Welcome!
Welcome to the latest issue of your housing newsletter.
Horizon Chief Executive Michael Driscoll
I'm delighted to have recently joined Horizon Housing Association as the new Chief Executive Officer. I am excited about my new role and am looking forward to meeting as many customers as possible over the coming months to help me understand your priorities and ensure we work together to ensure we deliver excellent services.
Over the last year we have carried out a new Tenant Satisfaction Survey, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to complete the survey. Your feedback is so important to help us continue to improve our services. Within this newsletter we have shared the survey feedback. Whilst there remain lots of areas of high satisfaction feedback has also shown there are also areas where we need to improve, and myself and the team are committed to doing this.
During 2024/25 we increased the amount of money invested in your homes installing more new kitchens, bathrooms, windows and doors. In 2025/26 we will be increasing this investment further, using up to date stock data we have gathered to direct investment works to ensure your homes remain high quality.
Its also important that we ensure that we deliver Value for Money in the services we deliver from the rent you pay. During this year we have worked with the Residents Improvement Group (RIG) to draft a 2024/25 Value for Money Statement contained within this newsletter. This demonstrates what we have spent money on during the year and I hope you find this useful.
I hope you enjoy the newsletter and we would love to hear your feedback or ideas on information you would like to see in future updates, if Horizon Housing can help you in anyway, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Michael
In this issue:
- Tenant survey results
- Meet our new CEO
- Making the most of your tenancy visit
- Planned maintenance progress
- Damp, Mould & Condensation advice
- Learn about our Repairs Service
- Helping tenants who need assistance
- Easter opening hours
- Customer call recording
- Just before you go...
Horizon Board update
There have been some changes on the Horizon Board of Management. Jill Pritchard (pictured) has been elected Chair of Horizon Housing’s Board of Management, and Rachael Docking and Liam Bain have been appointed co-Vice Chair.
Speaking about the appointments, Horizon CEO Michael Driscoll said: “I’m looking forward to working with Jill, Rachael and Liam in their new roles as we move into this exciting new phase for Horizon.”
Jill added: “I am delighted to be leading the board as we work together to shape our next five years and explore how Horizon can improve services for tenants and continue to champion the accessible housing agenda.”
Thank you for helping us improve
During 2024/25 we undertook a new Tenant Satisfaction Survey. We received an impressive 488 responses, representing 61% of Horizon tenants.
Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve our services and address your concerns.
Survey highlights
Overall service: Satisfaction has decreased from 90% in 2021 to 82% in 2024.
Rent affordability: Rent affordability increased from 89% in 2023 to 90% in 2024.
Repairs satisfaction: Satisfaction with repairs has dropped from 89% in 2023 to 78% in 2024.
Quality of home: Satisfaction has decreased from 91% in 2021 to 82% in 2024.
Keeping you informed: Satisfaction has fallen from 96% in 2021 to 84% in 2024.
Participating in decision-making: Satisfaction has declined from 97% in 2021 to 71% in 2024.
Landlord neighbourhood contribution: Satisfaction decreased from 93% in 2021 to 74% in 2024.
Did you know...
90% of you are finding your rent affordable
What you said
Repairs and maintenance: Many tenants expressed concerns about repairs not being completed properly or to their satisfaction.
Communal areas: Tenants highlighted issues with the maintenance of communal areas and gardens.
Communication: There were comments about communication gaps between Horizon and tenants, indicating a need for better engagement and responsiveness.
Property upgrades: Requests were made for property upgrades, including better insulation and requests for new kitchens, doors and windows.
Tenant satisfaction feedback: FAQ with Gordon Binnie, Head of Housing
What was your reaction to the reduced satisfaction results?
Firstly, I would like to thank you for taking the time to complete the survey, we achieved a response rate of 60%, which was outstanding. It demonstrates how engaged Horizon tenants are in our services.
Whilst we continue to perform well based on housing sector averages across these satisfaction indicators, we want to deliver services that are seen as excellent. The team at Horizon is absolutely committed to ensuring we deliver the best possible service by taking on board your feedback.
What are tenants saying in the survey that should be improved?
We received consistent messages from the survey: you told us that you want to see an improved repairs service with better communication throughout the repair process. In addition, you want to see more money invested in replacement kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, and boilers.
We’ve spoken previously about the positive work we’ve been doing in reducing our costs over the last few years. This means we are in a great position to respond to your feedback particularly increasing investment in your homes ensuring they remain high quality.
