How resident scrutiny is helping improve our grounds maintenance service

At Eastlight, resident feedback plays a vital role in shaping the services we provide. That's why we recently brought together residents and colleagues for a resident-led scrutiny review of our grounds maintenance service, to better understand what works well, what could be improved, and how we can deliver a better experience for everyone who pays for and relies on the service.

The review was approved by our Customer Influence Committee (CIC) as part of the 2026/27 scrutiny programme. To help define the focus, we analysed resident feedback from our Tenant Satisfaction Measures and other customer insight sources before bringing together 21 residents for a full-day workshop, alongside a further 10 residents who shared their experiences remotely.

Click here to read the full review.

Learning more about the service

The review gave residents the opportunity to hear directly from Eastlight colleagues and our grounds maintenance contractor, Countrywide, about how the service operates, who is responsible for delivering different activities and how performance is monitored. Residents learned more about the scale of the service, which covers hundreds of thousands of square metres of land across our communities, as well as what is and isn't included within the service specification.

Residents told us the sessions helped them better understand how grounds maintenance is delivered, including why some activities, such as hedge cutting, may be restricted during bird nesting season and how issues can be reported through Eastlight.

What residents told us

While residents recognised many positives, including friendly staff, regular maintenance and improvements in some areas, they also identified opportunities to improve communication and visibility of the service.

Key themes raised during the review included:

• Providing clearer information about what grounds maintenance covers.
• Helping residents understand when activities are typically carried out throughout the year.
• Improving communication and follow-up when residents report issues.
• Making it easier for customer service teams to answer grounds maintenance queries first time.
• Increasing resident involvement in estate inspections and local environmental projects.
• Exploring ways to improve estate mapping and information about service responsibilities.

Recommended Improvements

Following group discussions, residents developed and prioritised 13 recommendations to help enhance the service. Eastlight reviewed each recommendation and agreed a series of actions to take forward.

Some of the key improvements we have committed to include:

Better information for residents

We'll create a new Estates Service Guide to help residents understand what grounds maintenance services are provided, what activities take place during the year, and where responsibilities sit. The guide will be included in welcome information for new residents and shared through channels including Shine magazine, regional newsletters, social media and communal noticeboards.

Stronger communication

Residents told us they would like more information about the seasonal schedule of works. While day-to-day schedules can change due to operational factors and weather conditions, we'll provide more information about the types of work residents can expect throughout the year and when activities are typically carried out.

Improved customer experience

We're also looking at how we can improve knowledge and training within our Customer Services Team so that enquiries about grounds maintenance can be resolved more effectively at the first point of contact.

Greater resident involvement

Residents highlighted the importance of having a voice in how estates are maintained. As a result, we will place greater focus on grounds maintenance discussions through Estate Representative Groups, Neighbourhood Voices and Joint Estate Inspections.

Exploring environmental opportunities

The review also identified opportunities to build on our approach to environmental sustainability, including rewilding, biodiversity and conservation measures

Positive feedback on the review

Residents who took part told us they valued the opportunity to work directly with Eastlight colleagues and influence decisions about the services that matter to them.

Feedback from the event showed that participants left with a greater understanding of how the grounds maintenance service operates, how decisions are made and the challenges involved in delivering services across a large and diverse estate.

Residents also welcomed the open discussions with colleagues and contractors, and the opportunity to see their recommendations translated into clear actions and commitments for improvement.

The event received an average satisfaction score of 4.8 out of 5, with all respondents saying they felt they had a better understanding of the service afterwards. Three quarters of participants also said the experience made them more interested in getting involved in shaping Eastlight services in the future.

Resident scrutiny plays an important role in helping us improve our services, and we're always keen to hear from more residents who want to share their experiences and help influence change.

Click here if you’d like to get involved with future events.