Evaluating Stigma
Stop Social Housing Stigma is working with the Chartered Institute of Housing, Peabody, Colchester Borough Homes, Melton Borough Council, London Borough of Croydon and Thirteen Housing to explore methods that tenants and landlords can use to check whether and to what extent tackling stigma approaches are leading to desired change. Such a framework has been requested by many landlords and their tenants in discussions through the development of the Tackling Stigma Journey Planner.
Key criteria
- evaluating progress in tackling stigma is not a straightforward measurement because stigma is subjective and based on how tenants feel.
- evidence and data can be gathered, but a framework to evaluate progress on tackling stigma also needs to be based on a data and evidence analysis process that involves tenants, staff and others
- it is likely that tackling social housing stigma will be a long-term journey relying on building relationships and trust with tenants. This is likely to mean that evaluations may report limited progress and may suggest further activity to develop progress further.
- SSHS’s recent national tenant survey shows that tenants feel stigma both as a result of cultural and attitudinal behaviours as well as their perceptions of speed and quality of repairs to their homes and communal areas and of responses to anti-social behaviour and other service issues. Therefore, evaluation of progress in tackling stigma also relates to general service improvements.
Our current timeline
- Identification of pilot landlords and tenants – by July 2026
- Agreement regarding methodology – by November 2026
- Gathering data and evidence – from November 2026 to February 2027
- SSHS annual tenant survey – from November 2026 to February 2027
- Analysis sessions – April 2027
- Final reports for each landlord and their tenants – May 2027
- Final programme report – June 2027
Methods we are exploring
Our intention is to use the tickets in the SSHS Tackling Stigma Journey Planner as the basis for the evaluation – exploring what progress each landlord is making against the stated outcomes.
Collection of data and evidence
- factual information – various factual information in respect of each of the tickets in Journey Planner
- tenant survey information to be gathered by the landlord – existing survey data and potentially new tenant surveys relating to stigma
- various other existing data – such as Tenant Satisfaction Measures and other relevant performance data
- analysis of complaints, resident contact records and other service interactions – using AI assisted text analysis to identify recurring themes related to attitudes, behaviours and perceptions of stigma
- staff survey information to be gathered by the landlord – existing and potentially new staff survey data
- focus groups – a set of focus groups in each participating landlord to bring together a diverse range of tenants and staff to gather qualitative views of various stigma related issues.
- an annual SSHS national tenant survey – that includes data that can be used in the participating landlords
Analysis – once data and evidence has been gathered, we will facilitate a one-day session in each landlord to analyse the data and evidence available.
We are also talking to the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman to learn from their approaches.
The pilot will allow us to test whether the proposed framework is practical, and useful for landlords and residents. Our findings will inform a final framework that can be used more widely across the sector.