We’re changing the way we deliver your services.
OurSpace resident editorial panel member Tony Elsom asked TVH’s John Baldwin, Housing and Neighbourhood Services Director, to explain more.
John, what changes are you making and why?
We do a lot of listening to residents through surveys, various resident groups and speaking to our residents every day and they all said they wanted it to be easier to speak to their Housing Officer and for issues to be resolved quicker – so this is what we have done. You should have all received a postcard with the picture and number of your Housing Officer – so pick up the phone and give them a ring! They will try and resolve the issues directly for you, but they are also out and about a lot, so we still have staff based in the office if you need them. And we still have a direct number to report repairs.
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Are you doing this for yourselves? As a resident, how will I benefit?
We hope this will be better for residents and staff alike. Housing Officers have been very positive about the changes and are looking forward to having greater ownership of their ‘patches’. They will have direct contact with the cleaning and gardening contractors (where we employ them) and will be signing up new tenants in their homes so they know who’s moving in. This should mean better local management and the ability for you to get to know a named person who will be able to sort things out for you.
There have been times in the past when I’ve contacted TVH or complained and nothing seems to happen…
In the past we have had lots of departments involved in trying to sort out a single issue – sometimes this meant that no one ‘owned’ the problem or kept the customer updated – very frustrating for everyone! This way we hope that having this key contact person means that you are able to get your issue sorted out. On top of this however, we also think our complaints process takes too long and we will be reviewing this to give you a faster response, watch this space….Our Space!
Will things we’ve already asked for or reported to TVH be picked up by our new Housing Officers or will we have to start from scratch?
Yes, things will be handed over, but no doubt there will be teething problems as this is a big change for us, so bear with us!!
These changes should make things better as long as we’re kept in the loop by TVH staff. That hasn’t always happened in the past…
Agreed – as you can see from these responses, hopefully we have recognised that as a problem and put in place changes to address it. Let us know what you think though, we want to improve the experience for you, so tell us how we are doing.