news Summer Festival fun - Plymouth Community Homes

news
Issue 12
Autumn 2012
Summer
Festival fun
Inside: at work with a Ranger

Welcome
Elaine Pellow,
Chair of the Board
Itʼs been a busy summer
– what with the Jubilee
and then the Olympics –
and PCH staged its own
ʻOlympicsʼ at its summer
festival in August.
Hundreds of you turned
out for the event at
Woodview Learning
Complex and it was a
successful and enjoyable
day. It gave staff a chance
to explain the services on
offer from PCH and gave
residents a chance to tell
staff what you like about us – and how you think
we can improve. You can read all about it – and
see the photos on pages 8 and 9.
One family tell us how their life has changed
thanks to moving to a bigger home. Read their
story on page 3.
Weʼre always keen to tell you how our staff work to
serve you better. On page 10, Adam Harding gets
an insight into the role of the new rangers as he
spends a day with one of them. And on page 15,
staff in our repairs contact centre tell us about the
difference they make.
On a sad note, I was very upset to hear of the
death of Peter Ebsworth, the first Chair of PCH.
He was very involved with the stock transfer and
guided us through the first couple of years. Although
he stood down as Chair last year, he remained an
active board member.
As always, if you have any suggestions for news
articles for your newsletter, please do email us at:
news@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk.
What’s
inside...
3 Home conversions
4 News in Brief
7 A tribute to Peter Ebsworth
8 Summer Festival fun
10 A Rangerʼs work
11 Whitleigh consultation
12 PCH play strategy
12 Leaseholder Handbook
13 Home improvements
13 Weston Mill makeover
14 A helping hand
15 Repairs contact centre
4
9
13
10
2 PCH Newsletter | Autumn 2012 Call us on 0800 694 3101

Space to spread out
after 16 years
The conversion of two flats into a fivebedroom
house has meant a family of six
can finally live in comfort – 16 years after
they first joined the housing register.
Therese and Joseph Coutts and their four children –
ranging in age from 7 to 18 years old – have moved
into a newly-converted home in Honicknowle.
The property was previously two separate flats but we
decided to convert them into a family home, which are
in high demand around Plymouth.
The family were previously living in a three-bed flat
without any outdoor space – they now have use of a
garden. Therese said: “We were living in each otherʼs
pockets before. We couldnʼt believe it when we found
out weʼd got the house. Weʼd bid on a few and got
turned down.
“We didnʼt think weʼd stand a chance of getting this
one. Itʼs lovely round here. I donʼt hear the kids
anymore – theyʼve all got their own space. There are
no arguments!”
This is the first such conversion we have done – with
more planned in the coming months.
Tim Phillips, Housing Choices Manager for PCH, said:
“This is part of PCHʼs response to helping tenants
who are overcrowded. Taking action like this can really
meet the needs of larger families.
“Itʼs all part of our ambitious programme to convert a
number of flats into larger homes over the next 12
months. We know there are a lot of tenants who are
living in overcrowded conditions and as a good
landlord we want to do something about it.”
“ Taking action like this can really
meet the needs of larger families ”
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Autumn 2012 | PCH Newsletter 3

