COPING WITH COVID
WORKING TO KEEP YOU SAFE accentgroup.org
THE PAST FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS HAVE HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON US ALL. We’ve all seen the alarming speed at which the coronavirus spread across the world, and we’ve all had to change the way we live our lives.
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But, one thing that hasn’t changed during this time is our commitment to you.
One thing that COVID-19 hasn’t changed during this time is our commitment to you.
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Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working in our bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, or kids’ rooms, following the government’s guidelines for home working to find new ways of delivering your services. We’ve provided as many services as possible, by finding new ways of working and using our technology to keep our relationship with you. We decided to work from home just before lockdown, and even mobilised our contact centre team to work in this way in just four days. We know if we have a safe and happy team, we can provide the best service to you. That’s why we didn’t furlough any of our staff. Instead, we changed the way we work to deliver the best services to you. One downside to working from home is that we are really missing our contact with you. You can still talk to us, our contact centre team are here, but our customer partners, surveyors and other staff who are often out and about really can’t wait to get out and see you again. The whole point of our service offer, the Accent Partnership, is to be out and about and talking to you, and the day we can safely do that again really can’t come soon enough.
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The day when we can meet safely with you again really can’t come soon enough.
Our contact centre team have been working to keep you happy during lockdown and your satisfaction with call handling seems to show that with an average score of 4.5 out of 5.
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We had to put some services on hold, such as non-emergency repairs and planned improvements for instance, a few weeks ago but, as the restrictions begin to lift, we are working with our contractors, staff and partners to restart some of these services. Whatever the next few weeks and months bring, our promise is always to provide you with safe, secure and quality homes and services. If there is anything at all we can take from all this, it is how quickly we have been able to adapt. We will use what we’ve learned, and the changes we’ll make, to improve your services in future. In the meantime, here’s a little of what we’ve been doing to help keep you safe, and how we will work to restart our services over the next few weeks.
Claire Stone Executive Director of Customer Experience
CONTENTS WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO SUPPORT YOU?
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Welfare Calls
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Financial Help - No Homes Lost
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Keeping Up Essential Services
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Looking After Our Older Residents
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WHAT’S NEXT?
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Our Promise To You
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Repairs Update
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A New And Improved Repairs Service
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If In Doubt, Keep Them Out
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Living With Domestic Abuse
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A Basic Right - Helping The Trussell Trust
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OUR SERVICE IN A SNAPSHOT
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S O T E N O D E W E V A H WHAT WELFARE CALLS
FINANCIAL HELP - NO HOMES LOST
Once we began to work from home, our customer partners and contact centre team started calling to check in on you, just to make sure things were okay. Our most vulnerable residents, or those of you who live alone came first. So far we have spoken to over 5,000 of you by telephone. We’ve been offering help, advice or just a chat if that’s what you need, and we’ve had some really lovely thank you messages so far. These calls are still continuing, so if you haven’t received one yet, you will shortly.
At the start of lockdown, we promised that while it continued, no resident would lose their home because they can’t pay their rent.
If there’s something you need, or you have any concerns, we’re still here, please just call us.
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n I’ve bee y e o s e m unable t y ll h is rea son whic am g me. I affectin from the call r o f l u f thank nted I just wa , t n e c c A it to talk someone with. through
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We are here to make sure people stay in their homes, and we’ll offer you all the support you need to make sure this happens. We know the economic impacts of the virus run far and deep. Our figures show that 603 of you have had to claim Universal Credit since lockdown began. If you are having money worries, you are not alone. We can help. We know asking for help can be hard. That’s why we have published some frequently asked questions on our website. These answer some of the questions we’ve been asked the most. Our specialist income team is here to help you manage your tenancy and your finances. Please get in touch if you want to talk to someone.
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Thank you for the call. It shows Accent cares about residents. I haven’t spoken to anyone for a few days so it’s nic e to have a general chat with someone.
