Our Annual Report 2022/23: Making The Onward Difference
Our customer Annual Report this year covers the work Onward has done to provide you with good quality homes and improved services. It recaps our new Corporate Plan, which we launched this year and is called The Onward Difference. Our objective is simple; enabling you to be your best, in a home you love and a place you are proud of. In this report we give you some examples of the things we are doing to make this a reality for you, rather than another corporate soundbite.
Spending £75m to improve and repair homes shows where our focus has been. This investment will help us to keep your home smart, warm and dry. No one should have to put up with a damp home, or the presence of mould, so please continue to tell us if you find any. Our new approach to tackling damp and mould is proving successful and we aim to be in your home within 5 days of a problem being reported. We are also investing heavily in training so our colleagues have the right skills, knowledge and confidence to listen to you properly and make sure problems are resolved.
Information is included on our performance so you can see how well we are doing compared to 12 months ago. There are welcome signs of improvement in our repairs service, with more repairs fixed within our target timescales. We know there is some way to go to making this a truly excellent service and plans are in place to deliver further significant improvements. Overall, the number of complaints we have received has risen. We are sorry for when we have got it wrong and we are determined to use your feedback to do better in the coming year.
We understand that the cost of living keeps rising for our customers. Although inflation is beginning to fall, prices remain sky high, for everything from heating to food and clothing. Our financial inclusion team has continued to provide advice and support this year, putting money back into customer pockets. We have also continued to be active in our communities by supporting local groups and activities, helping people engage with their neighbours and enjoy their local area.
With another difficult winter ahead for many, please be assured that we will listen to and support all of our customers. Please reach out to us if you need any assistance.