In January, I reach my first 6-month milestone as Hilldale’s Managing Director.
My immediate focus has been to understand the current position and future direction across key areas of governance, finance, risk, development, consumer standards and services.
Over the last few years, Hilldale has undergone transformational change to established strong foundations for our future success. In 2025, the Hilldale Leadership Team, supported by Change Housing will continue to drive forward strategic plans to achieve further improvements in all areas.
A recent key development is the review of our Customer Involvement Strategy. Amy Kirk, Customer Engagement Manager, continues to work with our Tenant Voice Panel to co-produce the Strategy which builds on the great work to date and aims to elevate our customer voices within the decisions that affect them. The key objectives of the strategy cover communication, involvement and satisfaction.
As we near the end 2024, it’s important to reflect on the last 12 months and look ahead to 2025.
Key highlights include:
- Another year of surplus creation, further strengthening our long-term financial position.
- The opening of a new 6-bed property in Harrogate, Yorkshire.
- Investment into four existing properties to bring them to a lettable standard for 27 new customers to call home.
- Circa. £4 million of investment to improve the energy performance of 92 existing homes.
- Reduced current and former customers arrears by circa. £370k.
- 89% for overall customer satisfaction and 75% overall satisfaction with our repairs service – 2024 TSM results
- Publication of our first annual Complaint Performance and Service Improvement Report
The Hilldale Board have a clear plan which is summarised in our 2023-26 Business Strategy.
In 2025, we will make advances in our customer services through a new strategy aimed at providing great customer experiences, improve operational efficiencies and performance. This is also aimed at reducing the number of complaints whilst improving our customer satisfaction for complaints handling and approach to anti-social behaviour.
As members of the Specialist Supported Housing Network, we will continue to work with fellow members to achieve best practise across governance, regulation and risk.
Finally, we will continue to invest further in our current homes and identify new opportunities to diversify our growth so that Hilldale contributes to governments drive to create new quality homes that meets the current and future demand of specialist supported housing.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog. I hope you have a great festive break and a happy New Year.
James Place
Managing Director.
