Cannock Chase Council have commissioned Acuity, a market research company that specialises in the social housing sector, to carry out a survey on its behalf collecting up-to-date information about the people who live in their households.

What is the survey about?
The survey is a large-scale housing census covering tenant and demographic data which will be used to update current tenant and household information that Cannock Chase Council holds in their Housing Management system. The data provided will be used to improve how it communicates with its tenants and ensures fairness, as well as making sure services are accessible and equitable. All households will be invited to participate in the survey over 12 weeks throughout October, November and December 2025.

The survey will be conducted between 29th September 2025 and 15th December 2025.

Who are Acuity?
Acuity Research & Practice (Acuity) provide tenant satisfaction surveys and benchmarking services, helping housing providers to improve services and engage with their tenants through an understanding of satisfaction, performance and profiling data. They have been providing consultancy services to the social housing sector for over 26 years.

There are several ways tenants may be asked to take part:

•  Completing the survey online – From 29th September 2025, Acuity will send an email to tenants with an email address, including a link inviting tenants to complete the survey online. Non-respondents will also receive reminder emails to complete the survey throughout the survey period. Tenants may also receive an SMS message with a link to the survey. 
• Tenant letter – All non-responding tenants will be sent a letter and paper survey, which will include a unique QR code allowing residents to complete the survey online.
• Telephone surveys – At the start of November, Acuity will call tenants who have not yet completed a survey, inviting them to take part in the survey with a telephone interviewer. The telephone survey will take approximately 10-12 minutes to complete.

When will they call tenants?
Acuity only make calls between the hours of 9:00am and 20:00pm Monday to Friday and between the hours of 10.00am and 18:00pm on Saturday. Interviewers allow the telephone to ring for a minimum of 15 seconds, or until a voice mail system kicks in, to ensure tenants with mobility issues are given sufficient time to get to the phone.

How will data be used?
All data that tenants provide will be used solely for the purpose of updating Cannock Chase Council’s housing management system, which will help Cannock Chase Council better tailor the services they provide to tenants. While Cannock Chase Council welcome tenant responses, we understand if tenants are not comfortable answering particular questions and therefore tenants can select ‘prefer not to say’ in these instances.

Is the survey in line with data protection and what about quality standards?
All the calls are recorded for training and quality purposes. Acuity is a company partner member of the Market Research Society and is registered with the Information Commissionaires Office, and in line with the Data Protection Act is not permitted to release any details to any other organisation. Under the Data Protection Act, Acuity is not permitted to release any information that would allow an individual to be identified without their prior active consent to do so. Acuity also holds ISO20252:2019, which is the quality standard for market research companies.

Who should tenants contact at Cannock Chase Council CC or Acuity if they have a query that is not addressed here?
If tenants have any queries about any of the survey, they may contact Cannock Chase Council on 01543 462621 or email serviceimprovements@cannockchasedc.gov.uk.  Or Heather Metivier at Acuity (01273 287114 or acuity@arap.co.uk).
 

Want to know more about Acuity?
Acuity Research & Practice Limited, www.arap.co.uk. All research projects are carried out in conformity with ISO20252:2019 and the MRS Code of Conduct.

What number should tenants look out for?
If you received a call or a text from Acuity the number displayed will be a UK telephone number, 01543 210 306, which is a local area code. If the tenant sees a missed call from this number and calls back, they will hear a recorded message informing them that someone from Acuity tried to call them to complete a survey for their landlord.