At South Liverpool Homes, the Customer Services Committee has reached its one-year mark since its launch in January 2023. Made up of dedicated members like Tracey Hindley, Adenson Gumbo, Michael Gore, Michael Rickett, and Debbie Rees-Armstrong, who leads the committee and sits on the board, this group plays a crucial role in connecting our tenant scrutiny panel with the board.
Read MoreCHANW Members Sign Legal Services Agreement With Brabners
The Community Housing Associations North West (CHANW) network of 19 smaller housing providers has successfully negotiated a collective discounted cost for their legal services. Tailored to our network's needs, we have been able to work with Brabners on the new legal services agreement, which demonstrates real value for money for all members.
By working collectively, we've achieved a scale that we couldn't do working alone, which has delivered considerable savings and made high-quality legal advice more accessible and affordable than ever before.
This collaboration ensures that all members of the CHANW network can benefit from cost-effective legal support. This initiative reflects our commitment to driving efficiencies and lowering costs for our members and shows how by working together, we can achieve more.
Prima Group | The Big Door Knock
After the COVID pandemic, several heart-breaking stories in the media and the ongoing cost of living crisis, it was clear to us at Prima Group that we needed to change how we engaged with residents. In March 2023, Prima Group started the Big Door Knock.
Read MoreQ&A | Tara Horner, Arawak Walton.
Because we're a relatively small organisation, my remit is pretty wide-ranging. I manage a team of generic housing officers, who for their part, deliver all of the organisations housing management functions to our general needs tenants. Allocations & Lettings, Income Management, Neighbour Nuisance and Anti-Social Behaviour, Tenancy Management, Community Engagement - they do it all!
Read MoreQ&A | Jodie Williams, Warrington Housing Association.
Jodie Williams | Warrington Housing Association | Performance & Policy Officer
JW: Calculating performance data for internal and external management of business performance and attainment of targets, goals and values. In this new position, the role is still developing. I am involved with software, our Colleague Newsletter, Colleague Forum and other exciting and important aspects of Corporate Services.
What’s the best part of your job?
JW: Learning how to help colleagues so they can best be themselves and do their job to provide a quality service for the benefit of customers, their health and happiness.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your role since the beginning of the pandemic?
JW: I have no pre-pandemic benchmark for my current job role. I started at WHA as an Asset & Compliance Apprentice at the beginning of the pandemic. I have been in my current role as Performance & Policy Officer since June 2021. However, a challenge I have observed is the growing demand on colleagues/teams to maintain services, the pursuit of business plans, targets and values as customer needs continue to grow, whether this be a primary or secondary cause of the pandemic or despite the pandemic. These challenges could be related to physical health, mental health, the material supply chain, employment, financial support, carbon output, compliance, building safety etc.
What’s a valuable lesson you’ve learnt during the pandemic?
JW: That there are more people, organisations and sectors out there who care about doing what they believe to be right by our people and spaces than I had previously thought. I am not yet sure if there is a single best step to take in empowering people, but I believe that the more people who care about trying to with the ability and willingness to stand, work, share, listen, learn, rest and take accountability then there's a better chance of promoting and protecting the health, safety and futures of everyone present and future. A better chance than if we didn't try at all, or if we only tried alone or against others who are trying to pursue the same goals as you/us.
If you had to choose one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
JW: Spiced sweet potato and coconut soup.
Who would be your perfect celebrity dinner guest and why?
JW: A financially, resource or authority rich celebrity who is willing and able to have a meal with anyone and everyone who is in or is facing food insecurity, this meal would not require the physical presence of the celebrity anywhere other than where they currently reside. The celebrity would make all arrangements and cover any costs to make this meal as sustainable as possible for all individuals and all surrounding social and physical landscapes. My reasoning is that this seems like a fairly meaningful use of a limited opportunity if it were just one dinner and one celebrity.
Favourite band or artist?
JW: My music presence jumps around a little, I'm less concerned with a particular band or artist and more so with what sounds feel right in the moment. I don't have a favourite artist, or even a top-five, though I do appreciate the art and the humanity surrounding the creation of the sound.