Design Lab – what we’ve learnt and what we’re doing

1, What members told us: Networking and building solidarity is vital 

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that for the past two years we have had to hold all our member meetings and events online – a format that provides fewer organic opportunities for networking, participation and interaction. This was raised as an issue in our Design Lab research and we recognise that we can do more to facilitate interaction in online events.

What action are we taking:

One of NACCOM’s greatest strengths lies in our powerful community of like-minded people and organisations working together to end destitution – this came back strongly from the research. As we move towards a long-term, hybrid programme for in-person and online events and meetings, we will look to facilitate more opportunities for meaningful networking and engagement – for both organisations and individuals – across the network, to encourage partnership working and peer-to-peer learning and support. For example, we will be introducing more interactive sessions in our online Regional Hub meetings, which we believe will be more conducive to networking.  

We nevertheless recognise that networking and relationship building is best achieved in-person, and we plan to hold this year’s Annual Conference in November in the East Midlands, which will include dedicated sessions and spaces for peer-to-peer learning and support.  

We also acknowledge the important role that peer-to-peer support and encouragement can play in enhancing wellbeing within the network, particularly given the challenging sector that we work in. We feel that NACCOM has a key role to play in facilitating spaces to enhance member staff wellbeing and we will endeavour to build these into our events where possible, or facilitate training as appropriate. 

2, What members told us: Targeted, timely and relevant content works best for members 

High levels of engagement in the NACCOM Google Group, the main forum for communication between members and the NACCOM team, show how connected and supportive our membership network is and reflect the recent growth in members, but it also demonstrates the need to segment and more strategically direct our communications channels and content. Through the Design Lab research, members highlighted that the volume of information coming through the Google Group could be overwhelming, causing them to disengage or to miss relevant emails. 

What action are we taking:  

Providing members with information that is timely, targeted and relevant to their area of service delivery is vital to us. In addition to some interim changes to the Google group, we will be launching a NACCOM Slack community this Autumn, which will include several sub-groups dedicated to different service types and topics. This will enable members to receive and send targeted communication across the network according to their needs and interests.  Initial sub-groups will be Housing; Hosting; Regional groups; Communications; Policy/Influencing; and Leadership, and these will be reviewed regularly to ensure they stay relevant. 

We’re excited about the prospect of embedding a new digital tool into our service delivery. The decision to adopt Slack has been taken after careful review of the feedback from members through Design Lab, as well as sector partners’ successful use of Slack; it is increasingly the go-to digital tool for collaborative communications and community-building. 

We’re also aware that this will be a new tool for lots of people in the network. For this reason, we’ll be providing a comprehensive induction and ongoing support to ensure that all members are able to access and use Slack easily if they wish to. 

3, What members told us: Greater clarity and awareness of NACCOM’s services and platforms would help with engagement

Feedback from Design Lab showed that some members have limited awareness of the services, platforms and events available to them as part of their membership. and how to access these. Members also mentioned a lack of clarity on the focus of certain services, for example not knowing whether specific NACCOM meetings have more of an operational or strategic focus, which can create a barrier to engagement. 

What action are we taking:

We are reviewing our full list of NACCOM services and platforms, which is available on a dedicated page in our website’s Members’ Area. This page will clarify the purpose of each service/event/platform, as well as how and when they can be accessed, and by whom. 

In addition, we will keep members better informed of our calendar of events, including when they will take place, and in which format (online or in-person) and location if relevant, ensuring that all events are scheduled in and advertised at the beginning of the year (excluding ad hoc/thematic events). 

4, What members told us: A diverse membership network requires a diverse range of resources

Member feedback has highlighted that some of NACCOM’s existing resources have limitations, for example, our Housing Toolkit focuses on the quality standards and process of setting up and improving a housing project to ensure that quality and standards are met, but is limited in its case studies on how members have developed their housing portfolios and models to allow for, or cross-subsidise, provision for people seeking asylum with NRPF. 

We also recognise that capacity-related challenges are common across the network and members may not have time to read through Toolkits in their entirety, meaning they may miss some of the case studies. 

What action are we taking:

Sharing good practice and expertise across the network is a core part of NACCOM’s remit and we are committed to making our resources as accessible as possible. We will continue to identify new areas of good practice and develop associated resources in different formats and will consult with relevant members on the production of these resources. 

For example, one outcome of the Design Lab work has been a clear need to develop a toolkit around partnership working between members and Housing Associations, which we will be working on this year. We are also planning a compendium of case studies, to ensure that examples of good practice from across the network can be shared as widely as possible. 

5, What members told us: The NACCOM website needs improvement 

Members highlighted that the NACCOM website is full of useful resources and information, but that it could be better organised to make it easier for people to find and access what they are looking for. Members also stated that they would benefit from having more specific information about NACCOM member projects on the website, such as the number of beds a member has, their criteria for different bed spaces, as well as a list of their other services.  

What action are we taking:

As one of our key communication channels, we recognise the need to make our website as accessible and user-friendly as possible. In response to member feedback, we plan to make a series of short-term changes to the current website to improve it for both members and other users, with a particular focus on refreshing the content in our Resources section, Members’ Area and Project Directory, to ensure that these areas are clear, relevant and help users find what they need. 

In 2023 we plan to redesign our website and will use feedback from members through the Design Lab to inform this process.