Your Concierge Service is changing!
Have your say YHN’s Concierge Service currently provides a service to approximately 4,500 customers across the city. The Concierge Service was last reviewed in 2012 and over the last six years the demands on the service have changed. Customers who receive the Concierge Service pay an additional charge on top of their rent, so we need to make sure that the service remains fit for purpose and provides good value for money.
What does the service offer now? The service currently provides customers with a dayshift service operating from 7am – 5.30pm, where duties include cleaning and basic maintenance of the blocks, and assisting customers. There is also a response team which sees staff on hand 24/7 to do a number of jobs, such as clearing bin chutes and responding to emergencies.
What are the proposed changes? The new proposed service will mean that instead of having these duties split over two different teams (the “dayshift” and the response service) they will be combined under one role. This role will be a “Caretaker” who will have responsibility for carrying out all of the existing duties. Shift times will operate on a two week rota, Monday to Friday and Tuesday to Saturday, 8.30am till 4.30pm. This will also mean it will be the same individual members of staff at each block, unless someone needs to step in to cover things like annual leave.
consultations - find out more on our website www.yhn.org.uk.
How can I have my say? You can have your say on the review by answering the enclosed questionnaire. Send your completed questionnaire back to us in the FREEPOST envelope by Friday 8th June. You can also complete a questionnaire online at www.yhn.org.uk. All fully completed questionnaires will be entered in to a prize draw to win a £60 Intu voucher.
Will I get to vote? No, the Concierge Service needs to change to ensure it is customer focussed and affordable. We do, however, want to hear your views on the proposed changes. If you disagree with any of these proposed changes then please make sure you tell us what changes you would like instead, so we can look at other possible options. The feedback from this consultation will be considered by Newcastle City Council when making their final decisions.
The hours spent by YHN staff in blocks will not reduce if we move from the dayshift Concierge Service to new caretaker roles, in fact some blocks will see staff on site more than they do at the moment.
Will the Enquiry Centre still be there?
We are also proposing alternative arrangements for the response service to ensure all emergency situations are still responded to. Depending on the nature of the emergency, instead of sending a response officer, the most appropriate member of staff will be sent to deal with the situation straight away, this could be staff from Newcastle City Council or other appropriate agencies.
Will the response service go straightaway?
But what about ... We have pulled together answers to key questions you may have to help make things a little clearer. We will add to this throughout the
Yes, you will still be able to contact the Enquiry Centre.
No, there will be a transition period of around six to 12 months with initial changes taking place from July 2018. Gradually we will move to a providing a service where any work that needs to be done during the new shift patterns will be covered by the caretakers, and anything outside of working hours will be dealt with by the most appropriate person i.e. police, antisocial behaviour officer, Newcastle City Council security team, repairs and maintenance service etc.
YHN’s response service will operate alongside the new arrangements during a transition period.
Who will come out if there is antisocial behaviour after hours? In the short-term, the Concierge Service will deal with this, but once the changes are fully implemented the most appropriate member(s) of staff will come out.
When will the changes happen? Changes to the service will begin to take effect in July 2018 and we anticipate around six to 12 months for the new service to be fully implemented.
Who will keep a hold of my keys? This is something that YHN will no longer do as a matter of course. If you find yourself in a situation where you are locked out of your property, a joiner will be sent out to let you in, however you will be recharged for this service.
How will tailgaters be managed? Whilst the caretakers can look out for this whilst on duty, customers are reminded of their responsibility within the tenancy agreement around not allowing anyone access to communal areas or through any security doors.
Will we see the same staff in my block? Yes. Regardless of the outcome of the review, the intention is to ensure that staff have the same blocks to manage and so become familiar with the buildings and the customers who live there. There will be some exceptions to this from time to time, for example due to annual leave.
What will happen if there is an emergency? If an emergency such as a flood, fire or power cut occurs, we would be led by the relevant emergency services and the most appropriate member of YHN staff would respond if required.
Dealing with difficult situations Concierge Service staff do not currently deal directly with difficult situations, for example violent disturbances, noise violations etc. and this will not change. YHN will make a record of the incident and contact the relevant service, for example the Police, for support. During the transition period, YHN will review opportunities to work with other providers to enhance the out of hours services offered to customers
Have your say
Have your say
What if I have more questions?
If you have any further questions about the review or would like some help with completing your questionnaire, you can pop along to one of our drop in information sessions in your area. The dates, times and locations are listed below and there is a poster up in your block with details of the nearest one to you. You can also email talkaboutconcierge@yhn.org.uk.
What happens next? All customer feedback will be shared with Concierge Service staff as part of their consultation process. After this Your Homes Newcastle will review all the feedback, consider it with Newcastle City Council and use it to shape and finalise the new service. We will then feedback what customers have told us and what the new service will look like. The new service will be implemented from July 2018 onwards.
DATE
TIME
LOCATION
Monday 21 May
10.30am-12.00pm
Moorland House Community Room, Moorland House, Moulton Place, Newcastle, NE5 3RY
Tuesday 22 May
10.30am-12.00pm
Ray Gray Centre, Stotts Road, Newcastle, NE6 4UH
Tuesday 22 May
5.30pm-7.00pm
Iris Steadman House, 17 Thorpe Close, Newcastle, NE4 5HN
Wednesday 23 May
10.30am-12.00pm
Adelaide House, Community Flat, Adelaide House, Beech Street, Newcastle, NE4 8AG
Thursday 24 May
4.30pm-6.00pm
Library Community Room (Ground Floor), Outer West & North Customer Service Centre, West Denton Way, Newcastle, NE5 2QZ
Friday 25 May
10.30am-12.00pm
Fresh Student Living Community Room, Howard Street, Newcastle, NE1 2BW
Tuesday 29 May
1.30pm-3.00pm
Shieldfield Forum Café, 26 Wretham Place, Newcastle, NE2 1XU
Tuesday 29 May
5.30pm-7.00pm
Molineux Court Community Room, Molineux Court, Heaton, NE6 1SU
Wednesday 30 May
10.30am-12.00pm
Fawdon Community Centre, Fawdon Park Road, Newcastle, NE3 2PL
Wednesday 30 May
4.30pm-6.00pm
Walker Parish Church, Duncan Street, Newcastle, NE6 3BS
Thursday 31 May
1.30pm-3.00pm
The Spitler Community Centre, The Spitler, Morpeth Street, Spital Tongues, Newcastle, NE2 4AS
Friday 01 June
1.30pm-3.00pm
Scotswood Community Centre, 468-474 Armstrong Road, Newcastle, NE15 6BY
Monday 04 June
1.30pm-3.00pm
Holy Trinity Community Church, Churchill Gardens, Newcastle, NE2 1HB
Tuesday 05 June
10.30am-12.00pm
Pottery Bank Community Centre, Yelverton Crescent, Newcastle, NE6 3SW
Wednesday 06 June
10.00am-12.00pm
Community Centre attached to Oasis Café, Cruddas Park Shopping Centre, Westmorland Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 7RW
Friday 08 June
10.30am-12.00pm
MERA Community Centre, Wyndley Place, NE3 4JP
www.yhn.org.uk