Peabody Housing (CBHA) sought support to strengthen staff capability in two connected areas: delivering high-quality, empathetic customer service and responding effectively to organisational change.
Customer feedback indicated a need to improve how staff engaged with tenants, particularly in relation to understanding identity, difference, and the impact these factors can have on communication and service delivery. In later years, as the organisation adapted to a changing working environment, Peabody also recognised the importance of equipping both managers and staff with the skills, confidence and mindset needed to approach change positively and constructively.
NCBI was invited to work with Peabody because of our experience and track record supporting organisational transformation, building stronger relationships, improving inclusion and developing confident leadership.
NCBI designed and delivered bespoke staff development interventions addressing change management, supporting staff and managers to understand change more clearly, respond with resilience and contribute positively to organisational development. These interventions formed a sustained programme of support that combined reflection, practical tools and action planning.
The workshop was designed to improve customer engagement and strengthen staff awareness. It set out practical behaviours for improving service quality, including emotional intelligence, active listening and effective questioning, and staff were encouraged to look beyond first impressions and avoid stereotyping customers at the point of contact. They began to listen more carefully to tenants’ concerns, identifying and addressing root causes. This approach builds a more reflective and responsive service culture.
NCBI also delivered Change Management programmes aimed at developing positive attitudes towards organisational growth. The training helped participants define the impact of change on their day-to-day work, with practical ways of making change work more effectively across their teams. Session Two emphasised the importance of recognising progress, celebrating success and maintaining a forward-looking approach.
Finally, NCBI delivered a further two-day Welcoming Change programme. This intervention supported the introduction of CBHA’s new behaviour framework on Managing Change and enabled managers to embed the attitudes and behaviours required to navigate change confidently.
The impact of the NCBI intervention was significant. It contributed to Peabody’s achievement of the Investors in People Gold Standard, with the NCBI Identity and Difference programme recognised for creating a solid knowledge base to confidently build customer relations both internally and externally. Our work also supported the development of a more meaningful Equalities Strategy, enabling staff to better understand the importance of strong working relationships, effective customer service, better complaints handling, and solid, efficient organisational development. The roles of the Equalities Champion and Equalities Steering Group now had more meaning.
Feedback from the Change Management programme showed that participants felt better able to embrace and own change rather than feel “done to”. Attendees described the NCBI intervention as thought-provoking, creative and inspiring, and many reported that it had helped them reflect honestly on the fears of moving forward. This demonstrated that the programme had succeeded not only in building understanding of change as a process, but also in encouraging personal reflection and a more constructive mindset.
Our work supported the new Peabody behaviour framework. Staff became more receptive and open-minded towards organisational change, while managers committed to inspire their involvement more. This included an agreement to communicate more openly about the reasons for change and to support individuals through periods of transition. Effectively, the NCBI training had created a new, embedded behaviour and culture framework.
“CBHA has recently been recognised as achieving Investors in People at the Gold Standard”Communications and Improvement Director, Peabody (CBHA), November 2011
“CBHA has held IIP since being established in 1996 but were delighted to be recognised as the gold standard as a result of the good work that has been done in recent years”
The IIP assessor “gave us positive feedback about the ‘Identity and Differences’ workshop that you ran at CBHA as well the achievements CBHA has made in developing our equality strategy. Your course was widely cited by staff in their IIP interviews as being a useful and empowering tool for delivering excellent customer services. It had a lasting impact on many attendees and helped the organisation to develop our Equality strategy to a more meaningful level”
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