How do you plan to respond to tenant improvement suggestions?
After taking in all your comments and working our way through them, we’ve set out an Improvement Plan to make meaningful change.
For non-emergency repairs we will aim to provide a more rounded repairs service by contacting tenants with repairs that have gone over our 10-day target to provide an update. We hope this will improve communication and reduce complaints. You have asked us to keep you updated regularly, so we will monitor our performance to ensure we keep you informed.
We want to ensure you can share your experiences more regularly with the services we provide. We plan to increase the number of transactional surveys we carry out on our survey platform so we can understand in real time what you think of our performance. Look out for more communication later in the year about this exciting news.
You have told us that investment in your homes is a top priority. In 2025/26, we plan to invest £685,000, a 24% increase from previous years. This will allow us to upgrade more kitchens, doors, windows, bathrooms, and boilers. Additionally, we are in the process of setting our plans to achieve our net-zero targets, which will ensure your homes are more energy efficient and greener. This is going to be very exciting, and tenants should benefit overall through reduced energy demand.
I would like to thank you again for your feedback. We really do value your positive feedback and hearing about the areas you want to see improve. If anyone would like to discuss any of the above or share any further feedback, I would be happy to speak to you. Contact us on 0330 303 0089 or e-mail@horizonhousing.org.uk
What else we will do to improve
We take your feedback very seriously and are committed to making the necessary improvements. Here are some steps we are considering:
Enhanced repairs service: We are actively reviewing our repairs process to ensure the timely and satisfactory completion of all maintenance tasks. We have successfully reduced the average time to complete non-emergency repairs from nine days in 2023/24 to less than seven days in 2024/25. Additionally, we will conduct a further review to identify areas for improvement.
Property upgrades: We plan to invest £685,000, representing a 24% increase from 2023/24, to upgrade kitchens, doors, and windows in 2025/26. Additionally, we will review insulation across our properties as part of our net-zero initiatives.
Improved communication: We are considering carrying out a review of the communication process to ensure better engagement with tenants and quicker responses to your concerns.
Estate management: Increased focus on the maintenance of all communal areas and gardens to ensure they are well-kept and enjoyable for all.
We appreciate your participation in the survey and your ongoing support. Together, we can create a better living environment for everyone.
Thank you for your encouraging messages
We also received lots of positive feedback from the most recent survey. Our team at Horizon work very hard, and although we may not always get things right on the first try, we are committed to continuous improvement. Your comments remind us of this dedication. Here is a selection:
"We are highly delighted with our house."
"Quite happy with everything."
"We are happy, completely satisfied with everything."
"I am a new tenant and very happy with the house and services so far."
"I just love my wee house been here for years, and never had a problem."
"Fabulous housing association, very impressive and I am glad to live in one of your properties."
If you have any further questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Making the most of your tenancy visit
The Housing team have been very busy carrying out their three-yearly tenancy visits. They are an important part of your Tenancy Agreement. If you are due a visit, your housing officer will contact you about arranging a convenient time to visit you.
These visits are an opportunity for you to discuss any issues with your housing officer. This can include any support we can give you and ensure our records are up to date. We will also carry out a brief inspection of your home, helping us ensure it remains safe and in good condition.
Our housing officers can also make referrals to our Tenancy Sustainment team who can help with maximising income, benefit claims and charity applications.
Where are our housing officers based?
Louise Coyle - Edinburgh, Fife, and West Lothian.
Michelle Higgins - East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire.
Sharon Sneddon - Falkirk, Glasgow and North Lanarkshire.
If you have any issues you would like to discuss with your housing officer, please contact our Customer Service Team on 0330 3030 0089 or you can talk to them during your tenancy visit.
Being a good neighbour
We have already completed ten of our Good Neighbour requests since November 2024.
Good Neighbour requests arise when housing officers identify when a tenant could use a hand. For example, moving furniture into a new room.
These requests have seen the removal of green waste from back gardens in Falkirk, trees trimmed in Possilpark, tree removal from Valerio Court, and shrubs cut back and gardens tidied in Kelty.
Blooming marvellous
Flower barrels have been cleared and filled with spring bulbs ready for some early season colour.
Housing officers Sharon Sneddon and Louise Coyle have secured funding for improvements on four sites at Whitburn, Falkirk, Gyle, and Coatbridge.
