Cornwall Housing and Corserv Facilities work together on an exciting, new vision for Cornwall to engage and involve their tenants throughout the county, with their Repairs and Maintenance service.
Through a planned workshop and feedback activities, the group aims to actively engage their tenants on the future of repairs and maintenance of their homes.
Corserv Facilities, the latest company to join the Corserv Group, took on the repairs and maintenance of council-owned homes along with Cornwall Housing earlier this year. This latest initiative will build relationships and help improve services and create a new vision for the region.
“The relationship between council tenants and Cornwall Housing is at the very heart of that vision,” said Interim Managing Director of Cornwall Housing, Iain Sim “Hearing and listening to the voice of tenants and communities has never been more important. We have an exciting opportunity to make far-reaching and innovative changes to how we deliver engagement across council-owned housing in Cornwall.”
“We’re delighted to have had our first of the new workshops with our key Cornwall Housing tenants and the group which was really well received.”
Cornwall Housing Tenants' recent workshop included the Senior Managers of Corserv Facilities and Cornwall Housing. The aim of the event was to create a vision that will lay out how tenants will be involved in the vital repairs service and have their voices heard and influence service changes and improvements.
Many residents gave feedback that they felt the landlord worked positively with them and that engagement made a difference.
Corserv Facilities have taken on the repairs and maintenance service for Cornwall Housing and tenants that attended the workshop had the opportunity to ask questions and hear presentations on how everyone is working hard to improve the service that tenants receive.
Members of the Tenants Forum and tenants from different communities were presented with a video about improving how people report repairs using new technology. As well as discussing how some people would rather phone in a repair or use an online form.
The table discussion session gave managers and tenants the opportunity to explore different ways that tenants’ views about the service and their experiences could be captured, in order to make sure it was used to improve the repairs and maintenance service.
“Tenants suggested a range of activities,” added Corserv Facilities Managing Director Al Hoare “They discussed Tenant Focus Groups, surveys, phone surveys, round the table discussions with teams, visiting Corserv Facilities teams to see what they do, estate clean up days, presenting performance information to the Tenants Forum and working the Tenant Scrutiny Panel.”
“In order to have a range of views, a number of tenants have also been telephoned too.”
We feel It is important that Cornwall Housing and Corsev Facilities fully embrace the opportunities that digital can also bring to encourage and enable more people to get involved, facilitating conversations quicker and in different ways, but at the same time keeping sight on the importance of face-to-face interaction.
“We aim to engage with our tenants as part of the repairs partnership and further include them in decisions for the future," added Cornwall Housing, Iain Sim.
Following the workshop, a draft vision will be shared with all those that took part at the event and once finalised, it will be available on the Cornwall Housing website.
“The opportunity here of course is not just about bricks and mortar, but to develop council housing as a vital part of our local community, and to make long term investment in places that people are proud to live in," said Cornwall Housing, Iain Sim.
“We all want to live and work in safe, vibrant and thriving communities. Positive tenant engagement can go a long way to making that happen. We need a culture that continues to actively welcome, and act on, the views of the people that live in council-owned homes in Cornwall."
“We aim to grasp the opportunities today and make embedded and effective engagement and empowerment in council-owned housing in Cornwall for the future.”
There will be several events and initiatives run by Cornwall Housing across the region this year to build on the community partnership including their popular annual Garden of the Year competition.
“We love taking time to celebrate and recognise tenants and leaseholders who take pride in their outside spaces,” added Iain. “We’re encouraging tenants to send us photos and inspire others to be creative with their outside spaces. Members of our Tenants’ Forum will judge all entries and award prizes and certificates to the best ones.”
Email: info@corservfacilities.co.uk
Telephone: 01872 327666