News in
Brief
Ernesettle Archive
Did you live in Ernesettle in the 1950s and 1960s?
Can you remember what the area was like back
then?
The Ernesettle Archive is researching and publishing
a social history of the area. Itʼs looking for memories
and photos and publishes a newsletter – Up the
Creek – containing highlights so far.
A monthly drop in takes place at Ernesettle Library
for anyone interested in researching local history or
sharing memories.
If you have a story to tell, an old photo to lend or
would like to contribute any other information,
please ring 07513 727580 or email
ernesettlearchive@hotmail.com. There is also a
Facebook group called Ernesettle Archive.
The group meets on the last Wednesday of every
month at 2pm in Ernesettle Library.
Training triumph for
contractor PiLON
One of the firms responsible for installing kitchens
and bathrooms in tenantsʼ homes has won a major
training award.
Specialist housing refurbishment and building
business PiLON has been awarded the prestigious
Construction News Training Award. PiLON is
working as a sub-contractor for Keepmoat/Apollo.
PiLON recently opened an Innovation, Training and
Vetting Centre for its 500-strong team, with all staff
having a training action plan. John Chenneour, PCH
Team Leader for Internal Works, said: “Itʼs great
news that PiLONʼs commitment to training has
been recognised. Theyʼre doing a good job on our
Decent Homes programme and are continuing to
meet their weekly targets.”
Annual Report 2011/12
Our Annual Report for 2011/12 is due to be mailed
out to you in the coming weeks.
Please do have a look at it as we have continued to
work hard delivering the promises made to you as
part of the stock transfer in 2009. In fact, up until the
end of March 2011, we are happy to say that we have
met 70% of the promises we made, which leaves
just 37 out of 125 to be completed before the end of
November 2014.
The report features some of the key improvements
weʼve made over the past year and also explains
our approach to value for money.
This yearʼs report is in a different format. It has been
written by residents who have been out and about
speaking to PCH managers about their achievements
and successes during the year. The residents also
helped to shape the style of the report which hopefully
helps to make it an easy and interesting read.
We are always open to suggestions from you about
ideas that you would like to see as well as what you
would like to hear about in next yearʼs report so if you
do have any comments, please tear-off the pre-paid
feedback form at the back of the report, fill it out and
pop it in the post to us. We want to hear what you
have to say so all forms received will be entered into
a free prize draw to win £50 of shopping vouchers.
Revamp is complete
A refurbishment contract to install insulation to
Ridge House, in Lipson, has been finished.
Our contractor Anglian began work on site earlier
this spring to insulate the three-storey, six-flat
building. Improvements include the replacement of
windows, front and rear doors, roofing and a new
magnolia overcladding system.
4 PCH Newsletter | Autumn 2012 Call us on 0800 694 3101

Change at the top
PCHʼs Director of Property
Services, Martin Snell, is retiring
after more than 40 years of
working for us and the council
before transfer.
Martin joined Plymouth City
Council as an apprentice joiner
and carpenter and worked his
way up over the years.
He was responsible for setting up
the Window Factory and went on
to become Manufacturing Services
Manager before becoming
Assistant Director of Housing at
Plymouth City Council and then
transferring to PCH.
Clive Turner, Chief Executive of
PCH, said: “In the eight years that
I have known him, Martin has
been fantastic to work with.
“Heʼs also made a massive
contribution to ensuring PCH gets
off to such a successful start,
especially with our Decent Homes
work and the improvements to
our repairs service.”
Martinʼs departure will mean a
change to the structure of our
executive management team.
Mike Knowles, who is currently
North Prospect Regeneration
Project Director, will become
Director of Regeneration and
Development.
Direct Debit payments make life easier
David Williams is the first winner of our Direct Debit prize draw. David,
of West Park, scooped £100 of Love2Shop vouchers simply by signing
up to pay his rent and service charges by Direct Debit.
David, who has been a PCH tenant for more than four years, said: “I
never win anything so I was really pleased to win this.
“Paying by Direct Debit is easy and convenient and means I donʼt
miss a payment. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Everyone who pays by Direct Debit for at least three months will be
entered into the quarterly prize draw. New Direct Debit customers
receive a £10 voucher now plus a £20 voucher next April if the Direct
Debit continues until March.
Existing Direct Debit customers get a £30 voucher next April if the
Direct Debit continues until March.
If you would like to pay by Direct Debit, pick up a form from your local
housing office or the service information centre in Frankfort Gate. You
can also obtain a form online at www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Chair’s feedback:
June ‘Open’
Board meeting
In the last Newsletter we
advertised the June Board
meeting as an ʻOpenʼ Board
meeting where tenants and
leaseholders were invited to
come along and observe. Board
members would like to thank
those who came along. We
really enjoyed having people
observe our meeting, and hope
to repeat the experience again
in the future.
The people who attended the
meeting were asked to feed
back their thoughts, along with
any questions they might have.
Generally people seem to have
found the experience interesting,
and a good opportunity to see
part of our decision making
process in operation.
There were a number of
questions. One attendee wanted
to know how the Board
considered the value for money
of any proposal. The answer to
this is that the member of staff
who prepares the report will
include information about cost,
performance and impact on
services to help the Board make
a decision.
Another attendee wanted to
know if each Board member has
a specific area of work they are
responsible for. The answer to
this is that while Board
members are recruited for the
skills and experience that they
have, which they use when
discussing reports and making
decisions, they do not have
specific areas of the business
to cover. The Board members
are collectively responsible for
the decision that they make.
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Autumn 2012 | PCH Newsletter 5

