Our Big Door Knock: listening, learning and spending time with residents

We know that some of the most useful conversations happen face-to-face, on the doorstep, in the places where people live. The Big Door Knock gave us the opportunity to speak directly with residents about their homes, their communities and the things that matter most to them.

Staff from across the organisation visited a representative sample of developments, introducing themselves to residents and having informal conversations. For colleagues who do not normally work in resident-facing roles, it was a valuable chance to better understand the resident experience and see the impact of English Rural’s work in practice.

Most importantly, it was a chance to hear from residents in their own words.

Throughout the day, colleagues listened to residents’ experiences, answered questions where they could, and noted anything that needed follow-up. This included logging repairs, recording resident support needs, picking up grounds maintenance issues, and making sure queries were passed to the right team.

The conversations were not just about services. They were also about people.

Staff met residents’ families, heard personal stories, and gained a better understanding of what life is like in the rural communities we serve. Many residents shared what they value about their homes and neighbourhoods, as well as the areas where they feel things could be improved.

That balance matters. Listening well means hearing what is working, as well as what needs attention.

The Big Door Knock also helped us gather useful insight about our homes and neighbourhoods. Where residents were happy to take part, colleagues helped update resident information and capture any needs or preferences that may help us provide better support in future. Teams also walked around schemes to note any visible issues, such as communal areas, grounds maintenance concerns or other matters residents wanted to raise.

A day like this is important because good resident engagement is not just about surveys, newsletters or formal meetings. Those things have their place, but they cannot replace the value of being present, being visible and making time for a proper conversation.

For staff, the day was enjoyable, useful and grounding. It gave colleagues the chance to spend time with residents, understand their concerns, and see the homes and communities behind the day-to-day work we do.

For residents, we hope it felt open, friendly and worthwhile. There was no obligation to take part, but where residents did speak with us, we are grateful for their time, honesty and welcome.

The important work now is what happens next.

The feedback, repairs, support needs and maintenance issues raised during the Big Door Knock will be reviewed and routed to the relevant teams. Where follow-up is needed, we will make sure this is picked up properly.

Thank you to every resident who took the time to speak with us, share a concern, tell us a story, introduce us to family members, or simply say hello. Your feedback helps us understand what matters and where we can improve.

And thank you to all colleagues who took part, listened carefully and represented English Rural so positively.

The Big Door Knock was about more than knocking on doors. It was about strengthening relationships, learning from residents, and making sure we continue to build services around the people and communities we are here to support.