You said, we did 

Housing Improvement Partnership (HIP)

The Housing Improvement Partnership (HIP) is a group of tenants who work with us to improve housing services. The HIP focuses on real experiences of tenants & leaseholders when they request and receive a service from Caerphilly Homes.
 
Here are some of the services the HIP has reviewed.

Floating Support

You said...
"I want to know that you will be there to support me for as long as I need you.”
“Before you leave, I want you to make sure I understand what is happening next / what I might need to do.”
“I want you to let me know when you will be visiting me next.”

What we did...
We now complete an action plan when we visit. It tells you when your next appointment is, how we have helped you during the visit (e.g. PIP application, telephoned utility supplier), and what we will do next. It also lets you know what you might need to do before our next visit. This plan is left with you, so you have your own record.

Landlord consent

You said...
“I want to make my request using the communication channel of my choice”

What we did...
Now, you can speak to your housing officer (when they visit you), call into your local housing office, telephone, write or email your request for consent.

Tenancy Support Service

You said...
“I want you to tell me who will be visiting and listen to me if I have a preference on who visits”

What we did...
Now, when we book a Tenancy Support Officer appointment with you, we will tell you the name of the officer who’ll be visiting and discuss with you if you have a preference as to who visits.

Income recovery (rents)

You said...
“Throughout the process I want you to use language I understand”
“I want you to clearly explain why something has happened and what I can do to resolve the problem / fix it”

What we did...
We’ve changed our letters to make them clearer and easier to understand.
 
These changes were introduced to services before the pandemic so we acknowledge that this may not reflect the current service.

If you'd be interested in being part of the HIP and helping us improve services, please get in touch.
 

Telecare

Telecare is a monitoring service that offers remote support to people who may be elderly, disabled or vulnerable. It provides users with an alarm unit, emergency button pendant and 24/7 monitoring from expert teams. It can help people retain their independence and confidence at home.
 
In February 2019, we held a Tenant Information Exchange (TIE) where our Telecare specialists chatted to tenants about the benefits of this service. They provided lots of useful information and showed how easy the equipment was to use.
 
After the TIE, we recruited some volunteers to take part in a pilot exercise to test some of the new telecare devices on the market. The Telecare Team wanted a thorough understanding of how they worked to determine which of these new devices would be best suited to meet service users’ needs.
 
The pilot took place over the summer. We'd like to thank our tenant volunteers, we are grateful for your help. The pilot has given the installation staff a good insight into how we can use the equipment to successfully help our tenants in need. If you would like to know more about Telecare and how it can help you, please contact 01443 873663 or email CaerphillyCareline@caerphilly.gov.uk.
 

Armchair Reviewers

April 2019 – Mutual Exchange Leaflet

We asked our armchair reviewers to provide feedback on a new leaflet that was being produced to explain the Mutual Exchange process.
 
You said… some of the wording and layout of text made parts of the information difficult to understand
 
We did… amended the leaflet to reflect the suggestions from the feedback given.

Winter 2019 – Caerphilly Homes Newsletter Issue 14

We asked our reviewers to provide feedback on the latest edition of the Caerphilly Homes Newsletter.
 
You said…The colours used on page 10 made it difficult to read the contents.
 
We did…changed the colours used so that page 10 was easier to read.

If you're interested in becoming an Armchair Reviewer, please contact us so that we can provide you with more information.