Clean and Green Estate Management
At Settle, we're committed to creating initiatives that are led by residents, for residents. Together we defined "what good looks like" and made sure the outcomes were shaped by your ideas, experiences and priorities.
🎯 We did...
Over the last 12 months, we’ve worked with colleagues and residents to deliver the Clean and Green Improvement Plan.
As the plan comes to an end, we’d like to thank everyone who shared feedback and helped shape the actions we’ve taken!
When we asked for your thoughts on the three key themes we had identified as important to residents, you told us they do reflect what matters most to you. This helped us confirm we’re focusing on the right areas to improve.
Take a look at what’s been delivered and what’s changed below.
Providing an easier reporting process
Take a look at what we’ve done based on what you told us. Click on a theme below to see what’s changed.
You said: It's hard to report issues like fly-tipping
- We did
- Made it possible to report communal cleaning issues and fly-tipping inside communal areas directly through your online portal
- Worked with our digital team to make it easier to report neighbourhood issues through the Settle portal
- Explored ways to extend portal reporting to cover grounds maintenance as part of our work coming together as SettleParadigm
- January - March
We're looking at ways to make it easier to report grounds maintenance through your portal as we come together as SettleParadigm.
- October
You can now report communal cleaning issues and fly-tipping inside your communal areas through your online portal.
We're also working on adding grounds maintenance - and we'll let you know once this is live!
- April - June
We're working with our digital team to make it easier to report neighbourhood issues through your Settle portal.
You said: You're unsure who to contact when the land isn't owned by Settle
- We did
- Improved our in-house mapping services and worked with partners to ensure ownership information is accurate and up to date
- Updated our website with clear contact details for partner agencies, so you know exactly who to reach out to if something falls outside of our responsibility
- Worked with the Voice of the Resident Panel to update our communal spaces pages, written in language that feels clear and relatable
- Published our own schedules and responsibilities on noticeboards across our schemes, so you know what Settle work is planned and when
- March
We've shared our schedule and responsibilities on noticeboards in our schemes, so you can see when we're coming and what we'll be doing - helping you know exactly what to expect.
- January
We're publishing plans and schedules across our schemes, covering both Settle and partner responsibilities, so you know what work is planned, who's carrying it out, and when.
You should start to see these appearing on your communal notice boards between now and April!
- October
Our digital and estates teams have worked closely with the Voice of the Resident Panel to update the communal spaces pages on our website. The pages are now live, with clear and accessible information written in language that feels relatable for residents.
We've also added clear contact details, so you'll know exactly who to reach out to if something falls outside of our responsibility. Take a look here!
- June
We're updating our website throughout June to include clear contact details for partner agencies, so you know who to contact if an issue falls outside of Settle's responsibilities.
- April - May
We're improving our in-house mapping services to help you understand which land Settle is responsible for maintaining.
We're also looking to work with our partners to ensure our maps and boundaries have up-to-date ownership information.
Improving partnership working
Take a look at what we’ve done based on what you told us. Click on a theme below to see what’s changed.
You said: You often see contractors in your neighbourhood but not actively working
- We did
- Began sharing the results of our audits and inspections to improve transparency about our contractors' work
- Merged with Paradigm, combining performance monitoring approaches to ensure all residents receive the same high-quality service
- Recruited four new Estates colleagues to carry out more work in-house and maintain consistent standards
- Increased internal audits to hold our contractors to account and check work is completed to the right standard
- January
We've recruited four new Estates colleagues, which means we can carry out more work in-house and make sure our standards are consistently met.
We've also increased our internal audits, so we're holding our contractors to account and checking work is completed to the right standard.
- October
We've now merged with Paradigm, who already have a system in place for monitoring performance. We're looking to combine this with our own approach to make sure all residents receive the same high-quality service.
- April - June
We're working on sharing the results of our audits and inspections to improve transparency about our contractors' work.
We're also looking to collaborate with our partners to ensure you receive the same quality of service from them as you do from Settle colleagues.
