WHERE
The Social Janitor project is managed in the City of Joensuu by the Finnish Red Cross district of Savo-Karjala in the province of North Karelia. The mission of the project is divided into helping two groups of people in a vulnerable position:
- The long-term unemployed are trained to support elderly people and the disabled in their own homes by providing so-called social janitor service 1-2 hours at a time. During their employment relationship, the social janitors are provided support and training to help them build paths to employment to the open labour market, to further training, or to some other meaningful goal.
- The quality of life of the elderly and the disabled is improved through the work input and social contacts provided by the social janitors.
Before joining the Social Janitor project of the FRC, the prospective social janitors attend a four-month labour market training on the subject of social janitoring. The training is part of general labour market training organised by the Finnish labour administration free of charge for unemployed jobseekers.
Survey interviews can be time-consuming, try using a random sample
The Social Janitor service has been developed in a project, but it is aiming at becoming an established operation. In the project phase, the permanent staff has consisted of a project co-ordinator and two part-time counsellors. In the established operations model, the permanent staff would be one co-ordinator with responsibility for work planning and personal guidance of social janitors. The number of social janitors has varied between 7 and 10. During the first two years of operation, the social janitors have had a total of 150 clients.
The Social Janitor project was a partner in the EQUAL Development Partnership Response.
WHY
Customer satisfaction is measured primarily to improve the quality of customer service and training of social janitors. The information received through measurements also serves to strengthen the work motivation of the counselling personnel and social janitors.
The funders need to know about the satisfaction of the elderly clients and the impact of the social janitor operations on the quality of their life as grounds to their decision-making on further financing.
Indicators are needed both by staff and funders to be able to evaluate whether the level of client satisfaction achieved is satisfactory.
HOW
Objectives and indicators of successful results
The objectives described here are related to the elderly clients’ satisfaction in the Social Janitor service.
The Social Janitor project prepared its social accounts for years 2005/2006, by which the social results of the operations are presented to the most important stakeholders and society. One of the key objectives that was measured and reported was named ‘Supporter of the elderly in coping in daily life’. The following goals had been set for the elderly clients’ satisfaction:
- 80% of the clients are satisfied with the work of the Social Janitor service
- 80% of the clients feel that
- their loneliness has been alleviated
- they have been able to do things together
- they have been given time
- they have been listened to
- the service has been provided on their terms
- the relationship is mutually respecting and based on equality
- they have been treated with trust and humanity
- 80% of the clients feel that the Social Janitor service has made it easier for them to cope at home and improved the quality of their life
The starting point for setting the objectives related to customer satisfaction were the values and objectives of the Social Janitor project. The indicators of successful results were been agreed on this basis. The quantitative indicator for achieving the goals is that at least 80% of the customers give grade 4 for each statement on a scale of 1 to 5.
Measurement
The customer satisfaction survey for the elderly and other clients (the disabled) is done in the autumn. In accordance with a co-operation agreement with a local educational institute in the field of social services, the survey is made by a student by interviewing in October/November in the client’s home. The interview is based on the Social Janitors’ client satisfaction survey form (see Enclosure). Part of the questions (questions No. 9-16) investigate how the social objectives of the Social Janitor service have been realised. For analysis and presentation, the results are keyed in a calculation sheet specifically prepared for this purpose.
Results and actions taken
The results of the customer satisfaction survey are reported in a joint meeting of the social janitors. Thanks and recognition for good result are due when the objectives have been reached. When over 20% of the respondents give grade 1 to 3 on a scale of 1 to 5, the following actions are taken:
- the feedback concerning the Social Janitor service is discussed with the counsellors and corrective actions are planned, such as additional/targeted training
- necessary changes are planned in joint meetings and in personal guidance discussions with the social janitors
- proposals for changes are made to the organiser of the labour force training for social janitors as seen necessary
In spite of the level of results, special attention is paid to the comments and suggestions made by the elderly clients (such as comments about untidy clothing of the social janitors, etc.)
The results of the customer satisfaction survey are also presented in the social accounts. The social accounts compare the agreed targets and measured results and present the successes and failures. The stakeholders draw their own conclusions about the success of the operations on the basis of the social accounts and consider this in their own decision-making (e.g. continuation of the operations, funding).
Example of indicator for one objective on a scale of 1 to 5, the results and a related client comment.
Indicator: 302 01
80% of the clients are satisfied with the janitor’s work (minimum grade 4).
Result: 95.5 of the clients are satisfied with the janitor’s work.
“I am very satisfied. The standards are on a high level and the quality of work is good. Reliability is important when you come to a person’s home. We have come to know each other quite well and the janitor knows the ways of the house.”
Experiences
The client satisfaction goals for the Social Janitor service were defined for the first time as part of the process of adopting the method of social accounting in 2006. The client satisfaction survey was carried out using the method described here for the first time in autumn 2006. The interviews were carried out by a student, because this was expected to yield a more honest response from the clients. Altogether 44 elderly clients were interviewed. The results showed that all objectives had been met. In addition, the open comments gave a great deal of valuable feedback for further development of the service.
The clients were very obliging, and this was supported by the fact that the interview was done at the client’s home. The interview method worked very well, because the interviewer could explain the questions whenever they where unclear to the respondents. The interview also produced a lot of additional information on the question themes from the elderly clients. In our estimate a method by which the elderly clients would have filled out the form independently would have produced much fewer replies and less additional information. The co-operation with the local educational institute strengthens the partnerships and spreads information about the Social Janitor service.
Improvement of the process and the questionnaire
The interviews demand a lot of time, so in the future they are likely to be directed to a smaller group chosen by random sampling. The questionnaire has been modified on the basis of the interviewer’s experiences and as a result, a box for open comments for each theme has been introduced.
Transferability
This method of measuring client satisfaction is applicable according to our view to corresponding target groups also in other operating environments. It is important to have a form for recording and calculating the results of the returned survey forms in order to get a quick summary of the total results. The Social Janitor service has used an Excel spreadsheet for this purpose.
Enclosure: Social Janitors’ client satisfaction survey
For more information: Jaana Huovinen, tel. +358 50 5352743, jaanahuovinen(at)luukku.com