Resident-led asset management strategy supporting 7,500 homes through improved data, customer insight and investment planning.
The client
Wandle Housing Association is a south London housing provider focused on supporting people who need affordable, good‑quality housing. They required a refreshed Asset Management Strategy which demonstrated consultation and ongoing engagement with residents – ensuring that the resident voice was heard throughout the document.
The project
Wandle’s Asset Management Strategy 2022–2027 sets out a structured plan for maintaining, repairing and improving over 7,500 homes across south London. The strategy needed to respond to major sector changes, rising customer expectations and new regulatory requirements, particularly around building safety and energy efficiency. It was based on high‑quality data, stronger customer insight and improved operational processes to deliver better services, meet compliance obligations and invest in the right homes at the right time.
The strategy needed to focus on how Wandle will improve customer experience, strengthen contract management, enhance building safety, and prepare for long‑term decarbonisation. Commitments were required to updated property standards, expanded stock condition surveys, provide clearer communication, and more resident involvement in shaping services.
Our role
FFT was instructed to support Wandle in the consultation, scoping and development of the stratgegy – providing a final document which was presented to the Wandle Executive Team and Resident Panels. Working across the whole organisation FFT engaged with the Asset, Housing Management and Finance teams to understand their priorities, risks and opportunities during the strategy period.
Due to the high level of resident consultation required FFT developed a resident survey which was issued to all residents with a 18% rate. This survey provided a degree of insight and feedback, helping to support four resident workshops.
- Developed and conducted resident survey to inform strategic principles
- Led interviews, workshops and discovery sessions to get a clear picture of Wandles requirements.
- Carried out detailed analysis of recent complaints to identify trends and issues with current service delivery
- Ran resident‑led consultation workshops to understand local priorities, concerns and expectations from the housing service.
- Reviewed, validated and strengthened key portfolio data, including EPCs, stock condition information and NEC records, to build a reliable view of the homes Wandle Manages
- Drafted a practical five‑year asset management strategy built around three key themes: putting customers first, using better data to drive smarter decisions and Investing in safe, high quality and energy efficient homes
Throughout, our approach focused on clarity, collaboration and making sure every recommendation was grounded in robust evidence.
Services provided
The challenges
Wandle identified that their previous strategy was over ambitious and did not have the flexibility to be able to adapt to changing regulations, meaning that it needed constant review and updating. It was also identified that a lack of valuable resident feedback meant that it didn’t reflect their priorities and needs. FFT worked very closely with resident groups and reviewed 12 months of customer feedback to identify trends and service improvements that would be required within the strategy. The key challenge to overcome was to ensure the strategy was deliverable operationally and used as a day-to-day toolkit to provide direction to the team and confidence to residents.
Added value
The use of the survey to all residents provided a level of detail rarely used in the development of asset management strategies. The survey not only helped capture feedback across the portfolio but use the data as a baseline on resident perception and satisfaction. This also allowed FFT to guide resident led workshops and delve into greater detail on topics raised through the survey.
The outcome
Wandle have been working against the strategy for the past four years and feel that this has been successful due to its ability for operational delivery – they have seen an increased in resident satisfaction and also the direct influence of the strategy in areas such as contract management and data confidence. In 2026, Wandle have approach FFT via a Direct Award from an established framework to work with them again to develop their strategy for 2027 – 2033.
We approached FFT to support the development of our Asset Management Strategy due to their knowledge and experience in the sector. The resident survey developed by FFT provided us with valuable insight and feedback from our residents, which was then expertly explored through the focus groups they then facilitated. The final strategy was commended by our Board for the level of resident insight that was used.
Andrew Arnold Head of Asset Management at Wandle Housing Association