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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
Page 1 and 2: news Issue 12 Autumn 2012 Summer Fe
Page 3 and 4: Space to spread out after 16 years
Page 5 and 6: Change at the top PCHʼs Director o
Page 7 and 8: Tributes to popular PCH figure Pete
Page 9: Hundreds of residents attended our
Page 13 and 14: Home, sweet home PCH resident Denni
Page 15 and 16: Contact Centre - repairs planning t

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