News in
Brief
Loft insulation
PCH is continuing the green theme with plans for
more loft insulations to be carried out in homes.
Information is being sent out regarding the project.
All loft insulations will be completed free of charge
to you. Loft insulation increases energy efficiency
and means lower heating bills.
You will be notified by us in partnership with our
approved installers, The Mark Group, who have
provided a dedicated Tenant Liaison Officer to the
project to help answer any questions.
PCH will support vulnerable residents to ensure
equality of access and provide extra help where
required.
New vans for window and
door team
PCH takes over grounds
maintenance
Plymouth Community Homesʼ Environmental Services
department will be providing the grounds maintenance
service from 1 November.
The service is provided by Plymouth City Council at
the moment.
PCH will be looking after the communal grounds in
the south of the city, which we own. The communal
grounds in the north of the city are still owned by the
city council, who will continue to carry out grounds
maintenance work on their land.
Some communal land around bungalows in the
north of the city is owned by PCH and we will be
maintaining that. The Environmental Services
department will be monitoring quality and performance
of the service through regular checks and resident
feedback card drops.
We want to hear what you think about the service
when we take it over, so please let us know your
thoughts by contacting Environmental Services on
0800 917 9455.
Have Your Say
meetings
Two new vans have been specially built for our
PVCu Window and Door Installation team.
The vehicles, both Fiats, were built to our
specification at Vospers Body Shop in Estover.
The vans allow a greater load capacity enabling
them to carry PVCu windows and doors to site
safely and efficiently.
They are built to the latest European emissions
standards and the bodies are partly made of
aluminium, allowing them to be recycled.
The Window Factory, based at Prince Rock,
produces PVCu windows and doors for tenantsʼ
homes and also sells to the general public.
Have Your Say meetings will be taking place in
the coming weeks and months.
The meetings, attended by PCH, the police and
Plymouth City Council, are a chance for residents
to air any community issues.
The next Estover meeting takes place on
Wednesday 17 October at 6.30pm in the Elm
Community Centre, Leypark Walk.
Ernesettle will also have its meeting on Wednesday
17 October, in St Aidanʼs Church Hall, Hornchurch
Road, from 6.30pm. Ernesettleʼs first meeting of
2013 is on Wednesday 16 January from 6.30pm
at the church hall.
The next Devonport meeting is on Thursday 18
October at the Welcome Hall in Fore Street,
Devonport, from 5.30pm.
6 PCH Newsletter | Autumn 2012 Call us on 0800 694 3101

Tributes to popular
PCH figure
Peter Ebsworth, Plymouth Community Homesʼ first Chair, passed away during the
summer after a short illness.
Whitleigh resident Peter, 61, was a longstanding
PCC and PCH tenant.
He played a big part in the stock transfer and
was proud when it was achieved in 2009.
He took a keen interest in Property Services
and often called into the Prince Rock depot to
visit the manufacturing teams.
Elaine Pellow, Chair of the PCH Board, said: “I
was very sorry to hear of Peterʼs death. He
made an enormous contribution to PCHʼs
success and was with us right from the start,
steering us through our first two years as an
organisation.”
Peter stood down as Chair in October due to ill
health but remained a board member.
“ He made an enormous contribution
to PCH’s success and was with us
right from the start ”
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Autumn 2012 | PCH Newsletter 7

Summer
Festival fun
8 PCH Newsletter | Autumn 2012 Call us on 0800 694 3101

Hundreds of residents attended our first summer
festival in August.
Many families with children turned out for the
event, which took place at the Woodview
Learning Complex in Whitleigh.
The Whitleigh housing office led a childrenʼs
mini Olympics and Plymouth torch bearer Dan
Pengelly brought his torch along for people to
see.
Our Joinery Shop made an Olympic podium and
the winners of the mini games were presented
with their winnersʼ medals and certificates by
Chair of the Board Elaine Pellow.
More than 40 staff teams and partner agencies
ran stalls and activities and families enjoyed a
bouncy castle, football on an inflatable pitch, a
mini beach for sandcastle building, a Zumba
class and DIY skills.
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Autumn 2012 | PCH Newsletter 9