You said: You'd like a breakdown of the services provided by our partners
- We did
- Updated our website to clearly explain what our partners are responsible for, how long things should take, and what each service includes
- Worked with the Voice of the Resident Panel to review and improve our communal spaces pages, including up-to-date information on grass cutting and communal cleaning schedules
- Published schedules and responsibilities on noticeboards across our schemes, so you can stay informed even if you're not online
- March
We've shared our schedule and responsibilities on noticeboards in our schemes, so you can see when we're coming and what we'll be doing - even if you're not online.
- October
Our digital and estates teams have worked closely with the Voice of the Resident Panel to update the communal spaces pages on our website. The pages now clearly explain what we're responsible for, how long things should take, and what each service includes - so residents know exactly what to expect. You can also find up-to-date information on when and where grass cutting and communal cleaning will take place.
- June
We're updating our website throughout June to explain what our partners are responsible for, how long things should take, and what each service includes - so you'll know exactly what to expect.
- April - May
We're working with our partners to publish their services and attendance schedules in the same way Settle does.
We're exploring ways to better align our services and schedules with our partners.
Understanding the services we offer
Take a look at what we’ve done based on what you told us. Click on a theme below to see what’s changed.
You said: Grass cutting is inconsistent
- We did
- Published grass cutting and communal cleaning schedules on our website and displayed them in blocks, with QR codes linking directly to up-to-date information online
- Recruited four additional colleagues to help improve consistency in grass cutting
- Visited all retirement living schemes to hear residents' views on the quality and frequency of our grounds maintenance services
- Introduced a survey for residents who pay a service charge for grounds maintenance, so we can continually improve
- March
As of March 2026, we've attended all 21 of our retirement living schemes, listening to residents' views on our grounds maintenance services.
To help us continually improve for everyone, residents who pay a service charge for grounds maintenance will now receive a survey asking for feedback.
You should now have received your first grass cut of the year - and we'd love to know what you think!
- January
As well as publishing schedules in our schemes so you know when work is planned, we've recruited four more colleagues to help improve consistency in grass cutting.
Our teams will be out and about between now and March, visiting schemes to hear residents' views on the quality and frequency of our grounds maintenance services. This helps us understand what's working well and where we can improve.
- October
Our digital and estates teams have worked closely with the Voice of the Resident Panel to update the communal spaces pages on our website. The pages now clearly explain what we're responsible for, how long things should take, and what each service includes - so residents know exactly what to expect. You can also find up-to-date information on when and where grass cutting and communal cleaning will take place.
We're now looking at sharing our grounds maintenance and communal cleaning schedules in our blocks, each with a QR code linking directly to our website - so you'll always have the most up-to-date information. We'll have more of an update on this at the end of December.
- June
Our digital team are updating the website throughout June to make sure you know when and where grass cutting or communal cleaning will take place.
- April - May
We're working on displaying a schedule for both grass cutting and cleaning in our blocks and publishing it on our website.
We're also exploring an interactive scheduling tool so residents can check grass cutting and communal cleaning schedules anytime online.
You said: Communal cleaning is inconsistent
- We did
- Published communal cleaning schedules on our website and in blocks, with QR codes linking to the most up-to-date information
- Visited schemes to hear residents' views on the quality and frequency of communal cleaning
- Conducted an internal audit of all schemes to identify areas where we can improve consistency
- Gathered feedback from residents, with 58% saying they were satisfied with our cleaning service
- March
We're pleased to share that 90 residents provided feedback on our cleaning service, with 58% saying they were satisfied.
We've also conducted an internal audit of all our schemes and have identified areas where we can improve consistency.
- January
Our teams will be out and about between now and March, visiting schemes to hear residents' views on the quality and frequency of our communal cleaning services. This helps us understand what's working well and where we can improve.
- October
Our digital and estates teams have worked closely with the Voice of the Resident Panel to update the communal spaces pages on our website. The pages now clearly explain what we're responsible for, how long things should take, and what each service includes - so residents know exactly what to expect. You can also find up-to-date information on when and where grass cutting and communal cleaning will take place.
