Our Customer Scrutiny Panel

We recently met with Panel members to learn more about who they are and what they do. Here, they explain the Panel’s purpose, how they conduct robust, evidence-based reviews, and how their work drives real change.

• Why was the Customer Scrutiny Panel created, and what difference will it make for customers?

  The Customer Scrutiny Panel was established in October 2025. We're an independent group of Moat customers with first-hand experience of Moat's services. We aim to act as a critical friend to Moat, providing recommendations and insights that may not have been previously considered.

  Our focus is on supporting Moat's commitment to continuous improvement, enhancing the delivery of great services, and driving up customer satisfaction across all services. By putting the customer voice and experience at the heart of decision-making, we're testing whether regulatory compliance is being applied for reviews where this is applicable.

• What does the Customer Scrutiny Panel do, and how is it different from its predecessor Impact and Action Group and other customer groups involved in reviews?

  Since our formation as the Impact and Action Group in 2023, our objective remains the same: to provide the customer perspective on Moat's services and recommend improvements. As the Customer Scrutiny Panel, we focus on key areas for improvement within Moat, conducting three in-depth reviews each year. Our most recent review examined Shared Ownership, identifying ways to enhance the customer experience of the service.

  Transitioning from a consultation role that provided insight and feedback on policies and procedures, we now have a range of governance documentation and operational procedures at our disposal. This allows us to select and conduct comprehensive service reviews informed by various reality-checking activities, ultimately producing evidence-based reports that highlight key findings and recommendations rooted in customer insight.

  Additionally, other customer groups such as Customer Advocates play an essential role in customer engagement, and they may occasionally be involved in reviews to gather supplementary customer insights to support service reviews. Our panel consists of members appointed through an open recruitment process by Moat using a competency-based recruitment process to ensure inclusive membership that reflects all tenures and demographics.

• How does the panel make sure reviews are genuinely based on evidence from real customer experiences?

  We use several methods to ensure that we're centring the customer’s voice. In our reviews, we conduct surveys for customers, focus groups and interviews. We talk to staff to understand where the challenges are for the service that they deliver and where they think improvements can be made for customers. We also use Moat data, reports and policy to guide and inform our reviews.

  Our operational manual outlines best practices for conducting evidence-based service reviews. This includes a range of reality-checking activities such as customer surveys, focus groups, site visits, interviews with Moat officers, data and document reviews, one-on-one conversations with customers, observations, and mystery shopping. All our reports are evidence-based, supporting key findings and recommendations. It is essential to reach as many customers as possible, so we offer incentives for participation and focus on customers with lived experiences related to the services under review.

• The focus of your first review was Shared Ownership, why was it chosen and what were the key learnings and recommendations from the Panel?

  Shared Ownership was chosen as the focus of our first pilot review because customer feedback and satisfaction data highlighted a clear gap between shared owners and other customers in how listened to and supported, they felt. This indicated a need to better understand shared owners’ experiences and identify opportunities to improve trust, communication, responsiveness and drive positive tenant satisfaction measures.

  The review explored how shared owners share their views, how feedback is acknowledged and acted upon, and how clearly outcomes are communicated back to customers. Key learnings highlighted the importance of clearer communication routes, more consistent responses, and stronger feedback loops so shared owners can see how their views influence service improvements. We made a series of practical recommendations aimed at strengthening how shared owners are listened to and how Moat demonstrates that customer feedback leads to action.

• What can customers expect to see next, and how will they know the panel's work is leading to real change?

  We're now progressing our next review, which focuses on the prevention of antisocial behaviour. This review is taking place between January and March 2026 and will follow the same evidence-based approach, with findings and recommendations presented to Moat for consideration.

  The Shared Ownership review report was presented to Moat’s Customer and Communities Committee (CCC) on 13 January 2026 by members of the Customer Scrutiny Panel, ensuring that findings and recommendations were considered through Moat’s formal governance arrangements. The CCC provides assurance to Moat’s Board on compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s standards, service performance, and complaints handling, and ensures that customer insight is translated into real service improvements.

  Moat has committed to providing quarterly service improvement updates for each completed review until agreed actions are fully implemented. Progress will be monitored using customer satisfaction data, complaints insight and other customer experience measures. Customers will also see regular updates shared through Moat’s website, newsletters, and social media channels, helping to demonstrate how the Panel’s work is influencing real service improvements over time. The first quarterly update on the Shared Ownership review is expected to be shared in March 2026.