The Lone Ranger of
Marlborough House
The new Ranger service has been up and running for a
few months now. Communications Assistant Adam
Harding spent a morning with a Ranger to find out how
heʼs getting on…
I met Brian Short at the front of
Marlborough House with a relieved
look on my face – it was raining, hard.
Brian had just been performing some
tasks on the outside of the block, and
once finished was on his way into the
dry.
Brian is the Ranger in charge of
looking after Marlborough House and
if local opinion is anything to go by,
heʼs doing a fantastic job.
The first impression that struck me
on entering the building was how
clean the hallways were – from the
floors which had been recently
washed, to the ceiling, which looked
clean and bright. What a difference
bright, clean hallways make to your
mood, especially when itʼs miserable
outside.
Our morning together began in
Brianʼs office, where I signed the log
book and was instructed on the fire
evacuation procedure. Brian led me
to his office so he could describe his
average day. But first things first – he
put the kettle on. While appreciating
a good cup of tea, I asked Brian how
long he has been working for PCH.
He said: “Iʼve been with PCH since
2004, transferring from the council in
2009. My first role was as part of a
Adam Harding
mobile caretaking team. I was in that
role for just over a year. In total I have
had seven roles, including this one.”
At this point, a resident, Erik Nystrom,
popped in to speak to Brian, but once
he realised why I was there, Erik burst
into praise about the ranger: “Brian
has been excellent – the building is
always clean and Brian puts in that
extra effort. He is more than a member
of staff to the residents; he is a part
of our community.”
By now, it was time for Brian to
inspect all the floors in the building.
This turns out to be a core task for
him, as it allows him to structure the
rest of his day on priority tasks that
he finds during his inspection. It also
gave me the chance to ask another
question – how has Brianʼs role
changed since he became a Ranger?
“When we were caretakers we had
very specific roles and responsibilities,
but since our review that role has
expanded,” replied Brian.
“For instance, originally we were
responsible for litter picking, mopping
floors, checking sites and checking
repairs; but now our role includes
window cleaning, minor DIY and the
cleaning of doors and door frames.”
“So have there been any noticeable
differences in the way you have been
treated since becoming a Ranger?“ I
asked, as Brian inspected the rubbish
chutes on the fifth floor.
“Even though the job title has changed,
people still treat me the same. They
expect their Ranger to look after the
property and to keep things in order.
Since the review and being called a
Ranger, I expect more from myself.
The changes to our role have definitely
been for the better, and our tenants
would agree,” said Brian.
On the way back down from the floor
inspection, I asked Brian about his
thoughts on his new role. “As our role
has expanded, so has our training,”
said Brian, “PCH want us to do the
best we can, and this is reflected in
the levels of training we receive. My
tenants expect a high level of service
and I aim to deliver these high
standards in everything I do.
“Being a Ranger has meant that our
standards have been raised. There is
a more professional approach to the
role and this can be seen in the
volume of our training.”
Leaving Brian to organise himself in
his office for his return up to the fifth
floor for some cleaning, I ventured
into the communal room to see if there
was anyone who had an opinion of
Brian. Sitting down, talking to each
other across a coffee table, were
residents Ron Taylor and Marlene
Rambridge; both were more than
willing to heap praise on Brian.
10 PCH Newsletter | Autumn 2012 Call us on 0800 694 3101

