Housing associations · Social housing · Resident engagement
Resident engagement research for social housing providers
We help housing associations understand what's behind their Tenant Satisfaction Measures, evidence the Together with Tenants charter, and run co-production that gives residents a genuine say in how services are delivered. Research that holds up at board level and with the Regulator of Social Housing.
Why housing providers work with us
TSM perception surveys give you a satisfaction score, but not the reasons behind it. When a board or resident scrutiny panel asks why a score has moved, or what residents actually want changed, a survey alone rarely has the answer.
We run the qualitative research that fills that gap: interviews, focus groups, and co-production workshops with residents, designed to evidence the commitments in Together with Tenants and the consumer standards under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, not just produce another report that sits on a shelf.
We work with providers of all sizes, from national registered providers to small local associations and ALMOs, scoping each project to the service area, the regulatory expectation, and the residents you most need to hear from.
Resident research services for housing providers
From TSM-related insight to ongoing scrutiny panel support, scoped to your regulatory and board reporting cycle.
TSM-related satisfaction insight
Qualitative research that complements your Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey data, helping you understand the reasons behind your scores and what residents would prioritise for improvement.
Resident scrutiny panel support
Setting up, training, or supporting an existing resident scrutiny panel: facilitation, topic selection, and helping members turn findings into recommendations your board can act on.
Co-production for service redesign
Working with tenants as partners in redesigning repairs, allocations, or other services, not just consulting on a plan that's already been decided.
Together with Tenants evidence gathering
Research and documentation that evidences the commitments in the Together with Tenants charter, structured to support board reporting and your relationship with the Regulator of Social Housing.
Accessible engagement with diverse tenants
Reaching tenants who don't respond to standard surveys: translated materials, doorstep and community-based sessions, and support for tenants with additional needs.
Complaints and feedback research
Research into how complaints are experienced and resolved, surfacing patterns the formal complaints process alone won't show, and feeding directly into service improvement.
Meeting the consumer standards
Research designed around the frameworks your board and the Regulator of Social Housing already expect.
Together with Tenants charter
Research designed to evidence the commitments of the Together with Tenants charter: tenants treated with respect, kept informed, genuinely heard, and able to hold their landlord to account.
Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 consumer standards
The reformed consumer standards, covering safety and quality, transparency and accountability, neighbourhood and community, and tenancy, all rest on understanding tenant experience. We help generate that evidence.
Tenant Satisfaction Measures reporting
TSM perception surveys tell you the score. We help you understand what's behind it and what to do next, with research designed to complement rather than duplicate your TSM programme.
Evidence the Regulator can review
Documentation and reporting structured so that, if reviewed by the Regulator of Social Housing, your engagement and improvement activity is clearly evidenced and easy to follow.
Who we work with
Across the social housing sector, scoped to the size and structure of your organisation.
Common questions
What are Tenant Satisfaction Measures and how does research support them?
TSMs are the standardised set of measures the Regulator of Social Housing requires landlords to report on, including a perception survey of tenant satisfaction. The survey gives you scores; qualitative research helps explain what's driving them and where to focus improvement, which is often what boards and resident panels actually want to know.
What does Together with Tenants require, and how do you help?
Together with Tenants is a charter of commitments that landlords sign up to, covering relationships, communication, voice and influence, accountability, and quality and safety. We design research and engagement that generates evidence against these commitments, in a form suitable for board reporting and resident-facing communication.
Can you help us set up or support a resident scrutiny panel?
Yes. We can help recruit a representative panel, train members in research methods, facilitate sessions on topics the panel chooses, and support members to turn findings into recommendations that go to your board with a clear evidence trail behind them.
How do you reach tenants who don't usually respond to surveys?
We don't rely on email or postal surveys alone. We use doorstep visits, community-based sessions, translated materials, and work with tenant and resident associations and local community groups to reach tenants who are digitally excluded, have English as an additional language, or have disengaged from previous engagement attempts.
How is this different from a standard satisfaction survey?
A satisfaction survey tells you a score. Our research explains what's behind it, through qualitative methods like interviews, focus groups, and co-production workshops, and is designed to complement your existing TSM programme rather than duplicate it.
What does this cost, and how long does it take?
Projects start from £5,500 for a focused piece of research, such as a set of resident interviews or a co-production workshop series, including analysis and a written report. Ongoing scrutiny panel support or larger programmes covering multiple service areas are scoped individually, typically running over several months.
Related reading
Co-production research
What co-production means in practice, how it differs from consultation, and how to set up a process that gives residents real influence over service design.
Co-production researchParticipatory research
An overview of participatory approaches and how they can sit alongside TSM surveys and standard tenant satisfaction work.
Participatory researchInclusive research recruitment
How we recruit participants who reflect your whole tenant population, including residents who don't usually respond to surveys.
Inclusive recruitmentSurveys and quick insights
Survey design and rapid validation research that can sit alongside TSM perception surveys for a fuller picture.
Surveys and quick insightsFocus groups and workshops
Structured facilitation methods for surfacing tenant views, testing service changes, and supporting scrutiny panel sessions.
Focus groups and workshopsWhere we work
We are based in West Yorkshire and deliver across the UK. Most of this work runs remotely; when a project calls for being in the room, we travel. See user research in Leeds and Yorkshire, or the full list of locations we cover.
We fully recognise the effort your team invested in recruitment, moderation, and analysis, and we genuinely appreciate the quality of the discussions and reporting.
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Need to evidence resident engagement for your board or the Regulator?
Tell us about the service area, the standard you need to evidence, and the residents you need to reach. We will help you design a research approach that fits.
Start a conversationWe usually respond within one working day.
Prefer to talk it through first?
Book a free 20-minute call. No obligation, no sales pitch. We'll tell you honestly whether research is worth it for your decision, and what it would cost.