In Touch autumn 2007 - Teign Housing

Digital TV SwitchoverStarting later this year and finishing in 2012,television services in the UK will go digital, regionby region. This process is called digital switchover.Transmitters in our television region are due toswitchover in 2009.If you have a television that has not been convertedto digital when the switchover takes place it will notbe able to receive television programmes. However,you do not need to replace your existing televisionto receive digital services. You just need to get someadditional equipment to connect to it.What could I get?Digital Terrestrial TVDigital Satellite TVDigital Cable TVWhat will I need?You will need a digital“set top box” or a newtelevision with built indigital adapter. Youmay also need to replaceyour aerial.You will need asatellite receiver anddish, provided by yoursatellite broadcaster.A connection to a cablesystem and indoordecoder box would beprovided by your cablecompany.Some of Teign Housing’s properties are on communalaerial systems, where television signals come intoyour home from a shared aerial. Many of thesesystems have already been upgraded to allow thereception of digital signals by at least one of themethods listed above.If you receive your television pictures from oneof our older communal aerial systems, we arepresently looking at the best method of upgradingthese systems or, where planning regulations allow,providing you with your own terrestrial aerial.Help schemeTeign Housing is not responsible for individual aerialsystems and as such it will be your responsibility toconvert to digital.A national Help Scheme has been established toprovide equipment, help with installation and followupsupport for those who need it most. You will beeligible for the Help Scheme if you are aged 75 orover, receive an Attendance Allowance or a DisabilityLiving Allowance, are registered blind or registeredpartially sighted. If you are eligible you will be sentmore information well before this region goes digital.Further information about the digital TV switchover isavailable from Digital UK, which is the organisationresponsible for the co-ordination of the UK switchover. You can call them on 0845 6 50 50 50 or visitwww.digitaluk.co.ukIn Touch meets… Neal EdmondsNeal Edmonds is Ian Williams’ Senior Contracts Manager, managing TeignHousing’s responsive repairs contract. Here he tells In Touch about how he’sfound things in the first few weeks of taking over Teign Housing’s responsiverepairs contract.How’s it been so far?It’s been a good start. We’re in the early stages, building up relationshipsbetween our staff and everyone at Teign Housing – Customer Service Advisors,Surveyors and Managers. We’re also working on creating a good relationshipwith the tenants we’re serving.What was your role before you took on the Teign Housingresponsive repairs contract?For me, I trained as a carpenter and worked “on the ground”, as it were. I’veworked for big companies and worked for myself, before starting with IanWilliams a few years back. I’ve climbed the company ladder – starting as aContract Manager, with just one contract to look after, and now as a SeniorContracts Manager, with several!As well as the Teign Housing contract I oversee the maintenance of marriedquarters for the Ministry of Defence, responsive repairs for Raglan HousingAssociation, maintenance of school buildings for Devon County Council andthe upkeep of Plymouth City Council’s public buildings. With a number ofcompanies to look after, I rely on having a good team behind me.Along with taking over the contract, you’ve taken on some of thestaff who were employed by the previous contractor. How has thatbeen working?I’m really pleased; we’ve taken on some people with excellent skills. It’s alearning curve for them because we have our own working practices that theyhave to adhere to, but we’re keen to keep investing in training for our staff.One thing that they have had to adapt to is the new appointments system –rather than the old method of cold calling, all urgent and routine repairs areprogrammed in for a particular time and date now.How do you monitor how wellyou’re performing?There are some standard performancemeasures included in our contract,things like how many repairs wecomplete on time, but I’m workingwith Teign Housing, through ourmonthly contract monitoringmeetings, to set up some more. Onewill be a target for the number ofrepairs we complete during the firstvisit to a customers’ home. This issomething my staff and staff at TeignHousing will need to work togetheron as it depends on the CustomerService Advisors diagnosing the repaircorrectly when it’s first reported andrepair operatives having the skills andequipment with them to do the job.How do you keep in closecontact with what’s going on atTeign Housing?We’re in touch on lots of levels.Our member of staff responsible forscheduling operatives’ time is basedin Teign Housing’s office with theCustomer Service Advisors, which isan excellent link. We’re a nationalcompany but we have a local base– our administration is dealt withby our office in Heathfield but ouroperatives work from an office atJewson’s, on the Brunel IndustrialEstate in Newton Abbot. WithJewson’s right next door to TeignHousing we couldn’t be better placed.Personally, I’m in regular contactwith Paula Carroll, who manages theCustomer Services Team and managesthe contract from Teign Housing’sside. She and I have a good workingrelationship and try to always giveeach other the “heads up” on anyissues we’re expecting to crop up, sowe can make sure they’re managedeffectively. I think we work welltogether because we have a sharedgoal - to provide the best possiblerepairs to Teign Housing residents.67