We're now looking at sharing our grounds maintenance and communal cleaning schedules in our blocks, each with a QR code linking directly to our website - so you'll always have the most up-to-date information. We'll have more of an update on this at the end of December.
- June
Our digital team are updating the website throughout June to make sure you know when and where grass cutting or communal cleaning will take place.
- April - May
We're working on displaying a schedule for both grass cutting and cleaning in our blocks and publishing it on our website.
We're also exploring an interactive scheduling tool so residents can check grass cutting and communal cleaning schedules anytime online.
You said: You'd like a breakdown of what services you receive
- We did
- Updated our website with a clear breakdown of all the services we provide, including what we're responsible for and how long things should take
- Worked with the Voice of the Resident Panel to review and improve the communal spaces pages on our website
- Published schedules and responsibilities on noticeboards across our schemes, so you can stay informed even if you're not online
- March
We've shared our schedule and responsibilities on noticeboards in our schemes, so you can see when we're coming and what we'll be doing - even if you're not online.
- October
Our digital and estates teams have worked closely with the Voice of the Resident Panel to update the communal spaces pages on our website. The pages now clearly explain what we're responsible for, how long things should take, and what each service includes - so residents know exactly what to expect. You can also find up-to-date information on when and where grass cutting and communal cleaning will take place.
- June
We're updating our website throughout June to explain what we are responsible for, how long things should take, and what each service includes - so you'll know exactly what to expect.
- April - May
We're working with our digital team to update our website with a clear breakdown of all the services we provide.
We're also continuing to refine our service offering and improve how we communicate it to residents.
These actions are now complete.
🔍 You said...
Thank you for all the feedback you shared on our grounds maintenance and communal cleaning services. We’re pleased to share we received a total of 627 comments from 125 survey responses. Your contributions are essential to improving our services, and creating an improvement action plan based on your suggestions.
📢 Here's what we heard:
There were three main themes raised by residents when asked ‘what do you find most frustrating about our grounds and communal maintenance service?’ These were:
- Inconsistent and poor quality of work
- Lack of action and follow through on promises
- Dirty and unkempt communal spaces.
A note from Julian Chapman - Neighbourhood Maintenance Manager
"I’d like to thank all residents who shared valuable feedback on our grounds and communal maintenance service. We’ve listened to what you’ve said, and we’ll use these insights to make immediate changes and influence our plans for future improvements."
Previously...
Between April and October 2024, we received valuable feedback from residents, helping us identify the grounds and communal maintenance areas that matter most to you. We gained this feedback through Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM's), transactional surveys, complaints, Big Door Knocks, Neighbourhood Action Weeks, and more.
📊 Our scores as of January 2025:
We understand that 25% of residents are dissatisfied with our grounds maintenance and communal cleaning services, and we’re already working on making improvements. Residents have told us that it's not always easy to report issues with grounds or communal spaces, or to find clear information about cyclical maintenance. That’s why we’re committed to strengthening our partnerships and helping residents better understand our service offering, so we can create a better experience for everyone.
🔍 Here are the three key themes that were previously highlighted from residents' feedback:
- Provide an easier reporting process
- Improved partnership working
- Understanding the services we offer to you and your communities
We asked residents to let us know if they agreed with the five key areas above, or if they'd like us to focus elsewhere.
A message from Julian Chapman, Neighbourhood Maintenance Manager
"With the opportunity to improve, we are committed to working with you to better understand your expectations for the cleaning of our internal communal spaces and external landscape areas. Together, we will explore the best ways to deliver this service, ensuring we work within the resources available to us and meet your needs moving forward."
At Settle we are relentlessly resident focused. Our aim is to provide homes residents are proud of and build communities that are welcoming to all.
Our 2030 plan has been developed by feedback from residents, colleagues, and local partners with priorities and commitments shaped by what we know is important to you. Improvement Plans empower you to have a say in how we deliver our 2030 vision.
We believe that working together with residents, colleagues and the community we can create real opportunities for positive, lasting change.
Who's Listening
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JC
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