Assessor Robert Sullivan said he was impressed by the commitment to customer service excellence that was displayed by staff at all levels within the organisation and commented on the high level of service being delivered.

It was a very positive review with an increase in the number of areas being assessed as Compliance Plus. The review process focuses on the customer journey and this involved the Assessor speaking to customers, staff, board members and partner organisations as well as observing staff interacting with customers.

The assessor said “you demonstrated that you operate in a culture of continuous improvement and learning” and he noted that the Association had made several changes to services as a result of analysing customer journeys and improving these.

The assessor’s report also highlighted the value of ng homes’ approach to partnership working, acknowledging the Association’s work with other organisations to strengthen and broaden partnerships in ways that benefit its customers and the wider community.

He stated: “You have become a role model and catalyst for change, you are well known for your community involvement and development work in addition to housing services.”

Tony Sweeney, director of corporate services at ng homes, said: “This was an exceptionally good result and it is testament to the commitment of our board and staff in ensuring that our tenants and other customers are valued.

“The assessor was keen to understand how we serve and support our customers throughout their journey with us and we are pleased that he was able to identify many examples of excellent customer service. The report shows that we care about our customers and it has identified a great deal of good practice and some areas for continuous improvement.”

John Thorburn, ng homes chairperson, congratulated the Association’s staff on this achievement: “Everyone at ng homes is committed to delivering Customer Service Excellence and we are delighted to hear that we continue to make progress in this regard.

“The assessor emphasised that although we were already performing to a high standard he had seen significant improvements with the increased level of Compliance Plus. It is great that the Assessor has recognised the tremendous work of our staff who are making a real difference to the lives of local people.”