Orders have been placed with Brock Garden Centre, a mental health charity based in Broxburn. It is hoped the order will be ready by March, bringing spring colour to these sites.
Planned maintenance progress
Please find an update on this year's planned maintenance programme below:
Bathrooms
We have recently completed our replacement bathroom programme at Clark Street and Victoria Drive West in Renfrew, where 12 bathrooms and wetrooms have been upgraded. We have also replaced a further seven bathrooms and wetrooms across various sites.
Gas boilers
We have replaced 25 boilers on an ad-hoc basis.
Internal doors
We have completed our internal door replacement programme at Elm Grove and Rowan Drive, where 21 properties have benefited from upgrades.
Kitchens
We have completed the kitchen upgrade programme of 9 kitchens at Calder Street and Valerio Court, Blantyre, in September. We have also replaced a further 4 kitchens across various sites.
Windows and doors
We have completed our window replacement project at McMartin Court over the summer months, where 29 properties received upgrades. McMartin Court now has fully modernised windows and external doors as the external doors were replaced last year. We have recently completed our window and door replacement at Tennyson Gardens and Winton Crescent Blantyre, where 28 properties received upgrades.
Air source heat pumps
We completed consultancy and specification works regarding the upgrade of the heating at eight properties at Craigton Court from their current electric storage heaters. We have procured a contractor for these works. However, work has not yet instructed as yet until an announcement is made by the Scottish Government about grant funding for these upgrades.
Stage 3 adaptations
We have delivered 14 adaptations this has been a mix of bathrooms to wetfloors, new patio doors in place of windows, and grab rails.
Estate improvements/landscaping
Our Estates Team work hard year round to maintain all areas, this work is always ongoing throughout the year.
LGSR gas safety checks
We run a cyclical programme to ensure all our properties with gas boilers are compliant - we currently remain 100% compliant.
Post-storm repairs update
Following Storm Eowyn, Horizon, like many other housing associations, has unfortunately sustained considerable damage to our properties and estates.
This includes damage to roofs, fencing and trees. Although we have made sure that things are safe, there remains a considerable amount of repair work to be carried out, particularly for fencing repairs because of the storm.
So far, we have identified 101 fences that require repair across all our developments and our Asset Team and Estates Team have been inspecting the damage and prioritising jobs accordingly.
We are working hard to have these repairs booked in as quickly as possible, however, there will be considerable delays, and it is anticipated that it’ll take up to 12 weeks to address all issues.
We appreciate your patience whilst our team works hard over the coming months. We will keep you updated on the progress of your repair and will notify you of any further delays if required.
Understanding damp, mould and condensation
It's vital you report any signs of damp, mould and condensation to us as soon as possible so we can help you.
If you have black spots or discoloured walls, it might mean you have damp and/or mould.
There are different kinds of damp and mould, including:
Condensation damp happens when moisture generated in the home cools and condenses onto colder parts of the buildings (for example, window frames, corners and low points on walls behind sofas or wardrobes). This is the most common form of damp.
Penetrating damp is water that gets into the building from outside due to defects in the walls, roofs, windows or floors.
Rising damp is moisture from the ground that rises through parts of the building in contact with the ground (walls and floors).
Traumatic damp can be caused by leaking water from waste and heating pipes, overflowing baths or sinks, burst pipes or defective water storage vessels inside the building. Traumatic damp can also come from outside the property, for example, from another building or from flooding.
Mould is a type of fungus which grows in moist environments.
If you think you have damp, mould and condensation in your home, please contact us immediately on 0330 303 0089 so we can help resolve the issue. Guidance is also available by clicking the button below.
Repairs service spotlight
Horizon is keen to hear from you about our repairs service so we can continually improve our service.
Emergency repairs: We receive around 70 emergency repairs per month. Numbers of emergency repairs tend to increase in winter due to fixing boilers or frozen pipes.
If you experience a loss of heating or hot water and you don't have alternative options, such as an electric shower, then you are entitled to an emergency repair.
We notify tenants of a four-hour time slot for these emergencies. Currently, we are responding to emergency repairs within 2.98 hours.
Non-emergency repairs: Horizon receives around 137 non-emergency repairs per month. We work with contractors, C~urb, or our in-house Maintenance team to arrange for the relevant tradesperson to carry out the work.
Repairs are coordinated by our Customer Services team and Asset team.
We aim to complete non-emergency repairs within 7-working days. On average, we respond to non-emergency repairs within 6.58 days.
