meeting; discussions are underway with IT to prevent this in future sessions.
Thank you to all Scrutiny Panel members for their continued time, insight, and commitment to helping Hafod deliver better services for our customers.
Get Involved
For those interested in contributing to future discussions, our Community Engagement Manager Michelle McGregor encourages you to get in touch. This inclusive approach reflects our commitment to the principle of 'nothing about us, without us.' We recognise that policies and procedures impacting individuals should be shaped with their involvement, highlighting our dedication to customer engagement and empowerment.
If you would like to be involved in examining our services, please email getinvolved@hafod.org.uk