SARH scoops award for innovative Annual Report
Stafford’s largest provider of affordable homes has been recognised by an organisation representing housing association customers for the innovative way it reports on performance to customers.
Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) scooped top honours in the Excellence in Annual Reports category at the annual Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) regional awards ceremony.
Judges were impressed by the multi-media approach taken by SARH that was suited not only to physical print formats, but also online and face-to-face delivery.
The approach was developed with the help of feedback on previous annual reports, with customers saying they would best understand the performance of the organisation better, and could hold it to account, if relevant information was presented in the way they wanted to receive it.
As a result, the print version of the report was shorter, with less text and more impressive visuals than previous editions, utilising good design, graphics and plain English to aid understanding. Meanwhile digital editions included infographics for sharing online and on social media as well as informative video to illustrate important information in an easy to understand way.
Informative infographics from the report were shared on SARH social media channels
Furthermore, the new approach was supported by a free to attend ‘Customer Conference’ where SARH Chief Executive, Karen Armitage was able to explain the findings of the annual report directly to customers.
“We are delighted that this multi-strand approach has been recognised with a prestigious award from an organisation representing the people that matter most to us, our customers,” Karen said.
“We wanted to find new, more personal ways to engage with customers whilst providing information in a way that is easy to understand and our approach to the Annual Report has certainly helped us to achieve this.”
The TPAS Awards showcase successful partnerships between landlords, contractors and their customers. As well as winning in the Annual Report category, SARH was also shortlisted for the Excellence in Scrutiny Award for its work on recruiting a team of Customer Inspectors.
Karen added: “Receiving this latest award reflects the inclusive approach and hard work of the SARH team and the commitment of everyone within the organisation to demonstrate how we deliver value for money services and invest in the Borough.”
Pictured, from left to right: Jane Cannell, SARH Customer Board Member; Laura MacPhee, SARH Customer Engagement Advisor; Penni Pennington, Director at ConnectIn Events and David Hughes, SARH Customer Board Member