Young tenant
consultation
“Heʼs fantastic, one of the best
workers we have ever had. He is
always working, but still manages to
find the time to talk to us. He will
quite happily stop what he is doing
to help a tenant in need. Heʼs a
pleasure to be around,” said Ron
emphatically.
Marlene added: “Itʼs a nicer place to
live because of Brianʼs efforts.”
After my half day with Brian, I start to
appreciate and respect the high level
of regard Brian holds in the tenantsʼ
minds. Brian is a self-confessed
house-proud person and he certainly
brings that level of enthusiasm and
commitment with him to work. His
work ethic and gruelling schedule still
do not get in the way of him making
time for the residents he serves.
As Erik said, he is more than staff;
he is a member of their community.
With a firm handshake we parted
ways; it had stopped raining.
The Communities Team spent last spring knocking on
the doors of our young tenants in Whitleigh.
We spoke to residents in the area
aged between 16 and 24. In total,
133 addresses were visited, with 58
of householders (43%) answering
questions on the doorstep. Tenants
were asked a variety of questions
including their use of social media
as well as how well they thought
they were supported at the start of
their tenancies.
They were also asked if they were
interested in taking part in the
Learn for Free training PCH offers.
We found that 90% of respondents
used social media to communicate
and all of these use Facebook. We
are currently exploring the best
ways in which we can use social
media to communicate with our
tenants.
We also asked our young residents
about things that they would have
liked more information on when
they first moved in. This is what
they said:
• 84% of young people agreed
they think young people need
additional support when moving
into their first home
• 87% of young people felt they
needed more information on
what bills they had to pay
• 83% wanted more details about
their rights and responsibilities
as tenants
• 76% wanted information on
where they could get cheap or
second hand furniture
• Other things important to them
included wanting to know about
how to budget effectively and
how to live and eat healthily.
Free Training
Three quarters of young tenants
surveyed told us they would be
interested in free training
opportunities.
The Communities Team will be
using the information from this
survey to make sure we offer
practical training opportunities for
our young tenants.
Lots of young people also told us
they would like to work on building
sites but were unable to do so
because they didnʼt hold a valid
Construction Skills Certificate, or
CSCS card. As a result of this we
have been helping people to
complete this course.
For more information on this you
can call the Communities Team
on 0800 917 9457. Our Learn for
Free leaflet is included in this
mailing.
Leigh Ferguson, PCH Communities
Worker, said: “The survey was a
great success – we were made to
feel really welcome and the
information gained has already
been really useful and has helped
us find out what is particularly
important to our young tenants in
the Whitleigh area.
“We will continue to use these
results to help support our
residents in the future. Thank you
to all of those who took the time
to take part.”
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Autumn 2012 | PCH Newsletter 11

We Want your Views:
PCH Play Strategy
Did you know that PCH owns more than
ten playgrounds across Plymouth?
We are seeking your views on how we can best serve
these playgrounds and other public open spaces to support
childrenʼs play across our communities. We are in the early
stages of writing a Play Strategy and as such, we want to
know what you and your children think about the current
playgrounds and equipment.
We also want to know what we need to do to plan for the
future to ensure that children and young people get the
most from these outdoor spaces. We want children and
their families to take an active role in the development of
local play spaces which is why we are asking for your
opinions now.
Anyone who provides feedback will be automatically
entered into our free prize draw. The winner will receive
either a family ten pin bowling voucher or a family ticket for
a one hour rock climbing taster session at the Life Centre.
How to Enter:
• Answer the questions below and return your comments
to us at: Play Strategy, Communities Team, Ground
Floor, Princess Court, 23 Princess Street, Plymouth
PL1 2EX
• Alternatively, download our questionnaire from our
website and either pop it in the post to us (address
above) or email your answers back to us at:
communitiesteam@plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
• Call our Communities team on 0800 917 9457 to talk
through your feedback
• Or drop your feedback into your local housing office.
The Questions:
1. How much time do you/your children spend
outdoors?
2. Where do they like to play? (e.g. local
playgrounds, in the street, in the garden, friendsʼ
houses, school playing fields, local woods.)
3. Are there enough adequate outdoor spaces for
children to play within your neighbourhood?
4. How do you think that we could improve and
develop our outdoor play areas in the future?
With your entry, please remember to include: Your
postcode, a contact number or email address for
the prize draw and also the ages of your children.
We look forward to hearing your views.
Leaseholder Handbook
Our current Leaseholder Handbook is almost
three years old now and we are aiming to update
this within the next 12 months. We will be doing
this because some of the information in the
existing handbook is now out of date or has been
superseded by changes in policy or procedures.
We will be reviewing the content of the existing
handbook to see if this needs to be updated and will
also be looking to see whether any new topics can
be included that would be of interest and help to you.
Many of you have told us they have found the
current handbook interesting and useful. This was
written with the help of some of you and because
of that, the content was relevant. We would like
leaseholders to be involved in planning the next
version.
If any leaseholder has any suggestions for new
topics for the next version, or would like to be
involved in planning and putting it together, please
contact Frank Corbridge on 01752 388094.
12 PCH Newsletter | Autumn 2012 Call us on 0800 694 3101

