Let's hear it
Our approach
As a shared owner, your feedback helps shape Sparrow.
Our Customer Engagement Strategy explains how we listen to customers, involve them in decisions and use feedback to improve. It's built around four principles: transparency, accountability, empowerment and support.
So, why do we ask?
Sparrow was set up in August 2024, and we now share homes with over 3,000 households across England. We're a young company, and we want to build services around what matters most to our customers.
Shared ownership isn't always simple. Leases are long, service charges can change, and buying more shares takes time and money. The people living with those things every day are the best judges of where we're getting it right and where we're not.
We don't collect feedback for the sake of it. We use what customers tell us, alongside service data and satisfaction measures, to understand what's working, what isn't, and where we should focus our improvements.
So we ask in a few different ways, because not everyone wants to fill in a survey or sit in a meeting. And we try to tell you what happened next, including when the answer is no.
Ways to have your say
A quick online survey
After you've contacted us, we'll send you a short survey. It takes about two minutes to complete and helps us understand what's working and where we can improve. Everyone who responds is entered into a monthly prize draw for a £50 voucher.
Join a focus group
Join other customers to discuss a specific topic in an online session lasting around an hour. We use focus groups to understand experiences, test ideas and shape improvements. We also recognise your time and insight are valuable, so we pay participants to take part.
Talk to us
Not every piece of feedback starts with a survey. Every day, customers share ideas, concerns and suggestions when they call, email or contact us through the customer portal. Those conversations help us understand what matters most and where we can do better.
Make a complaint
If something has gone wrong, please tell us. Complaints are handled through a formal process with clear timescales and written responses. They help us put things right when we can and identify improvements when things haven't gone as they should.
Annual customer survey
Every year, we ask customers to complete our Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) survey. The results help us understand how we're performing, compare ourselves to other housing providers and identify where we need to improve.
We publish our results, share what customers told us and explain what we're doing in response.
We'll always explain why
Some things aren't ours to change on our own. Your lease sets out who's responsible for what. Some rules come from the law or from our regulator, the Regulator of Social Housing. And service charges have to cover what it actually costs to run your building, even when that goes up.
When we can't do what you've asked, we'll say so, and we'll explain why.
The customers shaping our services
We're the Sparrow Customer Scrutiny Panel (CSP). We make sure customer voices are heard when Sparrow makes decisions about services and priorities.
Supported by our chair, Amanda Davies, who is also a member of the Sparrow Board, we bring a customer perspective to discussions about services, policies, communications and performance. What we raise goes directly to the people making decisions.
We meet at least four times a year, review key business decisions and provide constructive challenge where we think improvements can be made.
Because we're customers ourselves, we understand the realities of shared ownership and use that experience to help Sparrow improve.
How the panel operates is set out in its Terms of Reference, which have been approved by the Sparrow Board.
"Being part of the Customer Scrutiny Panel has given me the opportunity to influence decisions and put customers' voices at the heart of important discussions. It's rewarding to see customer feedback helping shape real improvements for shared owners."
Sarah Hannafin, Customer Scrutiny Panel Member
Meet the panel
Want to know who's helping hold us to account? Meet the Sparrow customers who make up our Customer Scrutiny Panel and learn more about their work on our Our people page
Our role
Scrutiny is more than sharing opinions.
The panel reviews Sparrow's plans and decisions, asks questions, and challenges where we think improvements can be made. Working closely with leaders at Sparrow, we identify themes from customer feedback and discuss how services could work better for customers.
An important part of our role is holding the Sparrow Board accountable by reviewing and challenging decisions that affect customers. We help make sure customer voices are heard where decisions are being made.
Our impact
Customer voices have helped shape Sparrow from day one.
Our Customer Scrutiny Panel plays an important role in shaping how we work. From reviewing strategies and policies to influencing communications, surveys and service improvements, the panel brings a customer perspective to key decisions.
Their feedback helps us understand what matters most to shared owners, challenge our thinking where needed, and make sure customer voices are heard across the organisation.
What the panel did: Reviewed Sparrow's brand, customer offer, team structure, customer portal, support guides and launch communications as the organisation was being established.
What changed: Customer feedback influenced Sparrow's customer offer, communications, support materials and online services before launch.
What the panel did: Reviewed key strategies, including the Customer Engagement Strategy and Communications Strategy, and provided feedback before publication.
What changed: Customer views were reflected in how Sparrow communicates, engages with customers and uses feedback to improve services.
What the panel did: Reviewed important customer policies and consultations, including complaints, damp and mould, gas safety, privacy and large-scale customer consultations.
What changed: Customer perspectives helped ensure policies were clear, fair and focused on the issues that matter most to shared owners.
What the panel did: Helped design Tenant Satisfaction Measures communications, reviewed action plans, developed real-time survey questions and led customer focus groups on topics including the welcome experience and giving feedback.
What changed: Sparrow collects better-quality insight and uses customer feedback to identify priorities and service improvements.
What the panel did: Reviewed service charge communications, annual increase letters, actual expenditure information and other key customer communications. Also supported workshops on service charge improvements.
What changed: Changes have been made to the way complex information is explained, helping customers better understand charges, services and decisions.
What the panel did: Reviewed complaints performance, Housing Ombudsman submissions and key performance information covering customer service, property management, building safety and compliance. The panel has also supported recruitment of new scrutiny panel members.
What changed: The board receives independent customer challenge, helping ensure performance, customer concerns and improvement actions are regularly reviewed and monitored.
Help shape what's next
Sparrow is still growing and improving, and customer feedback plays an important role in that journey.
Got an idea, suggestion or feedback? We'd love to hear from you.