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I care for my wife a nd support m y son who has now b een diagn osed with canc er. I’m re ally grateful f or the ca ll and it sh ows that people car e. 4
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DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE CREATED A ‘USEFUL LINKS’ PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE? IT LINKS TO HELP AND ADVICE FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS, LOCAL COUNCILS AND MUCH MORE.
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KEEPING UP ESSENTIAL SERVICES
LOOKING AFTER OUR OLDER RESIDENTS
Following government guidance, we switched to an emergency only repairs service in March. This meant we paused planned works such as kitchen or bathroom upgrades, estate maintenance, such as grass cutting, or repairs which didn’t pose a threat to your safety.
We have around 3,000 residents who live in our independent living schemes. As these schemes are mainly home to some of our older residents, we knew we had to provide extra support during this time.
Thank you for your support with the changes we’ve had to make to our services, you’ve helped to keep people safe.
To help stop the virus spreading in our schemes, we closed our communal lounges and stopped social activities. This has been really hard for some residents, but we had to try and keep everyone safe.
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We kept up with our safety checks, such as gas servicing and fire safety tests, and cleaning in communal areas in extra care and independent living schemes.
We worked with our contractors to make sure they followed social distancing guidelines and used the correct PPE (personal protective equipment) when carrying out their work. Safety checks are vital. They help to protect you, your family and your neighbours. We are continuing with these and our contractors will be in touch to arrange these appointments when they are due. Please let them in when they visit. You’ll be given notice of an appointment and we’ll talk you through how the visit will work to make sure we can practice social distancing. We have worked hard over the last few weeks with our contractors, to make sure the measures they have in place for carrying out their work keep you as safe as possible.
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DID YOU KNOW WE CREATED A CORONAVIRUS AREA ON OUR WEBSITE TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE WITH ALL OUR LATEST NEWS? VIEW IT HERE
All our contractors will wear appropriate PPE. There is no exception to this rule. If PPE isn’t used, or you feel at risk in any other way, please let us know straight away. Our contractors must never risk your health or safety.
Thanks to your support and understanding in these uncertain times, we’ve still been able to carry out gas and safety checks to help keep you and your families safe.
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Our scheme managers are continuing to visit their schemes to carry out those all important safety checks, and our teams are carrying out daily welfare calls to make sure you have help if you need it. We have also stepped up our scheme cleaning routines, making sure things we touch often, like handrails, door handles etc., are kept especially clean and sanitised. We have also kept the laundry areas open, helping you to use them as safely as possible.
Our scheme managers are still carrying out safety checks, and our teams are carrying out welfare calls to make sure you have help if you need it. We haven’t closed our communal gardens as we know they are a lifeline to some of you for fresh air and exercise. Social distancing presented us with some problems, but we’ve worked hard to make access to our gardens as fair and as safe as possible for everyone.
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It’s been hard, but be proud that you have helped to keep you and your neighbours safe.
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WHAT’S NEXT? NORMAL SERVICE RESUMED
OUR PROMISE TO YOU We are now planning to re-start all our repairs. These are the dates we have planned but they are for guidance. We work across the country so we need to bear in mind that areas are being affected differently by the virus. We will always take account of government and local council guidance. We are now taking calls for non-urgent repairs, but we are not making appointments for these to be done yet. It’s really important that we wait until we can fix these properly when it is safe to do so. You might ask why then would we take the calls? That’s so we know exactly what non-urgent repairs are needed and we can make sure we get to the most important ones first. You can register your non-urgent repairs using this form on our website.
‘GENERAL NEEDS’ HOMES
(homes which are not especially designed, built, adapted or managed for residents with needs)
We hope to start planned maintenance work from 1 August 2020. If your home is due for any improvement work, we will contact you in July.
