Plymouth Community Homes News Issue 13 (1.3mb)

plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
A day in the life of... PCH News
Pounding the streets
in all weathers
They are instantly recognisable to local residents; big smiley faces,
cheery waves and a helpful demeanour. PCH’s Housing Officers
and Assistant Housing Officers perform a vital service for tenants.
One of the many services they provide is community walkabouts.
Communications Officer Adam Harding spent a few hours with two
of them as they carried out their visit.
Housing Officers and their assistants are
regularly seen out and about, engaging
with tenants and leaseholders to address
any concerns they may have. Each
Housing Officer has a set timetable of
community walkabouts which are published
on the PCH website, with each walkabout
lasting around two to three hours.
impressed with the cleanliness and quality,
I asked Tania about her thoughts on
community walkabouts.
“They’re a great opportunity to work with
different departments such as Rangers
and Repairs. We’re able to address and
resolve any issues quickly and in working
All smiles and waves!
“Nothing is too much trouble,” said Geoff,
“I am very pleased indeed with Tania and
Lynnsey. It is nice to know that if I did have
any issues I wanted to bring up during a
walkabout, they would be dealt with swiftly.
Tania and Lynnsey are more than just
members of PCH, they are my friends,”
he said.
We entered the final block of flats. On the
first floor, the second flat we walked past
had a PCH postcard in the window.
Each route is carried out roughly once
every six months.
I was lucky enough to shadow two officers
around Devonport – Housing Officer Tania
Trump and Assistant Housing Officer
Lynnsey Shannon – as they carried out a
walkabout.
I met the duo opposite Stonehouse
Barracks and before I could catch my
breath, I was whisked off to inspect the first
block of flats.
While I was being given the tour and shown
the quality of the communal stairwell, I
noticed that Lynnsey was scoring different
points on a list from 1-4. Curiosity aroused,
I asked her what she was doing.
“We score all of our public spaces against
a national standard – the HouseMark
standard. We then post the results online
so our residents can see how both we, and
our tenants, are performing against other
housing associations across the country.
The scoring system also acts as a way to
encourage our tenants to take ownership
and maintain their communal spaces.”
Light fixtures, graffiti, walls, stairwells,
windows, car parks, garages, lifts, litter and
security are all scored between 1-4, 1 being
bad. In this instance it was all 3s or 4s.
Leaving the first block, thoroughly
together with other departments we’re
able to make sure we’re all heading in
the same direction.
“Walkabouts also allow us to build
relationships with existing tenants and also
to welcome new tenants to the area. They
give us the opportunity to say hello and see
if there are any immediate issues that our
tenants wish to discuss with us,” said Tania.
Our walkabout led us towards a cluster of
half-house flats that are all in the process
of being repainted in pastel colours that
the tenants have been able to choose.
At this point, Tania pointed out to me the
importance of the Money Tree Fund, a pot
of PCH money individuals or groups can
bid for to help improve an area.
Tania said: “The Money Tree Fund allows
our residents to work with us to improve
the areas in which they live, meaning that
tenants want to continue living there and
shows them that we care, that we are
trying to improve their environment and are
helping to build a sense of community.”
Looking around the area, and having seen
the projects in Durnford Street flats and
gardens, I couldn’t agree more with Tania’s
words.
Geoff Moss is one resident who has
benefited from community walkabouts and
he is all in favour of them.
“The post card system that we use is a
great way of letting our residents know
of an upcoming walkabout. We usually
distribute those two days in advance, with
different people selected each time and we
include our phone number at the bottom,”
said Tania.
Lynnsey, clip board and score sheet in
hand, added: “Since the post cards have
been introduced, there has been an
increase in residents getting involved and
because we invite different residents on
every walkabout, it is nice to meet new
faces.”
Post cards are dropped to randomly
selected properties allowing the resident
to display them in their windows if they
would like to see a Housing Officer during a
walkabout.
Leaving Tania and Lynnsey to speak with
a tenant, I had the chance to think about
everything that I had seen along the
way. It became clear pretty quickly that
the responsibilities afforded to Housing
Officers and Assistant Housing Officers are
vast. They are expected to do a daunting
amount of tasks, but they choose to take
on so much more to help out their tenants.
It can be a thankless role at times, but
after all I have witnessed, they truly are the
unsung heroes of PCH.
15