Strengthening community ties
Rooftop has formed a new Customer Engagement Team to strengthen connections between the communities we serve. This team plays a crucial role in engaging with our customers, ensuring their voices are heard and that their feedback helps shape Rooftop's future initiatives and services.
The team's primary goal is to create opportunities for customers to influence Rooftop's work by taking part in various projects, including focus groups, surveys, and policy reviews. By encouraging meaningful dialogues and building relationships between customers and colleagues, the team aims to improve the overall customer experience and ensure they play an important role in shaping Rooftop's decisions.
The team has already engaged with customers and made an impact since it was formed in October of 2024.
Customers have contributed to improving our Aids and Adaptations Policy and Procedure, and we also worked with them to get their thoughts on Unacceptable Behaviour and how we should act on it. Their feedback has directly influenced executive-level decisions on how we manage challenging situations in the future.
The team is committed to working with customers, colleagues, and volunteers to build stronger and more connected communities.
If you want to help shape the future of your community, we'd love to hear from you! Join us as an engaged customer and be part of the change -- together, we can create a better community for everyone.
Leading this initiative is Sophie Round, who has over 20 years of experience in customer services. She was previously a Neighbourhoods Team Leader and Housing Officer at Rooftop and brings expertise in co-regulation -working closely with customers to create meaningful change.
Sophie is passionate about turning customer insights into real influence and improving the overall services.
How to get involved?
From April 2025, we will be recruiting new members to our Customer Scrutiny Panel, which meets fortnightly to review our services and protocols to ensure we are accountable for our promises to customers.
If you would like to be an engaged customer or join our Customer Scrutiny Panel, please get in touch with us on: 01386 420 800 or email enquiries@rooftopgroup.org and request to be contacted by a member of the Customer Engagement Team.
Multilingual Chat Box on website
If you are a non-English speaker and would like to discuss your rent with us, please use the Multilingual Chat Box on our website to speak to our Income team. You can ask us questions in any of the following languages:
Arabic Chinese Simplified Chinese Traditiona Croatian French Hindi Japanese Norwegian Portuguese Spanish Thai Welsh
Danish German Italian Korean Polishl Russian Swedish Vietnamese
A big
to our volunteers
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our incredible volunteers and Volunteer Coordinator, John Sanders for their dedication in 2024.
Together, our volunteers contributed a remarkable 1,871 hours, marking a 10% increase compared to the previous year. Special recognition goes to five volunteers who each dedicated over 100 hours to support our initiatives. With 21 volunteers currently, and two more set to join soon, we are grateful for their time, passion, and commitment.
Your contributions continue to make a positive impact on our community.
Photo caption:
01: Garden planted and maintained by volunteers David and Carolyn Dickens in Cherry Orchard House
02: Volunteer Chris Stockman (right) and Rooftop Chief Executive Boris Worrall attend the Armistice service in Cherry Orchard House
03: NHS Worcestershire Van visits various schemes from September to December, providing NHS health checks, GP registration support, signposting advice to our customers
04: Picnic day organisated and supported by volunteers Danny Walker and Sue Harness in Ferry View
05: Volunteer-led coffee mornings held at Parsons Gardens and The Court in Broadway to raise funds for Macmillan. Thanks Judith Morris and Ruth Davenport for organising the event and for the delicious cakes
06: 'Elvis' with volunteer Danny Walker in Ferry View
Rooftop’s commitment to vulnerability
We understand that life brings challenges, and sometimes, you might need a little extra support or adjustments made either temporarily or permanently. That’s why we’re here to help. We believe in supporting and treating everyone as an individual, making sure you can access our services fairly and without added stress.
What does vulnerability mean?
Vulnerability isn’t always about having a specific condition like a disability or illness. It can happen to anyone, at any time, due to life events like bereavement, mental health challenges, financial difficulties, or other changes. Sometimes, these situations make managing your home harder.
How do we identify vulnerability?