Home,
sweet home
PCH resident Dennis Bance has been a tenant for
48 years and now, thanks to new heating and double
glazing courtesy of PCH, house-proud Dennis says
this is the best his home has ever looked.
“I am thrilled at the work that has been done to my
property,” he said, “It was a wonderful job, and now
looks absolutely lovely.”
Over the years, Dennis has maintained his property
in Lower Ham to a high standard, repairing doors,
the staircase and even replacing an external garden
wall. But according to Dennis, the new windows and
heating are ʻthe icing on the cakeʼ.
Dennisʼs revamped home will now be much cheaper
to run, more environmentally friendly and more secure.
“I would like to thank the tradesmen from Apollo,”
added Dennis, “They have been superb. The guys
working on my house have been very professional
and have treated our home with respect. They were
quick and tidied up after themselves. Now our home
looks the best it ever has, and with our new heating
and windows we are set for the winter months.”
Garden transformation
Residents at Weston Mill are delighted with the
work that the neighbourhood rangers have carried
out to transform their gardens, wall and path at the
front of their sheltered housing scheme.
The traditional stone wall which runs down the
length of Carlton Terrace – along the front of
Weston Mill sheltered housing bungalows and the
public footpath – had become completely
overgrown with ivy. The flower beds were unkempt
and the path beneath it was barely visible.
Residents are now able to use the path, which until
recently was almost completely covered with weeds.
The makeover is a welcome change as it was
raised as a priority issue at the community
walkabout earlier in the year.
Our neighbourhood rangers moved in and set
about clearing the ivy, which was starting to make
the wall very unstable.
After a lot of hard work, the ivy and the flower
beds underneath the wall were cleared, which has
totally transformed the area and made it look
much neater and far more appealing.
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Autumn 2012 | PCH Newsletter 13

Project lends a
helping hand
Reach, a community project run by
volunteers based in Estover, has been
providing practical help and support to
PCH residents in North Plymouth.
Rachel Webb, a young mum in West Park, was
struggling to maintain her overgrown gardens. Rachel
discussed this with Adam Stockman, her housing
officer, explaining that she had very little spare time
or money to deal with her garden.
Adam referred her case to the Reach project to see
if he could enlist their help.
Reach forms part of the on-going community
assistance programme offered to local individuals
and families in need by North Plymouth Community
Church which has been providing help and hope to
local people for nearly 30 years.
One rainy, dull Tuesday afternoon, Dan Taylor, Reach
Project Leader, and three other volunteers arrived at
Rachelʼs garden to begin the work of cutting back
and clearing the overgrown plants and weeds.
Within a couple of hours they had the garden under
control and it has slowly gone from being a wild
unkempt space back into a usable garden for Rachel
and her children to play in. Following a few more
visits, the garden has now been transformed.
Rachel is delighted and now that she has been able
to enjoy the benefits of her garden, she has vowed
to keep it maintained so that she and her children
can enjoy it.
Over recent months, PCH has been referring more
and more tenants to Reach, which can offer vital help
in times of financial or personal crisis. Adam said:
“Reach has been fantastic in helping some of our
residents in need – they have offered practical support
to help vulnerable people to improve their living
conditions. They have decorated rooms, cleared
gardens and helped people out with odd jobs around
the house that they cannot complete themselves.”
As well coming to the rescue in practical ways, they
have also helped residents in financial crisis. Working
in partnership with Plymouth Food Bank, Reach
provides and delivers emergency food packages to
those suffering financial hardship.
Adam added: “I cannot praise the work of Reach
highly enough. They have been a lifeline for some of
our residents and what is even more admirable is
that these people are all volunteers who give up their
free time to support local people and try to help them
build better lives for themselves.”
If you are having trouble paying your rent or want to
talk to somebody about your benefits, speak to your
local housing officer in the first instance – they will be
able to point you in the right direction.
If you have spare time and are interested in
volunteering with Reach, please contact Dan Taylor
on Dan.reach@btinternet.com.
“ They have been a lifeline for
some of our residents ”
14 PCH Newsletter | Autumn 2012 Call us on 0800 694 3101

