Wrapping Up 2024
As 2024 comes to a close, we're taking time to reflect, as well as look to what the future holds for Tower Hamlets Community Housing.
This year at THCH was all about growth, safety, and building a stronger sense of community. We’ve worked to create an environment where we continue to learn and improve, putting our residents at the top of our priority list.
Building on our foundations, we have made progress on building and fire safety, our culture and standards, and understanding how we can improve as an organisation.
Securing our future through partnership
This year marked an exciting milestone for THCH with the announcement of a partnership with the Hyde Group.
The decision to merge was driven by a shared vision of creating stronger, more sustainable communities. Together, we are better equipped to address the challenges of the future, with expanded resources and expertise that will enable us to invest more effectively in our properties and services.
Residents have played a key role in shaping how the partnership will look. Through a formal consultation of letters, emails, text messages, leaflets and door knocking, we heard from 249 residents from 95 blocks.
68% viewed the partnership positively or neutrally, recognising that it is a chance to enhance our services and invest in the local community. Most importantly, feedback was centred around rebuilding trust with residents by delivering visible and positive changes. We hope to reveal more about what those changes will look like throughout 2025.
Strengthening our foundations
2024 was an important year for us when it comes to improving the condition of our properties and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of those who live in them. We completed major fire safety works on 8 of our major blocks (Bailey Tower, Harrison House, the entire Tarling Estate). We also achieved the highest standards for our external walls, an A1 EWS1 rating, at Bailey Tower & Harrison House.
By the end of the financial year we will have completed work on the last of our 'high-risk' buildings, Peter & Painter House. We're pleased that works are also underway at Stuttle House, Geoffrey Woolley House and the Leopold Buildings.
We have also been working closer than ever with the Building Safety Regulator to develop comprehensive safety cases for our major high-rise buildings, Charles Dickens House, Luke House & Winterton House.
Through detailed stock condition surveys of 96.5% of our properties, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of our properties than ever before, allowing us to plan more effectively for future maintenance and improvements. These insights will help us ensure that our buildings remain safe, comfortable, and well-maintained for years to come.
In addition, we’ve continued to engage with our residents, holding events at Luke House and Winterton House to hear directly from those who call these buildings home. Their feedback has been invaluable in shaping our ongoing efforts to improve both the physical environment and the community experience.
Prioritising culture and accountability
This year, we focused on creating a proactive culture within our organisation. Through workshops with staff, we spoke about accountability and the role that everyone plays in driving progress at THCH. This is not only about developing staff, but also doing better for residents.
A good example of this was our "Spot It, Stop It" campaign, which encourages staff and residents to identify and address safety issues—whether related to fire, building maintenance, or general wellbeing concerns like damp and mould. By taking ownership of these challenges, we ensure they are addressed quickly and effectively, creating a safer, healthier environment for everyone.
Raising standards and putting resident feedback first
This year, the new 'Consumer Standards' were launched. They set out clear expectations for the quality of service our residents can expect and reinforced our commitment to transparency, accountability and ensuring we continue to meet the needs of our community.
We’ve aligned with them by improving our accessibility offer, introducing a Resident Engagement Policy that puts customers first, and, as mentioned, collected stock condition data to better understand our homes.
We’ve prioritised support for vulnerable residents, focusing on hate crime and domestic violence cases, and strengthened estate inspections to ensure safe, well-maintained neighbourhoods.
In line with this, we also saw the launch of the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs). Placing resident feedback at the heart of everything we do, they have helped us identify where we can improve and do better.
Looking ahead
As we look to 2025, we will be focused on bringing improvements and benefits to residents through our proposed partnership with the Hyde Group. Investment in our services, community, homes and services will be a key part of this.
We will continue improving the quality of our stock, with plans to complete the majority of our major projects in the coming year. These efforts will further ensure that our properties are safe, comfortable, and well-maintained for all residents.
Our focus will also be on improving the results from the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) and meeting the Consumer Standards. We’ll continue to listen to our residents, using their feedback to drive meaningful improvements in our services and overall resident experience.
Further strengthening our staff culture is another priority. We’ll continue to foster an environment of growth, accountability, and collaboration, ensuring we are focused and motivated by the future.
Finally, we’ll increase our efforts to engage with residents directly through initiatives like resident-led estate inspections. These inspections will focus on key areas such as safety, repairs, and community, ensuring that residents have a voice in shaping the future of their estates.
Thank you.
We want to thank all our residents, partners, and staff for their continued support and dedication throughout this year.
Your collaboration, feedback, and commitment have been invaluable in helping us move forward with purpose.
We look forward to the year ahead with you.