Hello, and welcome to my Chief Exec’s blog for December ‘22
This blog will be my last one for the year, so I will keep it short and sweet, but I would also like to take the opportunity to reflect on the last year and look forward to our plans for 2023.
This year, my blogs have all been about our Inspired by Our Communities approach and, each time, I have taken a closer look at one of the priority areas from your feedback.
To remind you, the priorities highlighted by our tenants for more focus or improvement are:
• Communication – improving how we communicate with our tenants and each other
• Good Customer Access – making it easier for you to contact us
• Quality of Life – supporting you through financial hardship, employment, and training
• Quality of Home – managing repairs and maintenance, and dealing with fencing and hedging
• Environment – creating and maintaining our green spaces, gardens, and parks
• Community Safety – managing anti-social behaviour cases and interactions with the police, and making sure you feel safe in your community
• Shaping Services Around Tenants – respecting our customers, and prioritising community activities.
Over the last couple of years, we have looked at everything from our environmental work – including the launch of our estate-wide tree survey and our sixth Green Flag Award win at Barlow Hall – to our plan for recovery post-pandemic.
The pandemic has left us with many challenges, some of which are outlined in my last blog – Quality of Home – and we will be dedicating 2023 to dealing with those issues, including how we deal with damp and mould in our properties and what we’re doing to work our way through our Repairs backlog, as we know this is causing frustration for many tenants.
Customer service is incredibly important to us, and it’s very disappointing when we don’t manage to meet your expectations. Due to the recent freezing weather and other unexpected issues with our new telephone system, this week has been an example of that. We can’t thank you enough for your patience and understanding while we work hard to fix any issues, and we will strive to get back to a higher standard of service in the new year. You can read more about our repairs service and telephone system issues here and here.
Finally, this winter is going to be an incredibly difficult time for many people. We’re working hard behind the scenes to bring you accurate and up-to-date advice on what support is out there to help make your money go further. Keep your eyes peeled for our next edition of Southway Stories, where you’ll find advice on reducing your energy bills, how to heat your home efficiently and safely, and much, much more. You can also visit our new Cost of Living Support Hub, where you can download our Cost of Living Support Pack. Whether you're in crisis, need to earn, claim or just want to get the most from your money, we're here to help.
For now, I’d like to wish you and your loved ones a warm, safe and happy festive season. However you choose to celebrate, I hope you have the chance to come together with your friends and family at this special time of year.
As always, if you have any feedback or ideas on how we can make this blog even better, please don’t hesitate to contact me using the form below or by emailing chiefexecsblog@southwayhousing.co.uk.
Best wishes,
Karen