Alterations Service - Customer Co-Design Sessions
The Alterations service is for customers who want to make changes or improvements, at their own expense, to their home. For example: fitting a new kitchen, adding built in storage, or making structural changes that need permission from us.
We invited customers to take part in an online co-design session - a small, friendly workshop where they could share their views and help us understand what matters most to the customer, what could be clearer or easier, and how Platform Housing Group can make our services more accessible, transparent, and supportive for everyone.
What we asked
- Customers views on how they think the service should work
- How customers prefer to contact Platform Housing Group
- What kind of updates and information customers would like to receive throughout the process
- Which methods of communication (such as phone, email, online forms, or an online customer portal) would make it easier for customers to stay informed
- Discussion of some of our current letters, forms, and website pages, to see what could be clearer or simpler
- What are customer expectations around timescales, communication, and support
- What information do customers want to be able to access on Platform Housing Group’s website and what should be included in the FAQs
What's changing - How are we improving:
Through discussions at the workshop, customers have influenced the redesign of our Alterations service. Customers told us they wanted clearer information about what alterations are permitted, how decisions are made, and what evidence is required.
Based on this feedback, Platform Housing Group are:
- Updating our guidance, customer portal and online forms to give clearer decision framework of what can/cannot be approved, including auto approvals at point of application where applicable.
- Redesigning online content to be easier to navigate with clearer language
- Creating a simple step-by-step explanation of the approval process and likely timescales
- Improving communication templates so customers receive more consistent updates
- Clarifying responsibilities between customers and Platform, including requirements to 'make good'
on customers vacating their homes, so expectations are set from the outset
What can't we change:
A suggestion made by customers that Platform Housing Group are not able to implement:
- Automatic approval for certain alterations. Some requests must still be assessed individually for
safety, property suitability, and long-term maintenance.
Any other details:
A message for the customers who were involved in this project:
“Thank you for contributing to the Alterations co-design work. Your insight will help us simplify our
guidance, improve communication, and create a clearer, quicker, more transparent application process.
Your involvement has made a meaningful difference.”
Ellie Kevis, Service Designer.