We will continue to work hard to maintain this level of performance and we are on course to achieve this target in 2024/25.
Meet Horizon's Asset Officers
Horizon's properties are traditionally split into three 'patches' - East, Central and West. The Asset team works across these patches, but, generally, each team member covers the following patch:
Gillian McCann - Central and East.
Greig Brickstock - Central and East.
David Gray - West.
How are we performing?
We track all weekly repairs through our key performance reports. At the end of each month, we analyse the information to assess how we are performing. We regularly report performance to our Board, Audit Committee, the Scottish Housing Regulator, and, most importantly, our tenants.
We continually reflect on our performance and assess contractor performance. We aim to work with the best contractors - those who consistently deliver high-quality service to our tenants.
How do you report a repair?
There are several ways of reporting a repair to us. You can:
Call us on 0330 303 0089. Our dedicated Customer Services team operates five days a week from 9 am to 5 pm (10 am to 5 pm on Wednesdays and 9 am to 4 pm on Fridays).
Helping tenants who need assistance
The Tenancy Sustainment team has been busy, they received 222 referrals between April 2024 and March 2025 for tenants requiring support and advice. They secured £951,434.46 in financial gains for tenants in the same period. They have helped tenants with claims for council tax reduction, pension age benefits, Housing Benefit, Universal Credit, Scottish Welfare Fund, disability benefits, and many other issues.
The team are supporting tenants with the move to Social Security Scotland for benefits such as the move from the Personal Independence Payment to Adult Disability Payment. They have also been assisting tenants who require help as they receive their migration notices for the managed migration of employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants on Universal Credit, which began in autumn 2024, and will continue until the end of 2025.
With rising living costs and additional fuel costs, the team has been carrying out benefits checks and maximising tenant incomes.
The team offers free and confidential service which includes welfare rights, income maximisation and support with your tenancy. The service is available to all tenants and is tailored to meet individual needs. If you would like access the support you can contact the Tenancy Sustainment team on 0330 303 0089.
Case study: 'They can now focus on their health without worrying finances'
We supported a working-age tenant who had been signed off work and was struggling to cope financially on reduced sick pay. They had never claimed benefits before, and were reluctant to do so, but realised they didn't have a choice. Due to their health conditions, it became apparent they would not be able to return to work. We supported them to claim Universal Credit and the LCWRA element, securing £1042 per month and a backdate of almost £2,000. We also helped them claim Adult Disability Payment, giving them an additional £411 per month, and council tax payments were also reduced. They are now able to focus on their health without worrying about their financial situation.
We are introducing customer call recording to monitor and improve the customer experience.
We use telephone call recordings for:
- Monitoring the quality of calls.
- Staff training and development.
- Understanding you and your customers better.
- Managing complaints and disputes.
- Supporting employee safety and wellbeing.
The recordings of telephone conversations are stored for three months on our provider's secure cloud-based platform.
The storage time may be extended if there is a threat to the health and safety of staff and/or customers, or for the purpose of the detection and prevention of crime.
For more privacy information click on the button below.
What are our Easter opening hours?
Horizon Housing's office will be closed on Good Friday, Friday, 18 April and Easter Monday, 21 April. The office will re-open Tuesday 22 April 2025 at 9am
If you have an emergency repair and need to report it when the office is closed, please call 0330 303 0089.
If you smell gas in your property or suspect there is a gas leak, you must immediately contact the National Gas Emergency number 0800 111 999.
Just before you go: Offering customers value for money
We want to make sure we offer you Value for Money for the rent you pay.
This means we aim to make the best use of rent and other money we receive. We also make sure our teams and contracts deliver the services you need, and we all work effectively and efficiently while maintaining and improving, the service to you.
Horizon Housing Association,
Leving House, Fairbairn Place,
Livingston, West Lothian,
EH54 6TN
Important information
Opening hours:
Monday - Tuesday 9am - 5pm, Wednesday 10am - 5pm, Thursday 9am - 5pm, Friday 9am - 4pm
If you have an emergency repair and need to report it when the office is closed, please call 0800 783 7937.
If you smell gas in your property or suspect there is a gas leak, you must immediately contact the National Gas Emergency number 0800 111 999.
This newsletter is available in larger print, other languages, audio, or other electronic forms. Should you require a copy of this newsletter in any of these formats, please contact 0330 303 0089.
People illustrations by Storyset
