Shared Ownership: what you’ve been telling us
Thank you to our customers who took the time to share your experiences through our Shared Ownership survey. Your feedback helps us to understand what’s working, and where we could improve.
We were pleased to see that most respondents told us they felt our Shared Ownership policy is clear and fair, with 77% (10 out of 13) of customers telling us they found the policy easy to understand and 92% (12 out of 13) agreeing that it’s fair and reasonable.
When it came to the application process and the communication you receive from us, experiences were mixed. While, positively, 62% (8 out of 13) of customers found the application process easy or very easy to understand, 38% (5 out of 13) said they found it difficult.
When asked about how well we communicate with you throughout the process, 38% (5 out of 13) of customers said that communication was very or extremely clear.
However, 31% (4 out of 13) described it as somewhat clear, and another 31% (4 out of 13) said it wasn’t clear at all.
The support we provide throughout the process showed a similar split, with just under half saying it was helpful and the rest feeling it wasn’t.
You told us that you’d like more support and guidance – 62% (8 out of 13) of respondents said they’d appreciate additional information on things like who to contact, what charges to expect and how the process works overall. You also asked for communication to be clearer and have less jargon.
Challenges you experienced included:
- Delays and the overall time it took to move forward.
- Having to place a deposit before being able to view the home, which sometimes led to wasted time if the home wasn’t right for you.
- Difficulty getting clear answers to questions or knowing who to ask.
We also heard from customers who were on waiting lists for Shared Ownership properties. Their experiences with being kept informed by us varied, from feeling very well informed to not being updated at all.
Next steps
You told us that you want a quicker process, more regular updates and clearer, more accessible information. You also would like the chance to view homes before having to place a deposit. We’re taking your feedback on, and it will be used to shape improvements in our Shared Ownership services.
Share your thoughts
We’ll be holding a virtual workshop on 21 May at 5.30pm, to discuss and better understand how we can improve our Shared Ownership service.
We’d love to hear from you about your expectations, experiences and what you think we could have done better.