At Abbeyfield we want to ensure our residents are playing a key role in the business. We have established a National Residents’ Panel to help us engage with our residents and to ensure our residents have a voice. The panel will help guide us to ensure we put our customers first.
We know our residents have a wealth of life experience and we hope this collaboration will improve all the services we deliver to all our residents.
Resident Engagement Manager - Justin O'Brien
Justin has been working within the housing sector for over 20 years and has been working specifically in resident engagement for almost 10 years.
"We understand our residents are at the heart of Abbeyfield and can play a key role in helping us to ensure our services are resident focused. I know from experience the positive difference residents can make when they are engaged with their landlord. Our residents experience the services we deliver on a daily basis and can have a keen insight on how to improve those services.
Establishing a National Residents’ Panel has been a key step for us to ensure our residents have a voice and can influence our services with the aim of improving the resident experience for all.”
How are we involving residents:
National Residents' Panel
Our National Resident Panel was established in February 2024. The panel meets virtually every month. All Abbeyfield residents are welcome to join the panel. We have residents on the panel from as far north as Whitby and as far south as the Isle of Wight. The panel recently developed a Customer Charter. They decided to call it a Resident Commitment as they felt this was a more appropriate name for the document. This outlines the level of service our residents can expect from us but also reminds our staff of the level of service they should be delivering.
The panel are also looking at what we can do to improve the digital inclusion of our residents and have established an Abbeyfield Resident’s Network to bring residents together. You will find details on how to access the network at the bottom of this page.
The panel will play a key role in helping us respond to our Resident Satisfaction Surveys and will also be a link between our residents and Abbeyfield Board. if you would like to find out more about our National Residents’ Panel, please fill in the short form below.
Feedback and complaints
We welcome all feedback from residents—whether positive or negative—as a vital part of improving what we do. Complaints are not just responded to; they are used as a learning opportunity to prevent future issues and enhance the resident experience.
Our Residents’ Panel plays a key role in reviewing how we respond to and learn from complaints, helping to drive meaningful service improvements and ensure accountability.
Procurement
At Abbeyfield, we believe residents should have a say in the services that directly affect them. When we procure new suppliers or contractors delivering resident-facing services, we actively involve residents in the process.
Recently, residents played a key role in the procurement of our Repairs and Maintenance Contract and Fire Safety Services Contract, helping to evaluate submissions and shape final decisions. Their input has already led to stronger, more resident-focused outcomes.
We’ve now developed a Framework to ensure this approach becomes standard practice across future procurements. Residents will next be involved in selecting suppliers for our Furniture Supply and Flooring Installation and Maintenance Contracts.
Recruitment
When we recruit staff to deliver services to our residents, we believe residents should play an active role in the process.
As Abbeyfield offers a wide range of services, resident involvement may vary—for example, residents might sit on the interview panel or meet candidates informally before interviews to provide feedback.
Their input helps ensure we select people who align with our values and understand the importance of resident relationships. This approach is already in place at several services, and we are committed to making it part of our recruitment process wherever possible.
Policy review
Our Resident Panel plays a key role in reviewing all customer-facing policies and procedures. This includes areas such as allocations, rent collection, and resident communications. Their involvement ensures that our policies are practical, accessible, and truly resident-focused.
If you would like to find out more about what we are doing to improve how we engage with residents and if you would like to get involved, please complete the form below and we will get in touch with you, or email resident.engagement@abbeyfield.com
Abbeyfield Resident’s Network
Our Residents are from across the country and one thing the Residents’ Panel was keen to do was to bring our residents together. With this in mind, they have established an Abbeyfield Resident’s Network. This has been set up on WhatsApp Communities.
The Resident Network is for all Abbeyfield Living Society residents to come together, share experiences, support each other, and make new friends. The network isn’t a platform for communicating with Abbeyfield, which you can still do in all the usual ways. You will need to have WhatsApp on your phone to be able to access the network.
To join the network you will need to complete a short form which you can find below. The completed form will be reviewed by the Resident Engagement Manager and if all is in order you will be given access to the network via a message sent to you in WhatsApp.
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