As the Prime Minister confirmed earlier this month, we have now moved to the final stage of the government’s roadmap, transitioning out of lock down from 19 July 2021.
We want to ensure the safety of our customers and colleagues, and we will continue to consider the ongoing impact of Covid-19. As we move ahead, we need to do this in a way that recognises the risks that still exist to those who continue to shield, those who are unable to have vaccinations and those who are still waiting to be double vaccinated.
In line with the latest government guidance that wearing a face covering can help reduce your risk, and the risk to others, in some environments we may continue to ask you to wear a mask when our operatives attend your home to carry out a repair. Our teams will continue to use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure their visit to your home is undertaken safely.
We also ask that if you or a family member are self-isolating or have Covid-19 symptoms can you please contact us to re-arrange any booked appointments for repairs or planned visits.
We are offering customers our full range of services, and please see our update below:
Repairs
We are operating a full repairs service and prioritising emergency and urgent repairs. For routine repairs, we are seeing some significant delays.
We are working hard to get to you, and whilst we have brought in additional contractors to help us work through this, it will still take a little time before our service is fully back to normal.
Increasing numbers of our operatives are being impacted by NHS “Track and Trace” and are having to self-isolate at home. This means that some repairs are being cancelled at short notice and subsequently rearranged. We understand how frustrating this can be, particularly when we know you will have waited some time for the work to be done, and we are really sorry if this impacts on you.
When you request a repair, we will look to provide you with our earliest possible appointment date. For routine repairs, currently this is between six to eight weeks. We expect it will take us until the Autumn 2021 to catch-up with the current backlog of repairs work. We really appreciate your continued patience and would ask you to bear with us please.
Kitchen and bathroom replacements
Our programme for replacing kitchens and bathrooms is up and running and we will contact you to arrange a date and time for when our teams are planning work for your home.
Contacting us
Our Customer Service teams are available from 8am – 5pm Monday to Friday by telephone.
We are getting a high volume of calls just now and you might experience a delay in getting through to us. We understand this can be frustrating, so our call back option is a great way to avoid you spending time on hold waiting for our advisers. Your call back is automated, so you don’t lose your place in the queue.
There is lots of information available on our website to help you with everyday items around your home. If you do need to contact us, you might find it quicker to contact us on our website, or social media.
Neighbourhoods
Our Neighbourhood teams have returned to our communities to deliver both essential and non-essential services for customers. We are supporting lots of customers right now, and our website has lots of useful information on how to access our services.
Moving home and mutual exchanges
We are pleased to update you that there are no delays to letting our homes to customers. We are accepting mutual exchange requests and our team is working hard to process a very large number of requests we have received. At the moment, mutual exchange applications may take slightly longer. Where possible, we will use technology to help with digital viewings and tenancy signups to speed up the process and avoid any physical contact to keep everyone safe.
Support for you
We appreciate that times remain difficult for many of our customers and we want you to know that our teams are here to help.
If you have any concerns or are struggling to manage and need some help and advice, please contact our Tenancy Sustainment team on the following numbers:
West of England and Somerset Duty Line – 01934 526 444.
Devon and Cornwall Duty Line – 01392 302 444.
You can also visit our website for more advice and information. On our website you can also complete an online self-referral form.
Community development
Our Communities team have been carefully risk assessing a range of activities and support for customers in local communities. We have lots of activities and events planned over the summer months and our teams will be in contact in the coming weeks with more details. Also keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for news and updates.
Communal areas
We are pleased to advise you that we are re-opening our communal facilities and spaces after the government’s latest update that all restrictions have been lifted. Our Housing teams are already contacting customers at our schemes with information about their communal area and steps once they are reopened to keep everyone safe.
Whilst the government’s latest guidelines have removed all restrictions, we will be respectful of the fact that some of our customers will wish to continue wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing measures. If infection rates significantly increase at a local level and impact on a scheme or a communal space, then we may have to review our decision to protect our customers and colleagues. Any decisions we make will be done at a local level and our Housing team will keep you fully informed.
We will continue to monitor any further government announcements and will keep you updated on any changes to our service. Whilst life is returning to normal for many, we appreciate this remains a challenging time and we thank you for your continued support.