You might not always feel ready to share personal details. We try to identify signs during our daily contact, like when you report a repair, sign up for housing or talk to us about an issue. Our colleagues throughout Rooftop may ask questions to understand your needs better.
How we support you?
We listen to you, take the time to understand your circumstances and work with you to make sure you’re getting suitable services. We will: Recognise when you might need extra help
Record your needs carefully and securely
Respond by making reasonable adjustments to support you.
We handle your personal information with care, following strict data protection rules. We’ll only use it to provide the support you need and make sure it’s kept up-to-date.
We’re here for you
If you’re feeling vulnerable or need extra support, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Email: enquiries@rooftopgroup.org Tel: 01386 420 800
Listening, understanding and responding
Our colleagues across different teams are committed to listening and understanding to provide meaningful support when customers needed most.
Addressing Financial Challenges
One recent success involved resolving a joint tenancy issue. A customer with rent arrears and ill health was stuck in temporary accommodation while the second customer needed sole responsibility of the property. By working with the local authority, the Income Team secured a Discretionary Housing Payment and reduced arrears, enabling the first customer to secure stable housing and the remaining customer to move forward with a sole tenancy.
In another case, a veteran with a mental health condition faced eviction due to arrears. The team revisited the local authority with a referral, resulting in funding to clear the debt and giving the customer a fresh start, avoiding eviction.
Offering practical support
Our Neighbourhood Housing Officer also support when customers face challenging circumstances.
In one case, a resident was reported to be living in distressing conditions, and having insects in their home. After coordinating with the police and gaining the customer’s trust, we arranged a clean-up, plumbing repairs and uncapping of gas services. Regular visits have been arranged to ensure everything is fine with the customer.
These examples demonstrate how our teams listen, understand, deliver the support our customers need and help rebuild stability for them.
Rooftop
Raising funds and honouring veterans on Remembrance Day
On 8 November, 2024, nine colleagues from Rooftop undertook a challenging 20-mile walk from Worcester to Evesham to raise funds for a local military charity. They carried a combined weight of 40kg. A weight a soldier might bear in fitness training and combat.
After completing the journey in 7 hours 10 minutes, the group successfully raised £1,037.10 to support Stepway, a military charity in Worcestershire that aids veterans and their families in transitioning to civilian life.
This fundraising event is part of Rooftop’s broader commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community. As a signatory of the Armed Forced Covenant (AFC), the Evesham-based housing association has actively worked on projects like St. Helena Court in Norton to provide housing for veterans. Rooftop was awarded bronze status in the AFC Employer Recognition Scheme in September 2023, reflecting our ongoing effort.
New homes coming...
We’re excited to introduce two developments set to launch in the first half of this year: Crown Close in Bishop’s Cleeve and Ash Meadows in Broomhall Way. Together, these two developments will deliver 120 good quality homes for social rent and shared ownership.
For rent:
Please contact the Lettings Team: lettings.web@rooftopgroup.org For shared ownership:
Please contact the Sales Team: sales@rooftopgroup.org or call 01386 420837 (Mon to Fri).
For development details please check our website: www.rooftopgroup.org
Avoid recharges when ending your tenancy
At Rooftop, we want to help you avoid unnecessary recharges by focusing on two key areas: clearing your property and disposing of waste responsibly. Clear your property before moving
To avoid recharges, ensure your property is left in good condition. Recharges occur when repairs or clearance are required, and these costs are added as debts. Social housing providers, including Rooftop, may refuse future housing applications if debts are unpaid.
Your Neighbourhood Housing Officer will visit before you hand over the keys. The visit helps identify any issue to address, saving you unnecessary costs and ensuring a smooth tenancy end. Follow the end-of-tenancy guidance on our website's 'Moving Out' section to avoid recharges. Dispose of waste responsibly
Fly-tipping is a serious tenancy breach and can lead to legal action, fines or even imprisonment. Cost for clearing dumped waste will be charged to your rent account. Reports may also result in Environmental Health Agency involvement.
Crown Close, Bishops Cleeve