We’ve re-organised our Housing teams to make the way that we support you with tenancy and housing matters better and faster, which you’ve told us are top priorities.

These changes will help us to deliver services in a more effective way, and make it easier for us to work with you towards resolutions on important issues.

The changes include:

  • We have a new housing team called Housing Management and have invested additional money in the service to increase staff numbers.
  • Our Age Friendly Management service is the equivalent delivering services at our age friendly and age restricted homes.
  • We have created new positions for two new Housing Assistants, who will organise Housing Officer appointments and who can update you on things like accommodation offers and viewings, and support with tenancy changes, like mutual exchanges.
  • Our housing patch areas (the areas that Housing Officers oversee) have slightly changed, with officers working over smaller patches giving them more time to dedicate to tenants.
  • Our plans will see us out and about more, speaking to you in the neighbourhood and on doorsteps. This will make us more visible in our communities and better placed to learn from our work.
  • Our Tenancy Support and Community Safety (previously ASB) teams are now working closely and directly with our Housing Management service, as we want you to have a more effective and joined up service.

What do I need to do as a tenant?

As a customer you don’t need to do anything differently. We will make sure you are directed to the right person for your enquiry. The changes do mean that for some tenants, you will have a new Housing Officer. You’ll still access services by contacting the Customer Hub, who will connect you with right person in our Housing Management team. The next person you speak to might be a Housing Assistant, booking in an appointment for you with your Housing Officer in a way that suits you (like a home visit, office visit, or telephone appointment).

Your Housing Officers and their patches

 

West (Chorlton and West Didsbury):
Adam Timothy, Jean Hurley, Carol Beckford, and Jabeen Qurashi (Age Friendly)

Central (Didsbury (Village and East), Old Moat and Withington:
Jean Hurley, Kate Smyth, Azima Begum, Gavin Wood, Karen Nicholson, and Hazel Allen (Age Friendly)

East (Burnage and Fallowfield):
Simon Kirby, Gavin Wood, Adam Purnell, and Hazel Allen (Age Friendly)

When you next get in touch with us about housing, we can tell you who your Housing Officer is. Your Housing Officer will also be getting in touch with you soon to introduce or reintroduce themselves!

 

Meet the team

We asked Housing Officer Gavin Wood about what these changes mean for his role:


“I have been a Housing Officer since 2007 when Southway was established. As part of the new structure, I’m going ‘back to my roots’, and managing a large chunk of the Old Moat Estate along with my colleague Azima Begum.

Though the changes within the team will take a little time to implement, in the long run, officers will have the opportunity to be seen more in the community and to be able to support tenants with any challenges and concerns they may be facing.  We are approachable and will always listen to any difficulties around Housing Management.”

 

 

We also want to thank Mike Moriarty for his 15 years as a Housing Officer! Mike has moved to the newly established role of Environment Officer:

“The changes that have been made are positive, and I look forward to seeing them help us to deliver a high-quality service and respond to customer enquiries and reduce complaints. I’m looking forward to my new role. I’ve been an Environmental Officer before so I have experience and it’ll be good for tenants to have someone with the specific duty to look after issues such as complaints about trees and boundaries.

I’ll be looking at what we can do to enhance small communal and grassed areas within budgets, working closely with colleagues to address environmental issues and creating links with Manchester City Council and other partners.”

 

We'll give more updates on the Housing Management & Support team in the new year. To speak to your Housing Officer, or access any housing services, contact the Customer Hub, who will connect you with right person in our Housing Management team.