Outside communal repairs:
Where we could safely socially distance, we restarted some of our grounds maintenance, other estates services and lift maintenance at the end of April. At present, we might not be able to deliver these exactly as before. One reason is, for example, that grass cuttings can’t always be removed if refuse centres have not re-opened.
week commencing 25 May 2020
Outside individual repairs: week commencing 25 May 2020
We are also working in some of our empty (void) homes to get them ready for letting to new residents. We are now starting to let our homes again. The process will be a bit different for a while, we won’t be showing people round and we’ll have to keep our distance. If you see us carrying out a viewing, don’t worry, we are being careful, but please don’t approach us, we still have to follow the rules for social distancing.
Inside communal repairs: week commencing 1 June 2020
Inside individual repairs:
week commencing 8 June 2020
INDEPENDENT LIVING AND EXTRA CARE SCHEMES
Outside communal repairs: week commencing 13 July 2020
Outside individual repairs: week commencing 13 July 2020
Inside communal repairs: 20 July 2020
Inside individual repairs: 27 July 2020
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Although we are keen to re-start our repairs, your safety will always come first and these dates could change if we are ever concerned you might not be safe.
There are lots of people waiting to find their new home with us who we hope we can help soon.
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When we start up our repairs, it may mean our service isn’t the same across everywhere for the time being, just while everything settles down.
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We are also about to start surveys in some of our communal areas. Our partner Savills will be carrying these out for us. When you see contractors on your estate, and our surveyors who will soon be out and about assessing repairs, please respect social distancing and don’t approach them. If you have any questions or issues with the work they are doing, please get in touch.
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A NEW AND IMPROVED REPAIRS SERVICE Over the next few months, we will be working to improve your repairs service. We will have better ways of diagnosing and scheduling repairs, and we will make sure we listen carefully to your suggestions on how we can improve even further. Our staff will be able to raise repairs on site, so we can make appointments with you there and then. We are really excited about the changes and we’ll keep you updated as they happen.
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Did you know we have made some simple ‘how to’ repair videos? From bleeding a radiator to changing a fuse. If you feel comfortable doing small things around your home, find out more here.
With our new and improved repairs service, our staff will be able to raise repairs whilst out and about and make appointments for the work to be done there and then.
IF IN DOUBT, KEEP THEM OUT Sadly, although the Coronavirus has brought out the best in community spirit in many of us, it has also brought out the worst in some. Please be careful with bogus callers, we are getting lots of reports of them at present. Always check people are who they say and, if you’re not sure, don’t let them in. Our contractors and staff will always be happy to show you their identification. If someone says they are our contractor working on our behalf, but you’re not sure, contact us and we’ll be happy to check for you. 8
LIVING WITH DOMESTIC ABUSE
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Every year, almost two million people in the country are victims of domestic abuse. Sadly, the lockdown has seen a rise in all forms of abuse, as one of the means people often use to escape it is to seek the help of relatives or friends. For people living in flats without access to gardens or fresh air, the pressure has become worse and, in some cases, where the home was normal and happy before, things have since changed. By offering support, carrying out welfare checks, and just being there when we are needed, we can get involved in these situations early, and help to protect children and adults from all forms of abuse. We are working to get our first accreditation in this area and we will continue to support whoever needs us. If you are worried about someone, call us, or the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247, so you, or someone you know, can get the help they need.
A BASIC – HELPINRIGHT TRUSSEL G THE L TRUST One of the things
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OUR SERVICE IN STOP Activities not happening:
GETTING READY Activities we are working on resuming:
GO Work which is happening:
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FACE TO FACE MEETINGS
NONEMERGENCY REPAIRS
EMERGENCY REPAIRS ESTATE SERVICES
N A SNAPSHOT OFFICE WORKING
HOME VISITS
PLANNED MAINTENANCE
LETTINGS
SAFETY WORK
COMMUNAL CLEANING
EMPTY PROPERTY WORK
LIFT MAINTENANCE
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STAY IN TOUCH T: 0345 678 0555 E: customerservices@accentgroup.org @accenthousing /accenthousing
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