September Customer Voices Panel: A Positive and Productive Session

At the September Customer Voices Panel meeting, the Panel, prospective Panel members and Leeds Federated colleagues discussed customer engagement, service improvements and future opportunities to get involved.

The group discussed how information is shared with customers, including plans to publish Panel meeting minutes on the Your Voice page. Panel members highlighted the importance of clear, accessible communication, and it was agreed that minutes would be carefully reviewed before publication and that unnecessary abbreviations should be avoided.

We received positive feedback on the recent Repairs Workshop, and Panel members were pleased to see that customer views had been reflected in the questions being asked of contractors as part of the procurement process. Customers were also encouraged to continue sharing their views as the project progresses.

We also welcomed prospective new Panel members to the meeting. The existing members were pleased to see interest in the group and said they were looking forward to hearing fresh ideas and perspectives as the panel continues to grow.

The Panel members heard about several opportunities for customers to influence services, including the upcoming Get Involved event, plans to introduce customer vlogs and the development of a new Policy Review Group, giving customers more opportunities to help shape services and customer-facing policies.

We also discussed future support for Panel members, including training opportunities and guidance on how to use the Your Voice platform to help customers feel confident sharing feedback and participating in engagement activities.

The meeting concluded with a discussion about staff development and professional standards, with members hearing how training and qualifications are prioritised to ensure colleagues have the skills and knowledge needed to deliver high-quality services. We're always looking for ways to improve, so if you have feedback about the Colleague Circle, or our behaviours, please do complete this short survey. (If you are registered and logged in you will be entered into our £30 prize draw).

Overall, the session highlighted the value of working in partnership with customers, with positive discussions focused on strengthening communication, increasing involvement opportunities and ensuring customer feedback continues to influence decision-making across Leeds Federated.