Redesigning Services: Customer and Property Services
Over the past 18 months Albyn has been reviewing how best we serve you, our tenants during what has been a challenging period as we recover from the effects of the pandemic and now tackle the current cost of living crisis which impacts the daily lives of everyone. We have also been operating a hybrid model of working (Hub when staff are office-based, Home when they work at home and Roam visiting you at home ) this model enables all our Housing Teams to be more present in the community and provide services across our wide geographical areas.
The current Customer Services structure was formed in 2013 and was delivered on a geographical patch basis. Each patch was served by one Housing Officer and Assistant who provided all the services including repairs, rents, allocations and several other tenancy related matters. Since then Albyn has increased the number of homes we manage, making it challenging to maintain the current patches to the same level. It has also impacted on the time that Housing Officers are able to spend on certain duties within their patch, restricted some of the services delivered and made it harder to ensure tenants in our more rural areas are looked after.
As a result of all the above Albyn took the decision to review the delivery of services and how the existing staff complement could be re-designed to meet the current and future needs of all our tenants It was essential that we understood all the information and data we held around call volume and service demands that our tenants expect. We reviewed options on how to best manage and improve the services to tenants and to ensure that it was adequately resourced. The option that we took enables us to build specialist teams that we will develop to support our tenants in several ways but also to ensure that we look after all of the staff delivering the services.
The services will be delivered by one team that comprises of four distinct service functions consisting of:
Income: this will be a team of 11, and they will help with all aspects of rent collection and prevention- of arrears, new tenancy visits, housing benefit and universal credit enquiries, rent reviews, rent increase and tenancy enforcement for any non-payment of rent.
Tenancy Operations: this will be a team of 12, and they will help with all aspects of housing allocations/voids, mutual exchanges, downsizing, estate management, anti-social behaviour, coordinating complaints and some new tenancy visits.
Tenancy Sustainment: this will be a team of 8, and they will be supporting tenants around in a number of ways, managing our FIT Homes, enabling aids and adaptations, TRUST and Energy Fund distribution, external referrals including energy and welfare advice.
Repairs and Maintenance: this will be a team of 15, and they are providing services on day-to-day repairs, inspection of repairs before and after works, managing contractors to ensure quality and value, ensuring compliance on gas and electrical contracts, void property works, major works contracts, cyclical works, stock condition surveys and energy performance monitoring.
To speak to any of these teams we now have just one phone number 0300 323 0990 – and you will be directed to select a menu option depending on the reason for your call. Our dedicated call handlers will ensure your call is handled professionally and they will:
- provide you with a service between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday
- answer your enquiries with specific timeframes
- always tell you their name
- treat you all with courtesy and respect and in a professional and friendly manner
- treat all your contacts in the strictest of confidence
- quickly establish the reason for you contacting us and tell you how best we can assist you
- deal with the enquiry if they can, if not, they will pass it to the right person or department
- tell you the name of the person or department to which your enquiry is being referred to
- always give you clear information when dealing with your enquiry
- offer to take a message if the person you wish to speak to is unavailable and ask them to call you back or contact you on your preferred method
All of the team at Albyn are committed to providing the best service and over the coming months we will be seeking your views on the services we provide and our new approach. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to discuss then please do not hesitate for an informal chat via the options below.
office@albynhousing.org.uk |0300 323 0990 | www.albynhousing.org.uk