Contact Centre – repairs
planning team strengthened
Two new supervisors have recently joined
the repairs planning team.
Ian McPherson and Louise Jarvis both come from
extensive customer service backgrounds. They were
chosen to help lead the planning team, to streamline
and improve customer service and develop service
delivery across the planning team and trade employees
and contractors.
The repairs contact centre is the first point of contact
for PCH tenants to report repairs to their homes and
communal areas. The contact centre deals with:
• Routine repair requests to properties
• Urgent and emergency repair requests
• Heating and hot water repairs
• The handyperson scheme
• Annual gas servicing appointments
The repairs planning team
The repairs contact centre team
Contact centre staff take the initial repair request
calls from residents and book in the appointments.
The planning team oversees the scheduled
appointments with residents to make the best use of
the operativeʼs working day and also makes sure any
materials required to complete the work are delivered
on time to the correct address.The planning team
also ensures any emergency repairs are dealt with
on the day we are notified.
The contact centre provides a 24-hour emergency
response repairs service to all of our tenants 365
days a year. The contact centre team is fully trained in
customer service and can answer queries on repairs
and maintenance.
Coming soon – new repairs
and safety information
Over the next few weeks, all tenants will be receiving
new leaflets about repairs and home safety. Weʼve
updated two of the leaflets which go inside your
tenant handbook.
The Repairs leaflet details how you should report
your repair and the different types of repairs – for
example routine or emergency. Our repairs service
has changed recently so there is updated information
about appointment times and text message alerts. The
leaflets explain which repairs are our responsibility,
which are yours and what standards of service you
can expect from us.
A second leaflet, Safety, Maintenance and DIY,
provides important information about home safety –
including the loss of power, fire safety and asbestos.
You can also read about plumbing and water issues
and how to prevent condensation. We give you advice
on DIY and details about our Handyperson scheme.
Finally, there are energy-saving tips which should
also help you save money.
We made changes to our repairs service following
recommendations from the Repairs Continuous
Improvement Group, which was set up to look at how
the service was performing. Tenant Roger Lee-Smith
was part of the Repairs CIG and has also seen the
new leaflets. He said: “Everything we addressed in
the CIG has been included in the leaflets.
“We were concerned about the availability of the call
centre, the availability of evening and weekend
repairs appointments and the availability of female
operatives for female tenants. These have all been
reviewed and changes introduced.”
The leaflets are due to be posted out later this month
and are a handy A5 size. This means they can fit into
your tenant handbook along with the rest of your
tenancy information. If you have any questions about
the leaflets when they arrive, call the repairs contact
centre on 0808 230 6500.
Together, the teams deal with more than 77,000 calls
and emails a year and plan more than 70,000 pieces
of work.
www.plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk
Autumn 2012 | PCH Newsletter 15

Contact
numbers
Repairs
0808 230 6500
Head Office
0800 694 3101
Housing Offices
Estover: 0800 917 9496
Devonport: 0800 917 9497
Whitleigh: 0800 917 9498
North Prospect: 0800 917 9499
Anti-social behaviour
out of hours hotline
0800 075 6699 or text 80800 and
start your message with ʻASBʼ.
Service Information Centre
01752 389778
Sheltered Housing Team
0800 917 9452
Out of hours repairs
0800 917 9459
Leaseholders
01752 388094
Caretaking Service
0800 917 9455
Debit/Credit Card Payment Line
0844 557 8321
Gas Servicing
01752 388007 / 388008
Communities
0800 917 9457
Plymouth
City Council
contacts
Enquiries (including waste
and out of hours)
01752 668000
Report fly tipping
01752 304147
Housing needs
01752 305496
Housing advice
01752 305950
Anti-social behaviour
01752 307049